German

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Etymology

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19th century, from Schutz (protection) +‎ Haft (custody). The law was first used to detain opponents between 1914 and 1919. The Nazi government revived and greatly escalated this practice, often giving the pretext that the arrested had to be protected from the wrath of the general population.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈʃʊt͡sˌhaft]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Schutz‧haft

Noun

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Schutzhaft f (genitive Schutzhaft, plural (rare) Schutzhaften)

  1. (law) protective custody
  2. (Nazism) arbitrary incarceration of those considered enemies of the regime (e.g. communists)

Declension

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Further reading

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