By David Strom

SAN DIEGO—Mark Rigg gives an unusual account of the Holocaust in his book Lives of Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers. Professor Rigg interviewed over four hundred former Nazi soldiers, most of them Mischlinges.  He included in his book brief life histories of twenty-one Mischlinges. The exact number of Mischlinges that were in the Wehrmacht, the German Army, is difficult to determine.  However Professor Rigg asserted that perhaps up to 150,000 served the Nazi regime during the Hitler reign. The stories are amazing and there are thread-like themes that often reoccur.
        
The often-asked question of who is a Jew and who a Mischlinge is dealt with immediately in the book. For those who follow Jewish law, a Jew is someone who was born to a Jewish mother. The Nazis defined a Jew as anyone who had at least one grandparent who was Jewish.  Thus, with the high rate of assimilation in Germany there were many Mischlinges (part Jewish) Germans. Many did not consider themselves Jewish or even know of their partial Jewish ancestry.

It was after Hitler came to power in the early 1930’s that the racial laws were put into effect. When the racial laws began to be enforced, many school-aged children began to learn about their inferior status as Mischlinges. Because of the assimilation and inter-marriage of German Jews many did not consider themselves Jewish. For many, it came as a devastating shock to learn they were considered Jewish by the racist laws of their country. Most were raised as Christians, knew little and cared little about the Jewish religion or culture, were assimilated into the broader German culture and were patriotic and loyal to their country, Germany.  Of the twenty-one Mischlinges Rigg interviewed for Lives of Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers, many found it hard being “second class citizens."

They faced discrimination at school. Not all teachers, administrators, or students participated in discriminatory acts against the Mischlinges. Enough discrimination was leveled at them to make them feel like outsiders in a country they thought of as their homeland. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 defined Mischlinge. They faced social rejection at work and in business. Some Mischlinges, even at home, were not safe or free from ostracism and discrimination. At times the Aryan spouses demanded a divorce.  They no longer wanted to live with their “Jewish” mate. It could harm them in business and promotions at their workspace. At times the father rejected the offspring from the marriage.  Some were completely disowned and all faced hardships.
        
Many of the Mischlinges believed they could somehow overcome this low human status by joining the Wehrmacht.  In March 1935 laws were passed in Nazi Germany requiring every young man to serve in the Wehrmacht. They hoped that if they served with valor, as many did, this could take away some of the social and psychological sting of being a Mischling. Another extremely important factor was their hope that by serving their country, they might protect their family at home from discrimination. For some, serving meant surviving this tragedy and unbearable discrimination that was perpetrated against the Jews. In 1940, the law changed and all Mischlinges were ordered expelled from military service.  Some were expelled from the army and others were not. Those who continued to serve in the Wehrmacht believed “… resistance would have cost them their lives.”
        
Many of those who were expelled from the military went home to help their parents cope with the ever-evolving roles Mischlinges could legally play in Nazi Germany. Some tried to return to school to continue their education, while others found it difficult to find work because of their second-class status. Still others moved away hoping that hiding their Jewish identity would allow them to start a fresh life. Marrying was a tricky affair. Aryans could not marry Jews or Mischlinges and frequently love took a back seat to the politics and prejudices of the day. Some of the expelled thanked Hitler for his
        

procrastination over his policies and dealings with the Mischlinges. Some Mischlinges discharged from the army in 1940 had their lives saved from virtual death in combat.

When they learned that their fighting unit was virtually destroyed at Stalingrad or Leningrad, they were glad to know they had survived because of the machinations of the Nazi regime.
        
You may think that “once a Mischling, always a Mischling.” And you would be wrong. “No fewer than twenty-one generals, seven admirals, and one field marshal of Jewish descent served with Hitler’s consent. In addition, thousands in the lower ranks of the Wehrmacht remained because Hitler personally exempted them from the laws.  Hitler did so mainly because they looked Aryan (that is, had blue eyes and blond hair), had good military records, had rendered Germany a unique service, or had come from distinguished families.”

With the flick of the pen you could become an Aryan in the eyes of Hitler. They received a Deutschblutigkeitserklarung (declaration of German blood). They were now “kosher” Aryans and they hoped this would save their families from further discrimination.  It did for some, but not all. “This award did not protect a recipient’s family as much as expected…”
                    
It was troubling and puzzling for many living in the United States in late 1940 why Hitler was murdering innocent Jews. With the help of a Nazi like Admiral Wilheim Canaris who opposed Hitler’s racist policies, and the daring of a Mischling, Major Ernst Bloch, an important Rebbe was secreted out of Europe and brought to the United States.  The author not only describes the persecution of the Mischlinges, but also discusses their role in saving other Jews. One of the more contradictory cases is the story of the rescue of Rebbe Schneersohn. Safely residing in the United States, with the atrocities still happening in his homeland fresh in his mind, Rebbe Schneersohn’s wrote and spoke about the catastrophic events in Europe. Some of his ideas were disturbing and upsetting. Even though he was rescued by a Nazi and a Mischling, the Rebbe’s reasoned Hitler was murdering Jews in 1941 because this was God’s punishment for Jewish ‘transgressions’ and not observing all the religious laws. 

Someone asked him why European Jews, who were by and large ‘more Torah-observant and God fearing than American Jews,’ had been chosen to bear the brunt of God’s retribution. The Lubavitcher Rebbe replied that “the pious’ suffered on account of the others.”  If that wasn’t enough, he added that this “bloodbath” would force Jews to return to the Torah, and thus clear the path for the Messiah.
          
Did the Lubavitcher Rebbe ever think that one important reason he was saved was because some important ideas from the Torah were a part of the Mischlinge’s backgroud? Or the Nazi Admiral remembered some of his Sunday school Bible studies? Did he ever publicly thank them for their bravery? In the author’s words, “What is remarkable about the Rebbe’s rescue is that it was accomplished by men who, had they known the Rebbe’s true personality, probably would not have tried to save him. ….The people he felt caused the Holocuast were the very one who saved his life, yet the Rebbe failed to see this irony.”
        
Rigg asked his interviewees the logical question of what they knew about the Holocaust.  Most did not know about the systematic killings taking place at extermination camps. A few claimed to know quite a lot about the concentration camps, but said it was almost unbelievable, and of course, unsubstantiated. Who could they ask? Who would tell the truth? And if told, what could they do about it?
        
With twenty-one personal accounts included in the book it makes for an interesting read. Their stories reveal constant tension in their lives.  This is one of the many books that force us to rethink what it meant to be Jewish and serve in the Nazi Army. It is a well-documented historical research work. Mischlinges along with countless others in Germany were faced with crises of conscience under extremely stressful circumstances. Race and the intersection of racial laws within the German Army placed many Mischlinges in deep moral dilemmas for the rest of their lives.


Strom is professor emeritus of education at San Diego State University. His email: stromd@sandiegojewishworld.com