The Holocaust wasn't a sudden event; it was a gradual escalation of persecution against Jewish people. Before the concentration camps, a web of discriminatory laws, decrees, and regulations systematically stripped Jews of their rights, dignity, and ultimately, their humanity.
Initially, these rules targeted economic life, barring Jews from professions like law and medicine. Jewish businesses were boycotted, then seized. Social exclusion followed: Jews were forbidden from attending public schools, using public transportation, and even owning pets. They were forced to wear the yellow Star of David, marking them for public humiliation and easy identification.
As the war progressed, restrictions tightened. Curfews confined Jews to their homes, and their movements were severely limited. Property was confiscated, and they were forcibly relocated to ghettos – overcrowded, unsanitary districts designed to isolate and control them before their eventual deportation to extermination camps. These rules weren't just inconveniences; they were tools of dehumanization, paving the way for genocide. They represent a chilling example of how systematic discrimination can lead to unimaginable horrors.
