In the Shadow of the Holocaust: Nazi Persecution of Jewish-Christian Germans (review)

In the preface to this book, James F. Tent recalls an encounter with a particularly interesting traveler whom he met on a train passing through the German Democratic Republic in 1978. This traveler told Tent of his experiences as a so-called "half-Jew" under the Nazi regime, and his story left such a lasting impression on Tent that he resolved to research and write the story of Nazi Germany's Mischlinge. Many years and several projects later, Tent has fulfilled his promise to provide insight into the suffering of a group largely neglected or forgotten by many scholars. In the Shadow of the Holocaust is an appropriate title for a story that has been left in the darkness for far too long.

Tent quickly moves the reader away from his 1978 train ride and toward the antisemitic legislation of the early Nazi regime. His aim is not to provide an in-depth analysis of Nazi policy, but rather to provide basic background information so the reader can understand the case studies of isolation and persecution that follow. Tent points out that by 1935 approximately 112,000 Germans had been re-categorized as either "half- Jews" or "quarter-Jews" and were labeled with the derogatory title of "Mischling." At first, these individuals were left in a legal limbo, defined by Nazi law as a "third race," and for a brief time they did not feel the full weight of antisemitic discrimination. But it became ever more apparent that whether people were half-Jewish or one-quarter Jewish, Nazi racial fanatics planned to exterminate them all. Increasingly persecutory legislation, social ostracism, and economic hardships imposed on Mischlinge were soon eclipsed by deportation, incarceration, and forced labor.

What makes this story compelling is that although Mischlinge suffered to an alarming degree, the majority survived the Holocaust—unlike those categorized as "full Jews," most of whom perished. But the traumatic experiences of Mischlinge were not often spoken of after the war, primarily because their survival had depended on remaining in the shadows of society and following the motto "Keep silent." Many of these victims, plagued by survivors' guilt, maintained their silence after the Holocaust.

Following the introduction is a series of case studies that highlight how the individual experienced social death on a daily basis. Tent's is not a statistical study; rather, it describes young men and women with real faces and real names who endured real trauma. The opening chapters address some of the social turning points for these individuals: the first day of school and relationships within the classroom (chapter 1), the fight for economic livelihood (chapter 2), and the development of relationships between the sexes (chapter 3). In each of these three chapters, Tent thoughtfully describes each individual's personal experiences, asking: How did their teachers treat them once the new racially-charged category had been created? What happened with previously friendly schoolmates? Did Mischlinge have access to any form of higher education? What challenges did they face in finding gainful employment? How did employers relate to their employees? Similarly, how did co-workers react to their Mischlinge colleagues? Tent effectively demonstrates how most Mischlinge were prohibited from engaging in any type of employment above the lowest possible status, regardless of education and other qualifications. Here also, the terrible trend of isolation is evident, as is the developing theme of silent survival.

The story of each victim continues with sexual relationships. Chapter 3 addresses the basic need for human contact and the Nazi prohibitions against friendships as well as sexual relationships between Mischlinge and Aryans. Most of these case studies reveal the Nazi obsession with "race polluters" and their intensive scrutiny of even the slightest hint of an existing relationship. Once again, readers see the lack of social support for Mischlinge. Most of the individuals in Tent's account provide examples of scarring encounters with neighbors, friends, lovers, and strangers...