There’s a claim thrown around with annoying regularity that German Jews could have stopped the Holocaust if only they were armed. Since the narrative involves Hitler and guns being banned, everyone seems to take it at face value. Problem is, it’s not true.
Most of the gun-control laws in Germany came from the Weimar Republic and its attempts to comply with the Treaty of Versailles. In January 1919, the Reichstag enacted legislation requiring the surrender of nearly all guns to the government. They passed the Law on the Disarmament of the People the following year. In 1928 they passed the Law on Firearms and Ammunition, which allowed for some civilian firearms ownership but imposed a strict registration scheme.
Bear in mind, all these measures passed before Adolph Hitler was in any position of authority. In 1938, the Law on Firearms and Ammunition was actually loosened quite a bit. Permits were only required for handguns and handgun ammunition. Continued...