Half-Jew
Within Judaism, the term half- Jew is unusual because this only knows " all " Jews, or born into the cultural community ( ' is Jewish, who has a Jewish mother " ) or converted by Giur.
In the era of National Socialism half-Jew was not a legal technical term. The term was not used in the Nuremberg race laws and regulations relating thereto. 1941 the keyword half-Jew was first added to the dictionary and defined as: a half-Jew ( Jewish half-breed with two full Jewish grandparents ).
Situation within the German Empire
Legally was a fundamental difference between two groups, namely between " Jews" and " Jewish half-breeds ". The group of " Jewish half-breeds" was further divided into " Jews of mixed first-degree " with two Jewish grandparents and " Jews of mixed second-degree " with a Jewish grandparent. Notwithstanding the same " biological- racial descent" were " mixed blood of the first degree " but in different categories classified: You were not considered a " half-breeds", but as " full Jews " when they were members of the Jewish community, was married to a Jew or after 1935 a Jew before clear. For this group of " half-Jews ", the term validity Jew was coined later.
This differentiated organization that is blurred by the term " half- Jew ", was of vital importance for those affected. With unfavorable classification they received no admission to study; they were used for forced labor or were granted a marriage license denied. In conjugal connection with a " full Jews " as " Geltungsjuden " classified half-Jews were deported during the Second World War with their spouses in the extermination camps.
Situation in the occupied territories
In the occupied eastern territories were " half-Jews " without distinction as the " full Jews " involved in the destruction process. The Jewish Department in the Reich Security Main Office tried to influence the contentious within the realm decision making, by creating facts in the Western occupation zones. In August 1941, Adolf Eichmann decided in agreement with Arthur Seyss- Inquart, who live in the Netherlands, " half-Jews " essentially the same as the full Jews and deport them. As of May 1942, there also " half Jews " required to wear the Star of David.
Term after 1945
The term half- Jew was further used by different persons even after the war. So Ignaz Bubis criticized 1999:
"National Socialism has made a race from the Jews and left the religion totally ignored. [ ... ] After 1945, the racism, but not the anti-Semitism has largely disappeared. In the minds of some of the racism still plays, albeit subliminally, but a role. I am always amazed when people come up to me and introduced himself by saying that they were half-Jews. I then ask the humble question which part of them was a Jew, the lower or the upper half or if it 'll go perpendicular with them. No one comes to the idea of claiming himself to be half- Catholic, if he comes from a Catholic- Protestant family. "
The use of the term half- Jew is in itself a phenomenon of the German-speaking area. In part, the term has also established in the English language after 1945. In other languages the word has now introduced by Andreas Burnier 1995 "Father - Jew " spread, featuring the fact that the father is a Jew, but not the mother. This term is related to the provisions of the Halacha, according to which the Jewish religion usually derived by birth from a Jewish mother.
Older history of the term
There are a few sites where historically the term half- Jew used. So the infamous ruler Herod was abused as a half-Jew, because his family was from Idumea, an area which had been forcibly converted to Judaism. Since he was crowned in Rome as king of Judea, the term " half-Jewish " as vague, derogatory term for " Jew, but not the Jewish interests serving " be interpreted, like later in a different context " house negro " as opposed to "Field Negro " with Malcolm X.
Clearly as disparaging hereditary biological term used anti-Semite Eugen Dühring 1881 the term in his book " The Jewish question as races, customs and Culturfrage ".