Judenrein

Definition

A term first utilized in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, specifically in regard to the creation of a “Jewish free” (Judenfrei) German space and later applied in other regions as part of anti-Semitic government programs.

Introduction

This entry discusses the ways in which the concept of Judenrein (Judenfrei, or “free of Jews”) was adapted and utilized as part of government programs in Latin America, specifically in Argentina. It begins with a brief introduction to the concept as it was created and first applied in Germany and then discusses how it manifested itself in Latin America.

Germany for Germans

Judenreinoriginated as a concept in Germany as part of the National Socialist’s “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” The idea was to create a Germany that was free of Jews. Applied to their program of eradication the term was used to refer to villages, towns, cities, regions, and countries where the entire Jewish population had been executed or deported to...