Berlin Memorial Activity

Throughout this activity in class and the events and laws that we explored, I learned all kinds of new information and facts.  Restrictions were placed on Jews and other groups such as gypsies, or homosexuals.  I was also able to make the realization that many of the laws established within this time period didn't hardly affect anyone of Non-Jewish heritage anyway, and it was simply unnecessary, not to mention unjust and unfair, to make them.  For example in 1942, a law was created that stated Jews were not allowed to have pets.  Every single law passed during those times were unfair, however some like these would have absolutely no effect rather than taking away entertainment and happiness from some people.  In no way could it benefit (fairly or not) anyone else.  I learned that all freedoms and rights as humans were being stripped from people of Jewish religion, and they were no longer able to make big decisions for themselves or control themselves.  At one point in 1941, they weren't allowed to emigrate.  Therefore, they were trapped and controlled.

I think that the lampposts with the laws displayed on the back were created as a reminder to Jews of what their limited and unfair place was at the time.  I believe that these signs and posters were a way for the Arayan race to remind not only the discriminated groups of that time period who was in power, but to also boast to themselves and have the regulation of their desired and forced superiority be publicly known to Germany.  

I noticed that there were certain years where over a dozen laws were published, and then there were years where close to if not zero were created.  For example, in 1942, 16 laws were established that limited Jewish citizens of Germany and their rights, but in 1944 there were none.  I thought maybe Hitler had released a bunch of his new ideas and plans to Germany in certain years, and then attempted to carry them out by constructing these new laws, and they could've come more frequently in these specific years.  I also considered the possibility that these laws would come in numbers that related to the condition that Germany was in during a specific point of the war.  So for example, maybe Germany was being really challenged in battle and they didn't have time, power, or whatever they needed to execute their plans for these laws in some years.

Personally, I think I would have the most trouble dealing with the rule that stated, "Jew's last will and testaments are no longer valid."  I feel this way because this law is literally taking away one's ability to decide where and who their belongings will go to after they die.  This law is explicitly saying that any Jew's personal belongings will go to the German government after death.  This is not to say that every other rule that was created and that we studied in class isn't completely unfair, evil, and cruel.  I'm positive extreme struggle and difficulty was experienced because of the other laws as well, but this is one that astounded me the most.