The Holocaust

The restrictions

Although it is never mentioned explicitly in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne’s novel takes place during the Holocaust.

After Hitler seized power in 1933, the National Socialists or Nazis immediately began to restructure German politics and society. They revoked important fundamental rights . These include, for example, the right to freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press, association, and assembly. At the same time, the persecution of Jews and the establishment of the first concentration camps began.

In May 1933, the Nazis carried out book burnings throughout Germany. This mainly affected works by Jewish authors, who then emigrated in large numbers. Jewish stores were boycotted. Furthermore, the Nazis tried to convince the German population to no longer seek treatment from Jewish doctors or advice from Jewish lawyers. In The Boy in the Striped Pyjama...