What Americans Know About the Holocaust
(2018 - 2019)
How much do you know about the Holocaust? (American Jewish Committee, Jews September 9-October 4, general public September 15-20, 2020)
| Jews | General Public | |
| A lot | 35% | 37% |
| Some | 15% | 38% |
| Not much | 0% | 14% |
| Not at all | 0% | 10% |
As far as you know, what does “the Holocaust” refer to? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| Annihilation of Jews | 66% |
| Death, general | 6% |
| Persecution of Jews | 4% |
| Jews/Jewish | 4% |
| Hitler | 1% |
| Concentration camps | 1% |
| World War II | 1% |
| Nazis/Nazism | 1% |
| Persecution, general | <1% |
| Other | 3% |
| Don't know | 3% |
| No answer | 10% |
When did the Holocaust happen? Between… (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| 1930 and 1950 (Correct) | 69% |
| 1890 and 1910 | 2% |
| 1910 and 1930 | 10% |
| 1950 and 1970 | 1% |
| Not sure | 17% |
| No answer | 1% |
In total, about how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| Approximately 6 million (Correct) | 45% |
| Less than 1 million | 2% |
| Approximately 3 million | 12% |
| More than 12 million | 12% |
| Not sure | 28% |
| No answer | 1% |
What were Nazi-created ghettos? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| Parts of a city or a town where Jews were forced to live (Correct) | 63% |
| Places where Jews were killed in gas chambers | 7% |
| Factories where Nazis forced their political opponents to work | 2% |
| Housing developments for poor Nazis | 2% |
| Not sure | 27% |
| No answer | 1% |
Which of the following statements best describes how Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| By a democratic political process (Correct) | 43% |
| By violently overthrowing the German government | 25% |
| By hereditary succession | 2% |
| By agreements with neighboring countries | 2% |
| Not sure | 27% |
| No answer | 1% |
Have you ever visited a Holocaust memorial or museum? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)
| Yes | 27% |
| No | 73% |
| No answer | 1% |
Have you ever seen or heard the word Holocaust before? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Yes, , I have definitely heard about the Holocaust | 89% | 78% | 78% |
| Yes, I think I’ve heard about the Holocaust | 7% | 13% | 10% |
| No, I don’t think I have heard about the Holocaust | 3% | 8% | 7% |
| No, I definitely have not heard about the Holocaust | 1% | 9% | 5% |
In your own words, what does the term Holocaust refer to? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Extermination of the Jews/s/Jewish people | 62% | 51% |
| Genocide generally | 18% | 14% |
| World War II | 4% | 8% |
| The Nazis | 3% | 6% |
| Adolf Hitler | 3% | 3% |
| Other | 14% | 19% |
| Not Sure | 3% | 7% |
Who or what do you think caused the Holocaust? [OPEN ENDED]? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Adolf Hitler | 83% | 76% | 72% |
| The Nazis | 67% | 63% | 62% |
| Germany | 36% | 33% | 36% |
| Jews | 10% | 15% | 11% |
| World War I | 6% | 9% | 13% |
| The Great Depression | 4% | 8% | 7% |
| The United States | 4% | 12% | 6% |
| Franklin Delano Roosevelt / FDR | 2% | 3% | 1% |
| Israel | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Palestine | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Other | 1% | -- | 2% |
| Not Sure | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Who were victims during the Holocaust? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| The Jewish People | 94% | 92% | 86% |
| Homosexuals | 33% | 27% | 34% |
| The disabled / People with disabilities | 32% | 27% | 32% |
| Roma-Sinti (Gypsies) | 22% | 18% | 25% |
| Non-Jewish Poles | 17% | 13% | 15% |
| Resistance workers | 16% | 13% | 17% |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Communists | 10% | 5% | 11% |
| Rescuers | 9% | 12% | 11% |
| Other | 1% | -- | 6% |
| Not Sure | 3% | 3% | 6% |
In which of the below country or countries did the Holocaust take place? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Germany | 84% | 72% | 70% |
| Poland | 37% | 27% | 31% |
| Austria | 27% | 30% | 26% |
| Europe | 24% | 27% | 26% |
| France | 19% | 16% | 12% |
| Hungary | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| The Netherlands (Holland) | 15% | 19% | 7% |
| Belgium | 14% | 14% | 11% |
| Former Yugoslavia | 10% | 5% | 12% |
| Denmark | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| Former Soviet Union | 8% | 6% | 9% |
| Ukraine | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| Italy | 7% | ||
| Romania | 6% | ||
| Latvia | 6% | 9% | 3% |
| Estonia | 5% | 2% | 2% |
| Lithuania | 5% | 2% | 5% |
| Australia | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| The United States | 1% | -- | 5% |
| North Africa | -- | 1% | 3% |
| Greece | 3% | ||
| China | -- | -- | 2% |
| All of the Above | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Not Sure | 4% | 6% | 9% |
During the Holocaust, Jews and many others were sent to concentration camps, death camps, and ghettos. Can you name any concentration camps, death camps, or ghettos you have heard of? [OPEN ENDED AND MULTIPLE RESPONSES
ALLOWED] (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Auschwitz | 44% |
| Dachau | 6% |
| Bergen-Belsen | 3% |
| Belzec | 2% |
| Chelmno | 1% |
| Treblinka | 1% |
| Buchenwald | 1% |
| Warsaw ghetto | 1% |
| Other incorrect response | 12% |
| Not Sure / None | 36% |
Have you seen Holocaust denial or distortion on social media or elsewhere online? (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Yes | 49% |
| No | 42% |
| No answer | 9% |
At what level of school did you learn about the Holocaust? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Middle school/Junior high school | 54% |
| High school | 35% |
| Elementary school | 26% |
| All of the above | 7% |
| Did not learn about the Holocaust in school | 4% |
| Not Sure | 7% |
In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of teaching the Holocaust in school? [MULTIPLE CHOICES ALLOWED] (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Gen Z+Millenials | |
| The Holocaust is a historically significant event | 60% |
| To learn from past mistakes and prevent genocide and mass atrocity today | 52% |
| To prevent something like the Holocaust from happening again | 41% |
| Teaches about racism, intolerance, and indifference | 37% |
| To study the past and consider our roles as citizens today | 15% |
| Learning about the Holocaust is the right thing to do | 10% |
| Other | 1% |
| None | 7% |
From what you know or have heard, what was Auschwitz? [OPEN ENDED] (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Concentration camp | 40% | 22% | 47% |
| Death/extermination camp | 23% | 11% | 17% |
| Forced labor camp | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Other | 21% | 31% | 17% |
| Not Sure | 20% | 35% | 26% |
. Have you personally or has anyone you know visited a Holocaust museum in the United States? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| I have not visited a Holocaust museum and do not know anyone who has visited one | 40% | 45% | 34% |
| I have personally visited a Holocaust museum in the United States | 20% | 33% | 28% |
| I have not visited, but someone I know has visited | 25% | 21% | 26% |
| Not Sure | 15% | 1% | 12% |
People still talk too much about what happened during the Holocaust. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Total Agree | 18% | 41% | 20% |
| Total Disagree | 53% | 39% | 55% |
Something like the Holocaust could happen again today. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Total Agree | 58% | 47% | 59% |
| Total Disagree | 20% | 22% | 17% |
Holocaust education should be compulsory in school. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Total Agree | 88% | 88% | 64% |
| Total Disagree | 2% | 4% | 7% |
Okay, and have you ever heard of “The Final Solution” before? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Yes, I have definitely heard of the Final Solution | 34% | 23% |
| Yes, I think I’ve heard of the Final Solution | 7% | 11|% |
| I have heard of it generally but not sure what it means | 14% | 31% |
| No, I don’t think I have heard of it before | 21% | 14% |
| No, I definitely have not heard of it before | 14% | 8% |
| I’m not sure if I’ve heard of it or not | 10% | 13% |
[IF YES] And in your own words, what was “the Final Solution” before? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Genocide | 36% | 52% |
| The Holocaust | 32% | 27% |
| The Nazi plan to murder Jews | 26% | -- |
| Mathematics | 4% | -- |
| None | 2% | -- |
| Other | 6% | 48% |
| Not sure | 10% | -- |
With which of the wars listed below is the Holocaust closely associated with? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| World War I | 17% | 19% |
| The Vietnam War | 1% | 2% |
| The Civil War | 1% | 1% |
| World War II | 67% | 55% |
| Not sure | 14% | 23% |
[IF Q9=WW II] And from what you know or have heard, which came first, World War II or the Holocaust? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| The Holocaust happened first, then World War II | 21% | 25% |
| World War II happened first, then the Holocaust | 24% | 36% |
| They happened simultaneously | 45% | 28% |
| Not sure | 10% | 11% |
Approximately how many Jews were killed during the Holocaust? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| 20 million | 6% | 9% | 10% |
| 6 million | 49% | 36% | 37% |
| 2 million | 7% | 2% | 15% |
| 1 million | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| 100,000 | 10% | 26% | 6% |
| 25,000 | 3% | 2% | 5% |
| Other | 1% | -- | -- |
| Not sure | 13% | 14% | 17% |
During the Holocaust, Jews and many others were sent to concentration camps death camps, and ghettos. Can you name any concentration camps, death camps, or ghettos you have heard of? [OPEN ENDED]? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Could name camp/ghetto (Auschwitz, Treblinka, Warsaw ghetto, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, Sobibór, Chelmno, Belzec) | 55% | 51% |
| Other incorrect response | 10% | 7% |
| None/Never heard | 12% | 14% |
| Don’t know/Can’t remember | 23% | 28% |
[Of the 91% who knew Hitler was the leader of Germany] From what you know, how did Hitler come to power? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Hitler was democratically elected | 39% | 29% |
| Hitler took power by force | 52% | 68% |
| Not sure | 9% | 3% |
Thinking about the Nazis, did the Nazis persecute just the Jewish people or were other groups persecuted as well? (Claims Conference , March 2018)
| Adults | Millenials | |
| Only Jews were persecuted by the Nazis | 34% | 49% |
| Other groups were persecuted as well | 60% | 44% |
| Not sure | 6% | 7% |
Left off at q 29 did some after
ADD TO ANTISEMITISM POLL?
Have you personally seen Nazi symbols in your community or on the social media platforms you visit or have used in the past 5 years?
Some common examples of Nazi symbols include: flags with swastikas, pictures idealizing Hitler, flyers with pro-Nazi messages, pictures glorifying Nazi soldiers, “Heil Hitler” symbols such as Nazi-imagery or tattoos with “88” a numerical code for “Heil Hitler.” (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Yes—in my community | 13% |
| Yes—on social media | 30% |
| Yes—both in my community and on social media | 13% |
| No | 36% |
| Not sure | 8% |
Okay, and in your opinion, is there antisemitism in the United States today? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)
| Adults | Millenials | Gen Z+Millenials | |
| Yes, there is antisemitism in the United States today | 68% | 63% | 64% |
| No, there is not antisemitism in the United States today | 4% | 5% | 12% |
| Not sure | 28% | 32% | 24% |
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