With similar skin color and looks, how did Hitler distinguish between Jews? Take off your pants and check one by one

With similar skin color and looks, how did Hitler distinguish between Jews? Take off your pants and check one by one

Everyone knows the depth of Hitler's persecution of the Jews, but they don't know how the Nazis managed to distinguish Jews from many Europeans in that crazy era. You know, Jews are not much different from other Europeans in skin color and appearance, but Hitler was able to find them out one by one. What's the mystery here?

It is said that in Nazi-ruled Germany, there were often scenes in the streets and alleys: Nazi officers suddenly stopped passers-by, carefully examined their faces, and sometimes even ordered them to take off their pants in public. Such an impudent act turned out to be a "clever trick" to distinguish the Jews. However, why do you want people to take their pants off? How can this discern the identity of a Jew?

Even more puzzling is why Hitler hated the Jews so much. What did the Jews do to suffer such brutal persecution? How did the Jews survive in those dark times? And how did they hide their identities from the Nazis?

Let's unravel the mystery of this history and explore the cruel truth of that era. How did Hitler accurately identify Jews? Why has "taking off your pants and checking it" become a terrible tactic? What is the secret behind this?

Hitler's hatred of Jews did not come out of nowhere, it stemmed from a complex interweaving of historical, religious, and social factors. This hatred was pushed to the extreme in Germany in the 30s of the 20th century, and finally led to the darkest page in human history.

First of all, religious conflict was one of the important causes of Hitler's hatred of Jews. As early as the Middle Ages, there was a deep contradiction between Christianity and Judaism. Although both religions believe in the same God, their doctrinal interpretations are very different. Christianity considers Jesus to be the Son of God and the savior of mankind, while Judaism insists that the Messiah has yet to come. This fundamental divide led to long-term religious conflicts.

In Germany in the 1920s, this religious contradiction was further amplified. Hitler skillfully exploited this by portraying Jews as "Christ's killers," provoking hostility toward Jews among many German Christians. In his speeches, he often quoted passages from the Bible to demonize Jews, calling them "the devil's incarnation." This incitement to religious hatred laid the ideological foundation for later ethnic persecution.

Second, economic factors also played an important role in Hitler's anti-Semitism. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Germany experienced a rapid process of industrialization, and many Jews succeeded in the process with their commercial talents. However, this also aroused the jealousy and resentment of some Germans.

In 1929, the Great Depression broke out, and the Germany economy was devastated. Against this background, Hitler cleverly blamed the Jews for their economic woes. He claimed that Jews controlled Germany's financial system, extracting the blood and sweat of ordinary Germans by lending usury and manipulating the stock market. This argument resonated strongly among the economically struggling German population at the time.

In 1933, as soon as Hitler came to power, he began to impose a series of economic sanctions against Jews. For example, on April 1, 1933, the Nazis launched a nationwide boycott of Jewish shops. The SS stood guard in front of Jewish-run shops to prevent customers from entering. The campaign, which lasted only one day, already showed the hostility of the Nazi regime towards the Jews.

In addition, political considerations were also important reasons for Hitler's hatred of Jews. During the Weimar Republic after World War I, Germany was in turmoil and politically divided. Hitler skillfully used anti-Semitism as a political tool, blaming the Jews for all the contradictions in the country.

He claimed that the Jews were to blame for Germany's defeat in World War I, spreading the so-called "stab in the back" theory. According to this theory, Germany lost World War I because Jews and leftists at home betrayed the soldiers at the front. Although this argument had no factual basis, it was widely circulated in Germany society at the time.

Hitler also associated Jews with Bolshevism, which he hated. He declared that the Jews were behind communism and intended to subvert the traditional order in Germany. This statement caused a strong reaction in Germany society, where anti-communist sentiment was high at the time.

By portraying Jews as the source of all Germany's problems, Hitler succeeded in diverting popular attention from other social problems, while also providing a pretext for his extreme policies. He used anti-Semitism to rally supporters and consolidate his political position.

Under Hitler's anti-Semitic policies, Nazi Germany began an unprecedented campaign for racial identification. However, since Jews did not differ significantly from other Europeans in appearance, the task became extremely difficult. In order to achieve their program of ethnic cleansing, the Nazis employed a series of heinous methods to identify and track down Jews.

First, the Nazis exploited a well-publicized stereotype: the hooked nose. This feature is considered one of the typical facial features of Jews. In 1936, a senior officer of the Nazi SS (SS) Hans · F· K. · Gaunt even wrote a book called Ethnology, detailing what he called "Jewish characteristics." The book claims that Jews usually have curved noses, thick lips, and dark hair.

This method of judging based on appearance soon spread in Germany society. Nazi soldiers patrolling the streets often stopped pedestrians and scrutinized their facial features. One surviving Jew once recalled: "Every time I walked down the street, I felt my nose being scrutinized by countless pairs of eyes. The fear is indescribable. "

However, there is clearly a huge loophole in this approach. Not only do many Jews not possess these so-called "typical features," but many non-Jews may also have similar facial features. This inaccurate method of judgment led to a large number of innocent people being wrongly identified as Jews, while also allowing many Jews to escape Nazi pursuit.

To compensate for the lack of physical judgment, the Nazis began to resort to more extreme measures: circumcision checks. This practice stems from the practice of circumcision of men in the Jewish tradition. The Nazis believed that Jews could be more accurately identified by examining whether men had been circumcised.

This practice quickly evolved into a terrifying street scene. Nazi soldiers often stopped random male pedestrians and ordered them to take off their pants on the spot for inspection. A Germany citizen who witnessed such a scene recalled: "It was a cold winter day, and I saw several SS officers stopping a group of men on a street corner. They were forced to take off their pants in the cold wind and be inspected by the officers. That look of humiliation and fear, I will never forget. "

However, this approach is equally problematic. First of all, it can only be used to identify adult males. Second, not all Jewish males were circumcised, and there were also some non-Jews who were circumcised for medical or other reasons. More importantly, this practice seriously violates human rights and arouses resentment and opposition from some Germans.

In addition to these direct methods of physical examination, the Nazis made extensive use of archival surveys to identify Jews. They dug deep into government records, church lists, and school archives in an attempt to trace everyone's family history. In 1935, the Nazi government enacted the Nuremberg Laws, requiring all Germany citizens to provide proof of their family ancestry. This law defines people with four Jewish grandparents as "purebred Jews" and people with two or three Jewish grandparents as "mestizos."

To enforce this law, the Nazis established a vast genealogical research institute. Thousands of staff members were dispatched to churches and public institutions across the country to collect birth, death, and marriage records. A German who worked at the institution recalled: "Every day we were looking through a lot of archives trying to trace everyone's family history. Sometimes, just a suspicious surname is enough to get our attention. "

This approach, while seemingly more "scientific" and systematic, is equally problematic. Many records have been lost or destroyed in the war and social unrest, and many simply cannot provide proof of a complete family history. Worse still, this practice gives those with malicious intentions the opportunity to falsely accuse others. Just an anonymous report can lead to a family being labeled "Jewish" with dire consequences.

Despite these extreme methods, the Nazis were never able to identify all Jews with complete accuracy. This dilemma not only reflects the absurdity of Nazi racial theory, but also highlights the fictional nature of racial divisions in human society. However, this did not stop the Nazis from continuing their policy of racial persecution, but instead prompted them to resort to even more brutal and extreme measures.

During the years of Nazi Germany, Jews had to resort to various methods to hide their identities in order to survive. This "game" of hiding one's identity not only requires great courage and wisdom, but also a big gamble of life and death.

First, many Jews choose to change their names and surnames to disguise their identity. They abandoned traditional Jewish surnames such as Cohen, Levi or Goldberg in favor of the more common German surnames. For example, a Jewish businessman named Moritz · Goldschmidt changed his surname to Schmidt in 1938. He later recalled, "Every time someone called me by a new name, I needed to remind myself to respond immediately. This constant vigilance is the key to survival. "

In addition to changing their names, some Jews also chose to change their appearance to avoid arousing suspicion. Many began dyeing their hair, dying their dark hair blonde or light brown to conform to the Nazis' so-called "Aryan" image. Some women even have rhinoplasty in an attempt to change their facial features. One survivor once recalled: "My mother dyed my and my sister's hair every week. The pungent smell of chemicals still lingers in my memory to this day. "

In everyday life, Jews must always be vigilant and avoid revealing their identity. They deliberately change their behaviour and language patterns and try to blend in with their surroundings. For example, many people began to eat pork in public, which is forbidden in Judaism. Some even began to place Christmas trees in their homes and participate in Christian events as a way to disguise themselves as ordinary German citizens.

A Jewish woman who once hid her identity recalled: "Every time I walked into the church, I felt a panic. I was afraid that I would make a mistake in the ritual and expose my identity. But I knew that if we didn't, our whole family could be in danger. "

When it comes to education, many Jewish families have had to abandon traditional Jewish education in order to protect their children. They sent their children to ordinary Germany schools and strictly forbade children to mention their Jewish background in school. A former Jewish student recalled: "My parents told me that no matter what happened, we should not be mentioned as Jews in school. This secret became the heaviest burden of my childhood. "

However, it's not enough to just change your appearance and behavior. In order to completely conceal their identities, many Jews had to forge identification documents. This is an extremely dangerous act, and if it is discovered, the consequences are unimaginable. Some obtain fake documents by bribing officials, others turn to underground organizations.

In Berlin, there was an underground organization led by a Christian priest who specialized in providing fake documents to Jews. Members of this organization risked their lives to use the church's resources and network of contacts to provide a new identity to thousands of Jews. One pastor involved in the effort later recalled, "Every time we succeeded in helping a Jewish family gain a new identity, we felt both relief and fear. The relief is that we have saved lives, and the horror is that we may be found out at any time. "

In addition to forging documents, some Jews chose to "disappear" altogether. They give up their old lives and move to remote villages or small towns to start over with a new identity. While this reduces the risk of detection, it also means a complete disconnection with the past. A Jewish doctor who chose this path recalled: "The day I left Berlin, I felt like I was dying once. I had to give up my career, my friends, my whole life. But I know it's the only way to survive. "

However, not all Jews have the ability or opportunity to successfully hide their identity. For those who can't escape, the only option is to hide. Many people hide in attics, basements, and even secret spaces in the walls. In Amsterdam, Anne · Frank and her family hid in a secret annex for more than two years. Although they were eventually found and sent to concentration camps, Anne's diary left a valuable historical witness for posterity.

During this long and difficult process of concealment, many non-Jews also reached out. They risked their lives to provide Jews with shelter, food, and fake documents. In Warsaw, Poland, a social worker named Elena · Sendler organized an underground network that successfully rescued more than 2,500 Jewish children. The actions of these "righteous people" ignite the light of humanity in the darkness.

When the Nazis succeeded in identifying the hidden Jews, they resorted to a series of brutal and systematic dispositions. These measures have evolved over time, escalating from initial social exclusion and economic sanctions to mass expulsions, concentrations, and eventual extermination.

In the early days of the Nazis, they first isolated Jews through legislation and social pressure. In April 1933, Hitler's government enacted the Reinstatement of Professional Civil Service Act, which excluded Jews from public service. Subsequently, similar laws were introduced, prohibiting Jews from practicing legal, medical, educational, and other professions. A former Jewish doctor recalled: "Overnight, I was disqualified from practicing medicine. My patients were told they could no longer come to me, and my years of career came to an abrupt end. "

In addition to occupational restrictions, the Nazis deprived Jews of their civil rights through various means. In September 1935, the Nazi government enacted the infamous Nuremberg Laws, which officially defined Jews as "non-citizens." The law forbade Jews from intermarrying "purebred" Germany, stripped them of their right to vote, and made it mandatory for them to wear a yellow six-pointed star in public.

A Jew in Germany at the time described the experience of wearing a yellow star: "The first time I wore a yellow star on the street, I felt that all eyes were on me. Some people avoided me as if I were carrying some kind of contagious disease; Others openly insulted me. When I returned home that night and plucked the yellow star, I found it already soaked with my tears. "

As time went on, the Nazi persecution of the Jews intensified. The "Kristallnacht" pogrom of November 9-10, 1938 marked the beginning of violent persecution. For two days, members of the SS and the Hitler Youth smashed Jewish shops, homes and synagogues throughout Germany. Hundreds of Jews were killed in the violence, and about 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps.

One survivor of Kristallnacht recalled: "That night, my family hid in the attic and listened to the sound of broken glass and the roar of the mob coming from downstairs. My father hugged us tightly and kept saying, 'Be quiet, don't make a sound.' It was the longest night of my life. "

With the outbreak of World War II, the Nazis began to implement a more systematic program of deportation of Jews. Between 1939 and 1941, they forcibly relocated hundreds of thousands of Jews from Germany proper and occupied areas to the "Jewish ghetto" of Poland. These areas soon turned into closed ghettos, the so-called "Jewish ghetto".

The Warsaw Jewish Ghetto is one of the largest and most famous. In October 1940, the Nazis forced 450,000 Jews to move into an area of just 3.4 square kilometers. One survivor described the conditions of life in the quarantine zone: "We were surrounded by walls and barbed wire, and every day people died of hunger and disease. But even in such a hostile environment, people try to maintain some kind of semblance of normalcy. Someone organizes underground schools, someone secretly holds religious ceremonies. "

However, the quarantine zone was only a prelude to the Nazi "final solution". At the end of 1941, the Nazis began to establish death camps, which were designed to systematically massacre European Jews. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Sobibor and other concentration camps became the main places of execution of this criminal plan.

Jews who were found were usually loaded onto freight trains and arrived at concentration camps after several days of inhumane journeys. One Auschwitz survivor recalled: "When the train doors opened, we were drowned out by blinding lights and roars. SS officers quickly sorted on the platform: left or right. I later learned that this would determine who would be sent to the gas chambers immediately and who would be given a temporary chance to survive. "

In the concentration camps, the Jews were deprived of all humanity. They were shaved their hair, changed into prison uniforms, and their names were replaced with numbers. Every day, thousands of people are sent to the gas chambers and their bodies are burned in crematoriums. Those who survived for the time being were forced to perform slave labor, working in extremely harsh conditions until they died of exhaustion.

This systematic massacre by the Nazis continued until the end of World War II. When the Allies liberated the camps, they witnessed one of the darkest pages in human history. An United States soldier wrote after the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp: "We saw more than anyone could have imagined. Piles of corpses, scrawny survivors, and the smell of death that permeates the air. This is not war, this is a complete betrayal of humanity. "

During the six years of Nazi rule, about six million Jews were killed in this systematic and organized genocide. This event, which came to be known as the Holocaust, became one of the darkest and most heinous crimes in human history.

With the unconditional surrender of Germany on 8 May 1945, World War II ended on the European theater. For the surviving Jews, however, the end of the war did not mean the end of suffering. Instead, they face a new set of challenges: rebuilding their shattered lives, finding their lost loved ones, fighting for justice, and rediscovering their place in a world that once tried to erase them once and for all.

In the early postwar years, hundreds of thousands of Jewish survivors were housed in "DP camps." Most of these camps were housed in former Nazi concentration camps or military camps and were run by Allied forces. Here, the survivors begin the difficult recovery process. One survivor who lived in the Bergen-Belsen DP camp recalled: "We were finally free, but we didn't know where to go. Many of us have lost everything: family, possessions, and even identities. We are like ghosts, wandering in a world that no longer knows us. "

In the DP camp, the Jews began to rebuild community life. They organize schools, religious events, and cultural events, and even publish newspapers and magazines. These efforts not only helped the survivors return to some degree of normalcy, but also served as an important way to preserve and preserve Jewish culture.

However, for many, the most urgent task is to find a lost loved one. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Jewish agencies have set up a tracing service to help survivors find their families. Missing person notices are plastered on the walls and bulletin boards, and behind each note is a story of hope and despair.

One survivor from Poland described his experience of searching for his family: "I went through every DP camp and looked at every list. Every time I see a familiar name, my heart beats wildly. But in the end, I had to come to terms with a harsh reality: I was the only survivor in my family. "

For those who could not rebuild their lives in Europe, immigration became the only option. However, the road is not smooth. Many countries, including the United States, have implemented strict immigration quota systems. In this context, Palestine became the preferred destination for many Jewish refugees.

In 1947, a refugee ship called Egypt"Exodus 1947" attempted to transport 4,500 Jewish refugees from France to Palestine. However, the ship was intercepted by the United Kingdom Navy and the passengers were forcibly returned to Europe. This incident has attracted wide attention from the international community and has become one of the important factors in promoting the establishment of Israel's statehood. A year later, the State of Israel was officially established, providing a new home for many displaced Jews.

Meanwhile, in Europe, survivors began a long process of seeking justice. In November 1945, the Nuremberg Trials began, with 22 leading Nazi war criminals on trial. This trial not only punished the criminals, but also left a valuable historical record for the world. However, for many survivors, this is not enough.

In the decades that followed, Jewish organizations and individuals continued to track down Nazi war criminals who had escaped trial. In 1960, Israel agents captured Adolf · Eichmann, the main executor in charge of the Final Solution, in Argentina. Eichmann was escorted back to Israel for trial, a trial that once again brought the horrors of the Holocaust to the center of world opinion.

However, the process of seeking justice is not always successful. Many Nazi criminals managed to hide their identities and live a peaceful life. An Israel agent who was involved in the hunt for Nazi war criminals recalled: "Sometimes, we find that a guard who used to work in a concentration camp is now running a bakery in a small town. It's hard to accept the feeling of watching them live in peace while those they kill never rest in peace. "

In addition to pursuing individual responsibility, the post-war Jewish community worked to fight for reparations for the victims of the Holocaust. In 1952, the West German government signed a reparations agreement with Israel, promising to pay 3 billion marks as compensation for the persecution of Jews. Although this money does not make up for the huge losses suffered by the Jews, it is at least an acknowledgment of past crimes.

Over time, survivors began to realize the importance of preserving the memory of the Holocaust. They began to tell their stories, building memorials and educational programs. Institutions such as the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Israel and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum in Poland have become not only places of remembrance, but also important educational resources.

One survivor who often recounted his experiences at school said, "Every time I tell my story, I feel pain. But I know that it is only by telling the story that we can ensure that this history is not forgotten and not repeated. "

Despite unimaginable suffering, the Jews have shown remarkable resilience. In the decades after the war, Jewish communities were rebuilt around the world. They have made important contributions in the fields of science, art, business, etc., while also maintaining their own unique cultural traditions.

However, the shadow of the Holocaust has always hung over the survivors and their descendants. Many people struggle with PTSD throughout their lives, while others choose to remain silent and bury their pain deep in their hearts. To this day, the Holocaust remains one of the heaviest pages in the collective memory of Jews, influencing their perception of the world and their hopes for the future.