Jewish Officers/Sailors in the Kreigsmarine

[Christoph K]

Hello All,

Its been a while since my last post but I was watching an older documentary on the German Navy on the History Channel and one of the men interviewed said that the German Navy was "the most Neutral" branches of the armed services and that it was possible to be Jewish and serve in the German Navy, right up to the end of the war.

My question is, is this a known fact or were these rare cases? Also where would one undertake research on this topic?

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Jewish in what sense, meaning how far back on the family tree...

You would need a "German Blood Certificate" (Deutschblütigkeitserklärung) first.
You could check Paul Ascher - officer on Graf Spee & Bismarck, and
Bernhard Rogge - commander of "Atlantis" Surface Raider (Postwar rear-admiral, Bundesmarine).

Might want to check this too for further reading: http://www.bryanrigg.com/jewish_soldiers_pics.htm


waleed

[Christoph K]

Many thanks for the help and the book Titles.

Cheers!

[Rayan]

According to Nuremburg law the Jew is defined as
http://www.unb.ca/democracy/English/Ide ... rgLaws.htm

"A Jew is an individual who is descended from at
least three grandparents who were, racially, full Jews "
(2) A Jew is also an individual who is descended from two
full-Jewish grandparents if:
(a) he was a member of the Jewish religious community when
this law was issued, or joined the community later;
(b) when the law was issued, he was married to a person who
was a Jew, or was subsequently married to a Jew;
(c) he is the issue from a marriage with a Jew, in the sense
of Section I, which was contracted after the coming into
effect of the Law for the Protection of German Blood and
Honor of September 15, 1935;
(d) he is the issue of an extramarital relationship with a
Jew, in the sense of Section I, and was born out of wedlock after July 31, 1936


accordin g to that it is not strange if you see German soldger in the Werhmacht and his one of his parents are jew or grandparents are jew but the mix is already there !
Some famous charcaters ( Generals) in germany Armed Forces was having Jewish blood in their race and that didn't affect them.


Regards
Rayan

[panzermahn]

As far as I recalled, Konteradmiral Bernhard Rogge and General-Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg (who committed suicide in May 1945 because he won't subject himself to humiliation of physical body search by Allied personnel) had Jewish ancestry

Panzermahn

[Christoph K]

Erich Raeder in his autobiography/Memoirs "Mein Leben" devotes a chapter to the discussion. I do not remember if he mentions names or not but he does say what you said originally....that it was possible to be Jewish and serve in the Kreigsmarine.

Cheers,

[Christoph K]

....answered my own question for the use of others

[redcoat]

While a number of people with ancestors of the Jewish faith did serve in the German Navy in WW2, I know of no cases where an actual member of the Jewish faith served in this service during WW2, they were all members of various Christian religious faiths.

In truth, outside of Nazi Germany and its insane race laws, non of the so-called 'jewish' officers/sailors would have been classed as jewish in the first place.

[Rayan]

Again.. People misquote the race law as if one of your parents or grandparents is a Jew that doesn't mean you are a Jew and subjected to boycott or removal from government, certain occupations during the NAZI time
It is only according to the rules I mentioned above then you cannot enter the Army in any way.

Rayan