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George Messersmith’s Report to the State Department on the "Present Status of the Anti-Semitic Movement in Germany" (September 21, 1933)

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If the principal spokesman of the Party, and its highest leaders and the racial expert of the Government in the Ministry of the Interior hold the views set forth in the speeches referred to above and in the memoranda hereto appended, it is not difficult to understand that the racial question has not become in any sense easier.

The establishment of so-called “racial offices” is to take place throughout Germany. As early as May 4 the “Berliner Tageblatt”, evening issue, carried an article to the effect that a racial office was being established in Dortmund under the head of the Kommissar for health. According to this article the racial records for the eighty thousand school children in Dortmund were to be made up as rapidly as possible in view of the importance of the new generation.

On June 28 a meeting took place in the Ministry of the Interior of the Reich, at which Dr. Frick addressed the committee of experts on population and race problems, when he stated that “in addition to the threatening increase of hereditarily inferior persons, the Government must follow with equal care the increasing mixture of races”. He indicated that a law would soon be issued prohibiting [the] marriage of Germans with Jews.

The question as to who is Aryan and non-Aryan has been one which since the Party came into power has been creating considerable discussion. The matter is one of primary interest under the so-called “Reichsbeamtengesetz,” that is, [the] law governing the officials of the Reich. According to this law persons of Jewish blood are to be prohibited from holding any office in the country, with certain exceptions, the principal exception being the “Frontkaempfer,” that is, Jews who fought at the front during the war. The basic principles are laid down somewhat as follows:

1) He is to be considered non-Aryan who has Jewish parents or grandparents. It is sufficient if one parent or grandparent is non-Aryan.

2) Anyone who is called to be an official of the Reich has to show that he and his wife are of Aryan origin. Every official of the Reich who wishes to marry has to show that the person whom he wishes to marry is of Aryan origin. This proof is to be in the form of birth certificates and marriage certificates.

3) The basic principles laid down are to apply to the officials of the Reich, the states, the communes, the communal organizations and other bodies, institutions and foundations having official status.

According to the “Berliner Tageblatt” of September 16, the Ministry of the Interior of the Reich has issued a further explanatory statement in connection with the office-holders law to clear up the term “non-Aryan”. In this declaration it is stated that if one of the grandparents of the official is Jewish or of Jewish origin, the official shall be considered Jewish under law. The Minister emphasizes that in interpreting the law, Aryan origin does not depend upon religion, but upon race and blood.

It is obvious from the foregoing that all persons with Jewish parents or grandparents are excluded from being officials or from holding any official position in Germany.

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