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AUTHOR Petrianos, Paul TITLE Lesson Plan on the Poetry of the Holocaust. Fulbright-Hayes Summer Seminars Abroad Program, 2002 (Hungary and Poland). SPONS AGENCY Center for International Education (ED), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 2002-00-00 NOTE 77p. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) Reports Descriptive. (141) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Course Descriptions; *Curriculum Development; European History; Foreign Countries; High Schools; *Literature Appreciation; *Poetry; Social Studies; Summer Programs; World War II IDENTIFIERS *Auschwitz; Fulbright Hays Seminars Abroad Program; Gypsies; *Holocaust; Holocaust Literature; Hungary; Poland

ABSTRACT The poetry writing in the concentration camps during the Holocaust enabled some people to survive, not in the biological sense, but in the psychological sense because it helped preserve their self esteem. The goal of this curriculum project is to expose students to the Holocaust by reading about the tragedy through the poetry of the victims. The project presents 60 poems written by inmates of Auschwitz (Poland). The lesson plan consists of the following: summary of curriculum project; 60 Holocaust poems; short museum guide book of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps; Elie Wiesel student competition writing form; list of films and documentaries on the Holocaust; travel essay from "New York Times" travel section, "Auschwitz Pilgrimage"; Nuremberg laws; topics on the Holocaust; information on Yad Vashem; some Holocaust Web sites; and gypsies in the Holocaust. It is intended for use with students in grades 10-11. The lesson plan provides a description, goals, procedures, assignments, and assessment suggestions. (BT)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. FULBRIGHT -HAYS SUMMER SEMINAR 2002 IN POLAND AND HUNGARY

POLAND: "BUILDING PARTNERSHIP FOR EUROPE: POLAND AFTER A DECADE OF SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

HUNGARY: "STABLE PARTNER IN DEMOCRACY JUNE 19-AUGUST 2, 2002 LESSON PLAN ON THE POETRY OF THE HOLOCAUST CONTENTS:

60 HOLOCAUST POEMS SHORT MUSEUM GUIDE BOOK OF AUSCHWITZ- BIRKENAUCONCENTRATION CAMPS ELIE WIESEL STUDENT COMPETITION WRITING FORM LIST OF FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES ON THE HOLOCAUST TRAVEL ESSAY FROM N.Y. TIMES TRAVEL SECTION -"AUSCHWITZ PILGRIMAGE" THE NUREMBERG LAWS TOPICS ON THE HOLOCAUST INFORMATION ON YAD VASHEM SOME HOLOCAUST WEB SITES GYPSIES IN THE HOLOCAUST

N PAUL PETRIANOS 71- PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL 71". SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA Ocr)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement BESTCOPY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION AVAILABLE CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent 2 official OERI position or policy. Lesson Plan: The POETRY OF THE HOLOCAUST AND AND THEN SOME --MORE MINI-IDEAS/PROJECTS

SUMMARY OF CURRICULUM PROJECT Why Holocaust Poetry? Why Not Study the Holocaust through Poetry?

The goal of this vast curriculum project is to expose students to the Holocaust by reading about the tragedy through the poetry of the victims. The writting of poetry in the Camps enabled some people to survive---not in the biological sense, but psychological- - because it helped preserve their self-esteem. The Auschwitz poetry read again here expands not only our knowledge and awareness of history, but it makes us more sensitive and aware of this colossal tragedy and the millions of victims.

These poems may not have features of outstanding poetry, but each of them is undoubtedly of historical value; they are authentic documents, evidence of inhuman behavior in the time World War II. They are a specific kind of evidence of crime and the strongest although subjective message of the truth about Auschwitz. One can distinguish four points of view or different time frames in the contents: Auschwitz perceived by those who persihed there or lost their closest relatives; by those who survived the war and the hard Auschwitz days; by those who only visited Auschwitz as a museum; and a few poems are written by Nazi soldiers.

A unique approach to teaching the holocaust is to allow students to understand historical events and experiences better than the bare facts alone can do because they enable us to absorb them inwardly. In involving ourselves in the authentic literature of the holocaust, we come as close as we can to entering psychologically into those unique events as they were actually felt by those individuals who experiencedthem..Primary sources are one of the best ways to experience history. Literature mayhave a number of other functions to, but in letting the reader into a representative situation, experience, or historical period, it is supreme. As Aristotle pointed out, literature has more to tell us about truth than historial narrative has. Some 60 poems are present here and emanate from many writers, Jews and non-Jews alike, and in many languages.

Many Jews would say, "If you should live to tell the tale, tell the world world what they did to us." Even in the ghettos (in the camps it was impossible) the urge to write, to portray their incremental agony day after day, was overwhelmingly urgent for those who were able to wield a pen. 'Record, record,' urged EmanuelRingelblum fevereishly as he sat at his table in the Warsaw Ghetto, pen in hand, hungary and cold, knowing that is death is near. People often buried their writings so that it would be preserved. Also included: IIPurchased from a book store at Auschwitz is a copy here of one of the short, consise, and informative guides of the site for students or the teachers to read. You may want to make a class set of this guide to give to students to read so they can learn first hand about the camp and appreciatethe meaning of the poetry better.

IIISearching the internet I came upon the ElieWiesel student competition writing form as a classroom assignment. You may wantto use it for your class as an essay assignment or just to read or discuss thepowerful quotes.

IVI have searched some movie books tofind out and list most of the major motion pictures made about the Holocaust. Thelist is rich in films and, of course, some documentaries are also listed. Our generationof students are a 'visual generation' and I believe that showing them a powerful film ordocumentary would add to their appreciation of the Holocaust Poetry and this willmake the poetry more meaningful. f V Reading the Travel Section of the NewYork Times Sunday paper I found a current article on someonewriting about their experience at Auschwitz,entitled, "Auschwitz Pilgrimage" --I include a copybecause it is very insightful. The following week letters appeared (also included) responding tothis travel article in the N.Y.Times.

VI On the internet I found different sourcesof the Nuremberg Laws. These laws are the beginning of the end of the rightsof the Jews. It would be interesting for your students to examine the specific laws and seewhat they are all about and how vast and cruel the laws were. One internet assignmentthat you can give your students is to have them individually or in groups examinethe Apartheid Laws of South Africa, the Jim Crows in the U.S. and the Nuremberg Lawsof Nazi Germany and to discuss and see how racist regimes and institutions legalize segregation,racism and bigotry.

VII Also found on the internet was a copyof interesting topics on the Holocaust you may want toassign to your students as projects. When they seethe list they will realize the vastness of sub and related topics tothis vast subject.

VIIII have visited Israel four times and one ofthe sites to visit and experience is Yad Vashem, which is a memorial to the memoryof the victims of the Holocaust. You may want to tell yourstudents about this place and its meaning to Jews.This one page is a nice summary and explanation of the site.

VIIII I have discovered that there are so manyHolocaust sites on the internet and on the various search engines and have listed afew here.

IXI found this interesting summary on whathappened to Gypsies during the Nazi period and am including it for your information.

I have discovered that by just reading somebooks on Holocaust poetry and attempting to do a lesson plan on just that onesubject has led me to other topics and areas on the holocaust Itruly believe would be of great interest andvalue to you and your students. I hope that you can use whateverinformation here you find relevant, useful and educational in approaching such a powerfultopic.

4 Grade Level (S) 10, 11

Subjects: U.S.History, World History

Duration: This depends on how long the instructor deems it necessary to coverthe material contained in the unit or what parts he/she decides to use andhow it fits in to individual instructors curriculum. The state ofCalifornia now requires that a portion of time be given to the teaching of the holocaustin W.W. II.

Each instructor will decide and determine how you use the films and handouts compiled here for use in projects, presentations, and discussions.

Description: The teacher can use the poems to explain the Holocaust period as seen and experienced by the victims, Jews and nonJews at Auschwitz-Berkenau.

Goals: Students will demonstrate an understanding of what the victims of the Holocaust underwent by getting insights and the personal perspectives of the authors of the poetry. Students will understanding how effective and real primary sources are in depicting the agony and suffering of the victims.

Procedures: Put the students in groups and give each group a packet of 6-10 holocaust poems that you reproduced for the class. Each groupof students will read their own selected poems and decide which two they would like to read and explain to the class. The students can all put the few poems on transparencies to put them on the overhead projector to read and explain to theclass.

It would be effective if the instructor showed a good film/documentary before the poems are read and discussed. Each group will expose the whole class to a variety of poems, experiences and points of view about this event.

Assignments: You could have students in groups write a poem about some oppressed group in U.S. History from American Indians,Blacks, women, gays,

5 Mexicians, Asians, factory workers or any oppressed groupin U.S.History and tell of their plight and discrimination through poetryand then read the poem to the class.Students can even write a poem on the holocaust from any point of view.

Assessment: The teacher can grade the group of students for the quality oftheir poem. depth, understanding, compassion and group contribution.Grades can be given to the group or to individuals who contributed the most tothe composition.

Each individual teacher is encouraged to use any of the material contained herein forwhatever effective use that they deem appropriate and educational. Manyroads lead to Rome and whatever methods you use and routes you take its the journey and trip itself that are part of the reward.

6 Holocaustmemory Poetryof the pastis a lasting and the and hope solemn for the .tribute future. to the Behold,OpenO p eyourGod n your eyesof eAbraham, yas e yous and have seeGod what opened of mercy, I have mine, seen . . . SheWhereThose felt awhoto kind be stoodone of envyof naked her for people in their was truth: ELIE WIESEL ConsiderWhoTo be labors one whether of in those the this mudmillions is a man. killed. STEPHEN SPENDER Leopold Staff wrote (1927): PoetryMore than is necessary bread at times Who knowsdiesfights tit for noa yes peacea crust or a no.of bread PRIMO LEVI lintak en. antheindinuelpmeascullime Invitation to a literary eveningThese life wordsin the ghettoof an outstanding in FebruaryWhen poet, 1942, whichthere's were no need quoted for init atthe text of he a obiguDimaL Ago could MIS SIN UM EMI US First They Came for the Jews WhenTheOxenShould theBurning Regimewere be publicly forced of to burnedknowledge drag on commanded that books the Books cart loads of books all sides with harmful ThenandFirstandbecause I theydidthey I did not cameIcame notwas speak speak fornotfor the outathe outJew. Jews Communists Writer,ToBooksBurned, the bonfires, one had was of been the shockeda best, passed to over. banished scanning thefind list that his He rushed to his desk of thethose in power. Thenbecausebecauseand they I didI was cameI notwas not speak fornot a Communist. thea outtrade trade unionist. unionists BurnOnAlways wings mel ofhereported wrath,wrote books the truth? And here youand withare wrote flying a letter pen, toburn me. Haven't my Thentoand speak they there cameout was for forno me. oneme left Pastor Niemiiller BurnTreating me! me like a liar! I command you: (Translated by John Willet) Bertolt Brecht the"I'm man conscious reports of about my guilt." THE KZ-DOCTORallthe what ramp. he hasAbout done that in woman In weighing words Auschwitz. with AllegedlyFellHow,I amWar below told from Hasthat deploresthea moral thestandard Been best pointthe people methodsofGiven of the view, First.have by athe. begunwhichTheBad Second Wehrmacht sayingtheName WorldSS effected War notAboutTheyfor wishing drudgery. the had selection punchedto separate "I sent at holes into the pillars, all the three of themfrom her mother who into thehad gas. been too weakair the girl WhichAreThe saidextermination filled to regret their themines of bloodycertainThe and intellectuals factoriespeoples.manhunts Thewith Ruhrslave industrialists workers. hadThathadthey put made hadone, crystals turned themthat outis suffocate." him of they them into gas. The gas tins into them, and by adding had Thusmade heout speaks, of a doctor, like a man of science, in a cold voice. combined with the blood, PrevailsDissociateLikewiseSo I heard, in their themselvesevery condemn unfair quarter treatment. fromthe industry's that feeling this the wayEven Nazis demand of the wagingdid bishops for the slave Fatherlandwar; workersin short TwothoseBut thousands greatstill he guilty went at onesa to time court. who had turned othershad been guilty. robbed out, and undressedsuffocated. WayWhileA DiscreditedUndulylamentably in in which itself ininhibited forbad itnatural was some turn, conducted and'positivelyand timeand necessary, thatto come. on war, this inhuman has, occasion, thanks beento the MOWell-groomed,no animal, MI a well-educated, German creature. And .111 well-bred, still he reckons with MI MI lenience. INN MI MEM imme(Translated by John Willet) Bertolt Brecht THE HOSPITAL Never Shall I Forget LeaveForgetforgetlive likeUsus usour humans generation sensemadeNothing wasunpredictableeverything Neverwhichtheseven first shall has nighttimes I turnedforget incursed the thatmy camp lifenight, and seven times sealed. into one long night, plantswewe envied envied and stones dogs ofprocessionendlessan NeverbeneathwhoseNever shall shallbodies a Isilent forget I forget I sawblue that theturned sky. little facessmoke. of the children into wreaths of smoke II'd toldI'd rather ratherher bethen not a rat be towerepeople fedthe Neverwhichwhich shallconsumed deprived I forget my me thosethat faith for all for eternity ever. nocturnal silenceflames of the desire to live. ForgetsheandI'd rather saidwake us her sleepwhen eyes war shut is over skyearththeburnedothers whichNeverand turnedshallmurdered I forgetmy mydreams those God tomoments anddust. my soul C.C) leavedon't enquireus about our youth Tadeusz Rfzewicz riversthefilledand evenNeveras longif shall I am as IGod forget these things, condemned to live Himself. (Translated by Adam Czerniawski) sensemadenothingwaseverything Never. Elie Wiese! diseasescontagiousdreadedtheunpredictable SS 116 wardinfectioustheBlock 20 42. AndThere after were they about had ten dug thousand up the bodies dead in that grave. THE SURVIVAL SYNROME PlanksandThethey the Germanswerehad ground been told also broughtto bones burn brought wouldbones them.and abeams - grindingbe machine sieved to grind the long and heavy. unawareI am fifty-nine of my yearsfate old (from the cycle "Syndromes") tors TheyandThefor the thedust kept gold smell of on thefillings workingwas bones dreadful. of wouldteeth. three monthsthen be spread over the fields, towhereofremindallI have bethemy able timesurvivedmybones me onlyto nowin retrun the dream concentration into was the to shade preserve camp and myscent life ilosz Inandopening Helyingone opened had those onmass little his eightdigging graves;mother's white or nine. sawshoes body. a on boy of two or three, whenIontallunderof thought asleepless ashes, Ibranching would the toocanopyelms, bemoonlit often limefree and of treepoplarsnightspear and apple trees andcomingOne hisa little grave face all white was wouldthe pressedtime;jacket, remain against open for new corpseshis mother's. paralyzesthebuttowhoI would a smallest theslice would fear visit ofall oftentocrisprustle, my this being cousinstreatbread dayclatter, menever and in scream thearomatic leaves country me honey Jewishtoa truck nakedbe thrown men,would as Adam manyinto bring andthe of gravethemEve;children. bearded,- the bodies, still warm, and Jewish women and thatandevenmy wholeIever byhave my so lifesurvived?... oftenown I am shadow I ponderscaredhow did this happen Theaasand thousand andgravesfor they thethere had theydead bodieswere to had plant two opened grasspyres all of over would be put on a pyre; bodieswould beburning refilled all with the time.earth them; September 1996 THE HARPS OF BIRKENAU (a fragment) Charles Reznikoff Smokepeopletransporting,rushing[...) Wheels floats,to toward a cremator, transporting, thickspeed the foulvictory along people smoke... the peopleof totrackcrime, a petrol-sprayedto gas, pyre. b.ZOFIA 1902 GROCHOWALSKA-ABRAMOWICZ harpsThesestretchedAndPeople on of are burn luminousBirkenau. wiresthe people harps shine. poles ofhere. Brzezinka, b.EWA 1945 LIPSKA ALAN LUPACK My name is Albrecht DiirerA YOUNG GERMAN AT A POETRY READING AUSCHWITZ REPORTAZ (a prose poem) could feel NowI live13norIbut never male GottfriedinI'mon a human wrotenot smalltypes a Benn's painter. atown13proportions. book female Marburgghost on castletypes. sells in fortification sausagesAugustinergasse. here. railroada heaviness,acrammedand sleeping the tracks. dying like God.an I oppressivenesssouls could gasps AsTodaysatanically almost from I entered we heartrains went stolen the towhere screamsAuschwitz.lying from peoplegateheaven and Asand the becausewe lookedmoans approached at the it, barbed I in the air. We passed some had been wire of althoughItoI've belongdon'tused open been awant the can toFmto thepast. Auschwitz.to openera lawyer.Greens.amortize I'm history thirty-five years old. waySSthenbewilderment officer outthe anguishwas that through and work and the terrorwouldfearthe poisonof when notthoseonce make gasthey who electrified werethem had entered told'byfree, that before,the the sadistic only and and the zone of death, I could feel the and the ovens. clothing of justSmallIAboutSometimes sawdon't because communism redhandrailswant starsI'm I todream German. bein over the guiltyat about closeanmouldy abyss.forever scrapyards. quarters. sky. mangled,thecouldofdreams men. menclothing be Iwho turned thosesawarm of weren't thecracked whochildren into hair slept clothallowed Icut sawand on orfrom suchin abe to brokenthe usedendthe mattresses buildings headstheir to doll stuff days. of mustof mattresses. women Auschwitz with have the sohad.) dignity(Whatthat the I sawtorn,it filthy which, if it could feel, would have head torn off and Insane,TellI tamedgreyIn me,the coats incomprehensible, the treesdo doves youswung. instead think of peace.of mankind's leaves aren't theyinsane? the same? sufferednoofhates,those thosethenames. faces. theremillionsless names. thanI wereAndsaw whoUntilits thetheremoods owner. died wallthey were andthere. wherecameAnd families habits, I Thereto sawmen Auschwitz, there theand were pictures friends were namesmurdered, where lives andof with hundreds there withloves and each eachwere and of the (1990) Translated from the Polish by Barbara Plebanek and Tony Howard achamberssuffocatedofposts few civilization, wheremoments wherefor men crimes the and werethe filth theprisonerslike hung and cells stealing thelike wherethoughtstench buthunks food where men but offrom they meatwhere, wereone thecould in pigsman chaosthestarved escape of shamblesgave havingthe and forSShis life for another. I saw the 203 ashes.come14 Auschwitz again, water became gas and fire, and people became 209 (HEDWIG) HEDDA ZINNER, pseud. ELISABETH FRANK I saw Barbara weep at Auschwitz. She wept for the faces of MIRO: 1907-1994 whoworkedona familytodeserved. the sufferwere wall and never notwhatand Andwho allowedseen, so menshehad weptsufferedmust to fordie the young would never see. She weptfaces she could not find among because they were made to the thingswith the that dignity each men their must, endurance who did not have a chance for the old who had the picturessuffer what but b. 1922 You'llYou won't never anymore be a Hitler-boy lose your mother YOU WON'T wheremannowooden man could Auschwitz ever barracks at should, the could andJust wooden exist. across the road from hands of another. And she weptwhat it was once inconceivable bunkBirkenau beds have (Auschwitz none of theII), lyingwhose wouldfor a haveworld that any OnLa)ME YouYou won'tmaydon't cannotwon't play, knowonly report know laughgo either marching,your how and what parents,happy be is merrymarching, 'blood' you my are! son, or marchingwhat is 'race' : Isaidfacade sawourwere truthfully, aeyes. of burningfarm Auschwitz It with was "Abandonweeds. peopleas I, whoseAs we all drove away from if we wereBillows escaping of smokeacross filled the bus workingAuschwitz, in the field.the farmers of thegate, if it hadhope..." a motto, right across the road, the fiery river and burned region HeAnWIReFli YouYou won'twilldon't cannot honourbe knowcare taught know about eitherand what how love'clan' what ishappy your good,or is 'family afatheryou genealogical what are! tree' and motheris bad, little man, 'passport' : surrounding hell. HePe.FitLa YouNo whispering won'tdon't knowcrygrievebe petrifieddesperately will either over be yourwhatheard:with in Dadfearis your 'He Auschwitz by isbed, thein my the KZ!'Gestapo boy, EvInWIAsNc YouYouTaking cannotwill will beaway regain knowa human shame howthe being! respect andhappy dishonour You ofyou the will are! world, fromsucceed or what is Buchenwald : Germany. in HeTbThSoHe MyYetIt is boy,allcompletely that, you my cannot boy,up to knowis you not thathowas easy. Germany happy you will exist Translated from the German by Gabriella Deppert are! again : InHeWiOr 317 210 14' MY TIME TO REMEMBER AN AUSCHWITZ CHILDHOOD In commemoration of the WarsawCamps and and Lodz of the brutal experimentsExtermination performed Center by Dr. Joseph Mengeuprising le and the horrorsat of Auschwitz Hitler's Death Concentration Camp and Ghetto CouldYouKnowing were mean silenta thatwise the cryingbecauseend child is not allowed every sounds Ihow fought the withNazis all came of myThey andThis beatrobbed is my timeme of to my remember family they and robbed courage and I have fought with strife. me and tookThe Auschwitzmy things Angeland yet. of Death. my time never to forget, me of my life, WhileYouAndOf knewkickednobodyyour she livingstaggeredto your wasgive nonexistence. motherweaker and shiveredinthan the way to the stronger you shins notthrough crawl.beat. this horrid dream.I livedThey withinmadenever megavethe cry Ghettos me they drink madeWall, or eat,I could all they me scream, they made me live not move I could did was slap and GivingOnThatYouStaying mornings wereyou you mustina anotherwise the roll stand rows childcalls rotten at of knowingin attention living wintertime ghosts. for hoursin the cold wailwasafter theira sound.day. pride. TheI tried INazis could to pushed runnot butwalk the could nor Jews could not around, hide, I lay, the the they lovedNazisNazis to heatkicked laughed us me thatday CrowdedPeopleCoveredChildlikeFear waslike each the mightierlobstersreactions, smellyother before thattightly barracsbut all when other the beingpotato. boiled night theyofand theirmade then bitches. methey work bowed, soThey veryThey hardput madeloved a they number usto workhear on a andmy Jew dig cryarm loud, they they branded shaved me our like ourheads a cow,ditches, to them I was one said move schneller now. Mom,Mom,AskingFor awhat moment what like does doesa child: youit it have meanmean a humanchickenan apple being... regained your voice Iblink. haveI did childrennot want this to live ThisstoryI couldwasnoI iswatchedI will myso not weak timetell. eat the toInor wasway remember could so they frail, I drink,killed and I I more they took whatever was in wasmy so mother skinny and as aall rail. my family, knewremember my mind it well,was on if everthe me. Knedall Park, June 2nd, 1992 Translated from the Polish by June Friedman 17 259 283 JustAThe 1942fourfew German miles 011992 aheadto go Frontierand the frontierweather at Basel: ahead,ideal. WithoutDaysJoy dimmed flow yesterday without again tomorrow WITHOUT TOMORROW AOfPeacefullyTrees coolingsoft new-mown onhanging the breeze at turnmid-day fieldshaze sweepsyet over liethe golden open theairwooded grassywarm andstretches landscape,benign. andslopes. dry. DaysLoveIGray,Darkness amsee flow coldthedisappearedcolorless withoutworld allalthough around through tomorrow me wiresalthough and the bars even when flowerssummer are is hereblossoming sun is shining DisasterEarlyWereSuch autumn: as incould this.perfect Tabernacles,notHis order. strikepapers, Hison after aHarvest directions day all, Festival. WantingAtrocityHeartTortureWithout is spreadsto growspoisonedyesterday reach beyond fame humanthe crest murder raging measure HeAOrStowedClear, really dependents.told his away,himself.modest plan sufficientfoolproof. JustsizedYou're himself suitcase. onecash. Some ofwith No theStop food aparcels lucky small, worrying, ones. FeelingIWithoutDays surviveWillWanting flow diminished nothing,yesterday like without to thebe adoredwantinglowest tomorrow andanimal nothing, to attain believing the in hetman's baton nothing AtShortTheOnly the deliberate theof border breath. tell-tale at effort Muchlast, burn tohe thirst. inrelax did, the heLittletensestomach, didn't muscles.energy. ToLetOh,OutsideI theamthemI watch give executionersnumb speakmyself... me indifferently without the to meright Not and a caring...thoughtwords thewhen innocent Without strength to others my brethren are destroyed TheAnticipatePreparedExpect sweat, the for difficulties.the the arrangements:stench, arrest. the HeHe was, gas,did, the thehe jam-packed wasn'tdidn'thorror. trains, UrgentIsAren'tHelplessMy Oh,there head createthere wordsanybody andis onanywords silent fire wordswilling asfor I me amin to thetorn standingfind world? from them? God!at the violent like a thunder madhouse door JustTheTodayYetAn harvestfour invisible fearas milesthen, grips is in, line,onlyto his thego gut,anreversing andfields unguarded and the as anguishfrontier peaceful.the directions,signpost. andahead: anger: HoliestIt'sLettingAllowingOh,Mighty beyond feelingsGod, the thoselike sufferingunderstandinghave degradedthe crimes You sea go not for on created for whichforever the therewordsmind is andthat no name powerful?heart TheThe black-clad crowdedsweat, the figures, cattle-trucks, stench, the the brutal gas, the voices,reekingthe horror. odour, Hilda Schiff 19 9 Auschwitz PeopleAnd we, without whose tomorrow,life is over without yesterday 129 RiddlefromFrom DachauBelsen a a crate mountain of gold teeth, of shoes, WeresomeSome theyjust smelled heardGermans?human? the Who news.smoke, Were killed they the Nazis? Jews? WhofromNot Auschwitzkilled I, cries the the Jews? a typist,engineer, skin lampshade, ButtheThe moonsunwhostars will killed willwill remember rememberremember the Jews? the the the shoes, gold, skin. aMyNot petty friendI, cries official Fritz AdolfAlbert Nova Speer. had to choose. Eichmann, lost his father William He-yen DavidWhoMyHyman friend killed Nova AbrahmsLou the swallowed AbrahmsJews? was gas, beaten and starved. lost his brother. andSomeand some mensome stood signed droppedherded guard, their them the papers, in, pellets, ECONOMICAL MEASURES TheHeflingsAleaves oldGermanWas man themhis Lucky house,soldier in the carries mud. snatches his books books. andand someand some some spread hosedplanted poured the the theashes, thewalls, wheat, steel, ofSince theyandgas there theycarted wantedwas off a half-gassed shortage to save bullets, victims, ThetheThe old soldier old man man pickskickshits falls, him themhim in and up,the walksface. away. andand some some cleared raised the the rails, cattle. thenandshovedsomeatonto dumped thethey them someofsight pouredthe and others intonew lit gasolinethe itinto ovens a Sonderkommandos pit; liesThetheUnder inold books. mud man him and he blood. feels 174 jumped in. Translated from the German by the author (Translated by Magnus J. Ksynski Anna SwirszczynskaRobert A. Maguire) & TheAnd agonytherein and lies the the horroragony, HolocaustInITo do whatmy not mother strangeknow 1944 far off earth AndTheButThat only futilityendtheafter beginningoffutility all nothingof there dying wasof nothing. no martyrdom NorTheyTheBlow Abovewhat buried dry, through harsh hardyour you; stubblenortherngrave.the stubble, winds ELIZABETH WYSE YourI weep blood. red tears of blood. Anne Ranasinghe ThatAnd UnderAsSnow-heavydidfrost-blue you you the walked think leadenDecember and of mebitter,sky, naked and shivering morning, FROM AUSCHWITZ In AndTheWhenthatDid endthelast you beginningofmoment thinkknewnothing ofit ofwasme? nothing, the end, TheyWaitFaintStrange,What'Stand forbutdon'tbig lingeringround thestillheavy notice water. here... the doors! yourodour, shower Don't strong degradation. think point.' disinfectant. about the head from all the rest! crowd. InYourOh Yourthe I rememberpale ancient eyes hands bright blessing you spread and my shining dearest, TheyDon'tNo,Why?...My can'tGod!...the cry, Itwater see can'tjust They're your willbebe! patient,shaved comelocking in a minute. those bloody great doors! BlessedIntoningAbove the bethe candles the blessing Lord.... NoAllHe'sThere'sIt will sound.eyes lifting be a watching, allnoise that over grate. very wondering. soon. up there. WhatPulling,TheGas!Sulphur!!? are screams,Gas! those scrambling. Gas! pellets?...the Panic! clutching, Dry disinfectant. 142 FamiliesTimelessTheGas,Flesh total screams, on forgotten.minutesterror flesh ofdeath... climbingrealisation. Self silence.preservation. and scrambling. clutching and tearing. b.EDWARD 1934 BOND Wasted life what a shame WASTED LIFE IF ThatIThat am I havesorry,insteadthe days lost so of sorryflowall laughter hope without so long any ago meaning I know only tears ToThereIf MarshallAuschwitz administer would transports had havebeen beenin Hampshire Englishmenrecords to guard it IHow am young!notto agreethink even aboutwithtwenty human dying years meanness? old Young, YOUNG! when the world is calling! AndWorkWeIt'sThe keep not thesmoke that gassilent wouldovens even our subjective all men are have drifted over evil or creatures self :are products these green hills of instinct of history Auschwitz, 1944 Wasted life, what a shame... Translated from the Polish by June Friedman OfOurIn politicalThatWe history Wewill change is: remain and changewetwo thingswhatcreate human we a things join must create its ownonly by changingbeyondneware culture asour a means will of controlling humanity these things A REBIRTH OF MAN EachAndWeItOur generationOrdoes the mustculture cease smoke not create allowto makes be a us humanwill drift over new cultureus barbariansto live humanely these green hills I wasandFreedomManFrom liberated,unintentionally became the and camps man!life!I was I'mtoWithout dressedraising the shouting camps. wishingmyin an inhand Hundreds SSGerman to I'm crying likeof a dog boast!uniform. railroad loading Heil! andI'mnothingthe consignmentsservingI'm dreaminghas soupchanged in the till camp, now! I'm shouting at likeabout in Birkenau, burning people in the crematory. I'm reading Mein Kampf the children, platforms, 42 Translated from the Polish by Adam A. Zych 47 b.STEWART 1952 J. FLORSHEIM b.MONIKA 1920 DOMBKE, maiden name ZATKA REAL CHOCOLATE A LETTER TO MOTHER (a fragment) They lured me out of the barracks prisonersThe by practice soldiers of was gang a commonrape of femaleAnonymous inmate at Auschwitz occurrence in the camps... causeSoWon't[...] don't Electrictruthlet believe you is different;Momwires, those high censored but and don't double letter cry, Mom.of mine you won't see your daughter Ievenandbutwith knew thewordscalled promisesbefore asother well, likeme they women soldier'sof"Schatzchen," chocolateheard knew, whorethe noises outside. ItLookDon'tAnd will if forask beyou thethere.anyone, would ashes But don'tlikein don't the to knock fields seekcry anywhere:outof Auschwitz your child's trace enough of bitterness here. andTheyFunny,ofbut causing hungerlaughed:tasted threw how mud. youhas thethere"Da, toa chocolate"Dreh wayfril3 forgetcan of ".bedich whoIchanging hope longedon rum, youthe in for Judenschwein."groundare.desperation. you, it, Mom,InThey'llLookAnd the if forfieldslook yoube the there forwould of ashes theAuschwitz, likeashes in the to fieldsdiscover in the of woods Birkenauyour child'sof Birkenau, trace so look for the ashes I'll be there! I sawthatTheyIitand hikedseemed bigtheI werethanked upblackground to myso give boots, lightprisoner'sGod was way andbecause sopairs tomuddy, opened garbmy and Ibody. knewandpairs, so spreadeasily my legs. Birkenau,Monika 1943 Translated from the Polish by Jaroslaw Brzezinski fuckingwasIat wouldn'twonder Thislast, a desire bodythere a nowbald resist. foris if womannono death,their longerreason desire who mine, to was fight.for this meonly hunger; skin and bones, 110- whosethisandfor dinner, time,maybe, only asalvation a pieceif slice the ofofsoldiers would realstale chocolate. bread,wantedbe a cup her of again,watery soup 95 MICHAEL ETKIND b.MAGDA 1926 HERZBERGER AUSCHWITZ "MUSEUM" (from the cycle "The Concentration Camps. MEMORIALAuschwitz") behindnowyoungthatDead oncelies hair women's transparent adorned heads glass. SoOfInDeath theGermany.many concentrationwas times lurking constantly camps falseOldandthat spectacles,broughtshoesshod teeth, their them feet here. TheOfToForI could allmeet thesick,young, the havegas the theinfants, chambersthe horriblebeendisabled, old, theselected fatechildren, some artificialcrutches, limbs. and OfToWhose"WhiteInWho thethe were mysterioushuge furnacesHouse"naked executed crematoriums, bodies of Auschwitz, were thrown BelchedOfTheDayOnWhose thethe greatand ovensfieldsashes fromnight flames wereandthe chimneys.the used gardens. ISickening,WithThe mournMembersOf air burningthe was you, strange, sweetish offilled innocentflesh. my family, odor victims, rt WhoMyBy fellow thewere Nazis. prisoners,silenced forever 141 VILLIAM HEYEN theThe sun stars will will remember remember the the shoes, gold, RIDDLE Butthe moonwho killed will remember the Jews? the skin. NotWhofromFrom I, AuschwitzDachaukilled Belsencries the a cratemountaintypist,Jews? a skin of gold of lampshade, shoes,teeth, From whatever countrylook you at come, the ruins of the camp. STRANGER! aMyNot petty friendI, cries official Fritz AdolfAlbertthe engineer,Nova Eichmann, Speer, lost his had to choose. father as was not in vain our death... theForThink, ashesyou and andof Auschwitzyour do all children, youso are canyour pilgrimage be not in vain, WhoMySomeHymanDavid friend killed menNova AbrahmsLou the signed swallowedAbrahmsJews? was their beatenlost papers,gas, his and starved. brother. Act so that the terribleneitherwillwhose fruit never tomorrow, traces grow you nora saw new ever! here, seed ofa warning. hatred, andand some some stoodherded hosedspreaddropped guard, them the the the walls, ashes,in, pellets, Unknown translator andSomeand some some smelled clearedpouredplanted raised the thethe thethe smoke, steel,rails, wheat,cattle. 152 Weresome justthey heard human?Germans? the Whonews. Were killed they the Nazis? Jews? 153 DANIEL SCOTT wereOn skeletonthat day livedin the place OF AUSCHWITZ There,overanasfertilizedand weowl cruelty andin shared calledthe over:a jungle.heart tea of the afternoon AndHavingOnlyNow it isIbecause must stillits mark. theretell I haveyou of been Auschwitz there IAlwayscompanion.saidASignalling sighed change my aPolish hopeof a change.weather AsFlowersIsTheA stillsimple do darkCamp, grassincomprehensible. grow diseasetelling: thatand there placetrees: theof now,it madness is beyond wild ones PlatformBareness,ToAnd Brzezinka, we went and to its skeletal toAuschwitz terminal the other buildings. II camp and its IMy shouldandinWe heartthe satthe hotbe ontellsants barren. Maythe mecame roadside sun WeDaisies,WithTheIt was pickedplatform flowers, too buttercups: hugesome waswild and overgrownflowers, horrible thecarrycrackscrawlingWeashes dust dust,stood in andof upthe generation: ondust.out pavement the of steps WeFurtherAndTo histake sat my home together away. home withso much us aandtobyinof small Block thethe on Yard dungeons doorway thealabaster 11 grayof Death cement shell beforein barkingandtoofdeep thestone to the silence wind,a farmdogandmonument listened 252 bird'swillinlay the shattered: eggnot silence die the memory aandcalling girl towe ride a watched coockoo bird 253 TAMAR RADZYNER DAVID RAY overThere a wascup a lady cried THAT TIME KITTY RETURNSwhotellingA TO woman AUSCHWITZstrolls her returnsson beside to her Auschwitz treasure.ashe childhood broke WhatI said. a pity.pity rowintoherded"Thisof uponholes a istruckis all rowwhere inwere myiron upon friends theIplanks. shot rowSS " Atinsomeyoua theyoung Auschwitz! musttownhall documents official have had said: tillAndgoldThisto a my shenecklace isoff sister stoopswhere the bodiesandI buriedsaid digs farewell " weAnother were ladyhungry sighed: too, OhI said. my God.God, "Perhapsidentifieswhichintotheturns shot the up. he, bodies ditch"Andit being is your "thisfell aShe doctor, grandfather," is clawswhere a man's elbow. toonly wear one to single the theatre... dress AhTheI said.yes, war. the war, sheWeherholdstoweeps, tellsthe sister's,look molecules puddlehim adding over andher whichher hermother's.briefly of shoulder tearsbodies, already Translated from the German by Gitta IaboutWhen find nothingthatpeople time askto say. me Holroyd-Reece tomountainspyramidsalbum,at the coldcaptured visit of ofmen thehair, coats photographwarehouses,of Stalingrad.passed on 240 16 Auschwitz threatenedHere, stripped with in guns, the snow, 24 JAN1910-1988 PIATEK MARIAN1905-1989 PIECHAL AUSCHWITZ (a fragment of the poem AUSCHWITZ Auschwitz,Auschwitz,AndIts sound a shudder abring horrible,a place to graying world's where horrendous hair conscience father word staringwithand(...) Theysmoke, millions at herepassers-by. a productof eyes of fire "Wind from the Vistula") already ashes today ToAuschwitz,ADoes WhichForbrother another nota slice couldrecognize could humana of place notbread put being bewherea out son explained eyes ora personson ain of a brother wordsfather could become something arewithanVistula,TwoCenturies Auschwitz's rinsing Bible'srivers are outwith crossing:Jordan.after Sothe a centuriesla thirdblood river from their this waters land WhereWithoutAuschwitzOfWhoeverAuschwitzIn any a barrow millionslanguage crosses ishas is aof giantathepeople or ashesofplace graves couragethe cemetery inlayworld which to visit saltymildew tears from from the pupils rainbow (...). on the flags Translated from the Polish by June Friedman BeforeLet him this with majestic humility place bend of his death head and Translated from the Polish by June Friedman and kneel downsilence andwhichA tear tricky dropshone sparrows fell like from a dew flew eyelids to her RESCUED FROM AUSCHWITZ butneitherthatThatand apeckedgrain grainworthless from kernel was at diamonds her fordrop with againthem a nor sorrowandtoo from hardagain. spark cadium 228 of salty tear block, as heavy as the globe. Translated from the Polish by June Friedman 229 ALFRED VAN LOEN "Devilish Tortures Invented by Humans" AUSCHWITZ # 5 AUSCHWITZ # 1 AndA ReadySeparatedman children, torn to die. fromfrom his homewife WithinWithCoveringFell mercifulgradual on the barracks whitetrees, rhythm cold. blanket,surrounding and snowflakes roads, TheyForWhoFistsBut making guarded inventednot in thebefore a faceAuschwitz.fist a torture:a ofstruggle devils WithoutChristmasChristmas.WintertimeDeath and musicfood peace:without and and:without soon candles expected warm clothes. TheyOfAndHadThe his onetomade forcedcut handmake whohis an intohis fingertips, ahadincision fist fingerswhich daredforever. in to the grow. palm WithoutToThroughDraggedAt thisgive time birth help,herselfthe acold towithoutyoung herinto snow first womanthe love. fieldchild WouldAndWithImmediatelyWouldA mouthsomeone havea loudspeakerbe that robbedto who sitspoke all didof dayblastingits not tongue, obey AndThisAlongThe cryingwatchedtheythrewmiracle came took itinfant threehappening inwith the the came drunkenbabyamusement oven intobefore Nazis life. their eyes, WouldToSomeoneUntilInto steal both behe tiedawent hiswhoslice toears deaftried ofa tree bread and crazy. AfterAroundThisA Frozesacrifice happened nearly Christmastime,to death:to two their while thousand Fiihrer. the young years mother AndHurriedUntil foodthe the cold puthis heat ofstarvation.before theof the night him sun 204 Of Christianity. 205 OSHE1931 LIBA Thethelikedraws little music a cable metown leads like in myaflames. magnet car, THE FIDDLER FROM AUSCHWITZ candlestheThetolike Yad Eternal theRemembrance Va'Shem. chain Light of a winchTent thereevenEvery whenwas morning no nightmare perchance To Jack-YaacovSurvivor Strumsa from Salonika teeth,thetheHere photos,Hall furnacescrematoriagolden are of theNameseyes, dentures, gas chambers, human hair. inwhen Everyterrora cold I wasdid single ofsweat, the notnot morning.SS. ariseawakened in fright pushingOnlyontoNakedand hidethe Jews the bodies.brink womentheir stench,in striped,ofshame tryingthe the common shapelesssmoke in vain andgrave. clothes the music Iwhere askdress,whereandstart myself drive shallthe drink to? car offI gotea, today? The"Links,theWhatare missing.cadence whip, means left, the left...!" ofthe shots, steps noise, uptheThe theroadavenue,sites engine hill, leadsrush purrsthe by up, traffic lights andlistswalls,Andon"Labour the thereofall dogs, archnames aroundmakes is aboveanda handand free" barbed numbersthe gate. wire; Yad, hands. thetheYadEvery openThe Holocaust Va'Shem morningsame gate. hum Memorial. forIwhereIn wasplayed the the selectedparade, from,orchestra the fiddlewhere who there,comes,to? who goes 98 thethe same samemarch voicesnotes music totheleading the Jews gas each driven chambers day, in music, 199 to the placeedge offrom the whereabyss ThisI am is notmy aplace, "living here statue": I belong. toisno noNoonly theone reason longerincinerators. removed,returns, for any nofear aneed onecorpse tocomes run back andHandThisIOf live.am this body: Yada and part. monument Va'Shem Name intomorrowhere,Andbut anfront this so,orchestratoday, oftuneI will the yesterday, still arrive musicans'leading turns round photo: in my head. mine. Yes,theverymyin endless theI'm hair little Valley a isgrandfather fileremainswhite; ofof thethose of Shadow now me who walk of Death. Andfromthereabut little my yet Auschwitz.on bit, features itthe happensthe photo fiddler, still resemble me, belongsanfromAsstarethat apparitionif a at hebeyondvisitor thetosaw the wall, oneto thethat, other Yad divideand for Va'Shemworld; be him, stunned. will look at me, daymornIthethat, will worldby for bycome day, me,morn, that here is was. 200 whichandtowith the to that imagesonlythe music stench I can on haunting perceive.thein my wall nostrils me, 201 (from the cycle "The Concentration Camps. NIGHTMARE! AIn strangermy chest... is boring a hole DwellOfBehind false the thick illusion phantoms clouds Auschwitz") ThatWithAnLeavingToReachingIn my tearempty myhorror, breast... it in hands apart...forspace... its I my realizeplace and heart feet are tied AmidstFlowLettingOverSpreadingOf delusion, the theira distortedweird chaos tears creation and ofworld confusionmadness below, FreshAndMyButI try vocal nosqueezedallto blood sound shoutmy cords movements is forleaves bystaining are helpterror... caught my are throat, denied... DrowningUponDropsItOf is wild raining myof fancy sadness sickmy in joy... andmy fall imagination...heart.suffering soul AndWipingThen,OfTheOr my purethereof Isheet... seetheeverything color is placea no white trace clean,hand of me DullWhileForDiscardedI crumble sanity and my gray... toy...spiritI praylike turnsan old slowly AmOrCouldWhere I amisdreaming? it thisI oncea awake? fake? be I havereal? been... (from the cycle "The Concentration Camps. I am lying in my bed, Auschwitz")DELUSION (from the cycle "The Concentration Camps. Oh, my soul, CRY FOR HELP Auschwitz") 146 ISomebodyFeeling openfeel a my sharpa dullness eyes...cries. pain in my head... EasyBringInUpon my my consolation,youunhappy torments I call moments. 147 (from the cycle "The Waltz of the Shadows.We were hauledON THE WAY TO THE GRAVE III. Persecution") AndWithTheWereOnlyLamenting heavyshouting, theirastill few pounding fists,doorno "Openmore up! DoomedWeOurThen,AndInto werefreedomtheplaced the somber and leftdors behind forsakenwasin were thefreight taken bars darknesslocked cars OurNoWhy one desperate are could we here?" hearoutcry... WeTheThen weretrain suddenly instopped Germany, ToReady our place to be of shipped execution... AsGrewOfThe the the slowlocomotive faster steam puffing and engine faster, ToWaitingHumiliated,OfFacingOf Auschwitz...be guilt pronouced the for barbed theheartbroken, judgment wire fence AsOurIntoPulled the last thetrain us unknownspark furtherrolled of on hopeand and further was on, gone...SomeOthers of ustried cried to rebel, On the innocent... ThatWeWasToEach were possessedwedeath of could sous near feelby fear, But gradually CloudingChiCreptSorrowIn vain ling into andour our our bodies,pain minds, hearts, WeAndIntoIts stepped!were withbreath. the robbed, horror,German trapped, concentration camps OfToMost destiny...the of strong us succumbed power OnHourSitting, the after cold,silently, hour wooden floor 151 YourMetAnd wailing deafyour earsterrible cries contortions "Water,HaveWeOur aresores pitywater, dying onwe please, us!wantof to appease, thirst! ToIAnd wasToGod bearOf blind reminddestined choseyour my eyes. misery.agony. methe to to worldlive, return, OurButTheMet ourbitter SSonly voices guard outcry cruelty hit Our tortures must reached the hard stones, cease!" InErecting your memory tombstones ForTheAndRubber WeCrackedhis harshstarted thickwere stick blows theandbleeding, beating briskly skin on us our heavy savagely backs HOLOCAUST Revealing the bare human He"GetFrom"I shouted. don't out this of care my water ifway!" you live or dieflesh (from the cycle "The InClad the in midst rags Auschwitz") Concentration Camps. OnHe placedthe gas his pedal foot YouSoBlows willdon't Ihave canprovoke giveno you me!"share! plenty, InOf ACarryingAnIAuschwitz, theaddressed, tank SS German guardof infresh hisin my truck waterconcentration camps despair, WithLeavingAndForOurSome speeded painful, waterparched ofeveryone us wereupugly lips his scars were raging, vehicle, craving EachAnd"AINew dropam nothing day dyingwounds of on water, more!myof burst,thirst tongue I implore ThoseAndFromInOfDripping order whothethe the fewtoshaking triedexhaust catchfrom drops to thethe tankpipes small follow his truckmoisture opening 142 WhoMyWere fellow shared crying prisoners my out mistery loudly " WereTheBy the savagelydriver rolling was massacred tires madly running over 143 b.JULIUS 1917 BALBIN beWouldthefor the yourtombstone urnthese vanished modest ashes verses ZUZI 1980 memorizingfor ever you. woundedofsincehaveForty-four your alreadythe big glowmy years eyes heart.gone by DWELLINGS OF DOOM Translated from the Esperanto by the author whichofbehindsinceIZuzi, have the I women's fornever noticedthe days barbed forgotten youcamp wire in you Plaszow, werechildren,richJews, and drivenChristians, poor, young and old, onYouHungarianwithwas your sowerenewly teeming way atJews. arrived that time openedwhichtoandfrom the transportedall the dwellingsonly theits streets, gatehiding two andofhomes places doom a half ofat years Auschwitz,Europe ago Youofandin tothethat.Auschwitz had yoursmiled mass-murder no doom premonitionat me camp inwerethreeUntilto thisreceive murderedtheand inferno. summer athe half first million of human 1944 people cargo. inZuzihavingfrom Oh,all Riegelhaupt.behind yourmy introduced graceful unsuspecting the barbed yourselfbeauty, wire,innocence: wereofNowintheir Hungarian the hundredsamassed turn fires to ofJews waitingbeof the gassedthousands crematoria. and burned andI16 have never never will. forgotten you, 2 Auschwitz moreinHowever, twenty-four than nine these thousand hours. could not bodies incinerate 17 were being roasted there wasThenewinorderingHe notCommandantthe solved fully naive.fields digging blooming,this problem, behind punctuated by wild flowers Rudolf HOss the crematoria, forwereStillof thefor a thousand a feasttothe half be most millionmurded, Satans. part asphyxiated bypeople gas, intoThousandscavesforwasBut these wasting vastthetoo coke cavesvaluableas of itbodies necessary onand as were ravines. Jewish cadavers. fuelburned. for incineration thrown wouldbeforeandHerethese burned liberatethe manifolddwellings invading in this visions of way, doom late and in vain Russians of Hell of the innocent. Theconsuminghistogetherthat SoonNazis fat if acould it fatsoonwith was both.body better foundauncovered thin was serve one as children burning fuel Herewereweretheof Evil eclipsedthenine realized quintensential circles on of the for ever. earth. 13 Dantean epitome yetmadethatThewith more a awoman meltingcavestwo combination efficient. thousand were withfat flowedfilled bodies each time. into containers thatNaziAuschwitzwhoto attributeddecide Germany shall live to and itself who the creation monumentalized the rightshall die. pouredforBubbleslickingofshackledwhich reuse tiny over seemed redthem. rapidly by theand thousands flaming blue formed according to a witness flames bodies, Translated from the Esperanto by Claire Lieberman andTheexplodedwhile makingandelicitedburst frying thespitting on theirviolentcauterizingstronger fleshtheir bellies. skin, hissing and heat stronger 18 theItgaveThe intenseseemed blue off incandescent andheat. that red the flames bodies hues. 19 Ibutunderstand like as to long forget theas life aboutincomprehensible pulsates death in me living with a strong rhythm inimaginingwarmingI listen unknown myself her Sosnowiec home with ber body's warmth September 12, 1982 at least in writing Translated from the Polish by June Friedman andfromaboutwethey from themutually the dragged Warsaw thefantastic gas supportedme chamberghetto delicaciesto Birkenau each inthough Majdanek I was younger, I'd been longer in the camp other wetheawfultodayain noisy the cancommand therechillbarrack crowdreturn uncommonwas toof aouractive dense bunks chance prisoners fog in Auschwitz nobody works today the happy past bylonga name chance not mentioned scopped out FRUMA callingturmoilaallput kapowe of to weresudden sleep atoutgrows the lostnumbers hunger door tension in Frume's and daydream tale about transparentemaciatedfromcurled the upgapworld palenear of ofmemories facedme ashes under a blanket orsilencewewithmaybe somebody don't so they many pay is are attentionbeingwomen taking punished on somebody the block to work absorbedspeakingtwoonabout a weeksbunk delicaciesher in in after homelovely block typhoid about whichscenes mother she once selection' at nearsilentlystoppingfuriousafter thethe repeated door nextat half shenumber sentencecalls took is calledjumps of the bunk off her clothes atselecitons the tongue. but thereA white was tongue no need was to At the time when in the fall of 1943 was aa typhoidverdicttake off forepidemic clothes gas. On tillthere the naked. were They described selection used to look often chasedcoveringunderto the in gasthe herselfthe blanket group with of achosen gray rough blanket nobody34womenthe number was during taken of ana to blocade individual the gas in chamberauthor's as note. the camp and draggedprisoners. them After undressed two weeks they called usual, but they marked something near to their death numbers of aboutsoundsstill warm mother, of touchingfrom about her voicebody mother's about cooking home 35 beforeandquietshedense wasso the humansmoke much 16eyes years kindnesswasfrom behind oldleft a huge andtheof her chimney in me in this hell on earth had a delicate palebarrack face tillcanandwholeIsobs outlasted the Ideath tearingfinally myend? life here weepmy everythingchest it out till it bursts July 5, 1994 forever Translated from the Polish by June Friedman Iber 10, 1994 Translated from the Polish by June Friedman THERE IS MY SOUL aboutorI wanted simply the toblockto write tell in Birkenau I WANTED onlyaudible,silencecrematorium'sbetweenthere to among fullme visiblethe of barracksthe murmursruins but ghosts todayaboutlikeIwanted camegripped emptymythen toupper withtight getclean upbunkallwith therethe my others hands inDeadfutileorbetwenfaces thewhiteness figures moans,andclouds present gone ofoverprayers suspendedsnowgreenery Auschwitz forever buthittingnobodythelegsnobody the topic did burdenwasrushed cursednot crushed forbidding carry wasme or shouting impossiblewordsbit myme fingersnow crowdscrushedoverspeckin onevery therethe of of mixedpebble,dustground, soulamong in speck inspace ashes the of earthand sand bones 36 wringingcrossed-outsuppressedonly tears tears voice theburning on present my under cheeks the eyelids whenit'salsolost not formine how importanteternity or where where I will I livedie 37 VANb. 1932 K. BROCK 1897WLADYSLAW - 1962 BRONIEWSKI THE FAUCETS A WORD (aABOUT fragment STALIN of the poem) housea. kitchendripping and faucet's yard,at. once: suburbs. andone or two per second just at Auschwitz.steady Notdrip, but all faucets, cities of Europe, died ThroughMillionsInVII my country ofmy tombstones country SachsenchauseninOver Poland 150 campsalone Lvov OranienburgVilna, Warsaw, Janowska, Treblinka, Dachau WasInPassedThroughPassed myAuschwitz country an myan adversity inferno country starvednotworkedpeopleburied counting burned alivefunnelled ghettos in machine-gunned cavernous trenches starved Lublin, Ponar, Belsec, Buchenwald, Babi Yar, Kiev. SpringGrainJoyfulCemetery awakening! sproutingland grounds Praguq,fromshipped Berlin, Paris,in lots Amsterdam, Vienna, Sobibor, Belsen, Minsk Lodz, Ravensbriick,Majdanek, Riga, Cheimno, Bergen, FromWhenProud bloody will MoscowWarsaw eyes tears dry up? [...] Bucharest,Budapest,the capitals Belgrade Athens and ghettos of Europe Auschwitz, with his plumber Birkenau, to Auschwitz (10 -12 XII 1949) Translated from the Polish by June Friedman 78 AndKilledforWouldn't such less one a than theloss? or Pope twoone . perper have secondminute broken on . just at Auschwitz. . the whole Western Front. 79 LeavingIt hasa long taken timeYou me to know andsmelttheand what mattresses how notthatinthat mine itAuschwitz wasI wasn't your war withtoit feltfill likeyour lungs myselfseenthat I have never livetofromsmoke flesh orthe oraStuthof Lodz cattlea selection Ghetto wagon queue MothertroubleIwith have death had I knewthoughtINazis thought leaving you. Lily Brett I hadwithration lived fear cards withlookedwhatI thought work bodies like permits I knew gnawed by rats 140 141 twelve thousand a day andtheI keepKeep facts each forgetting and timeForgetting statistics I havethatand didre-checkatto 4pmcheck I dream on the 19th January twelvetheseI lookneed books up toshelves knowbooks line them waswere58,000 I marchedright emaciated out inmatesof Auschwitz Iin know tomy confirm room where the to factgo I can28,000fromto remember remember the Jews 4th-13th arrivedthat inof BergenfromApril other 1945 Belsen camps andtheretheythat in were Lodzinallocated the 7.2 Warsaw people Ghetto per room phoneofhundreds phone numbers numbersand hundreds overIto5.8 forget each people and room over again andareforI haven't twentyreadily I can phonedremember accessibleyears andwasthatthey inoneJewish thecrammed third ghetto of Warsaw500,000 Jews whatsaidandpeople's whatto a someonegood conversations someone's memory else's wife husband of bodiesandintothe areahow2.4 they per ofmany thecentwere city burning peopleyou havetell me. Lily Brett atin theAuschwitz138 peak of their production 139 Holocaust anduncaredfor they were hadfor now already on their spent way two to a or death three weeks in other camps, fromTheOnce, young among men the sorting transports,freightthe gas cars chambers full. children out the belongings was one withthey were orphans childrenof those two taken to wherebutManySome they hadthe hadwere water-closetsdiarrhoea only not oneallowed shoe. were; in the courtyard camp in Poland. ThereandhadA tothenlarge theundress take SSeight-wheeled men them the shot to car the 'lazarette.'them. arrived at the hospital Thetheseand, women although were in too the therelarge camp werestory,for who the chamber weresmall also children. pots deportees in the corridor of each whereThelyingin the thereGermans ontwo the weretrailers threw children; the floor. open and the balconieschildren intotrucks the were trucks sick women and men andweretheyand go in about would intotears: the to get behalls uptaken beforewhere to other thesunrise children camps were threwchildrenfromscratchedSome the them of fromsecond the atupon onethechildren floor thewallsyear tried withsickto hold intheir the on nails; trucks.to theold walls, to ten; andnobuttoin mendeachclean theonly womena theunderwear coldhundred children's water had to notowith a clothing;givehundredsoap which them,to clean andto wash twentythe them.children, butbeat theguardedThe andshouting children pushed by gendarmes Germans arrived the at children towards the ofthe the camp French in buses, Vichy government. windows. butandthereWhen theit were wouldsoup tins no werecame be spoons; served sometimesfor the in children, tins too hot for the children to hold. Thetoand busestheFrightenedmake the children children stoppedroom but came inwere quiet, down quickly for the buses following. the middle of the courtyard in groups of fifty or sixty taken off to eighty; Theywithouttheand wereyounger only anytaken dirty childrenfurniture upstairs straw bags on holding on to older ones. to emptythree, halls or four years of age,the floor, full of bugs: allchildren in torn64 as clothes young as two, and dirty, 65 aA boy visitor of seven once stoppedor eight, one handsome, alert and gay. of the children: A Dead Child Speaks TheHeand had visitor hishethen only said,coat askedwhat one of'Father hisshoegoodhim parents forisand quality working his the werename had in doing;no other foot was bare, the office buttons. ButMySoThen that mothershe someone itlightly should loosedheld raisedtouched menot her bystrike the hand my knife me, hand. thighsfrom of parting:mine. once more Thenandthey Mother he always asked is playingtoldthe visitor the soontherejoin if piano.' he their parents children they would be leaving soon would be joining his parents to ItCutAfterAnd rose in her that twobefore hand the each knifemewas bite with bleeding of I swallowed partingthe sun at dawn andandhalfAt the that said,thenan visitor armythe the'I childam answered,childbiscuit keeping took who he out had'Certainly.this been givenso gay of his pocket half for Mother'; In a day or two.' in camp AsAndWind I waseverybegan and led water voiceto to sharpen death groundof comfort itself in my inpierced myear eyes my heart burst into tears. Charles Reznikoff TheI still unsheathing felt in the last of momentthe great knife of parting. (Translated by Ruth Matthew Mead) Nel ly Sachs

66 67 butThe themen women stayed and there children all night were taken at once to the fromTheheWhen Holocaustand was family histhe living motherSecond was in Lodzhungry becameWorld with his mother. bloated fromWar hungerbegan aMany few murders,of the Jews of course;had notexterminationchambers. believed there would be any mass gas Hisbutandas mother hismany therefled mother towere. itand thebecame hadher Warsaw familysold much everything ghetto; worse: escaped from the ghetto she had in Lodz anditmanyand goinghad even werebeen eastward when happyrumoured they instead: not hardwere thatto be labour jammedthey going would camp to into a campbe the taken freight they to knew thecars, Ukraine to be a whereandandShe they hethenother hadescaped told members nothing him to ato tosmall ofget eat. to town. the family lived,the Lublin area TheButnow'Do some Jewsthat not Germany arerememberedbelieve not beingwhat hadto ayoutaken Jewwork are towhoover intold. the the hadmost Ukraine; fields come of it. to town and said: ThereTheytheOneand Germans morning crowded washe was hardly were amonghe heard room taking them. to them into freight cars cries and shrieking: the Jewsstand to the market place. AndButtheytheyand nobody areeven killed thought sent in believed there.'theto hedeath camp was him;camps theyjust tryinghad now to startbeen a sent panic. to ButandWhenand manythe they journey they fainted. were got took broughtoff theonly train to two a death camp. or three hours butTheythea few menthe sawhundred Germans were the belongingstold feet said: byfrom thewould the ofGermans thegas rejoin womenchambers that their inand families. a fewchildren weeks piled they up; thetheyWhileand SS awere band theremen this hurried was shouting,the was playing.men going to awere 'Hurry! on taken small gate, Hurry!' from the women and children. You'They are are going getting to newbe Ukraine.'gathered clothes. together and then sent to the 32 33 RefugeeSomeSay this are city livingBlues has inten mansions, million souls, some are living in holes: OnlySawWent the tendown fish feet theswimming away, harbour my dear,as and if theystoodonly were ten upon feet free: the away. quay, WeLookOnceYet cannotthere's wein the had nogo atlas aplacethere country and fornow, you'll us,and my my findwe dear, dear, thought it there:we yet cannot there'sit fair, go no thereplace now. for us. TheyWalked hadweren't through no politicians the a human wood,human and sawrace, sang therace. my atbirds dear, their in theyease: the trees;weren't the OldEveryIn the passports villagespring it churchyardcan't blossoms do that, anew: there my dear,grows old an passportsold yew, can't do StoodNotADreamed thousand one on of aI greatsawthem windows a plain wasbuilding ours,andin the awith my thousandfalling dear,a thousand snow; not doors: one floors, of them was ours. But'IfThe you've weconsul are got stillbanged no alive, passport the my that.table dear,you're and but officiallysaid, we are still dead': alive. LookingTen thousand for you soldiers and me, marched my dear, to andlooking fro: for you and me. March 1939 ButAskedWent where to me a committee;politelyshall we to go returnthey today,today? offered next my year:dear, me abut chair; where shall we go W. H. Auden He'IfCame we was letto talking athem public in,of meeting; youthey andwill me,theme. steal speakermy our dear, daily got he upbread': was and talking said: of you Thought0It wewasSaw were HitlerIa heardpoodle in overhis the in mind, Europe, thundera jacket my saying rumblingfasteneddear, 0'They we with in were themust a pin,sky; in die': his mind. ButSaw they 12a doorweren't opened German andGerman aJews, cat let my Jews. in: dear, but they weren't 13 Afor Footnote Thomas Szasz's Extended Karl Kraus and the Soul Doctors defendedheTall,He convertedignored he turned the such Gospelto the Christianity tauntings. other cheek, DrI Szasz,readwon'tbut moreyour professor,make attention, book. criticisms (I could) sir, please, Freud,calledattackedofagainst Psychoanalysis, itsAbraham, the practitionersMosaic Jewish Stekelsubversion; Science forborn EgonWho,of Jewishin Friedman, Vienna, insulted, parents. 1878, endured. forAh,'underground the applause proselyte nowblood-suckers'. laterWhostudied instudied Heidelberg: philosophynaturalGerman in science; Berlin, writer,spotlightunderso soonedgily the critic, to ofcelebrated probing,be cabaret-actor, successful,author chalky of posingthatondid the not hunted whale, aswrite a fish. mammal a treatise intoWhenCultural Austria the HistoryNazis strangemarched of the Modern amphigouri Age. Butchanged returned'HelloFriedel] Drhis now, to Friedell,visiting not Vienna, Friedman. card. Friedel]. sawWhisperedwalkedFriedell,of Friedmancircumstance towards in Friedman,his approaching. bachelor the long room, mirror, you'rehere'sHere'shere's a amensch,a vasebowlmargarine of of Drpaper wax in a apples,lordlyflowers, dish.' andscreamed killed FRIEDMAN, himself. Demnie Abse 10 11 HINNERK EINHORN AUSCHWITZ (1992) b. 1944 AfterMildewShoesEvenHair so is spectaclessuitcasesmany getting corroding years hot are rotting KLAR, FIRST-AID ATTENDANTThereWhyWhy do in do youthe you askgas IN torment thattheyAUSCHWITZ way? hummed me? like bees and theTheWithHistoryYellowPhotographs past museum's tears gnawing in documents her director eyes conjuring up notnoNoreally,intoI'vedied oneonethe never anyone's atheycomplained,leastcried, death, just injectedresistance, green heart,dropped aall cubic overto their the knees. lungs. ButForAuschwitzOrTheof thewho thehoary murderers sakemonument will mayold of pay men thosenever dead for with murdered thedie upkeepblood IWhythey was were dofirst-aid you just tormentask attendanthappy. that me,way? WhyWhatTheyNotat their enough punishareabout hands not ustheirmoney guilty heirs in their pockets Noted according to a TV-report Translated from the German by Gabriella Deppert ForgottenToIs it remember punishment will andit be keep soon the enough past alive Translated from the German by Jochen KOnig 99 103 fromwereJews broughtHolocaust from Holland,to a camp France, inGreece, freight and trains Hungary, or cattle and carslater from andthattheyIf the justno hadwere gas room burntbeen chambersthrown for sprinkledalive. the on were youngestpiles with crowded of gasolinewood children or even adults andthethreetowith cars oneat or thenothing orcrowdedfour drink;road trains fordays thosea dayand insidenights, well-knownwasantoBut thoseorchestra thatset to whotheir playing Germanof workedscreams Jews loudly fromsongs. might the not camp be too disturbing andTheyand asthey blowswhenthey were were passed the fromthen driven cars thelined before were buttsout up withhim atbeforeof the rifles. whips camp the camp physician aandA mother woman tookSS men thewas came werechild forbidden with thereaway: her oneto little keep morning daughter her child with her. andtohe thewould whatthosethen right point theyasksent or their left; did towith the for age his lefta ofliving, thumb the men all able to work if they did not show it andinLater, which that the night the woman dead threw werefound herselffenceinto being out the againstaroundthat burnt, fire her the child electrifiedcamp. had been thrown barbed wire pointingOneandevenwere whippedof whendriven the to soldiersthesnow barefoot to smoke go was faster.on toonguardfrom the the the camp, saidground, chimneys as a joke, of the crematorium, but'YouandIn the arethe are morning nowofficer Jews, supposed unworthytoldthe Jewsthem: to wereofwork.' life, .lined up by an officer wouldSome'Thewith only of beonly those loadedroad a single sentfrom on to vansmemberhere the toright freedom!' of an SS squad theAfterandThey spadesettaken weretwo to digging.oforaway put onethree upon to hit spadefulsa somethingforesttrucks of earth,hard, Butandif itandseated wasmosttheir were that inbodieswould frontgassed kind bebrought inbrought the straightvan to the to gas the chambers crematorium. 'WhyandThereHe thehe stopped didwas saw officer you also that diggingstop? ina it bad chargewas smell the came head all around.towards of a human him being.shouting: andbehind78 set treesup in thatrows. had been cut down HeDidn't had you opened know a massthere grave. are bodies buried here?' 79 - 80 - 9Z988 - £8 Nes' - a- a k .-117:rot 0 2 s;a.ave, PLAN OF THE FORMER CONCENTRATION CAMP KL AUSCHWITZ I (0SWIkCIM) Ostn 4ca Bielsko-Biala 4 5 6 1 10 13 11 13 14 , 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 J L 11.111. d .01 .11aa% a .J .. *I 24 e 27 28 ° .--J 111 4111

GENERAL EXHIBITION654 ExterminationEverydayMaterial Evidence Life of the of PrisonerCrimes 27212018 France,HungaryItaly,Suffering Holland Belgium and Struggle of the Jews ihgf SSCommandant's Commandant'sSS Hospital Administration House Office and Gestapo NATIONAL11 The "Death7 EXHIBITIONS Living Block" and Sanitary Conditions ba Gas"WallPLACES Chamber of Death" OF SPECIAL and Crematorium INTEREST Ikj SSSS GaragesGuard house andPolitical Office(Lager Sectionof fuhrer) the Camp (Camp Supervisor Gestapo) 17161514 CzechoslovakiaU.S.S.R.Yugoslavia,Poland Austria edc StoreCampAssembly containingKitchen square Cyclon andfrom Collective the B andvictims property Gallows seized KBlocknm ReceptionCinemaWorkshops 10 Sterilization Building experimentsfor new prisoners PLAN OF THE FORMERKL AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION II CAMP BIRKENAU (BRZEZINKA) 0=1o =1 =0 o L M /cH 000b = [21 0 O un oo nains:amp. the T A 00E1 H 001.000 000 410 00000 0000001100000 HIED 011[1[1111M100 00 0 0000 0 0 -face,-ninalwere the C) S BMA.0 000Em Di 000RIO,__,_, H d[ill 00 00000 0000000000 00 00000 HIONIllf1000 OH 0 D 'd. well Di HH 00 00000 0000000000 00 =000 :ands)44.!wish T /0000] HEM 000 0000000000000000000000[1000000E1[1000 Nium.iwitz, P H0000 a BO00800 0 000000 00 00000 000000000000 B I Duo B II 0 B 111 It MainInformation SS Guard-house "Death Gate" Bllg1311f Storehouse Prisoners' Hospital of property taken from murdered P R BlockBath-house 25 ("Death ("Sauna Block") ) BllaBibBla Women'sInQuarantine the beginning camp men's camp, from 1943 women's camp KIIHBill Camp sector III (under construction) Unloadingvicitims ramp V Ruins of the crematoria and gas chambers "Canada" "Mexico" WTS The International Monument to the VictimsFascismLatrinesPenal o'Company BileBIldBlIcBllb GypsyCamp"FamilyMen's campfor camp" Jews for from Jews Hungary from Theresienstadt ONML PitsCommandant'sPond andMass pyresinto graves which on Officewhich ofashes Soviet bodies were POW's weretipped burned . Additional route of visiting originalThe campThe state barracks main route mantained of visiting in For five long years the name of Auschwitz aroused fear beganandprisoners.among extermination to the deport Originally populations to the of it Poles. campwasIt of was the to people As beestablishedNazi-occupied time an from instrument passed, all overin territories.the1940 ofEurope, Nazisterror for the Polish political werethemen,prisoners-of-war,mainly prisoners beingAustrians, Jews deported of Germans Auschwitz.Gypsies, here tillandCzechs, .Polishthe others camp Yugoslays, political were ceased also prisoners toFrench- among exist. citizens of various countries. Soviet sameareasinvasion,when Polishtimewere the its incorporatedsoldiers nametown ofhadwasAfter Owicim attempted withinchanged the defeat theand toThird the repel Auschwitz.of thesurroundingReich. the September German At the Campaign of 1939, justificationofcentrationin theWroclaw existing for camp this(Breslau), prisons hadplan already wasin theSilesia,By based theideabeen endand on ofproposed. oftheonsetting 1939, theovercrowding necessity atTheup the a official con-SS of and Police Headquarters Publishing House of the State Museum in 06wiecim man-occupiedPolishconducting inhabitants furtherPoland. bothwaves of Silesiaof mass and arrests the rest among of Ger- the 3 task it was to considerSeveral the most special favourable committees location were for convened, whose distancepre-warsuch a camp. Polishaway The frombarracks ultimate the built in choice 06wiecim. up area fell uponof Situated the the town, deserted some they , network.railwaywasoutsidecould the quite junctionworld.convenient easily Another be position expanded factor of Wwiecimnot and without isolated significance from the within the existing communications an important dispatchedfirstgiven commandant. in April the first1940, politicalOn andInitiallyThe June Rudolforder prisoners 14,the to Floss728 1940,campproceed Polesto was KLthe comprised with appointedfromAuschwitz Gestapo plans Tarn Ow.to20its found buildings: a camp 14 was at Altogetherconstructed,allperiodground from level the using1941 campand to the 6 1942 nowwith prisoners ancontainedan extra upper as storey the floor.28ground-floor work one-storeywas During addedforce. the buildingsto and 8 new blocks were loadingchambersOswiecim platform (KL and Auschwitz cremation where the I). pits Maindeportees and gate. pyres, were the selected special andun- inrecordaverage 13-16,000,buildingsthe blocks,total of (excluding 20,000 wherereaching people. even kitchens, at theone They cellars stagestorehouses were accommodatedand(during lofts etc.). 1942) were The a number of prisoners fluctuated between watchbarracks,campsaalso construction towers a arepond the wellas with main wellis preserved the ashuman entrance "Death barbed blocks ashes. Block". gateswire and fences. toFurthermore athe part camps,Some of prisoners' of in sentry the both In Auschwitz such inabyutilized giganticOswiecim the camp for and this also horrific purpose. grew,As factory the until number of death. of inmates The monstrosity increased, the area covered KL Auschwitz I it was transformed into became the parent or casesbycrematoriumtheconstructions the original SSof special obliterating elements I. destroyedSome importance objects the by traces the were the Nazis of completelyconstructions their were crimes. rebuilt destroyed Inwere from the for instance the ovens in the ofAuschwitz Monowice1941"StammBrzezinka the IIlager" construction 3near kilometres to Oswiecim a whole away;of ageneration second and in 1942camp, of new the later campcamps. called in In Birkenau, was commenced in the village KL Auschwitz III was camp.collectiveasreproduced they Above were gallows by all theduring these Museum at thetheare roll-call existencethe and "Death placed ground. of inWall" the the Auschwitz sameand the area dictioncomplexestablished-1944,IG-Farbenindustrie. of cameaboutKL on Auschwitz the into40 territory smaller being; Furthermore, III of and thesebranchesthe were German fellduring situated under of chemical thethe years the mainlyAuschwitz juris-plant 1942- in weretracingexhibitions murdered the torments portraying here ofAbove (see Thethe the map).various prison thehistory main nationsblocks gate inwhoseat theAuschwitz camp people at AuschvIiiti contain of Auschwitz, through which or Brzezinkaprisonersthe vicinity were (KLof steelworks, AuschwitzexploitedThe campsas mines cheap inand labour.06wiecim factories, (KL where Auschwitz I) and in II Birkenau) are now orchestraAndinscription:the(returning prisoners on the would "Arbeit 12small passed hoursplay machtsquare marches, or each more frei" by day later)mustering(Workthe on kitchen their brings the way thethousandsfreedom). to camp work there is a cynical 4Birkenaumaintained are: as museumsThe most open important to the public. constructions and objects the remnants of four crematoria, gas in byof prisoners the SS. so that they could be counted more efficiently 5 BLOCK 4 Almost immediately after the Nazi aggression against condemnedforexterminationRoom Poles 1 and by prisoners the by hitlerite hunger,Auschwitz from fascism exhausting other was to isolation the work, biggest criminaland Nazi ex- concentration camp countries. They were slow Auschwitz,theregistereditlaw. Soviethas On been the Union, in here. establishedbasis complete SovietDuring of the contravention prisoners-of-warthatnumbersthe first12,000 5 issued months Soviet of to internationalwere 8,320P.O.W.'scamp sent ofinmates these wereto theandperiments,of mass massJews extermination executions. deportedor to a quick toSince of deathAuschwitz European 1942 as aAuschwitz resultwere of became the biggest center Jews. The majority killed individual in gas for remainderperished.nowofseveral this kept particular Some pagesdied in fromthewere are crime Museum sheeron gassed, show isemaciation. the othersinArchives. theoriginal displaywere One Book shot, case.of the ofwhile AttentionproofsDeaths, the Photocopies of problemnumberThereforeandchambers without of has itpeopleimmediately beenidentification murdered debated on arrival,bythere.with historians the Forwithout camp many from years is very difficult to determine precisely the registration numbers. various this containedofwereminutesshould approx. registered. beintervals, in 21,000drawn the records fictitiousGypsies.to theKL Auschwitzrelatingcolumns causes Evidence to and was inthe which, of timesalsoGypsy this the of crimeat camp, scenedeath 5-10 is for the extermination fromismillioncountries. under the victims. way They to Thegive find search differentThe a more urn for containingnumbers, precise additional mosta handful of human territory of Birkenau, commemorates the number. ashes,documentation gathered often to 1,5 war.whichdisplay. Some were photocopiesstolen by prisoners taken fromthen produced after the these are also on ries,dead.Room people 2 of various politicalIn Auschwitz convictions met their death citizens of many and religions, count- way:JewsedAuschwitzRoom for the from3"resettlement" Nazis arrivedGreece sold convinced and them inMost Hungary Eastern non-existent ofthat the theywereEurope. Jews had deceived condemned beenIn particular deport- in this to extinction in KL plots of land, eradicationtheners-of-warcivilians, camp members in ofalike.Auschwitz the ofJewish resistance Inas 1941 thepopulation. site SS organizations forReichsfiihrer the The Heinrich Himmler proposed total motives be-singledand out priso- farms,valuableBrzezinkaFor shops this possessions reason or(KL offered Auschwitz the deporteesthem with II them.work always in fictitious brought factories. their most Birkenau). A transport of Jews copeexterminationquotesmandanthind thiswith the Rudolfdecision an words operation centres Floss were of Himmlerin inon madehis the "Reminiscences", East clear are by notthe sufficientcamp com- to such a scale. Therefore I have himself: "The existing where he fromcrematoria Hungary in reaches the background. the unloading ramp. Chimneys of the designatedlaged".becauseits convenient By Auschwitzthe spring area location 1942 can for as bethethis regards easilycampaign purpose, isolated bothaimed and at in communication,progress. and The first because of the masscamouf- restwitztransportsmurderments fromof occupied ofbeganthe of Jews theeastern tocondemned Poland.was arrive part already from ofBy Upper were the broughtSilesia, tothen Slovakia and France, later spring large consign- KL Ausch- from the from fromcountriesGermany,6 Belgium ofNorway, occupiedand Holland, Lithuania Europe. and and in so the in autumnturn from all the 7 ; thesechambersreconstructand installationsof the andformer the crematoria exact commandant process ofR. extermination.HOss, it is possible to with the accounts of ex-prisoners as well as the actual ruins of Theyassured(ie.we areseesegregation composed,people entering into because Onfit andthe the underground unfitmodelafter for the of work) initialthe changing gas all "selection" havechamber room.been and crematorium II they would be allowed a room,theyaherded bathroom.bath.They were 210 into neversq.m a Showersaresecond inconnected told area undergroundto were (approx. undress, to fitted the 235 water toafterchamber sq.the supply.which yards),ceiling resembling they Into are by the SS that around thisbut JewsBrzezinka by SS (KLphysicians. AuschwitzThe distance II between place of arrest and KL Ausch- Birkenau). Selection of deported died.ceiling.firmly2,000B into After closed,victims Within the gold chamber would15-20SS tooth men minutesbe fillings, through pouredled. After therings, thespecial people the substanceear-rings doors openingstrapped had and Cyclon been alsoin the inside ThewitzreachingdeporteesNo wasjourney food sometimes was:their was often finalprovided.usually travelled as destination. much made Crowded foras in 72,400 Therefore,sealed or even together km goods (1,500 10 not days wagons.likesurprising- miles). cattle,before takenthe hair to hadthe incineratorsbeen removedOn situated the fromif wallsthese ontheto themakeshift ofbodies,could thisground not display they cope"funeral floor, were with roomor pyres". the there mass are of humanthree flesh whiletheallwasly, oldwhen restfrequently frompeople werethe 1944 bolts andinthe a a casewerechildrenstate specialThe that drawnof trainsextremerampsome on unloadedbuiltof arrival theexhaustion. at victims atBirkenau at the the camp goods was it station in Auschwitz, were already dead, while above corpsesbeingthephotographs. camp driven on inmates a intoTakencremation the inin gas 1944,secret pyre. chamber, theyand atshow andgreat thesome risk burning by women one ofof statementtakenworkexaminedused. to straight theHere theof camp. Rudolf officers newarrivals,to the Those Floss, gasand chambers.considereddoctors allocatingaround of 70-75% the Accordingthoseunsuitable SS of capableimmediately the towere total the of Cyclon B. 200ofwere Birkenauoriginal pictures, summarily photographs, during taken gassed extermination inOn 1944 belonging in displaythe this by map way. one inof to thisshowingJews anof theroomalbum from SS theare ofHungary.men aaboutlay-out number in of of the enlargements Auschwitz executioncommittedRoomcremation"Factory 4 bybyof pits firingDeath",the andNazis squad, pyres).the are spots gas marked chambers,where in redmass (ie. crematoria, crimes places were of fortunately8 escaped destructionBy by the SS) of the gas comparing the technical drawings (which 9 includedproducts tailor'sfor which lining German (haircloth).recovered firms Balesused from humanof thehaircloth town hair of Kietrz and now on show corpsesfromin Institutethis human part and of of melted hair,Forensic the probablyMuseum intoGold Medicineingots, thatfillings which of and women. were were found removed then to originatesent fromto the teeth of the were analysed by the weretheRoomriver SS used beds.Health 6 as fertilizer,and Sanitation and for Head filling Office. in nearby Human ponds ashes or murderedguardedmachtporteddeportees toor thethe civilians.werevictims. campFatherland sorted, alsoThey AllThe storedbenefited forapproachedSS use men and by fromsubsequentlywho the the theSS,manned camp propertythe Wehr- trans-com- and of personal effects brought to the camp by the almostwhoseOtwiqcimperiod profits300.000 (KLfrom Auschwitzfrom 1942 marks. sales toCyclon I)In 1943,of Otwiecim thehaircloth Bgasabout was for alone, made 20,000produced1941-1944 ofduring, human kilograms bywere the hair.the firm "Degesch", Block 4. Part of the exhibition wasalwaysmanderGermanyDespite even fullasking lefttothe full overflowing; to forfactof pile plunderedprams, that up Inbetweentrains babysometimes connection goods clothesconstantly them. the unsorted and storehouseswith other departedthe luggage advancethings. were for of the Soviet Army, campfullofneeded(almost empty ofcommandant the to20 cans, killdeadly ton) around as of crystals,wellHass,Cyclon 1,500 as 5-7 apeople.B werenumber waskg of used.foundAfter the of containerspoisonliberation Accordingin the wascamp piles still to theobjects stores06wiecim sent were elsewhere. (KLhastily Auschwitz emptied A few I). daysand Blocksuitcases thebefore 5. most Part with the of valuablethe liberationthe names exhibition of deportees. documentslorryexhibited.talswarehouses. ofof freshCyclon These false suppliesIn the B reasonsare a display numberorders froi-n are standtheauthorizing given of factory documentscontainingfor for example, thein the Dessau. use collection some ofare inCyclon In crys-also the by order to assist the "resettlement discoveredRoomof Jews". 5 approx. On7,000 liberating kg (7 tons) the camp of hair, in 06wiecimpacked the Soviet Army searchAnalysesthetightlymanaged remains intoin Cracow conductedbags, to which sell inrevealed and the the by sendcamp camp the that to Institutewarehouses. theauthoritiesfactories hair ofcontained insideForensic hadThese the not traces were Reich.Re- yet component10of hydrogen of cyanidethe compounds (prussic knownacid), the as basiccyclons. poisonous The 11 thousandswarehousescrimes pairs burnt of down. shoes After andin the spectaclesa desperateliberation ofwere attempt the foundcamp to obliterate all traces of their SS men set fire to the warehouses. Thirty onlyhadfirsta result day "comeway ofthe to the tocampescape appallinga concentration supervisor is through sanitary would thecamp,conditions. crematoriumannounce from On which thatthe chim- very theythe foundtogetherBLOCK after with 5 liberation. clothes, Thebrushes, These various include: bowls exhibition etc. Jewish halls prayer of Block 5 contain objects possessionstowhomney". the Alsocamp.SS physicians those confiscated, few consideredfromThe their thenewcomers masshair able-bodied was Jewish cuthad short,transports weretheir theysent clothes and personal BLOCKJews,casesshawls, bowls,with 6tooth-brushes, the artificial names limbs, and shaving-brushes, addresses spectacles of etc... the shoes, deported suit- whereweregiven tattooed.photographedsprayeda the number inmates KLwith and Auschwitz were disinfectant, inregistered. 3 poses,labelled was whileInitially by bathed,the tattooing. onlyfrom the thenNazi 1943 prisoners finallycamp they hunger,KLRoom Auschwitz 1 executions, were admittedSome hard oflabour, the prisoners punishments,straight from to the the or camp, transportsas where arriving they at perished from without prior selection 06wiecimber.sewnmarked onto with (KL their differentAuschwitz camp Dependingclothescoloured I). Block together 6.triangles, on Part the of withreason the which their exhibition for werenum- the arrest, prisoners were If I prisoners, Jewish prisonersSome were inmates given wore a star red made triangles of denoting political here, was particularlyWorking back-breaking. with the roller, of which a model is exhibited a yellowJehovas'Gypsiesreasonpink and triangleofand Witnesses their criminals prisoners arrest.and gotthegreen. regarded Black violetone trianglestriangles,by hitlerites were homosexuals as antisocial. given to corresponding to the nearby06wiecim.rubberthe German andmetalworks, Most petrol firm of IG-Farbenindustrie, plant, the mines Auschwitz theFirst and Buna-werke, choice factories. sub-camps inwhich obtaining Prisonin builtMonowice were labour a prisoners syntheticfounded nearwas for work belonged to months;wearnever was intended nor changed was to it give possibleatThe intervals protection thin for prison of the severalfrom prisoners clothes the (the to do so-called their "stripes") were led to outbreaks of various weeks or evencold. Under- Roomorused to inbuild 4 the andproduction extend of industrial coal, arms plants. and chemical products, diseases,ownRoom washing. 2 especially This situation typhus, typhoid fever and scabies. A day'sFormeatless"coffee" breakfast food and soup, ration for a often prisoneramounteddinner cooked would to from1,300-1,700 receive rotten 1/2vegetables. calories. 1 litre (nearly 2 pints) litre of ationdevourednationalities, to approx. human including 400,000 life, theFor campmenSoviet the andrecords P.O.W.'s,entire women containperiod prisonersof different inform-during which KL Auschwitz in margarine,blackSupper clayey consisted 20 g of sausage of 300-350Hard and work some grammes and herbal hunger (10-12 tea or "coffee".caused ozs) of complete physical bread, 30 g (just over 1 ounce) of clockCourt"corrective(which timedin Katowice).was custody",the placed life ofWith at everyandthe monotonous disposal the inmate. immates of From theand Gestapoof mercilessmorning Block Police 11 toregularity the camp showsickness,exhaustion.23-30hanging some kg which on of(50-65The the the often walls,camp women lbs). ended takeninmates prisoners in immediately death. developed who The weighed afterphotographs starvation liberation, only firsteveningRoombody assembly isbell, 3 counted from to onethe for bowl roll-calltheBesides lastof soup attime. executionswhich to the thenext, and from the gas chambers, another prisoner's the tookof-prisonersRoom thoseplace 5 timesdaily have ininendeavoured thetheirIt camp.is creative difficult toArtists convey forwork. us among to Thesethe imagine atmosphere the are ex-the their tragic scenes which theeconomy.labour.efficientblocks, camp Prisoners means huts,itself Initially roads, wereof they killing drainageemployed off thedikes in variousprisoners etc. Later sectors was the levelling the terrain and building new worked on the development of industry of the hard adifferenttheir rich"sworn evidence, collection scenes statements", testimony from of such camp.life. givensubmitted works. in Thean artisticin Museum visual way form.possesses presenting This is of rations,withoutmanpowerthe Third constanta moment's Reichto an beating,ever beganThe respite. greater harassmentprisoners to exploit The rapid were thisand pace,general sourceoften made to work at a run, degree. hunger hard- of asPolesadults.Room adults. and6 They Russians.Majority were offirst ChildrenThey them of were, alldied Jews,were treatedin gas sent Gypsies chambersin the same but soonalso- way to Auschwitz together with deaththatshipsners).offenders a greatlyatprisoner's Thethe handsincreasedheldreturn place at ofto Auschwitz thecamp ofthe SSwork death of or thebecame their alongsiderate. work assistants Or theteams it might scenepolitical priso- dragging(criminal happen of his hadtwins,restrictionstoafter the tothe campserved work arrival aswherehard. as adults.to objects the Thethey camp. Somechildren foundof criminal The children, the sentselected same experiments. to like theconditions few forcamp were instance Others were sentand 14fromcarts,their colleaguesclubs after andthey spadesorhad pushing been killedthem oron wheel-barrows was a terrible sight. wounded by blows and Theirliberatedregistered photographs by and the denominated Sovietand the Army photographs often are asshown political of thehere. childrenprisoners. 15 outquarters,UpperRoom the 7 floorcold, hunger, seldom inadequateThe changed malarial clothingand climate never (too ofwashed), thinOswiecim, to keep rats the appalling living OP? epidemicscouldlargeand insects numbersnot which be wereaccommodated ofdecimated the the sick causes reporting the because ofcamp various to population.the of overcrowding.campillnesses hospital The and .4"ft..;' Thereforewereimmediatelyblocks.wellpatients as murdered Those amongSS(both doctorssent withsick the into littleand weaker thetheirconducted convalescent) chancehospital deaths prisoners ofselections in bya the quick means livingingas the recovery amongchambers, in hospital,of the phenol, otherthewere asor barrack.GroundBLOCKBrzezinka 7floor (KL Auschwitz II Birkenau). Interior of a brick performedcalledinjected the into hospitalmany the heart. cruel theAs Forexperiments "anteroomin thisother reason camps, ofon the the prisonersthecrematorium". prisoners. SS doctors often For of KL Auschwitz laternerswereextent strawsleptalways during onmattresses the unbearable.straw different scatteredThe were livingstages The introduced. over firstconditions, of thetrain-loadsthe camp's concrete In althougha dormitory they varied to some existence,of priso- floors; exterminationAuschwitzsterilisationexample,Mengele Ithe inexperimentedon order SSJewishof the Dr. to develop nations,womenC. Claubergon twins inefficient mainly Block and made method Nr Slays.handicapped 10 tests in for Stammiager involvingbiological people, Dr Joseph levellivingaveragewhichinstallation wasquarters was of occupied 200 barely of improved prisonersthree-tier adequateby twoto wouldbunks, any prisoners. appreciable befor made housed.40-50 outThe of persons,extentNor only boards. were coversby theEachan the ofAuschwitz.as newresearch. prisonerspart medicalof a Toxic andprogrammeAlso, orpainful substancesvarious chemical skin of tests genetic transplants preparations were entailing andrubbed wereanthropological the wereinto applicationperformed. the made skin of in entrustedweremodation.better pieces conditions, with of certain dirty, perhaps specialthreadbareIn thereceivingfunctions main blankets. camp enjoyedseparate the slightlymajority accom- of the prisoners lived in Prisoners damageBLOCKperiments,Hundreds to 11 their ofwhile menhealth, those and if not womenwho permanent survived died during disabilities.suffered these serious ex- THE "DEATH BLOCK" thewerebrick-builtof marshy ahoused brick one-storey ground.building in barracks Theof blocks,this withmodel type no whilereproducing foundations,illustrates in Birkenau athe fragment primitive they conditions prevailing in Bir- made to a scale of 1:1 erected on cellarsonisolated two are sides from preserved theby arest high inTheThis of their wall.the courtyardblock camp.original The was wooden Thebetween form.a prisonground blinds blocks within floor on 10and a prison,and 11 completelyis enclosed the kenau.UpperRoom 6 floor Photographs and models of the 2 kinds of buildings administeredofvationwindows Poles.Death" of the ofthe blockexecutions SSpunishments shot10 were thousands taking installed in placethe of form tohere.prisoners, prevent of At flogging this mostlyobser- "Wall or In the yard in front of block 11, SS men the16used camp. at Birkenau give some indication of the standard of sanitation in made either of brick or of wood werehanging bent prisoners behind totheir a special backs. stake by their arms, which 17 asinhibition-assignment flogging, well ashere theone to includes the portableof the special stakesthe gallows original penal for hanging companies. onwhipping-stool which up theprisoners, The death used ex- fishforcedtopenalty lingpenal ponds theto was squadsperform ground.of sometimes rushes, received the hardest digging carried Inreduced the tasks, drainage out.last food for Prisonersroom example: rationsdikes to andthe andallocated clearing rightlevel- were the fate of police and Thecorrectioninvolvingwitz Cellars and prisoners treatedthe mass as is killingshown.a separateIn September of They people category were with1941 sent Cyclonof experiment toprisoners. Ausch- B. On was conducted here, Otwiecim (KL Auschwitz I). The Execution Wall. contactsinmatesfromthese the occasions campandwith forprisoners hospital 600 civilians, TheSoviet perished.or underground ofP.O.W.'ssuspected helping and them of cells 250 maintaining to of wereescape. the sickused both for camp awaitingwouldGround sit. floorthe In theverdict adjacent of theIn roomsthe Gestapo first on room bothPolice onsides the prisoners right the SS officer on Court, which duty At whothestarvationThey SS thus also considered hadfor housed the to undergoescape guiltyprisoners of ofinterrogation. a breaking comrade; sentenced camp or thoseto rulesdeath whom and by execution.demnedtoroomonetravelled more session on thanthe towere BeforeKL left)which a Auschwitz thenhundred the theylasted courtled were outdeathfrom might toshot, Katowice,2 the sentences.to all Wall the wereofvictims Death held. were issue from a few dozen 3 hours (in the first The con- for punishmentaenoughgroundknown penal as cellstobrigade. "cleaningbe cells werepicked In(although called). The outthewere the cellarscamp either The bunkers"most authorities weprisonersshot were find or(as ofsentthree these' theconductedunfortunate to typesordinary workunder- ofin periodic selections paintingsspot.small(halfmade wayIn enough,to the undress; bydown last a former the roomthe this executions corridor) to prisonertook the placeleft where, Wiadyslawtherewere in the arecarriedif the two Siwek,number washrooms out on which was photographs of the to monkCellkind,death no where Father by18 starvationis oneprisoners Maximilian of those were Inwere 1941inKolbe, locked. which kept. the who prisoners duringcamp had given"enquiries").authorities condemned his life put there the Polish showplannedHitler'sin the the cellars proceedingsconcentration and executions Theof thecamps system summary in the was ofcourtyard partpunishmentscourt, of selections ofa carefullyblock applied by the SS programme, aimed at the premeditated 11. in forcubiclesitswerecompletely another inmates not (standing unknown.prisoner. sealed,can still cells), where Inbe cell seen. measuring cases21 drawingsCell of 22death 90 contains xmade 90by cmsuffocation by (approx.4 one small of Cell no 20 was a dark room, slowlygoldhimselfforannihilation literally tooth in during the and anything:of eyes prisoners. barteringworking of his for SS hours, it Apicking for prisoneroverseer. bread, for apples, extracting could orThe for punishmentsforbe working punishedrelieving his own too stantResistancespecial1 terror punishment, and the werethreatDespitesq. placed.yard). of reprisals,the In harsh each thelivingof these prisoners conditions, 4 prisoners, despite undergoing the con- extrastaketook18 many by the different hands, confinement forms: flogging, in the hanging cells of Blockfrom toil, physical exercises, prolonged standing or the11, assumedmanaged a to variety conspire of forms. against Contacts the SS. with This the activity Polish 19 to evidencesListsinformationpackagesinhabitantsthe camp with theinmates,containing concerningof names crimes, while offood prisonersreachedthe there or crimes medicine was andthe committed a SSoutsidereverse to men,be smuggled by world.trafficas thewell inSS. Allas in of the neighbouring regions enabled thiswrittencentresedcommunications objects, illegal in of code. organization theand resistancecorrespondenceOne were of concealed thewas mostmovement to undermine betweeriimportant in specially in the objectives construct-positioncamp and ofof Poland were prisoners.sors,persons,the criminalSS. from Efforts who their offenders, collaborated postswere madeand entrusted toblindly toreplace gradually withwith them specialthe remove Naziwith duties politicaloppres- such by activity,theofactivists international camp holdingamong inmates thesecretsolidarity engagedprisoners, discussionsMoreover, against in in various order afascism. andpropaganda to meetings,forms cultivate Besides of campaigncultural arecita- spirit this was conducted by ASSEMBLYmentticulartions of interest nationala camp SQUARE in thispoetry,"underground respect Duringreligious was art".roll-calls the services vigorous the etc. SSdevelop- Of counted par- the prisoners and assisting0§wigcimhaving (KLcontactsin the Auschwitz escape withOn civiliansI). of CrematoriumJuly three 19, outside fellow 1943, 1. theprisoners. twelve camp, Poles and werefor hanged here for collectivecarriedhere. out gallows executions a reconstruction on the portable of which gallows, can or be on seen the NwiQcim (KL Auschwitz I). Collective gallows. theTHE buildingcamp. CREMATORIUM In of front the ofcamp the TheAND entranceGestapo crematorium GAS CHAMBERonce stood is situated outside the main fence of in the place where we see whichcommandanttheDuring gallows was the converted usedyearsRudolf on1941 FlOss. AprilTheinto and largest a16, 1942 temporary 1947, roomSoviet to in gasP.O.W.'s,hang the chamber.crematorium the as first well was the mortuary, daily.threeasSilesia, Jews Infurnaces, eachfrom were theretort killedwhich ghettos 2-3 here. Thecould corpses formed other burn atpart by approx.a the timeof theNazis were 350crematorium in placed.bodies Upper houses two of the ofthefromThe the furnaces crematoriumErfurt, firm the in thesame was 4 crematoria which built by in the1942 at firmBirkenau. and Topf 1943 and The installed Sohne name is visible on some of the metal parts. 20 GermanovensCrematoriUm were metal rebuilt elements. by the Museum from the original I was working from 1940 to 1943. The 21 recorded ,commentaries in 12 languages can be heard, Jewsingextermination).prisonand platformfrom from complex which Hungary can thereOpposite (thebe seen,arrived. islargest an the excellentwhere oftower all most the theview campsofrailway over the thedeported of unload- masswhole fromswampyTheyprisoners'barracks thewere ground. compressed living arebuilt situatedquarters Mostwithout Inof earthto theseasBirkenaufoundations, the they which lefthad really of nowe theoften floor were.directlyhave unloading turnedat The theall, on apartbrickopportunity intoramp.the to view the 8overwomena personsveritable with prisoners, rottingwould quagmire. lie.straw.whoThe Theslept wooden On brick on one three-tier buildingsbarracks level an berths had housedaverage once spread servedthe of as field stables Brzezinka (KL Auschwitz II Birkenau). Main gate. wholesmokeprisoners.beenfor 52 made, interior.horses.passing Chimney they Afterthrough were a fluesused minimum them towere wasaccommodate ofbuiltsupposed modifications inside, upto and heatto 1,000 hadthe the villageKL AUSCHWITZ IIAt a distance of 3 km from the main camp, of Brzezinka, the camp of Birkenau BIRKENAU (BRZEZINKA) in the KL Auschwitzotherhavebuildings.175 hectares survivedbuildings II Of these, (s.almostpreviously 425 45 intact.acres), made stood of (these brick wereand 22 was situated. Covering In the places whereit contained the over 300 approximately either burnt of wood atheirdown goodand outlines or sectors, ideademolished) onof which theirthe ground onlyinThe fact the campare constituted hearths clearly in Birkenau separate was dividedcamps into several original size and number. remain.visible, However, giving us fields Brzezinka (KL AuschwitzAt the II end of the unloading ramp there are Birkenau). Part of the camp. the remains thesanitarycampprisoners(see territory map).inmates conditions reached of The Birkenauwere totalapprox. and plagued hugenumberthat 100,000 the bynumbers aNazis of in men August constructedof rats. 1944. It was most on lack of water, terrible and women The of madeundergroundactivities.retreating2 crematoria to undress, SSIn the menchangingand ruins the ingas an gas it chambers, attemptroom, chamber, where to and, the on is still possible.to discern the conceal their criminal blown up by the victims werethe surface, andinmatoriaof their pits. instrumentswith gas chambers, of mass two destruction, makeshiftspecially namely: gas converted farmhouses, cremation chambers 4 cre- pyres asweprisoners thecan rails see along 5during large hollowsthe revoltCrematorium on the IV was partially destroyed which the corpses were pushed. left by the furnaces, as well 7th October 1944. III there stands by Jewish the22place marked to begin route, is which the Visitorsmain covers watch tothe the towerentire former ofarea. thecamp in Birkenau should SS, where The best follow Brzezinkawhichthe International was (KL ceremonially Auschwitz Monument IIBetween unveiled to the ruins of crematoria II and Birkenau). Ruins of the crematorium. the Victims of Auschwitz, in April 1967. LJ Guidelines For The 1998 "Elie Wiesel Student Writing Competition" P ikwerda EtIo Ifflose1St Went Senior Division Guidelines: (Grades 9th12th) Writing Corn petitkel The senior division competition will be a written essay referring to es Ovinvisvi one of several quotes related to the Holocaust. Archive We invite you to submit an essay using one of the following quotes or Ho= questions as the unifying theme. Choose examples from historical materials or literature to support ideas.

The essay should be an original work written specifically for this competition and should be a maximum of four pages typed and double-spaced. The quote or question you choose should appear on the cover page along with the following information:

Name: Grade: School: Teacher: Date:

1998 "Elie Wiesel Writing Competition" Quotes for the Senior Division

Submit an essay using one of the following quotes as the unifying theme:

1."The World is too dangerous to live innot because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen." Albert Einstein

2.In a tiny mountain village of south central France, Le Chambon, people hid and saved 6,000 Jews during the Holocaust. Magda Trocme, wife of the Quaker minister of Le Chambon, said,

"Remember that in your life there will be lots of circumstances that will need a kind of courage, a kind of decision of your own, not about other people but about yourself. "

3."In Germany, the Nazis came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up becauseI was a Protestant Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak" Pastor Martin Niemoeller

4."Let us not forget, after all, there is always a moment when the moral choice is made." Elie Wiesel

5.In the Ascent of Man, scientist Jacob Bronowski disagrees with those who would blame technology for the atrocities committed at Auschwitz and other death camps. He said,

"This is the concentration camp and crematorium at Auschwitz. This is where people were turned into numbers...And that was not done by gas. It was done by arrogance. It was done by dogma. It was done by ignorance. When people believe that they have absolute knowledge, with no test in reality, this is haw they behave. This is what men do when they aspire to the knowledge of gods."

6. "The great masses of the people... will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one." Adolf Hitler

7. Education is surely one of the most important vehicles in shaping the character of a nation. A German recalled the day he was asked to pledge loyalty to the regime:

"There I was, in 1935, a perfect example of the kind of person who, with all his advantages in birth, in education, and in position rules in any country. If I had refused to take the oath in 1935, meant that all the thousands, hundreds of thousands, like me in Germany were also unprepared.... Thus the world was lost...My education did not help me, and I had a broader and better education than most men have had or ever will have."

8."Democracy is not an ideal state, but simply a state in which the forces of good have a free field against the forces of evil." Carl Schultz

5 FILMS AND *DOCUMENTARIES ON THE HOLOCAUST

Alan and Naomi The Assault The Assisi Underground The Attic: The Hiding of Ann Frank Au Revoir les Enfants The Diary of Ann Frank The Boxer and Death A Call to Remember Charlie Grants War Cristabel Cold Days David The Diary of Ann Frank A Day in October The Devils Arthmetic Diamonds of the Night Enemies, A Love Story Europa, Europa The Execution Forced March The Garden of the Finzi-Continis Genghis Cohn Getting Away With Murder Good Evening Mr. Wallenberg Hanna's War The Hidding Place The Holcroft Covenant Holocaust Holocaust Survivors...A Rememberance of Love I Love You, I Love You Not In a Glass Cage In The Presence of Mine Enemies Jakob the Liar Kanal Kapo The Last Butterfly The Last Metro Max and Helen Mendel Murderers Among Us Never Forget Passenger The Pawnbroker Playing for Time Rescusers: Stories of Courage - Two Couples Reunion The Revolt of Job The Rose Garden Schindlers List The Shop on Main Street Speak Up Its so Dark The Substance of Fire Sunshine Shoah Sophie's Choice Transport from Paradise Triumph of the Spirit The Truce 6 0 The Wannsee Conference War and Love The White Rose Ann Frank Remembered Survivors of the Holocaust Night and Fog Auschwitz Your school gets from 8-10 catalogues of films and documentaries---many of them contain films of W.W.II and the Holocaust that you can purchase and built up a video library.

The film Night and Fog and Europa, Europa have both won Academy Awards for the best documentary and best foreign picture of the year. POLAND us understandingA visitor seeks at the vast 1M ,poo, In a P1 ish.mdce Cr of Elence es BYNazi LYNN death SHERR camp. 8 Phocographe by Julie Deoeshe for The New York Times The Auschwitz-Birkenau complex is now a pilgrimage site for half a million visitors a year T was smaller than I'd imagined, a By LYNN SHERR ly.plexglobalsprawlingtoday encompassing was Auschwitz-Birkenauneglect the monument largest in southern a chain of to the Nazi Poland.of lagers,State subcamps, depravity Museum, Thisultimate- com- andand a whichjorpreciselyyearscold. railroad Thatago. the because Third In waslines fact, howReich inof the the the prisoners camp renamed townconjunction was of Oswiecim,arrivedAuschwitz built of here ma- 60 nose,person'sthecards ears, shape name (hoftlingskarten) teeth of and his and orusual lips) her statistics,andface listed the(including reason butnot alsoonly for eyes, a "ARBEIT MACHT FREI," thebolsionsblack cynicalof rather iron terror portal wordsthan-the ofarching monstroushuman overhead, dimen- sym- it has become. But or "-Work Sovietfromofwas nearly responsible the liberationlii day1.5 millionit opened for January thepeople, in systematic June 1945.almost 1940 Now murdersalluntil Jews, It the is racks,wasafter itsoccupying barbedvastness ,Mywire,Poland first watch in 1939.impression towers and of the a camp itself nearly 50 acres of bar- tieseignthe"helping itarrest. radio shinning, station." OneJews"; the poor deceitanother's,The soul's inftitiating.Nazi:compulsion..to "listeningoffense Death was to for- document atroci- -- irtade,signleavingsguffledintoKokes alive.the into You :footsteps "Look Our Auschwitz Free," guide at theoftransported pointed those'B' with in who"ARBEIT,"tono the mehope had hand- directly ofonce lookingmostPoles,anless estimated a fornumerous;tourist Americans traces spothalf of manythana lost millionand arelatives visitorspilgrimageGermans visitors or,are are sitea likeJews, year. thefor visitedwerecallyadescrematorium, silent. several of abandonment. And large Iall wasn't still groups menacingthe I fell only there uncharacteristi- one. despite when There dec-I Japanese tourists and French boy tion:hand,areexterminatedrecords recorded noting for Russian for preciselyin being'black prisoners soldiers, theink timewith not of ofa warJewssteadyexecu- 8 p.m., 8:05, 8:10, 8:45. One book fi;eottherOnllionhe said. and only a"It's,1 halfmoments had upside hours. come of down. totriumph Auschwitz A for prisoner's the to next pay my re- a sign of resistance." It was one museum'sisandmaintainGermanme, very doingfor hardaschoolchildren the Polishmomentother museum for odd deputy the to jobs Germanbymourn. alsodireotor, ascutting volunteers.come, Groupskids," Krystynathe to grass help the of"It themselveshibitsrowsposing.scouts of on among barracks, camp are them. life.red or brick,And Fewblocks,Instead, death. weretwo-story with we laughingThe theirproceeded blocksbuild- ex- or along the neat "IA postcardamJewincludingrecords in good the to their thenameshealth, Redchildren of AndI Cross feel22,000 then born good." from Gypsythere at Auschwitz.a Czechis victims, the hair. On the second forced to write in German reads: . ought to visit.ppeserveHitler.Polandsparedspects, To I feel. only whenwentto the touchTo because lesson.home the bear tyrant theconvinced witness. my horror was grandparents To thethat I hadCzar, everyone been notleft 45-minutecompanionstour.Oleska,, told drive hiredme insouthwest, aan carI interviewstarted and mostlydriver my before trip foron in mythe Krakow, where my hadcordingtightInings, reality, to eachon turn." to concrete each designedour The heldguide, toiletsfloors upto "when houseto 2,000, thatwere one700 at crammedlidless turned,night,prisoners. and ac- allso erablethana yearthis; than here:no this, human "It nor is could conditionnot possible it conceivably is more tosink mis- lowerbe Theoncetresseslong,floor hairblond ofare and Block weighs layer and curls, brown4, after morein all a and layergonecase than black someofgraytwo braidsand tons,now20 auburn. yards andlessbut ABCLYNNIC: News as SHERR Konzentrationslager programrThe is a deathcorrespondent"20/20." camp Auschwitz known for duringthe I World War is firstdayconcentrationnarinesshillswelt lastmaintainedandset ofAugust.past was railroad smal1 campjarring: A-4 But bricktoll tracks,on when roadtakinga houses.gorgeous, mywethrough a poisedblood Thetaxi gentlewarm ordi-to ranthe a Italiantoriesed,wheredoorless; while nearby.thechemist the theylucky sinks, workedand ones writerlong Ilived, thoughtin troughs. whothe or fields spentratherof theThis ornearly wordsexist- fac-was of Primo Levi, the thesoldthem;used camp. (yes, at another, Auschwitz, sold) An immensetheto prisoners train the One onlytickets array for display camp their theof prison toNazistripshows use to the variety of tattoos last,Germantextiles;nallythan buta found. third thegoldtreasury. ofoneHair fillings what that was the hitfrom Eachsold Alliedme toteeth displayhardest be troops wovenwent waswas origi-to into morethethe dreadful than the ISC3I *MAL LIBRA Y

The Nuremberg Laws

A conference of ministers was held on August 20, 1935, to discuss the economic effects of Party actions against Jews. Adolf Wagner, the Party representative at the conference, argued that such actions would cease, once the Government decided on a firm policy against the Jews.

Dr. Schacht, the Economics Minister, criticized arbitrary behavior by Party members as this inhibited his policy of rebuilding Germany's economy. It made no economic sense since Jews had certain entrepreneurial skills that could be usefully employed to further his policies. Schacht made no moral condemnation of Jewish policy and advocated the passing of legislation to clarify the situation.

The following month two measures were announced at the annual Party Rally in Nuremberg, becoming known as the Nuremberg Laws. Both measures were hastily improvised (there was even a shortage of drafting paper so that menu cards had to be used) and Jewish experts from the Ministry of the Interior were ordered to Nuremberg by plane.

The first law, The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, prohibited marriages and extra-marital intercourse between "Jews " (the name was now officially used in place of "non-Aryans ") and "Germans " and also the employment of "German " females under forty-five in Jewish households. The second law, The Reich Citizenship Law, stripped Jews of their German citizenship and introduced a new distinction between "Reich citizens " and "nationals."

The Nuremberg Laws by their general nature formalized the unofficial and particular measures taken against Jews up to 1935. The Nazi leaders made a point of stressing the consistency of this legislation with the Party program which demanded that Jews should be deprived of their rights as citizens. Sources: Noakes, Jeremy, and Geoffrey Pridham. Documents on Nazism 1919-1945. NY: Viking_Press, 1974, pp. 463-467, and The Nizkor Project.

Copyftht 2002 The AmericeMstaeli Cooperative, EiteMise

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 63 ...,F-ANx7e6m *fey:9,707w* 29 r Remembering World War II 1 Enola Gay and

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64 agigtov:z#

Hitler on the Nuremberg Laws

(September 1935)

Extracts from Hitler's Speech in the Reichstag on the Nuremberg Laws

This international unrest in the world would unfortunately seem to have given rise to the view amongst the Jews within Germany that the time has come openly to oppose Jewish interests to those of the German nation. From numerous places vigorous complaints have been received of the provocative action of individuals belonging to this people, and the remarkable frequency of these reports and the similarity of their contents point to a certain system of operation.

...The only way to deal with the problem which remains open is that of legislative action. The German Government is in this controlled by the thought that through a single secular solution it may be possible still to create a level ground [eine Ebene] on which the German people may find a tolerable relation towards the Jewish people. Should this hope not be fulfilledand the Jewish agitation both within Germany and in the international sphere should continue, then the position must be examined afresh.

The third [law] is an attempt to regulate by law [the Jewish] problem, which, should this attempt fail, must then be handed over by law to the National- Socialist Party for a final solution.

Behind all three laws there stands the National-Socialist Party and with it and supporting it stands the German nation.

N.H. Baynes, ed., The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, I, London, 1942, pp. 731- 732.

Source: Yad Vashem

65 =11101111111111 The events of the Holocaustoccurred in two main phases: 1939-1945. 1933-1939 and I. 1933-1939: * They saw Jews, Gypsies, and the handicapped asa serious biological threat to the purity of the "German(Aryan) Race," what they called race." the "master * The Nazis mistakenly identifiedJews as a race and defined "Inferior." They also spewed this race as hatemongering propagandawhich unfairly blamed Jews for Germany'seconomic depression and the World War I (1914-1918). country's defeat in -- In 1933, new German laws forced Jewsto quit their civil service university and law court positions, jobs, and other areas of publiclife. -- In April 1933, a boycott of Jewish businesseswas instituted. In 1935, laws prodaimed at Nuremberg strippedGerman Jews of their citizenship even though theyretained limited rights. -- These "Nuremberg Laws" defined Jewsnot by their religion wanted to identify themselves or by how they but by the blood of theirgrandparents. -- Between 1937 and 1939, new anti-Jewish regulations segregated Jews further and made daily lifevery difficult for them: Jews could public schools, go to theaters, not attend cinemas, or vacation resorts,or reside, or even walk, in certain sections ofGerman cities. Between 1937 and 1939, Jewswere forced from Germany's the Nazis either seized Jewish economic life: businesses and propertiesoutright or forced Jews to sell them at bargainprices. In November 1938, thiseconomic attack against German Jews changed into the physical and Austrian destruction of synagogues andJewish-owned stores, the arrest of Jewishmen, the destruction of homes, and of individuals. This centrally the murder organized riot (pogrom) becameknown as Kristallnacht (the "Night ofBroken Glass"). Although Jews were the main target of Nazi hatred, the Nazispersecuted other groups they viewedas racially or genetically "inferior Laws passed between 1933 and1935 aimed to reduce thefuture number of genetic "inferiors" throughinvoluntary sterilization children of mixed (African/German) programs: about 500 racial backgrounds and 320,000to 350,000 individuals judgedphysically or mentally handicapped subjected to surgical were or radiation procedures so theycould not have children. Supporters of sterilization also argued that the handicappedburdened the community with the costs of their care. Many of Germany's30,000 Gypsies were also eventually sterilized andprohibited, along with Blacks, intermarrying with Germans. from Reflecting traditional prejudices,new laws combined traditional prejudiceswith the new racism of the defined Gypsies, by Nazis which race, as "criminal and asocial." . 1933 All non-Aryan civil servants forcibly retired; Kosherbutchering outlawed; German nationality can be revoked from thoseconsidered "undesirable". 1934 Jewish newspapers can no longer be sold in thestreets; Jews deprived ® Our Awards of the status of citizenship; marriage and sexual relationsbetween Jews and Aryans forbidden 1936 Jews no longer have the right to vote 1937 Passports for all Jews for travel abroad greatly restricted 1938 Jews must carry ID cards and Jewish passportsare marked with "3," Jews may no longer own or bear arms; Jews mayno longer head businesses; Jews may no longer attend plays concerts, etc.; all Jewishchildren are moved to Jewish schools; Jews must hand over drivers'licenses and car eyisudLIUI IS,JeWSIIIUSIsell wen uusuiessesdnu !WMuvetSULU, HAUS dl IU Ed Scope Sites: jewels; Jews may no longer attend universities. 1939 Jews must follow curfews; Jews must turn in radios to the police; Jews must wear yellow star of David 1940 Jews may no longer have phones; German Jews begin being taken into "protective custody"deported to concentration camps 1941 Jews may not leave their houses without permission from the police; Jews may no longer use public telephones 1942 Jews are forbidden to subscribe to newspapers, keep pets, keep electrical equipment, own bikes, buy meat, use public transportation, attend school. fib The Nuremberg Laws on Citizenship and Race: September 15, 1935

The Reich Citizenship Law of September 15, 1935

THE REICHSTAG HAS ADOPTED by unanimous vote the following law which is herewith promulgated.

ARTICLE 1. (1) A subject of the state is one who belongs to the protective union of the German Reich, and who, therefore, has specific obligations to the Reich. (2) The status of subject is to be acquired in accordance with the provisions of the Reich and the state Citizenship Law.

ARTICLE 2. (1) A citizen of the Reich may be only one who is of German or kindred blood, and who, through his behavior, shows that he is both desirous and personally fit to serve loyally the German people and the Reich. (2) The right to citizenship is obtained by the grant of Reich citizenship papers. (3) Only the citizen of the Reich may enjoy full political rights in consonance with the provisions of the laws.

ARTICLE 3. The Reich Minister of the Interior, in conjunction with the Deputy to the Fuehrer, will issue the required legal and administrative decrees for the implementation and amplification of this law.

Promulgated: September 16, 1935. In force: September 30, 1935.

First Supplementary Decree of November 14, 1935

On the basis of Article III of the Reich Citizenship Law of September 15, 1935, the following is hereby decreed:

ARTICLE 1. (1) Until further provisions concerning citizenship papers, all subjects of German or kindred blood who possessed the right to vote in the Reichstag elections when the Citizenship Law came into effect, shall, for the present, possess the rights of Reich citizens. The same shall be true of those upon whom the Reich Minister of the Interior, in conjunction with the Deputy to the Fuehrer shall confer citizenship. (2) The Reich Minister of the Interior, in conjunction with the Deputy to the Fuehrer, may revoke citizenship.

ARTICLE 2. (1) The provisions of Article I shall apply also to subjects who are of mixed Jewish blood. (2) An individual of mixed Jewish blood is one who is descended from one or two grandparents who, racially, were full Jews, insofar that he is not a Jew according to Section 2 of Article 5. Full-blooded

6i Jewish grandparents are those who belonged to the Jewish religious community.

ARTICLE 3. Only citizens of the Reich, as bearers of full political rights, can exercise the right of voting in political matters, and have the right to hold public office. The Reich Minister of the Interior, or any agency he empowers, can make exceptions during the transition period on the matter of holding public office. The measures do not apply to matters concerning religious organizations.

ARTICLE 4. (1) A Jew cannot be a citizen of the Reich. He cannot exercise the right to vote; he cannot hold public office. (2) Jewish officials will be retired as of December 31, 1935. In the event that such officials servedat the front in the World War either for Germany or her allies, they shall receiveas pension, until they reach the age limit, the full salary last received, on the basis of which their pension would have been computed. They shall not, however, be promoted according to their seniority in rank. When they reach the age limit, their pension will be computed again, according to the salary last receivedon which their pension was to be calculated. (3) These provisions do not concern the affairs of religious organizations. (4) The conditions regarding service of teachers in public Jewish schools remains unchanged until the promulgation of new laws on the Jewish school system.

ARTICLE 5 (1) A Jew is an individual who is descended from at least three grandparents whowere, racially, full Jews... (2) A Jew is also an individual who is descended from two full-Jewish grandparents if: (a) he was a member of the Jewish religious community when this law was issued,or joined the community later; (b) when the law was issued, he was married to a person who was a Jew, or was subsequently married to a Jew; (c) he is the issue from a marriage with a Jew, in the sense of Section I, which was contracted after the coming into effect of the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor of September 15, 1935; (d) he is the issue of an extramarital relationship with a Jew, in the sense of Section I, and was born out of wedlock after July 31, 1936.

ARTICLE 6. (1) Insofar as there are, in the laws of the Reich or in the decrees of the National Socialist German Workers' Party and its affiliates, certain requirements for the purity of German blood which extend beyond Article 5, the same remain untouched....

ARTICLE 7. The Fuehrer and Chancellor of the Reich is empowered to release anyone from the provisions of these administrative decrees. Nazi Racial Legislation: The Nuremberg Laws

One of the earliest statements of the Nazi partythe policy document of 1920 known as the Twenty-Five Points explicitly foreshadowed the exclusion of Jews from German citizenship (Point 4).Thus, as soon as Hitler came to power in 1933, no time was lost in proceeding against Germany's Jewish citizens. In the early months of the regime, they were prey to unbridled violence by Party activists during the so-called Brown Terror Officially, steps were immediately taken to dismiss Jews from the civil service, reduce their number in the professions, and curtail the students in schools and colleges. Partly as a ploy to bring order to the shameless Party activism against inoffensive citizens and to clarify the regime's attitude to German Jewry, the two measures outlined below were passed at a meeting of the Party Congress at Nuremberg on Sept. 15, 1935. Two of the laws are outlined below. The third, the Reich Flag Act, decreed the new German national flag to be the Nazi swastika flag.

Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor

Firm in the knowledge that the purity of German blood is the basis for the survival of the German people and inspired by the unshakeable determination to safeguard the future of the German nation, the Reichstag has unanimously resolved upon the following law, which is promulgated herewith:

Section 1 Marriages between Jews and citizens of German or some related blood are forbidden. Such marriages contracted despite the law are invalid, even if they take place abroad in order to avoid the law.

Section 2 Sexual relations outside marriage between Jews and citizens of German or related blood are forbidden.

Section 3 Jews will not be permitted to employ female citizens of German or related blood who are under 45 years as housekeepers.

Section 4 1. Jews are forbidden to raise the national flag or display the national colors. 2. However, they are allowed to display the Jewish colors. The exercise of this right is protected by the State.

Section 5 1. Anyone who disregards Section 1 is liable to penal servitude. 2. Anyone who disregards the prohibition of Section 2 will be punished with imprisonment or penal servitude. 3. Anyone who disregards the provisions of Sections 3 or 4 will be punished with imprisonment up to one year or with a fine, or with one of these penalties.

The Reich Citizenship Law, 1935

Article 1 Section 1 A German subject is one who is a member of the protective union of the German Reich and is bound

69 to it by special obligations....

Section 2 1. A Reich citizen is that subject who is of German or related blood only and who through his behavior demonstrates that he is ready and able to serve faithfully the German people and Reich. 2. The right to citizenship of the Reich is acquired by the grant of citizenship papers. 3. A citizen of the Reich is the sole bearer of full political rights as provided by the law.

In the subsequent clarifying regulation of Nov. 14, 1935, a Jew was defined as anyone who was descended from: (a) at least three racially full Jewish grandparents or (b) two full Jewish parents if he or she belonged to the Jewish religious c ommunity (i.e., an observing Jew); was married to a Jewish person; was the offspring of a full Jew (as defined in a.) or the offspring of an extramarital relationship with a full Jew. Neither could a Jew be a citizen of the Reich, vote or hold public offi ce. Incidentally, persons of mixed Jewish blood (i.e., half-Jewswith one or two Jewish grandparents) were absolved from these restrictions, though, again, Jewish observance tightened the restrictions.

RETURN TO HOMEPAGE

70 Yad Vashem

"And to them will I give in my house and within my walls a memorial... an everlasting name,that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:5)

Yad Vashem, the national Authority for the Remembrance of the Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, was established in 1953 by act of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) to commemorate the six million Jewishmen, women and children murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during the years 1933-1945. The Authority also commemorates the heroism and fortitude of the Jewish partisans and the fighters in the Ghetto revolts,as well as the actions of the "Righteous Among the Nations" (non-Jews who saved the lives of Jews).

Located on Har Hazikaron (Heb., Hill of Remembrance), a ridge on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, the Yad Vashem Memorial and Institute includes several commemorative monuments, an historicalmuseum, a central archive and a research center for the documentation of the Holocaust.

The task of Yad Vashem is to perpetuate the memory and lessons of the Holocaust for future generations.

Centralstateceremonies areheldat Yad Vashem each year on Remembrance Day for the Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, which is observed according to the Hebrew Calendar on the 27th day of Nisan (2 May, this year), the anniversary of the start of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Revolt.

The principle memorial at Yad Vashem is the Hall of Remembrance (Ohel Yizkor). The severe concrete-walled structure with a low tent-like roof stands empty, save for an eternal flame. Engraved in the black basalt floor are the names of 21 Nazi extermination camps, concentration camps and killing sites in central and eastern Europe. A crypt in front of the memorial flame contains ashes of victims.

71 The approach to the Hall of Remembrance is lined with trees planted in honor of non-Jewish men and women- "Righteous Among the Nations" - who, at the risk of their own lives, attempted to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. Several of the trees honor members of the Christian clergy, among them a Franciscan priest in Assisi, the bishop of the Greek island of Zakinthos, a Polish nun in Lithuania and a French Protestant pastor. Over 16,000 persons have been honored with the title "Righteous Among the Nations".

Approximately 1.5 million Jewish children perished in the Holocaust. They arespeciallyrememberedinthenearbyChildren'sMemorial,an underground cavern in which the' flickering flames of memorial candlesare reflected in an infinity of tiny lights within the prevailing darkness.

A central element of Yad Vashem is the Historical Museum, which presents the history of the Holocaust through photographs, artifacts, documents and audio-visualaids.Thepresentationischronological,showingthe progression of Nazi anti-Jewish policies from persecution to ghettoization to systematic mass murder. Displays also present the history of Jewish resistance to the Holocaust, including the heroism of Jewish partisans.

The Yad Vashem Archive collection, the largest and most comprehensiveon the Holocaust in the world, comprises 55 million pages of documents, nearly 100,000 photographs, film footage and the videotaped testimonies of survivors. The library contains more than 80,000 titles, thousands of periodicals, and a large number of rare documents.

The International Institute for Holocaust Research coordinates and supports research on national and international levels, organizes conferences and colloquia, and publishes a variety of important works on the Holocaust, including memoirs and diaries. To date, the Institute has published 18 volumes of the projected 32-volume Encyclopedia of Communities (Pinkasei Hakehilot), an historical-geographical compendium ofevery Jewish community destroyed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

A principal mission of Yad Vashem is education. The International School for Holocaust Studies each year holds courses for over 100,000 students, 50,000 soldiers and thousands of educators. Courses for teachers are offered in seven languages in addition to Hebrew, and the school also sends its professional staff abroad to further education about the Holocaust.

Source: Israeli Foreign Minis. See also Yad Vashem

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Main Index > Subjects > Social Studies > World History Holocaust

Internet Sites I Discussion Groups

Internet Sites:

* H-Holocaust Resources for teachers of the holocaust. http://wwvv.h-net.msu.edu/holoweb/

* United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Educational Resource From the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Includes guidelines for t about the holocaust, brief history of the holocaust, children and the holocaust, an annotated videography, more. http://wwvv.ushmm.org/education/index.htm

* Cybrary of the Holocaust p This site uses art, discussion groups, photos, poems, and historical educate scholars and newcomers about the holocaust. Includes a t guide containing background material for teaching about the holoca http://remember.org/

* A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust From the Florida Center for Instructional Technology in the College Education at the University of South Florida, this guide consists of s activities, teacher resources, a Holocaust timeline, and information people and the music, visual art, and literature of and about the Hol http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/Holocaust/

* Holocaust Teacher Resource Center A project of the Holocaust Education Foundation, Inc. in Newport NE Virginia, this site offers curriculum guides, lesson plans, essays, ani

7 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE seeks submissions of these items as well as annotated bibliographic reviews, and other resources suitable for inclusion on the site. http://www.holocaust-trc.org/

* Holocaust Survivors This site includes stories of Holocaust survivors for visitors to listen read. Also includes a historical introduction to the Holocaust, a phot an encyclopedia, and other related resources. http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/

* Voices of the Holocaust A collection of interviews with Holocaust survivors conducted by Dr. Boder in 1946. The Paul V. Galvin Library of Illinois Institute of Tect has published the materials online. http://voices. i it. edu/

* Learning About the Holocaust Through Art "The primary goal of this project is to create a significant, high-qualt resource about the art of the Holocaust for researchers, educators, and the wider public." http://art.holocaust-education.net/

Discussion Groups:

* H-HOLOCAUST Primarily for scholars and teachers of the holocaust on the college I To subscribe, address an e-mail message in the following manner: To: [email protected] sub H-HOLOCAUST Archives: http://www.h-net.msu.edu/logs/logs.cgi?list=H-Holocaust

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74 Return to Witnesses

On Gypsies

"Like the Jews, Gypsies were singled out by the Nazis for racial persecution and annihilation. They were 'nonpersons,' of 'foreign blood,' 'labor-shy,' and as such were termed asocials. To a degree, they shared the fate of the Jews in their ghettos, in the extermination camps, before firing squads, as medical guinea pigs, and being injected with lethal substances. Ironically, the German writer Johann Christof Wagenseil claimed in 1697 that Gypsies stemmed from German Jews. A more contemporary Nazi theorist believed that 'the Gypsy cannot, by reason of his inner and outer makeup ( Konstruktion), be a useful member of the human community.'<70> The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 aimed at the Jews were soon amended to include the Gypsies. In 1937, they were classified as asocials, second-class citizens, subject to concentration camp imprisonment. <71> As early as 1936, some had been sent to camps. After 1939, Gypsies from Germany and from the German-occupied territories were shipped by the thousands first to Jewish ghettos in Poland at Warsaw, Lublin, Kielce, Rabka, Zary, Siedlce and others. <72>

It is not known how many were killed by the Einsatzgruppen charged with speedy extermination by shooting. For the sake of efficiency Gypsies were also shot naked, facing their pre-dug graves. According to the Nazi experts, shooting Jews was easier, they stood still, 'while the Gypsies cry out, howl, and move constantly, even when they are already standing on the shooting ground. Some of them even jumped into the ditch before the volley and pretended to be dead.' <73> The first to go were the German Gypsies; 30,000 were deported East in three waves in 1939, 1941 and 1943. Those married to Germans were exempted but were sterilized, as were their children after the age of twelve. <74>Just how were the Gypsies of Europe 'expedited'? Adolf Eichmann, chief strategist of these diabolical logistics, supplied the answer in a telegram from Vienna to the Gestapo: Regarding transport of Gypsies be informed that on Friday, October 20, 1939, the first transport of Jews will depart Vienna. To this transport 3-4 cars of Gypsies are to be attached. Subsequent trains will depart from Vienna, Mahrisch-Ostrau and Katowice [Poland]. The simplest method is to attach some carloads of Gypsies to each transport. Because these transports must follow schedule, a smooth execution of this matter is expected. Concerning a start in the Altreich [Germany proper] be informed that this will be coming in 3-4 weeks. Eichmann. <74>

Open season was declared on the Gypsies, too. For a while Himmler wished to exempt two tribes and 'only' sterilize them, but by 1942 he signed the decree for all Gypsies to be shipped to Auschwitz. <76> There they were subjected to all that Auschwitz meant, including the medical experiments, before they were exterminated. Gypsies perished in Dachau, Mauthausen, Ravensbruck and other camps. At Sachsenhausen they were subjected to special experiments that were to prove scientifically that their blood was different from that of the Germans. The doctors in charge of this 'research' were the same ones who had practiced previously on black prisoners of war. Yet, for 'racial reasons' they were found unsuitable for sea water experiments. <77>

Gypsies were often accused of atrocities committed by others; they were blamed, for instance, for the looting of gold teeth from a hundred dead Jews abandoned on a Rumanian road. <78>Gypsy women were forced to become guinea pigs in the hands of Nazi physicians. Among others they were sterilized as 'unworthy of human reproduction' (fortpflanzungsunwuerdig), only to be ultimately annihilated as not worthy of living. ... At that, the Gypsies were the luckier ones; in Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark and Finland they were spared. <80>For a while there was a Gypsy Family Camp in Auschwitz, but on August 6,1944, it was liquidated. Somemen and women were shipped to German factories as slave labor; the rest, about 3,000women, children and old people, were gassed. <81>No precise statistics exist about the extermination of European Gypsies. Some estimates place thenumber between 500,000 and 600,000, most of them gassed in Auschwitz.<82> Others indicated a more conservative 200,000 Gypsy victims of the Holocaust. <83>" 75 S1Xv.ollvw R.21.5eX 4...... ,,,,Oveauo.r.,......

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o American Victims o Bibliography of The Holocaust, Nazi Germany and World War II o The Burning of the Books o Chronology of Jewish Persecution o Concentration Camps o The Controversy Over Richard Wagner oDer StOrmer oDisplaced Persons o The "Euthanasia" (T-4) Program o The Einsatzgruppen o Final Solution o First Use of "Holocaust" o Forced Labor o German Business and the Third Reich o The Gestapo o Ghettos o History of the HolocaustAn Introduction o Adolf Hitler o Hollerith Machine o Holocaust Assets & Reparations o Holocaust Denial o Holocaust Glossary o Holocaust One of "Most Important Events of Century" o How to File a Restitution Claim o Immigration & Refugee Policy During WWII o Jews in Austria o Jews in Greece o Jews in Poland o Jews in the Soviet Union o Judenrat oKapos oKristallnacht o The "Lebensborn" o Liberators o Joe Louis Vs. Max Schmeling o The Madagascar Plan o Maps o The March of the Living BEST COPY AVABLABLE 7 Medical Experiments Monuments in Israel Commemorating the Holocaust Moral Dilemmas Faced by Jewish Doctors During the Holocaust The Nazi Olympics Nazi POW Camps The Nazis & The Jews Martin Niemoeller. The Failure to Speak Up Against the Nazis The Nuremberg Laws Perpetrators Photographs Pope Pius XII Rescuers Resistance Resisters, Rescuers, and Bystanders: An Introduction Responsa Regarding Saving Yourself & Your Children in the Holocaust Rewriting History In Textbooks Speech of John Paul II at Yad Vashem The SS The Swastika U.S. Policy During World War II Victims What Makes the Holocaust Unique? War Crimes We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah [from the Vatican] The Simon Wiesenthal Center's 36 Questions About the Holocaust What We Knew and When We Knew It World Response to the Holocaust World War II Documents Yad Vashen

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