For the first time the concept of "ghetto" arose in the Middle Ages in Venice. During the Second World War, several million Jews died in ghettos founded by the Nazis. Today, this word has acquired a slightly different meaning. Now ghettos exist on the territory of most developed countries. And Russia is no exception.
The very concept of the ghetto arose for the first time in Venice. In the Middle Ages, this city was famous for its free morals, tolerance for various religions and wealth. In the XV-XVI centuries, crowds of Jews from Central Europe, Spain and Portugal arrived there in search of a better share. The Government of Venice could not like this situation. Dad demanded to expel the Jews from the city. But at the same time, Venice needed competent doctors, bankers and jewelers. And then a compromise was found. The Jews were settled on an abandoned island called Getto Nuovo, which translated as "new smelter." German Jews pronounced "ghettos" instead of the soft Italian "ghetto". Gradually, this pronunciation was entrenched in the island. And then this word was used to call several more isolated places in Venice where Jews settled. It is noteworthy that initially, in the very first Venetian ghettos, Jews lived a completely ordinary life. The settlers were not against living their way of life separately from the rest of the world. They even paid the guards to guard the gates locked for the night. In this way, Jews tried to protect themselves from pogroms and hooliganism. True, discrimination against Jews existed in those days. Thus, Jews were forbidden to own real estate. There were bans on the study of many professions. There was a death penalty for connecting a Jew with a Christian, but this word acquired a truly monstrous meaning during the Second World War. The Nazis created hundreds of ghettos throughout Europe and turned isolated places for holding Jews into death camps. During the war, the Germans liquidated most of the Jewish ghettos. A huge number of people died from exhaustion, unsanitary conditions, cold and disease. Those who survived were sent to concentration camps, or they were shot and burned in the ghettos themselves. Nowadays, the word ghettos often refers to socially disadvantaged areas of a city or country. It is there that the largest number of unemployed, criminals, the poor and drug addicts are concentrated. Often the main population of the ghetto are representatives of the same nationality. There are Latin American ghettos, African, Russian, Asian and others. In Russia, this term is often referred to as urban areas with an old housing stock, working suburbs. Mostly the poor, pensioners, unemployed live there. Successful and successful members of our society are once again trying not to fall into such areas.
