Rowling’s Harry Potter is a significant part of our childhood memories. We haven’t just read and watched the series; we have lived it. From The Philosopher’s Stone to The Deathly Hallows, we grew up with the characters, felt for them, laughed and cried with them. In the end, it wasn’t just fiction anymore; it was a phenomenon. I remember that the poster of The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 did not even have the film’s name written on it. It just said IT ALL ENDS.
Why? Because it did not need the title. Everyone knew what it was: it was the end of a magical era. But in this dreamy, magical world of Harry Potter, there lies an allegory that most of us missed while growing up. Children’s literature often contains layers of meaning.
The readers are supposed to peel the story like an onion to get to those hidden meanings. Classics like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Abol Tabol by Sukumar Ray—all have underlying messages and, therefore, are cherished by readers of all ages. Similarly, while Harry Potter is primarily a work of fantasy, it contains symbolic elements related to Nazi Germany. In this article, I will explore the Nazi influence in Harry Potter, examining specific themes, characters, and symbols within the series.
Pre-Existing Prejudice and Racial Supremacy in the Real World and the Wizarding World
Anti-Semitism before Hitler:
Anti-Semitism has a long history that predates Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust by centuries. It can be traced back to the Middle Ages when Jews faced persecution, expulsion, and violence. Throughout history, Jewish communities were expelled from various European countries, including England (in 1290), Spain (in 1492), and Portugal (in 1497). Many European countries implemented discriminatory laws and restrictions on Jewish communities, limiting their rights and opportunities.
The Spanish Inquisition, initiated in the late 15th century, targeted Jews, among other groups, who were forced to convert to Christianity or face expulsion or execution. The rise of nationalist movements in the 19th century often included anti-Semitic rhetoric.
And finally, the fraudulent document known as ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ emerged, falsely alleging a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world. So, from these instances, it is clear that Hitler did not create anti-semitism. It was already deep-rooted in the society. He exploited that to manipulate people and then took it to a horrifying extreme with the Holocaust.
Muggle Hatred before Voldemort:
Similarly, in Harry Potter, obsession with blood purity and racial supremacy existed long before Voldemort. At the beginning of the series, we learn that Hogwarts was founded by four witches and wizards: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin was deeply prejudiced against Muggle-borns and firmly believed that people with magical powers were superior to muggles in every way, and therefore, only pure-blood wizards (those with magical ancestry on both sides) should be allowed to attend Hogwarts.
The rest of the founders did not agree with this view, which ultimately led to his departure from Hogwarts. Before departing, he cursed the school by creating the Chamber of Secrets—a hidden chamber within the school that contained a basilisk, a monster serpent. Slytherin intended the Chamber to be a means to purge the school of Muggle-borns. He left behind the legend of the Chamber, warning that it would be opened by his true heir to continue his mission. So, first, he wanted to take away the impure’s right to attend school, and when that did not work, he decided to take away their right to live.
This obsession with racial supremacy did not end with Salazar Slytherin. Gellert Grindelwald also believed the same, but his concept was slightly different. Slytherin’s obsession with purity was centered around blood status and heritage within the wizarding world; Grindelwald’s beliefs and actions were more aligned with a desire for power and control. He believed wizards are more powerful than muggles, and therefore, they hold the right to rule over them. Similarly, Hitler believed that Aryans were superior to the Jews and they indubitably had the right to rule them. So, clearly, Grindelwald’s belief aligns with the Nazi Herrenvolk theory.
Similarities between Hitler and Voldemort
Childhood:
Childhood is the most crucial period of a person’s life. The experiences, interactions, and environments during these formative years shape the very core of one’s identity. Positive childhoods foster love and empathy, while traumatic experiences cause maladaptive behavior. In the cases of Hitler and Voldemort, the latter happened. Tom Riddle (Voldemort) was born as a result of a love potion, which left him with a sense of being unwanted.
His mother died shortly after his birth, and he grew up in a muggle orphanage. Riddle could never fit in; he looked down upon the muggles and was cruel, controlling, and manipulative towards them. His lack of identity and the situation at the orphanage contributed to his isolation and anger.
On the other hand, Hitler’s family was not financially stable, and his father, Alois Hitler, was a strict and sometimes abusive man. Adolf experienced the deaths of several siblings in his early years, and he dropped out of formal education at a young age. He applied to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts but was rejected twice.
His experiences as a struggling artist in Vienna contributed to his sense of frustration and failure. He believed Jews were overrepresented there. He blamed Jews for his own setbacks and his poverty. He held them responsible for Germany’s defeat in World War I and the harsh conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Both Hitler and Tom had unhappy childhoods, which contributed to their desire to rule and harm others.
Reign, Power and Manipulation:
Another significant similarity is that neither Hitler nor Voldemort faced any effective resistance while coming to power. The reasons are Neville Chamberlain (British Prime Minister during WWII) and Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic), respectively. Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement failed to prevent Adolf Hitler’s aggressive expansionist policies, including the invasion of Czechoslovakia. On the other hand, Fudge was too scared to admit that Voldemort had returned and did not even make this news public. These incidents helped the dictators to attain what they wanted.
We must remember that despite having sinister intentions, both Hitler and Voldemort had loyal followers. They were able to captivate and mobilize their followers through impassioned speeches, instilling a sense of purpose and loyalty. They fostered a sense of “us vs. them” among their followers, reinforcing unity among their supporters and justified extreme measures against perceived enemies.
The Death Eaters and Nazi soldiers were motivated by an alignment with the ideology of their respective leaders. It’s essential to recognize that loyalty in these contexts is complex and multifaceted. While some individuals in both groups may have genuinely believed in the ideologies they were following, others may have been coerced, forced, or compelled to participate out of fear or peer pressure.
Both Hitler and Voldemort rewarded their followers for loyalty: Death Eaters received privileges and positions of power in Voldemort’s regime, while Nazi soldiers could gain advantages and promotions through allegiance and adherence to the party. Also, disloyalty was met with severe consequences ranging from punishment to execution in both contexts.
Moreover, they manipulated the public by using meaningful artifacts and symbols. Hitler used the Swastika, which held positive connotations, representing concepts like well-being, luck, and prosperity. He chose this to establish that he is doing everything for the greater good. Voldemort’s tool was the giant statue in the Ministry of Magic’s atrium that depicts a wizard and a witch towering over a heap of subjugated muggles, and on the statue was written MAGIC IS MIGHT. It established that muggles are weak and supposed to be ruled.
Parallel between the Condition of Jews and Muggles:
In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” there is a poignant moment when Ron Weasley listens to a radio broadcast to find out if his family is still alive; this moment directly reflects the horror and atrocity of the real world during WWII. Jews in Nazi Germany suffered mass deportations, forced labor, and genocide in extermination camps.
Muggle-borns faced persecution from Death Eaters and supporters of Lord Voldemort, with some being subjected to torture and murder. In the real world, it started with the removal of few rights; in the wizarding world, it began with the ‘Muggle-born Registration Commission,’ which interrogated and eventually killed muggles.
Even the concentration camps have their parallels in the Wizarding World. Here, prisoners were subjected to cruel and sadistic treatment by their captors, which included physical and psychological torment. In Harry Potter, Dementors, one of the most terrifying magical creatures, were set loose on the muggles to torture and suck their lives out.
Resistance to Oppression
Despite the discrimination, Jews and Muggle-borns had individuals and organizations that supported them. Jewish resistance movements and Righteous Gentiles existed during the Holocaust. These groups engaged in guerrilla warfare and sabotage against the Nazis and their collaborators.
They also provided shelter and support to Jews in hiding. Some non-Jews, often called the “Righteous Among the Nations,” risked their lives to shelter and protect Jews from the Nazis. And yes, the Allied Forces played a crucial role in liberating concentration camps as they advanced through Europe.
Likewise, in the wizarding world, The Order, led by Albus Dumbledore, worked to oppose Voldemort’s regime and protect those targeted by his followers. Members like Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were committed to promoting equality in the wizarding world. Dumbledore’s Army, led by Harry, Hermione, and Ron, resisted the oppressive regime of Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts and later joined the fight against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
I have just covered a few areas; apart from these, many other details in the story mirror the Nazi regime. Even the naming of Grindelwald’s prison Nurmengard reflects Nuremberg in Germany, where the crime trials were held during WWII. J.K. Rowling created a world filled with magical beings, potions, spells, flying cars, and moving staircases—a world every child and grown-up wants to visit, even if it is in their dreams.
But in the same world, she hid something gruesome and terrifying. Rowling said that she wanted Harry to go to the wizarding world and find the same problems that are here in this one—the same racism, oppression, hierarchy, obsession with purity, hunger for power, war, sorrow, loss, and death. She wanted to show that it is a pattern that is present everywhere, regardless of time, place, and dimension.