Why did antisemitism gain support among some people in traditional trades during economic depressions?

During economic depressions in the German Empire, antisemitism gained support among those in traditional trades and other sectors because Jews were frequently used as scapegoats for complex social and political grievances.1

As nationalism became a defining force in the 19th century, antisemitism shifted from a religious character to a racial one. Pseudoscientific theories asserting that Jews were inferior to the so-called Aryan race provided a veneer of respectability for these prejudices. When economic downturns—such as the worldwide depression that began in 1873—caused precipitous drops in prices, profits, and investment opportunities, political agitators exploited xenophobic sentiments to blame Jewish people for the resulting dislocations.123

This scapegoating was a powerful political tool, allowing organized antisemitic movements to gain traction by channeling the frustrations of those suffering from economic instability toward a marginalized group. By framing Jews as "alien" elements, these movements sought to mobilize support among populations facing economic hardship, effectively using prejudice to distract from the broader structural causes of the depression.1