Why were people forced to take off their clothes by the Nazis before being killed

The Nazis did not make victims undress for no reason. These actions were calculated and represented a significant part of their general strategy in regard to mass murder. Nakedness before execution had several psychological, practical, and economic purposes: It was also meant to erase the victim's personal identity. Clothes carry a person's profession, social standing, culture, and personal identity. At that moment, when the victims were forced to undress in front of their killers, they were no longer perceived as human beings but as helpless bodies devoid of any controlling power. This kind of intense humiliation and fear shocked them; they were emotionally torn up and became less able or willing to resist or counterattack. Another reason was because of deception: to make people believe they were going to take a shower; this was particularly the case in many gas chambers. Asking them to remove their clothes helped make this lie feasible, with the sole purpose of not creating panic or making any resistance if it were to happen later on. There were practical considerations also. Handling naked bodies was easier for the guards, whether transporting them to mass graves or the cremation ovens. Removing clothes deprived victims of the possibility of hiding weapons such as knives with which they might have managed to escape or even attack the guards. Finally, by stripping the victims, the Nazis prepared them and stole everything that belonged to them. Clothing and jewelry were collected down to the very gold teeth, sorted out, and shipped back to be reused or sold. At every turn, extreme cruelty was combined with systematic and organized theft.