The Nazi ideal of the 'Aryan' — blond, blue-eyed, and athletic — was more myth than reality, as even Adolf Hitler himself did not fit the description. To enforce racial purity, from 1935 all German citizens were required to provide an 'Ariernachweis' (Aryan certificate) proving that none of their ancestors for at least three generations were Jewish or Romani. Civil servants, doctors, and lawyers had to provide this document two years earlier, often necessitating time-consuming genealogical research.
The Nazis declared Germans the 'superior master race' and viewed Jews as an 'inferior race' to be systematically excluded and ultimately murdered. Propaganda films alleged that Jews sought to destroy the world order and wrest control from the 'master race.' Caricatures in the Nazi newspaper 'Der Stürmer' depicted Jews in grotesque, antisemitic ways with hooked noses and greedy expressions.
Other populations, particularly Nordic and Scandinavian peoples, were associated with 'Aryan' features. When encountering blond, blue-eyed children in countries like Latvia or Poland, the Nazis had no qualms about kidnapping them and sending them to homes run as part of the 'Lebensborn' eugenics program. These homes served the purpose of 'Germanization' — an idea by SS chief Heinrich Himmler to promote the growth of a 'racially valuable' population.
The term 'Aryan' also became the basis for 'Aryanization' — the confiscation and transfer of Jewish businesses and property to non-Jews. Although Nazi race scientists rarely used the term, preferring 'German or kindred blood,' it was common in colloquial language.
Archaeological discoveries show the term 'Aryan' has existed for over two millennia. The Persian king Darius I had a rock-cut tomb inscribed: 'I am Darius, the great king … a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan, of Aryan descent.' The word also appears in sacred Indian texts in Sanskrit. Originally, 'Arya' meant 'noble' or 'honorable' — a self-designation by peoples in India and Iran.
The racist reinterpretation began in the mid-19th century. French writer Joseph Arthur de Gobineau, in his 'Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races,' divided humanity into white, yellow, and black races, concluding the white 'Aryan' race was superior. His theory was largely ignored at first but later appropriated by nationalist, far-right movements.
British writer Houston Stewart Chamberlain, in his 1899 book 'The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century,' elevated Gobineau's theories, glorifying the 'Germanic' race. He characterized the 'Jewish race' as lacking creativity and idealism, posing a threat to 'Germanic Aryans.' Chamberlain's work was well received in Germany, and among his admirers was Kaiser Wilhelm II.
In 1923, Adolf Hitler visited Chamberlain, who later wrote that 'Germany gives birth to Hitler in times of need shows how alive it is.' Hitler regarded Chamberlain as one of the 'evangelists' of his worldview. It has long been scientifically established that biological human races do not exist, yet racists worldwide still misuse this false interpretation of the term 'Aryan.'
Source: www.dw.com