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DEFINITIONS & GLOSSARY
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Alexandria Named for Alexander the Great, the Great City of
Alexandria in ancient Egypt housed the famous Library of Alexandria and
University of Alexandria. It became a meeting place of ideas, philosophies,
cultures and religions, which were often integrated with one another to form new
ones. Philo was notable among the philosophers there, and Eusebius brought the
Bible to Constantine from Alexandrian editions. Alexandria is also known as one
of the 'birthplaces' of Gnosticism, and many non-canonical additions to
Scripture.
Aktion- A military or para-military pogrom which also often involved
local citizens in violent anti-Semitic actions persecutions, or 'pogroms'
against the Jewish people in WWII. Kristallnacht was an example of a widespread
'aktion'.
Aktion 1005- The program of making corpses 'disappear' after mass
aktions and death camp killings to leave no trace of genocide. Happened
especially in the 'Aktion Reinhard' program. Inmates still living were emslaved
to disinter buried bodies, and use 'bone-crushing ' machines and massive pyres
to erase all traces even of mass graves. Prisoners were then killed after the
operation.
Amillennialism- A doctrinal belief which posits that instead of a
literal 1000 year period of the reign of Messiah on earth in peace, there was
instead either a figurative period of Church rule in proxy of Christ, or no
literal or figurative 1000 year millennial reign.
Appell-the 'roll call' in many of the death camps in which a daily
account was taken of the living and the dead. Prisoners often had to stand for
hours in freezing temperatures, ill and hungry. (See Amillenialism)
Aryanization (see Aryanization)- the
'germanization' of an area, culture, people or person: the introduction of the
nordic 'weltanschaunng' or world view, culture, arts, philosophies, mythologies and
social milieu to change the nature of the affected.
Ashkenazi[c]-a term used to refer to the type of Judaism, or Jews of
Europe. Its counterpart is "Sephardic" . The Ashkenazic Jews were known in areas
for Yiddish, a mix of German and Hebrew, and a form of sacred Hebrew which
stresses an 'oi' sound in passages, e.g. Adon-oi vis Adonai. Their counterparts,
the Sephardic Jews, influenced the standardized Hebrew used in Israel today.
Assimilation- meaning to integration, mix and become a part of
something else, such as in a people 'assimilating' into another culture. The
concept of assimilation of the Jewish people into the cultures around them has
continued as a debate throughout centuries; some feel in heralds the end of the
Jews and others the survival of the Jews in a modern world.
Bauhaus- the experimental school of art and architecture which
promoted a synthesis and integration of art, design, technology and methods.
Hitler was opposed to the work of the Bauhaus
Bureau of Jewish Affairs- Starting as part of the I-Bureau, (an
intelligence gathering institution which in its four divisions gathered,
collated and studied the effects of non-Nazi creed groups, for the sake of the
plans of the 3rd Reich), the Bureau for Jewish affairs, ultimately headed by
Eichmann provided information on the culture, education, language and religion
of the Jews for the purpose of the "Final Solution". (See IVB4) which produced artists
such as Klee, considering it "degenerate art".
Befehlsnotstand-a German term in league with "fuhrerprinzip"; refers
to obedience with unquestioning authority. The differences between the
fuhrerprinzip and befehlnotstand are slight: the fuhrerprinzip refers to the
attributing of responsibility for the blame of an atrocious act, the
'befehlnotstand' term has more to do with the obedience itself.
Beobachter (Volkische) See Volkische Beobachter
Blood Libel-a false and exaggerated rumor, legend or tale in which
Jews are scapegoated for a real or imaginary act, usually of the death of a
child. A common libel in the Middle ages was that Jews would steal Christian
infants and kill them, drink their blood and bake them into Matzah. Blood Libel
still occurs today although usually in more subtle forms. (Blood Libel)
Catholic Central PartyThe Party which ruled during the Weimar
Republic comprised of Catholics and Socialists. The Party ran on a religious
freedom platform, but Protestants largely opposed Catholic control of Germany
Cartesian- having to do with the philosophies and methods of the
philosopher/mathematician Rene Descarte, a pillar in the era termed the
"Enlightenment".
Christ-KillerAn anti-Semitic term used over many centuries to convict
the Jews of 'deicide' or the 'death of God'. The term was used as a
justification for segregating and persecuting and killing the Jews throughout
centuries.
Cuis regio, eius religio Whose region, their religion. A term coined
at the Religious Peace of Augsburg, which meant that whatever the religion of
the German prince or lord who ruled a district, it would be the prevailing
'state' religion in the region.
Determinism A philosophical position having to do with the degree to
which free will is completely free or controlled and shaped by environmental,
social or divine events. Extreme determinism would indicate human existence with
the concept of free choice, but no free choice. Determinism describes some
Church doctrines such as "hyper-Calvinism" in which God's elect are pre-chosen,
and no one can choose to come to Christ without that election. It result in
Christ dying not for all but only for the elect.
Deicide- a historical charge which has fueled anti-semitism meaning
literally the murder of God. The charge was first made explicitly in "Peri
Pascha" (see below) and refers to the Jews culpability for
Jesus' death.
D.E.S.T.(Deutsche Erd- und Steinwerke GmbH ) The German Stone and
Earthworks Organization responsible for mining, and providing building materials
and slave labor for the rebuilding of the Third Reich, beginning with the
"Fuhrer-buildings". It was operated by the SS.
Deutsche Christen- The German Christian Church which was a mixture of
Christianity, Third Reich Racial Philosophy, Volkische Mysticism and German
mythology: Christ, the Bible, and most other tenets of doctrine were redefined
to fit Reich beliefs and policies.
Endlosung-The German Word for "the Final Solution of the Jewish
Problem". (See The Final
Solution.
Entarte Kunst- the German word for "degenerate art" indicates a body
of Art, such as dadaism, muralism, neo-expressionism, surrealism and other
modernistic forms of the late 19th and early 20th century which the Third Reich
banned for moral and aesthetic degeneracy. (See Art and the Shoah)
Eusebius a Philosopher from the 240-309; a student of Pamphilis , a
student of Origen, Eusebius was from Caesaria. Eusebius upon request provided 50
Bibles from Alexandria to Constantine, although the texts were the 'Alexandrian
' texts with alterations from the 'Textus-Receptus' or received text. The Bibles
of Jerome and the succession of Roman scholars translations were based upon
this.
Empiricism- While the age of enlightenment produced philosophers and
others positing a divorce from revealed and divine knowledge, with a focus on
human reasoning, two avenues of "knowing about the world" were offered. The
first was Rationalismand the
second was Empiricism. Propounded by Berkeley, Locke and Hume and based upon
Aristotelian logic, empiricism demanded 'facts first' and then reasoning, or
inductive reasoning about observations, rather than reasoning first and then
'investigation'. Empiricism forms the foundation for our modern Scientific
Method.
Fuhrer- literally, 'leader' but with a connotation of 'Lord'. The
title/office was given to Hitler, and subordinates in the party often had the
term in their name, e.g. Oberstürmerführer.
Führerprinzip- the "führer principle" or leader principle. This
principle placed all moral responsibility for an act under authority on the
commanding officer, ending finally in the Fuhrer. In this blind obedience,
soldiers and workers were held unaccountable personally and morally for
atrocities and war crimes as long as they were commanded to do the act. Blind Obedience
General Gouvernment in Poland, a denotation of division in the
Government of Poland after Nazi occupation, refers to the portion....
German Earthworks-(See D.E.S.T.
Gnosticism-from gnosis, 'knowledge' but especially referring to a
secret or esoteric knowledge of God. Shortly after the New Testament books and
epistles were written and distributed, particularly in Alexandria, they became
mixed with legends, doctrines from other religions, eastern mysticism, fables
and myth. Non-canonical books such as the "Gospel of Mary Magdalen", the "Gospel
of Thomas", the Shepherd of Hermes, and others were included. These 'gnostic'
gospels spread almost parallel to the Gospel from Antioch and Jerusalem,
infusing confusion in doctrinal positions. An eminent belief
Herrenvolk-The German 'Super-race'
Hollerith Machine The name of the tabulator-sorter invented in the
late 1800s by Herman Hollerith which became the prototype of later computers.
The machine which used keypunch technology to sort data, especially
identification data was used in the 1890 US census for the first time (the more
primitive technology) and later in the Holocaust to process Jewish and minority
victims for slave labor and death camps. Hollerith's original company became
IBM, the company which sold the tabulators to the Nazis.
Hyper-Calvinism- Calvinism is a doctrinal position devised by Calvin,
which among many other doctrines adhere to a 5-point fundamental list of
defining positions. {TULIP}Eminent among the positions is the issue of Election,
or the pre-selection by God of his chosen, and the concept of a 'limited'
atonement in which Jesus died for only the elect. HYPER-Calvinism may go to such
extremes as to deny the existence of freewill at all, believing even the good
and evil one does are predetermined and cannot be altered. While many points of
Calvinism are held by most believers, several are controversial or even deemed
heretical, in their extreme form. Hyper-Calvinism is usually seen as error.Read More..."
Hyper-Dispensationalism- a variation of a more traditional
theological position of Dispensationalism which posits the existence of eras or
stages in which across history God dealt differently with mankind. Baptist
theologies most often are characterized by 'dispensationalism'.
Hyper-dispensationalism divides and super-divides eras of biblical history into
segments which are not often accepted, and focuses especially on 'end-times'. An
example of 'hyperdispensational thought' is the belief that even at the end,
Jews must be saved differently than other gentile believers, or inherit the
earth rather than heaven. Many other forms are found.Read
More....
IVB4- A section of the Bureau for Jewish Affairs, the
I-bureau, it was known for its leader, Adolph Eichmann, and for its coordination
of trains and supplies to the death camps, including zyklon-b.
Infallibility- A Vatican doctrine not established until 1872, in
which the Pope, or Holy See was seen as infallible and incapable of error on
matters governoring the Roman Catholic Church and doctrine.
Jude,Jud- The German [dutch and polish] word for "Jew" which had to
wear on the Gold Star.
Judenfrei- literally "jew-free": a term used to denote efforts to rid
Jews from a community.
Judenrein- like Judenfrei, only this term carried with it the notion
a a purifying or cleansing, not only of an area but of a bloodline: it meant a
purging of the Jews from the race and land.
Krystallnacht- or "Crystal Night", the Night of the Broken
Glass. Indicates the night in November 1939, when following Grynspan's killing of Vom
Rath, an 'aktion'
was declared across much of Poland and Germany in which the glass from Jewish
businesses were broken, stores looted, synagogues burned, and hundreds shot.
Kultur Protestantismus- Protestantism is seen as supreme, local
princes under 'cuis regio, eius religio maintained peace and 'cleaned up'
both country and church under Bismarck. 1
Kulturkampf- The struggle for civilization: the concept was applied
within Prussia/Germany to describe the struggle between regions and religions
and cultures vying for the 'perfect' state. Hitler's Mein Kampf refers to
his own world view and 'struggle' and proposal for that perfect state and race.
LEBENSRAUM "Living Space" or the Nazi Concept of the imperial
expansion for the benefit of the Master Race of German or Nordic people. See (Aryanization, Germanization and
Lebensraum.)
LebensbornThe Nazi Experimental Program to breed young women with
Third Reich officers to produce an elite group of what was seen as genetically
perfect progeny. Carried on on Germany, Norway and Sweden.
MANICHEISM- An ancient persian/asian belief of utter determinism in
which good andevil cannot be judged or known because of the unalterable
predetermination of destiny.Augustine was influenced by
Manicheism before becoming a Christian, but carried over certain concepts into
his doctrines on election and free will.
Mufti-the"Mufti" of Jerusalem was a religious leader of the Muslims
in Palestine during WWII. During the course of his rule over Arab Muslims, he
met with Hitler and Himmler and continued an alliance in their plan for a final
solution in Palestine. His nephew was Yassar Arafat. (See The Mufti, The Nazis
& Jerusalem.
Nazi, National Socialist Party- The name 'Nazi' was a shortened
nickname for the german word meaning the "national socialist party" headed by
Hitler, who sought to overthrow the Weimar Republic in Germany. They espoused
strong themes of 'law and order' and a return to German Ideals, Pride and
Nationalism.
Neo-nazism- The 'second generation' of Nazi believers, the term is
used to refer to philosophies and groups who espouse the core of the beliefs and
philosophies of the Third Reich.
Ohlendorf-(See Famous People in the
Holocaust)
Ontology-in Philosophy, the study or 'science' of Being, and Knowing
about 'Being'. This includes discussions and treatises on consciousness of
existence, whether 'existence preceeds essence' or vice versa, and other
concepts of 'self-in-the-world' or 'being-in-the-world'
Pastor's Emergency League- the league of Pastors established in 1934
in reaction against the establishment of a National State Bishop, the Deutsche
Christen control of the Church and the Lutheran endorsement of Mueller, Hitler's
Bishop. The 2000 member league would dwindle, but a remnant would go on to
establish and keep the fundamentals of the faith according to the Barmen
Declaration, defying government participation, definition or rule over the
Church. They also hallmarked a guardianship over true doctrine and the
"Confessions" of Protestantism.
Peri Pascha- An early church document by Melito, the
Bishop of Sardis, known for the first public decry of deicide towards the Jews.
While the document itself is not overtly anti-semitic it marks a historical
beginning point for labeling the Jews "Christ Killers".
Post-Millenialism- a doctrine appearing in some Christian
denominations such as Presbyterianism, in which the thousand year reign of
Christ, or Millennium, is believed to have already occurred, or like
amillenialism in which the reign of the Church in proxy of Christ is said to
satisfy definitions. (See Post-Millenialism
xxx
Rationalism-a philosophical position in "Epistomology", or "the
science of knowing about knowing", most identified by Descartes in which
reasoning comes before observation. Descartes believed that the primo facie
evidence or foundation of knowledge, was deductive reasoning. His statement "I
think therefore I am" sums his position. Rationalism and Empiricism were two
counterpoint positions held by those in the Enlightenment, both share the belief
that human reasoning is free and necessary to understanding of our existence as
opposed to divine wisdom. They differ in that Rationalism posits "I think
therefore I am" and involves deductive reasoning, while Empiricism starts first
with observation and involves Inductive reasoning.
Reich-means 'reign' or kingdom. [Anglicized "rike", Ger.
Pronunciation: 'raush'] In Nazi beliefs, the "Third" Reich, or Dritten Reich
refers to the advent of the third 1000 year period in Germany and the world's
history, during which the Nazis believed a Nordic, Atlantean Master Race would
emerge and usher in a new age and utopian Society, with the "superior" Aryan
race in leadership. Hitler was seen by many as a messianic figure to usher in
this 'New Age'.
Religious Affairs Department: Ministry of Cults- As Eichmann became
head of IVB4, the Bureau of Jewish Affairs, Religious Affairs department handled
other religious matters deemed political Catholicism and Protestantism. Bishop
Mueller, the friend of Hitler appointed as national Bishop, was appointed in
this department
Replacement Theology-any theology or doctrine which posits the Church
as a partial or whole 'replacement' for the Jewish people, particularly as the
Chosen of God. (Replacement Theology).
Root Race Theory-A theory dating back to the gnostics in the first
century, and brought back by the school of Theosophy, and Mme. Blavatsky, which
posits a series of root races which emerge, which culminate in 'master race'
which would usher in a utopian age. In this view, the grossly inferior races
must be displaced for the advent of the utopian age.
SS (Schutzstaffel)-The SS or schutzstaffel, or protective forces,
consisted of three branches: 1)Allgemeine-SS (General SS)- an elite military
administrative branch, 2)Waffen SS- the elite corp of the Wehrmacht or German
Army which participated in special actions and number by the end of the war
600,000 & SS-Totenkopfverbande (SS Deaths Headers) -the death headers found
at Dachau and other German Concentration camps, known for their brutality and
mistreatment of inmates. The SS started as more of a military organization but
became integrated with the Reich government and local police departments as
well, allowing almost complete control for the Nazis for a short period in
history.
Sinaiticus-one of the three corrupted texts discovered by Tischendorf
in the latter half of the 1800s, found on Mt. Athos at the St. Katherine
Monastery. It contain multiple errors and corrections. The Sinaiticus was one of
the three texts with the Alexandrian, and Vaticanus upon which Westcott and Hort
based the Revised Standard version of the Bible, and which underlies almost
every modern translation except the King James, Green and related Bibles based
upon the original Greek and Hebrew.
Special Treatment- a euphemism for brutal cruelty often implying
torture or death. The Nazis referred certain offenders, especially resistance
members and leaders for 'special treatment'.
Textus Receptus-the "received text" of the New Testament collated by
Erasmus, and translated later by Tyndale, Coverdale, Stephanus, and the King
James Committee. The following Bibles are translated off the TR: Geneva,
Spanish, KJV and Luther's German Bible.
Tischendorf-a dealer in antiquities who in the mid 1800s found three
extant but corrupted texts of the Bible thought at the time to be the earliest
almost complete copies. (Earliest texts verify the Greek and Hebrew Tyndale
used.) While his finds were deemed exciting, they were at the time charged as
forgeries. Westcott and Hort, Bishops in the Anglican Church in the late 1800s
used Tischendorf's texts to translate the Revised Standard Version.
Umschlagplatz- a loading platform for a train station, notably in the
Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were gathered to be deported to death camps.
Untermenschen- a Nazi expression for a class of people deemed
'sub-humans' or lesser than or under a man.
Utilitarian (ism)- the idea that the height of moral value belongs to
the 'usefulness' or adaptability of a thing or person to the social milieu. A
more formal definition is:
Utilitarianism (from the Latin utilis, useful) is a theory of
ethics based on quantitative maximisation of some good for society or
humanity. It is a form of consequentialism. This good is often happiness or
pleasure, though some utilitarian theories might seek to produce other
consequences or theories of the good. Utilitarianism is sometimes summarized
as "The greatest happiness for the greatest number."[Wikipedia]
It's greatest proponent was John Stuart Mill who wrote the
defining volume in 1860.
Vaticanus-one of the three Tischendorf texts used in the translation
of modern bibles. Did not include the book of Revelation. Only copies are
available to scholars and may not be viewed outside the Vatican.
Volk- The Volk, or "folk" is a German term which Hitler used to refer
to the people of Germany, but it is a larger term than a mere body count. It
includes the history, spirit, mythology, language, religious nature, customs,
and so on in which the 'whole is greater than a sum of its parts'. The unified
'Volk' moves a a whole body, each person is a part of the whole. More than just
a nationalistic concept, it was used as a reason to dismiss Jews as German
citizens, and declare the need for 'Lebensraum'.
Volkeschaos-the name in volkische mythology and racial science
'mythology' for an endtime war between the races in which the superior race
would take precedence. Himmler was a primary believer among the Nazis in this
last war, akin in Christian thought to "Armaggedon".
Volkische Beobachter-The "People Watcher" or People Observer; an
Anti-Semitic Newspaper in Bavaria and Southern Germany edited by among others
Rosenberg which aided the Nazis in their rise to power.
War-Guilt Clause of the Versaille Treaty-At the end of WWII, as part
of the Versaille treaty, a war-guilt clause was added indicating Germany's total
culpability and responsibility for the war. The New Weimar Republic was given
the task of reparation of damages and restorative monies to the countries which
had to go to war.
Weltenschaunng- a german word in philosophy indicating a "World
view"; often referring to the totality of a national view, including its
philosophies, religious views, mythologies, culture and 'ontology', or the study
of being.
Wolf's Lair-a mountain retreat belonging to Adolph Hitler, frequented
by him and his inner circle, where many critical decisions were made.
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Yahrzeit Calendar-meaning literally 'time of the year' refers to a
calendar in Jewish worship marking the dates of deaths of congregation members
and calling for remembrance as part of the service. Some give tzedakah or
benevolences on the date of the death of a loved or honored one.
Yalta Conference A Conference which included the Allied Powers, with
Franklin Roosevelt, Stalin and DeGaulle, to determine the boundaries and 'spoil'
at the end of WWII.
Zeitgeist- the German word meaning literally: time ghost, or "spirit
of the times". It refers to the totality of experience of a time or age; e.g.
the Romantic era was characterized by a 'zeitgeist' of man vs nature, the
emergence of and solitary 'existential hero,' freedom in the arts and expression
etc.
Z.O.B., or Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa - the Polish name and
acronym of the combined resistance group which fought the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto
Uprising.
Zyklon B- A pesticide made by the chemical company I.G. Farben which
was used in the gas chamber deaths of vitually millions. Poured from holes in
the ceiling a small amount produced death by asphyxiation and poisoning within
minutes. While some have argued its use, traces of the chemicals have been found
even years later indicating intensive repeated use, because the traces normally
dissapate rapidly.
1Garnet Peet: The Protestant Churches in Nazi Germany,
Spindleworks,com