Mennonites, German Occupation, and the Elimination of Jews in Ukraine

Abstract

This paper seeks to identify and map out the social interactions between Nazi Germany, Mennonites in southern Ukraine, and local Jewish populations during the Holocaust by examining experiences and relationships in two of the region’s larger Mennonite settlement areas, Molotschna/Halbstadt and Chortitza. The paper also examines the content and impact of Nazi propaganda in ethnic German communities as well the pressure to officially change “Jewish-sounding” names to Germanic names in later applications for naturalization. This mapping of interactions aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of the complexities of twentieth-century Mennonite history in Ukraine under Nazi occupation and open a door towards a healing of memories. The focus on one small ethnic-religious group in its interactions with Nazi Germany during the time its Jewish neighbors are eliminated is a small contribution towards understanding how social relations shaped the evolution of the Holocaust.