Pandemic, Conspiracy and Antisemitism
Caricature in the newspaper Der Morgen, 8 July 1918.
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
This caricature demonstrates how antisemitic politicians jump at the opportunity, when potential danger or trouble appears, to attribute it to Jewish conspiracy. Readers at the time could immediately identify the figure at the lectern as a German nationalist aggressively inciting hate and a smear campaign against Jews.
In fact, allegations of a “Jewish attack” on the “body of the German people” played an important role in antisemitism during this era. German nationalists justified their attacks on Jews by claiming the group sought to undermine the truly “superior people”. Jewish doctors and medical advancements were vilified as attempts to weaken the “German body”.
Click on this link for the entire issue of Der Morgen, July 8, 1918
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