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This topic has 13 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 7 months ago by Anonymous.
I think there is something to be said about the attitude toward Jews in general in Europe. In my understanding, the Jews used the advantage of the banking system to make their way in life. As they controlled money, they gained some power even though their numbers were not large. At times I'm sure that this created envy among Christians and others who despised the Jews for their position of control and money. In fact, I recall a reference to a “cheating Jew” moneychanger in Voltaire's Candide; I thought that this probably reflected a stereotype, if not a general perception at least in early/mid-1700s.As far as Hitler, it appears that he identified the Jews with the Communists, and he had a great hatred for the Communists:
Hitler saw socialism as part of a Jewish conspiracy. Many of the socialist leaders in Germany, including Kurt Eisner, Rosa Luxemburg, Ernst Toller and Eugen Levine were Jews. So also were many of the leaders of the October Revolution in Russia. This included Leon Trotsky, Gregory Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev, Dimitri Bogrov, Karl Radek, Yakov Sverdlov, Maxim Litvinov, Adolf Joffe, and Moisei Uritsky. It had not escaped Hitler's notice that Karl Marx, the prophet of socialism, had also been a Jew.
I took that from the Spartacus UK entry for Hitler, which I have found to be the best detailed, easy to read and interesting explanation of where Hitler was coming from and how he gained power. Perhaps you can find more ideas there.
The way I understand it the early Christians were communal, holding all things in common except their wives. Equal exchange was necessary and profiting in dealing with others by much was a sin. As a result Jews became the money lenders charging interest that was profitable for them but brought them hatred much like lawyers today.
The way I understand it the early Christians were communal, holding all things in common except their wives. Equal exchange was necessary and profiting in dealing with others by much was a sin. As a result Jews became the money lenders charging interest that was profitable for them but brought them hatred much like lawyers today.
They were in the habit of that long before the christian congragation was established.
The way I understand it the early Christians were communal, holding all things in common except their wives. Equal exchange was necessary and profiting in dealing with others by much was a sin. As a result Jews became the money lenders charging interest that was profitable for them but brought them hatred much like lawyers today.
That's interesting....I hadn't heard that interpretation before. I wonder, though, how long the early Christians held property in common. Also, in a society where things were held in common such as in early Christianity, it seems odd that they would resort to hatred of the Jews, especially when they had the Romans to worry about since they were feeding them to lions/gladiators.
Hatred of the Jews came latter when Christian princes needed to borrow money. Because Christians could not be money lenders they went to the Jews. When a prince became too heavily indebted what better solution then to stir up the peasants against the Christ killers? Kill a few, run off the rest, confiscate their property then bargain with them to forgive the debt and come back. Old gag that the Nazi applied on an industrial scale.
I think that coincides with what I had heard. The Jews became the money lenders in Europe and they must have been a clear minority in otherwise Christian nations. Whether they were fair in their financial dealings I do not know. But it does sound like they would have been easy targets as scapegoats.
The Jews chose professions that were not tied to the land because they were always afraid of persecution. This way they could pack up and move to the next town and setup shop as a banker or lawyer etc….
How did the Jews get this reputation of being cheap or dishonest anyway? I'm thinking something must have happened that caused this. Was there ever a major bank or something, that happened to be owned by a Jew or Jews, collapse because of internal crime, which caused a lot of people to lose money, and was highly publicized? Not trying to sound antisemitic at all. I can understand, if something like this happened, it may have caused the public's perception, although incorrect, to turn on and start stereotyping all Jews.
Skiguy, I understand what you are saying. It's a good question. I recall reading in Candide by Voltaire where he gives a reference to a Jewish person being a swindler. Since the book is a satire I think Voltaire meant to play up stereotypes in those days, and this was written mid-18th Century. Perhaps there was not one major episode, but rather a general feeling. Think about how social groups are portrayed even today. Many people living in the South today are referred to as “hicks” or “rednecks”, though we can't point to a single “big redneck”. It's an interesting question you ask.
Should have seen it coming. One of the stories from the Grimm Brothers is called The Jew in the Thorns. To keep it short a simpleton went on a trip an encountered a Jew who was leaning against a fence listening to a bird sing. The simpleton robbed the Jew who ran ahead to town and told the authorities he had been robbed. When the simpleton reached town he was arrested and was going to be hung. The simpleton made the Jew confess that he had stolen the money from good, honest folk so they hung the Jew instead.Hatred of the Jew then was part of the culture.
So we know this sentiment has been around for hundreds of years. I did a little looking for the money-aspect of historical anti-Jewish sentiments and Wikipedia says that during the Middle Ages, Jews were forced into money-lending kinds of jobs due to Christian prohibitions on these lines of work. For example, usury (lending money at interest) was prohibited, so Jews entered this field because their religion did not restrict it. You can probably imagine the feelings people might have toward those who lended at interest in a day when there were few alternatives to taking such loans. If the feeling were to continue for hundreds of years, it would become deeply-rooted and could transform into other prejudices.
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