Northern State University Professor of History, Art Marmorstein, will give a talk on the rise of anti-Jewish sentiment in Nazi Germany at 7 p.m. Nov. 29, in Johnson Fine Arts Center, Room 181. The talk is highly relevant to the recent rise of anti-Jewish sentiment and violence in America and around the world.

Marmorstein will present “It Couldn’t Happen Here: The Rise of Anti-Jewish Sentiment in Nazi Germany,” which will discuss how an advanced, educated, highly literate and cultured people could descend into a regime define by anti-Jewish hate.

“Germany had a relatively good record in its treatment of the Jews. In the first years after World War I, there were no doors closed to German Jews. Jews were prominent in German politics, in German business, in the art world, in journalism–everywhere.  And if the tables could turn on them so thoroughly and so rapidly–well, it shows that such things could happen anywhere, including America, if we are not very careful,” said Marmorstein.

In the talk, Marmorstein will also explain the dangers of over-using the Nazi analogy and falling into the fallacy of comparing those we disagree with to the Nazis.

“Call ‘Nazi’ too many times, and when the real Nazis come, we just may go on with our own routine business—until it's too late,” said Marmorstein.

“Professor Art Marmorstein is uniquely qualified to give us a lesson in the rise of anti-Jewish hatred in 1930s Germany. As one of our most engaging and learned faculty members, Marmorstein’s presentation promises to be educational and engaging,” said Dr. Jon Schaff, professor of political science.  

The event is sponsored by the Center for Public History and Civic Engagement.