racism

When the Nazi Party came to power they ruthlessly eliminated anyone or any group who was not their idea of Socially Acceptable. This included Communists, Slavs, Negros, Homosexuals and Jews.
The thing that Nazi Germany is most remembered for is the percecution of the Jews. Millions were sent to their deaths in concentration camps not just during the war but since 1933 when Dachau was opened 50 miles North west of Munich.
Nazi's blamed the Jews for many things such as their defeat in World War I and The Depression of 1939. A number of laws were passed against Jewish German citizens:
In 1934 all Jewish shops had to be marked with a yellow star or the word 'Juden'(Meaning Jew in German).
In 1935, just two years after taking power, Jews had their German Citizenship denounced, they were stateless. Also in the same year, Jewish and Non Jewish marrages were forbidden.
In October 1938 15,000 Polish Jews were expelled from Germany and dumped at the Polish border. The Polish Government (Who said they had their own jewish problem) refused them Entry to Poland.
In November 1938 a Polish Jew shot a Nazi Official dead at the German Embassy in Paris. The Nazi's said it was part of a world-wide Jewish conspiricy and Adolf Hitler was furious. Heinrich Himmler (Head of the SS) caused Terror among the Jewish Population of Germany which numbered just over 500,000 (About 1% of the Total German Population).
"Kristallnacht" or The Night of Broken Glass. Jewish Homes, Synagogues and shops were looted and torched. Over 90 Jewish men were killed all over Germany and hundreds were injured and beaten up by mobs, police or soldiers. There were mass arrests of Jews and they were sent to concentration camps around Germany.
After this the Jews were ordered to pay a 1,000,000,000 Reich Mark fine. Himmler then ordered the mass expansion of the concentration camps.