Prior to the Napoleanic Empire, Jews in the German states were not citizens. They were allowed to settle in towns only under strict limitaitons, and frequently confined to ghettos, known as Judengasse (Jewish alleys) in towns. Restrictions on Jews prevented them from entering most trades and Jews were not seen as citizens. The Napoleanic empire emancipated the Jews in every nation he conquered. With the collapse of the empire, the situation of Jews became precarious, but by the late 19th century, Jews in Germany (as well as most of Western Europe) enjoyed legal or near equality with other citizens, although there was significant resistance to this equality from antisemites. Many Jews served in the German army in World War I and they participated quite actively in the culture of the Weimar