Glossary

WORD	DEFINITION
Anti-	Being against a group of people or an idea.
Antisemitism	Being against Jews.  Hatred of Jews and everything Jewish.  The Nazis were fiercely antisemitic.
Aryan	The racial group favoured by the Nazis.  White, non-Jews especially of Nordic origins.
Censorship	Preventing information reaching people freely.
Communism	Political system based on Marxist ideas of equality and the ownership of the means of production by the working class.   Communists were political opponents of the Nazis.
Democracy	Political system based on ideas of freedom.  The Nazis used the democratic system to get elected then destroyed it.  Fascism is the opposite of democracy.
Economics	Theories and systems relating to money and trade.  Economics is closely connected to politics.
Eugenics	The study of hereditary improvement to the human race by selective breeding.  The Nazis believed in selective breeding to promote the survival of some 'races' and to destroy others.  Eugenics and embryo research continue today but such programmes are controlled by a strong ethical code.  There is nevertheless controversy over such programmes.
Fuhrer	German word for 'leader'.  Adolf Hitler was the Fuhrer.
Genocide	The attempt to murder a whole people, nation or culture.  The word was created after the Nazi attempt to murder all the Jews of Europe.  Genocide had happened before then but there was not a word for it.
Gestapo	Nazi secret police.
Hierarchy	A way of organising people or ideas by order of importance, placing the most important at the top and the least important at the bottom.  The Nazi system of organising society was very hierarachical.  The fuhrer (Hitler) was at the top; after him was the Nazi party leadership; Nazi party members were next; Nazi party supporters at the bottom.  Anyone against the Nazi system was removed from society.  They were below even those at the bottom.
Ideology	A set of beliefs and ideas about the world and how it should be organised.
Immoral	Going against human values of what is right and wrong.  The opposite of what is 'moral'.
Inflation	In an economic sense, inflation is when the prices of goods (things to buy) go up.  This is often because the demand for these goods is greater than the available supply.
Jew	Originating from ancient Hebrews, a member of the Jewish religion or culture.
Just	What is fair and right in a moral sense.
Kristallnacht	November 9 1938, otherwise known as the 'Night of the Broken Glass'.  The violent attack by the Nazis in Germany and Austria against Jewish businesses and places of worship.
Legal	According to the law.
Literal	The limited, non-figurative meaning of a word.  Without the use of imagination.
Moral	Generally agreed human values of right and wrong.
Nation	A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.
Nationalist	Someone who is devoted to the interests or culture of a particular nation including promoting the interests of one country over those of others.  The Nazis were ultra-Nationalist.  They believed that Germany was superior to any other nation.
Nazi	The German National Socialist Party, headed by Adolf Hitler.  A political party with a fascist,  racist ideology.
Pluralist	When referring to society, one in which a number of cultural, ethnic and religious groups live together tolerantly.  The Nazis rejected pluralist societies and destroyed them.
Political Unit	An organisation with political responsibilities, eg. an empire, a nation, a province, a council.
Politics	Social organisation involving authority or power.   The fascist system of the Nazis kept all power controlled at the top.  It was a strictly hierarchical system based on inequality.
Prejudice	Judging someone or something before you have knowledge about it.  Prejudice usually involves a negative judgement.  The Nazis promoted racial prejudice, especially against Jews and Roma/Sinti peoples.
Propaganda	An organised way of spreading information designed to persuade its audience to believe a particular point of view.  The Nazis spread propaganda with a message of racial hatred.
Racial	Relating to the characteristics of different human races.  In the 19th century, white Europeans created the idea that different human 'races' existed.  Although there are surface differences between peoples from different parts of the world, the concept of race and racial categories is out of date.  It has since been proved that there are no differences in brain size,  intelligence or morality of any so called 'race'.  No racial group is superior to another.  The Nazis argued that there were such differences but this was a political position not a scientific one.
Roma	The word used by many Gypsies to describe themselves.
SA	Sturmabteilung, Storm Troopers.  Nazi party members organised to protect Nazi rallies and to terrorise people who were against the Nazis.
Socialism	Political system based on Marxist ideas of equality and the ownership of the means of production by the working class.  According to Marx there were 5 stages of society.  These would develop inevitably as history progresses.  The stages are:  slavery > feudalism > capitalism > socialism > communism.  Socialism is a stage on the way to Communism which was Marx's ideal society.  Socialists and Communists were political opponents of the Nazis.
Soul	An individual's spirit, intellect, personality, courage, energy, mind.  The spiritual part of us that we cannot see.
SS	Schutzstaffel, Protection Squad.  Set up in 1925 as Nazi protection squad included the Gestapo.    Squads that ran Nazi concentration camps and death camps.  They also fought with the German army.
State	An autonomous political unit with geographical boundaries, a government and laws.
Stereotype	An oversimplified, conventional set image or opinion of types of people.  Stereotypes are usually negative.  The Nazis used stereotypes in their racist propgaganda.
Ultra	Extreme
Unemployment	Little work available for people to do.  When unemployment is high, there can be social unrest.  If people cannot work, they cannot earn money and if they do not earn money they cannot buy food and clothes or pay their rent.  Sometimes, high unemployment is matched by low inflation so although many people are out of work, the prices of goods are not rising.  In the 1930s in Germany, however, unemployment was high AND inflation was high so this was a particularly difficult time for people.

 
Anti- Being against a group of people or an idea.
Antisemitism Being against Jews.  Hatred of Jews and everything Jewish.  The Nazis were fiercely antisemitic.
Aryan The racial group favoured by the Nazis.  White, non-Jews especially of Nordic origins.
Censorship Preventing information reaching people freely.
Communism Political system based on Marxist ideas of equality and the ownership of the means of production by the working class.   Communists were political opponents of the Nazis.
Democracy Political system based on ideas of freedom.  The Nazis used the democratic system to get elected then destroyed it.  Fascism is the opposite of democracy.
Economics Theories and systems relating to money and trade.  Economics is closely connected to politics.
Eugenics The study of hereditary improvement to the human race by selective breeding.  The Nazis believed in selective breeding to promote the survival of some 'races' and to destroy others.  Eugenics and embryo research continue today but such programmes are controlled by a strong ethical code.  There is nevertheless controversy over such programmes.
Fuhrer German word for 'leader'.  Adolf Hitler was the Fuhrer.
Genocide The attempt to murder a whole people, nation or culture.  The word was created after the Nazi attempt to murder all the Jews of Europe.  Genocide had happened before then but there was not a word for it.
Gestapo Nazi secret police.
Hierarchy A way of organising people or ideas by order of importance, placing the most important at the top and the least important at the bottom.  The Nazi system of organising society was very hierarachical.  The fuhrer (Hitler) was at the top; after him was the Nazi party leadership; Nazi party members were next; Nazi party supporters at the bottom.  Anyone against the Nazi system was removed from society.  They were below even those at the bottom.
Ideology A set of beliefs and ideas about the world and how it should be organised.
Immoral Going against human values of what is right and wrong.  The opposite of what is 'moral'.
Inflation In an economic sense, inflation is when the prices of goods (things to buy) go up.  This is often because the demand for these goods is greater than the available supply.
Jew Originating from ancient Hebrews, a member of the Jewish religion or culture.
Just What is fair and right in a moral sense.
Kristallnacht November 9 1938, otherwise known as the 'Night of the Broken Glass'.  The violent attack by the Nazis in Germany and Austria against Jewish businesses and places of worship.
Legal According to the law.
Literal The limited, non-figurative meaning of a word.  Without the use of imagination.
Moral Generally agreed human values of right and wrong.
Nation A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.
Nationalist Someone who is devoted to the interests or culture of a particular nation including promoting the interests of one country over those of others.  The Nazis were ultra-Nationalist.  They believed that Germany was superior to any other nation.
Nazi The German National Socialist Party, headed by Adolf Hitler.  A political party with a fascist,  racist ideology.
Pluralist When referring to society, one in which a number of cultural, ethnic and religious groups live together tolerantly.  The Nazis rejected pluralist societies and destroyed them.
Political Unit An organisation with political responsibilities, eg. an empire, a nation, a province, a council.
Politics Social organisation involving authority or power.   The fascist system of the Nazis kept all power controlled at the top.  It was a strictly hierarchical system based on inequality.
Prejudice Judging someone or something before you have knowledge about it.  Prejudice usually involves a negative judgement.  The Nazis promoted racial prejudice, especially against Jews and Roma/Sinti peoples.
Propaganda An organised way of spreading information designed to persuade its audience to believe a particular point of view.  The Nazis spread propaganda with a message of racial hatred. 
Racial Relating to the characteristics of different human races.  In the 19th century, white Europeans created the idea that different human 'races' existed.  Although there are surface differences between peoples from different parts of the world, the concept of race and racial categories is out of date.  It has since been proved that there are no differences in brain size,  intelligence or morality of any so called 'race'.  No racial group is superior to another.  The Nazis argued that there were such differences but this was a political position not a scientific one.
Roma The word used by many Gypsies to describe themselves.
SA Sturmabteilung, Storm Troopers.  Nazi party members organised to protect Nazi rallies and to terrorise people who were against the Nazis.
Socialism Political system based on Marxist ideas of equality and the ownership of the means of production by the working class.  According to Marx there were 5 stages of society.  These would develop inevitably as history progresses.  The stages are:  slavery > feudalism > capitalism > socialism > communism.  Socialism is a stage on the way to Communism which was Marx's ideal society.  Socialists and Communists were political opponents of the Nazis.
Soul An individual's spirit, intellect, personality, courage, energy, mind.  The spiritual part of us that we cannot see.
SS Schutzstaffel, Protection Squad.  Set up in 1925 as Nazi protection squad included the Gestapo.    Squads that ran Nazi concentration camps and death camps.  They also fought with the German army.
State An autonomous political unit with geographical boundaries, a government and laws.
Stereotype An oversimplified, conventional set image or opinion of types of people.  Stereotypes are usually negative.  The Nazis used stereotypes in their racist propgaganda. 
Ultra Extreme
Unemployment Little work available for people to do.  When unemployment is high, there can be social unrest.  If people cannot work, they cannot earn money and if they do not earn money they cannot buy food and clothes or pay their rent.  Sometimes, high unemployment is matched by low inflation so although many people are out of work, the prices of goods are not rising.  In the 1930s in Germany, however, unemployment was high AND inflation was high so this was a particularly difficult time for people.