Victims of Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany hurt and chased many groups of people between 1933 and 1945 because of who they were. They targeted people based on their race, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or if they had mental or physical disabilities. These unfair actions were planned by the Nazi Party.

Most of the people hurt by the Nazis were Jewish, Romani, or Slavic. Many were forced to live in special areas called ghettos before being taken to places like concentration or extermination camps. After World War II began, the Nazis worked to remove communities they did not like from German-occupied Europe.

Many people lost their lives because of the Nazis. All these groups were seen as a danger, even though this was unfair. The actions of Nazi Germany caused much suffering and loss of life during a very sad time in history. For more about what happened to Jewish people, see The Holocaust. For notable individuals who were hurt or killed by the Nazi regime, see List of victims of Nazism.

Scope of usage

Further information: List of victims of Nazism and Holocaust trivialization

The word Holocaust mainly talks about the systematic mass-murder of the Jewish people in German-occupied Europe. But, the Nazis hurt and killed many other people too. They thought these people were not good enough or unwanted.

Non-Jewish victims of Nazism were groups like Slavs such as Russians, Belarusians, Poles, Ukrainians and Serbs; the Romani (also called gypsies); LGBT people; people who were mentally or physically disabled; Soviet soldiers they caught; Roman Catholics; Jehovah's Witnesses; Spanish Republicans; Freemasons; people of different skins especially Afro-German people; and many other smaller groups.

All together, the Nazis killed many people during the war. Many died in special prisons called concentration camps like Dachau, and others died in bigger killing places such as Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Racial/ethnic or national groups

Jews

The effort to move Jews out of Germany and other areas controlled by Germany during World War II was known as the Holocaust. This was done mainly by German forces and their helpers. Early in the war, many Jews were placed in crowded city areas called ghettos. By 1941, the Nazis had decided to kill all the Jews living in Europe at that time. Many Jews lost their lives.

In January 1942, Nazi leaders met and talked about how to carry out what they called the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question." Jewish people were taken from their homes and sent to special camps designed for killing, including:

As the war went on, the German army still used many resources to carry out these killings.

Poland lost many of its Jewish people. Reports about these events reached leaders in other countries, but many people did not fully understand what was happening at the time.

Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Lithuania, Bohemia, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Latvia also lost many Jewish people. In Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Norway, and Estonia, many Jewish people were killed. Over one-third of the Jews in the Soviet Union were killed. France lost some of its Jewish population, and Italy lost some as well. In Denmark, most Jewish people were saved and taken to Sweden by Danish people and sailors.

Slavs

Further information: Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia and Hunger Plan

The Slavs were treated very badly by the Nazis during the war. Many Poles, Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians, Slovenes, Serbs and others were killed. The Nazis wanted to take land called Lebensraum for people they thought were better, which hurt many Slavic people.

Polish people

Main articles: Genocide of Poles by Nazi Germany and Expulsion of Poles by Nazi Germany

The Nazi takeover of Poland was very harsh, and many ethnic Poles and Polish Jews were killed. The Nazis started planning to hurt Poles even before the war began. Many Polish people were sent to places like Auschwitz-Birkenau. The city of Warsaw was almost completely destroyed by the Nazis in 1944.

Ukrainians

Russians and Soviet POWs

Main articles: Generalplan Ost, German atrocities committed against Soviet prisoners of war, Ostarbeiter, and German occupation of Byelorussia during World War II

During the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, many soldiers were taken prisoner and treated very badly. Many died from hunger, cold, or were killed. Civilians in areas the Nazis took over also suffered.

Romani people

Main article: Romani Holocaust

The Nazis also targeted the Romani people, also known as Gypsies. Many Romani people were killed in the same camps as Jews.

Non-Europeans

Main article: Racial policy of Nazi Germany

Black people

Main article: Persecution of black people in Nazi Germany

Asian and Turkic peoples

Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy in 1940 and was part of the same side in the war. No Japanese people were deliberately harmed by the Nazis because they were seen as "honorary Aryans". The same was true for Turks and other similar groups.

People with disabilities

Main article: Nazi eugenics

During the time of Nazi Germany, people who had mental or physical disabilities were treated very unfairly. The Nazi leaders thought these individuals were not good enough for their society and did not deserve care. Many were forced into hospitals, and some were harmed without their permission.

The Nazis started a program called the T-4 Program in 1939. They believed this would keep their idea of a "perfect" race pure. Even though some of these actions were stopped later, many innocent people suffered during this terrible time.

Homosexual men

Main article: Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany

During the time of Nazi Germany, men who loved other men were treated unfairly. The Nazi leaders thought these men were not strong enough to fight for Germany and would not have children. Because of this, many men were arrested and put in places they could not leave. Some were sent to special camps and had to wear a pink triangle. Many lost their homes and families because of these unfair rules.

After Nazi Germany ended, many of these men still faced unfair treatment. Some laws punished them for loving other men, even though they had already suffered a lot.

Political groups

Many people who worked against the Nazi government were hurt or killed. This included people from many different backgrounds who did not agree with the Nazis' ideas and actions.

Groups such as communists, socialists, and others who stood up to the Nazis were often among the first to be arrested when the Nazis took over new areas. People from countries that fought against Germany, like those from the Allies, were also sometimes sent to camps or treated very badly. Even some soldiers from Western countries, like the United States, were sent to harsh camps under very difficult conditions.

Religious groups

Further information: Kirchenkampf

The Nazis targeted religious groups for their own reasons.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany

Many Jehovah's Witnesses refused to follow Nazi rules. Because they would not join the army or support the war, they were treated very badly. Sadly, many of them died in concentration camps.

The Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel at Dachau commemorates the clergy who were imprisoned there.

Catholics

Main article: Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Germany

The Nazis wanted to remove Christian influence from Germany. They arrested many Catholic priests, nuns, and leaders. They closed schools, churches, and groups. In 1940, a special prison for priests was set up at Dachau Concentration Camp. Even Pope Pius XI spoke out against the Nazis.

In areas they took over, like Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia, the Nazis closed Catholic schools and organizations and sent priests to camps. In Poland, the Nazis worked hard to hurt the Catholic Church.

Protestants

Polish Franciscan Maximilian Kolbe was murdered at Auschwitz.

Further information: Protestant Reich Church and Confessing Church

The Nazis tried to control Protestant groups by creating a new church. Those who disagreed formed the Confessing Church, but they were also treated badly.

Freemasons

The Nazis sometimes blamed Freemasons, but there were no strict rules against them. We do not know how many were arrested or hurt just for being Freemasons.

Other groups

The Nazi regime hurt many groups besides Jews, Romani, and Slavs. Civilians who were thought to help resistance movements, along with their families and whole villages, faced serious actions by the SS and police. Some villages were destroyed, such as Lidice, Khatyn, Kragujevac, Sant'Anna, and Oradour-sur-Glane. In occupied Poland, helping Jews could lead to very serious consequences.

People considered “social deviants” — such as prostitutes, vagrants, alcoholics, drug addicts, peace activists, people who refused to join the military, and common criminals — were also sent to concentration camps. Some of these prisoners were forced to guard others. Germans and Austrians who had lived abroad and were seen as influenced by foreign ideas were also sent to camps, marked with a blue triangle.