The mission of the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives is to use the lessons of the Holocaust to educate current and future generations about the ramifications of unbridled prejudice, racism and stereotyping.
December 2, 2012 at 3 PM
In the early 20th century, picture postcards were the most convenient form of short and quick communication. The telegraph was expensive and used by businesses; the telephone was only in its infancy. Literally, millions of post cards were sent each year, mostly from Europe and America. The picture postcard was the short messaging system of a century ago. Publishers met the demand by printing interesting images on postcards covering every topic imaginable.
Anti-Semitism was one of these subjects reflecting the deep-seated attitudes of society. By studying these postcards, it is clear that Anti-Semitism was not a belief disseminated by political leaders, journalists, scholars and rabble-rousers. In fact, it was accepted by the general population, who eagerly bought and mailed these postcards that were derogatory of Jews. A deeper analysis shows that postcards from Germany were particularly hateful and vile, in contrast to American examples which focused on stereotypical humor.