Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust: Language, Rhetoric and the Traditions of Hatred

Description

Appreciating the power of language, and how discriminatory words can have deadly consequences, is pivotal to our understanding of the Holocaust. Engaging with a wealth of primary sources and significant Holocaust scholarship, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust traces the historical tradition of anti-Semitism to explore this in detail. From religious anti-Semitism in ancient Rome to racially-led anti-Semites focused on building superior nation-states in 19th-century Europe to Hitler's vitriolic attacks, Griech-Polelle analyzes how tropes and stereotypes incited suspicion, dislike and hatred of the Jews - and, ultimately, how this was used to drive anti-Semitic feeling toward genocide. Crucially, this 2nd edition sheds further light on the everyday experience of ordinary Germans and Jews under the Nazi regime, with new chapters examining the role of the Christian Churches in Hitler's persecution of the Jews and those who participated in rescue work and resistance more broadly. With new illustrations, a detailed glossary and up-to-date further reading suggestions and questions, this 2nd edition provides a concise and lucid survey of European Jewry, the Holocaust, and the language of anti-Semitism.

Beth A. Griech-Polelle is Kurt Mayer Chair of Holocaust Studies and Associate Professor of History at Pacific Lutheran University, USA. She is the author of Bishop von Galen: German Catholicism and National Socialism (2002). She is also the editor of The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial and Its Policy Consequences (2009) and the co-editor, along with Christina Guenther, of Trajectories of Memory: Intergenerational Representations of the Holocaust in History and the Arts (2008).

Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust deserves a place in any Holocaust student's library, since it makes crystal clear just how and why the Holocaust happened. This volume would also make a marvelous textbook for any course on anti-Semitism or Jewish history. * Martydom & Resistance [Of the 1st Edition] * A great introduction to the subject matter and good choice for undergraduates. * CHOICE [Of the 1st Edition] * As a textbook, Antisemitism and the Holocaust comes with a number of pedagogical tools. Most importantly, every chapter contains two primary document excerpts each of which has a short, helpful introduction as well as very useful questions for the reader to consider. * EuropeNow [Of the 1st Edition] * In Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust Beth A. Griech-Polelle pinpoints how Nazi leaders used language and imagery to dehumanize the Jews and to construct a racial community, an essential step on the road to the Holocaust. An important and readable study with major implications for today. * Richard Breitman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, American University, USA *