Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Witch hunts and Gypsies

Check out this website about Gypsy witch hunts.

This witch hunt occured Prewar in Germany from 1933-1939. In 1933, police in Germany began more rigorous enforcement of pre-Nazi legislation against those who followed a lifestyle labeled "Gypsy." The Nazis judged such people to be racially "undesirable" and enacted systematic measures of persecution against the Roma (Gypsies). Ritter performed medical and anthropological examinations in an attempt to classify Roma. During Ritter's examinations he estimated that some 90 percent of all Roma in Germany were of mixed blood, or "alien blood", and were consequently carriers of "degenerate" blood and criminal characteristics. Because they allegedly constituted a danger, Ritter recommended the Roma's to be forcibly sterilized. Later the Romas became subjects of the Nazis and were mass murdered.

17 comments:

123Rage(oake) said...

First of all, I don't want to even know how they planned to forcibly sterilize that many people. Judging by how cruel they were throught the rest of the war, I'm really guessing i don't want to know. This is a great example of a witch hunt because of the amount of people affected & prosecuted.

Becca said...

Great example of a witch hunt! People were discriminated against, tortured, and even killed because of their lifestyle and who they were. It's cruel, and the whole sterilization thing is completely absured...sad to think all of this actually happened.

*frostyjoe* said...

This is a great form of a witch hunt.because of how many people were affected. It is sad that these people were tortured and killed because of who there are...

shooter 64 said...

I agree that this is a type of witch hunt. Just because the gypsies have different practices doesn't mean that their "witches". They shouldn't have had to be sterilized in any way.

Anonymous said...

Great example of a witchhunt! It's really sad though how often people get killed for their beliefs. "Can't we all just get along"?

wrestling125 said...

Great example of a witch hunt. Sterilization thing is pretty harsh and i don't want to know anymore about it thats forsure. Glad i live here and not there is all i have to say about that.

Thadd said...

The persecution of Roma is gut-wrenching, a definate witch hunt. I especially want to know how the Germans could live with capturing over 600 Romini in one night, and then force Romini to labor at concentration camps.

Kristen Suchor said...

Good example of a witch hunt. People shouldn't be tortored and killed just because their lifestyle is different. The whole thing with making people steril is very cruel and sick at the same time.

trombone_girl2010 said...

Good example. I agree with everything Becca said. This was nasty and disgusting. Hitler was against everybody who didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes. So, this is definitely a huge witch hunt.

Crazeh said...

'Forcibly sterilized'? Ouch. I can't image what's going through people's heads when they do stuff like this.

Anonymous said...

Great example of a witch hunt. Wow, the sterilizing was terrible. It's so sad how people can be tortured and killed just because of what they believe in.

~Red Curls~ =] said...

Good example. I don't exactly know much about Gypsys, but descriminating against them is wrong. This is a witch hunt.

Flint's owner said...

Good example of a witch hunt. Boy they had bad luck.

Archangel(Kenton) said...

This is a great example of a witch hunt because of the amount of people affected & prosecuted. But to be forcibly sterilized that is alittle insane.

Austin J. Whitley said...

Gypsies are people too. Crazy enough this is a definate witch hunt with the all of the people that were involved.

Chaz said...

Pretty sick but its more like racism not a witch hunt.

Emma said...

Ashley-wouldn't it be nice if we all really did just get along.

Emily-I agree totally, thank God we are here.

Chaz-You said it was racism, but these people were discriminated against and were actually tortured. Wouldn't that be concidered a witch hunt?