Peter Gay´s Life in Nazi Germany

Living in Nazi Germany Peter Gay and his family didn’t see a major urge to flee because they didn’t identify themselves as jewish, Peter still attended school, and adapting to a new country seemed difficult. As events unfolded and the Nazi party became more powerful, the urge to leave became more and more necessary that Peter and his family escape Nazi Germany before it was too late.

There were three ways to be classified as a Jewish in Nazi Germany that were by conversion, birth, or decree. Peter and his family didn’t consider themselves Jewish, they were only considered Jewish by Nazi’s classificationing them through decree(Gay 48). They thought of themselves as Germans and to be atheist(Gay 50). The family didn’t think it was logical to classify a “race”, that was produced by unscientific and unhistorical(Gay 110). To further the family from Jewish classification, they didn’t have the “look” in which could help distinguish your Jewishness. Peter had a straight nose, blue eyes, and brown hair(Gay 57). He could go in public and blend in which him the opportunity to attend sport events in which he could blend into the surroundings(Gay 57).

Peter still had the opportunity to attend public school because his father had been injured in World War which gave his family certain exceptions to get admitted into such a small admittance of Jews, when most couldn’t at that time. The school started off slow on anti semitism but then it became more transparent.They began singing a song that referring to the Jewish blood spurting from a knife(Gay 64). Even though every day at his school, anti semitism was getting more apparent as teachers would haze Jewish pupils(Gay 65) .

Peter Gay’s parents decided to stay because they only spoke German...

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...en how to approach America after they arrive in Cuba.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s the rise of the Nazi party was gaining supporters through Adolf Hitler. We learn through Peter memoir that he gained followers through propaganda. When he got enough support, he started to enforce the threats in which became to known as the third reich, Hitler started off with boycotting, legal excursions, Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht, and then a complete ban. The most alarming event and eye opening event was Kristallnacht which was when the Germans broke glass of the business of the houses of the Jews. It also took a hundred Jews lives and took more than twenty six thousand Jews into concentration camps. (Gay 132)These made Hitler's power obvious that he didn’t want any Jews in Germany and emigration was mandatory. That this time it was more than just the threat, it will be enforced.