Age and Gender: Its Role in German Jewish Families’ Decisions to Stay or Flee Nazi Germany

Introduction

Until 1933, German Jews lived in a comparatively comfortable environment. When the Nazis came into power, Jewish businesses were forced to close, jobs were lost, and families were separated to save their own lives. German Jews were faced with a difficult decision: to flee a hostile environment or stay and hope it was over before the Nazis took their lives. Unfortunately, many chose the latter and it was not long until their worst nightmares came true. While Jewish men were the breadwinners, public family figures, and often the oldest member of the household, these responsibilities began to shift once the Nazis enforced their legislation and limitations.

Age and gender influenced the German Jews’ decisions to stay in a no longer safe environment because of shifting traditional gender roles, differences in public ties with the economy, and prioritization of the future of their children. Although there is no unilateral story of Jewish life during the Holocaust, there are some general patterns, such as shifting of traditional gender roles; differences in public ties with economy; and prioritization of children’s future, which demonstrate the significance that gender and age played in the decision to stay or leave.

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