Aryan paragraph

An Aryan paragraph (German: Arierparagraph) was a clause in the statutes of an organisation, corporation, or real estate deed that reserved membership or right of residence solely for members of the "Aryan race" and excluded from such rights any non-Aryans, particularly those of Jewish and Slavic descent.

One of the first documented examples of such a paragraph was written by the Austrian nationalist leader and anti-Semite Georg von Schönerer in his nationalistic Linz Program of 1882, and countless German national sports-clubs, song societies, school clubs, harvest circles and fraternities followed suit.

They served to exclude Jews from organisations, federations, political parties, and, ultimately, all public life.

[4] On June 30 of the same year, it was broadened to include even marriage to a "non-Aryan" as sufficient cause for exclusion from a civil service career.

Prior to this, there were exceptions, such as combat veterans, service in the National Rising [Erhebung], honorary Aryans, and so on, but now Jews and "Jewish mixed-breeds" (Mischlinge) were banned from practically all professions.