NichtJude

Nicht-Jude is a German term meaning "not Jew" and is used to describe a person who is not Jewish, by religion, ethnicity, or cultural identity. The word is a compound of Nicht- (not) and Jude (Jew). In modern German, it can appear as Nicht-Jude or Nichtjude, with the choice of spelling varying by style and emphasis; in everyday language, more natural formulations are often used, such as “eine Person, die nicht jüdisch ist.”

Historically, the term appeared in Nazi-era discourse and administrative language to distinguish Jews from the rest of the population. In legal and bureaucratic contexts, classifications often contrasted “Jude” with “Nicht-Jude,” and tools such as the Nuremberg Laws shaped who was labeled a Jew or a non-Jew. This categorization underpinned discriminatory laws and social policies that restricted rights, marriage, education, and employment for Jews and those classified under related categories.

In contemporary usage, Nicht-Jude is largely a descriptive or historical label. It is frequently replaced by more precise expressions referring to religion or identity, such as “nicht jüdisch,” or by specifying the individual’s background when relevant. In scholarly writing, the term may appear when discussing demographic or legal distinctions, but many authors favor clearer language about religious affiliation, ethnicity, or cultural heritage to avoid reductive categorization.

See also: Judaism, Jewish identity, Antisemitism, Nuremberg Laws.