The 1920s were marked by a period of exploration and creativity in the arts. New possibilities and genres were being explored in painting, writing and music.

Then, on October 29, 1929 (Black Monday) the Wall Street stock market crashed causing a chain reaction of catastrophic events. Banks failed, businesses closed, and rampant unemployment left governments powerless to stop the worldwide economic collapse.

In Germany, Adolf Hitler blamed the Jews not only for the economic crises, but also for the alleged degrading effects of contemporary art movements. The Jewish presence within Germany was declared a threat to the purity of the German State. When discussing the arts, Nazi leaders used the terms "Jewish" and "degenerate" interchangeably.

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A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 1997-2013.


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