Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Sarah Bass and I am a Freshman at FSU majoring in Biology. I am from Highland Park, IL in the Chicago Area. My research interest is genetics; in particular I am interested in therapies for genetic disorders and cancers. My other research interests lie in Environmental Science and Evolution.

The Rosentrasse Protest: Interfaith Couples in Nazi Germany

Abstract

Between February and March 1943, a non-violent protest, known as the Rosenstraße (or Rosenstrasse) Protest, took place in Berlin, Germany. In 1943, the Gestapo was set on arresting the remaining ten thousand Jews left in Berlin, but two thousand of those Jews were married to non-Jewish people. In attempt to stop the arrest of their Jewish spouses, non-Jewish wives organized a protest outside of the building of the collection center on Rosenstrasse street, seeking for their husbands release. The demonstration caught the attention of the Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, who in attempt to regain public trust, ordered for the release of protestors’ loved ones. The protest was one of few examples of civil courage and widespread opposition to the Nazi regime during the Holocaust, showing the tenacity and bravery of these individuals. Such protest serves as a reminder of the complicated connections and circumstances that pervaded Jewish homes as well as specific dynamics within the Nazi regime that relied on public approval. To understand the complexity of Jewish identity during the Holocaust, and specifically the Rosenstrasse protest, it is important to research the lineage of the intermarried Jews and their families. Consequently allowing us to recognize those impacted by the Holocaust, especially those that are disregarded in conventional accounts. This research can then be used to highlight their families’ story.

Keywords: History, Holocaust, Protest, World War II