The Holocaust Why do we learn about it

The Holocaust Why do we learn about it? • To learn about Adolf Hitler, Nazi Europe, The Third Reich, The Final Solution, and the event called “The Holocaust” • To learn about the consequences of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping in any society. • To learn to become tolerant or understanding of different cultures. • To learn NOT to be silent, unfeeling, or indifferent in the face of another’s oppression. • To speak out in the face of Anti. Semitism, prejudice, and racism. • To never allow genocide to happen again!

Terms to know! • Prejudice - to judge or hate any group without any just reason • Racism - a belief that one group is superior over another group • Oppression - to control by cruel force; to hold back by means of pain and suffering • Anti-Semitism - To hate or discriminate against those who are Jewish • Genocide - the deliberate killing of ONE nationality or ethnicity • Scapegoating – placing illogical blame on a group of people for your country’s problems. Can you think of any examples?

Terms to know! • Nazi - a member of the National Socialist German Worker’s Party…controlled by Adolf Hilter. • Third Reich - Germany during the control of the Nazis • Communism - form of government in which all property is shared by the whole community or government. • Holocaust - Great destruction by fire

Terms to know! • Passover - Jewish holiday celebrated in March or April celebrating the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt • Seder - Jewish meal that follows a particular order • Yiddish - German language spoken by those who are Jewish…Hebrew + German • Haggadeh - the Jewish Prayer book…where rituals are written about • Unleavened Bread - bread w/out yeast. Matzo • Yahrzeit - prayer for the dead and the living • Afikoman - rag used in a game played at the Seder

History of Anti-Semitism • The feelings of hatred can be traced to Ancient Rome • The Romans worshipped more than one God and Hebrews only one • Jews believed differently than Christianity…causing further conflict

History of Anti-Semitism • In the Middle Ages, laws were passed to keep Jews living in certain areas and limited their interaction (economic and socially) with non-Jews – Blamed for unexplainable events…black death – Lived in ghettos (different terminology than what we know) • 19 th Century—governments encouraged violence against Jewish businesses and Jews • After WWI, Germany’s political leaders blamed Germany’s economic problems on Jews…causing more hatred • Once Hitler took control, he easily convinced an angry country that the Jews are the cause of all of their problems. • **SCAPEGOATING = Blaming a group of people for the country’s problems

Anti-Semitic sign reading, "Juden sind hier unerwunscht" (Jews Are Unwanted Here).

ADOLF HITLER Childhood • Born April 20, 1889 • Father: Alois Hitler • Mother: Klara Hitler – She was very close to Hitler – Died at 47 due to cancer…. doctor was Jewish…not blamed

ADOLF HITLER • Was a corporal during WWI – Injured on a mail run…could have changed history had he not lived • Very charming and well-liked • Founded the German Workers’ Party (AKA: Nazi Party…German for GWP) • 1929 flocked to rallies to overthrow government • Thrown into prison for involvement in rallies – Held for 9 months, but released because of his personality – Wrote Mein Kempf while in prison

ADOLF HITLER • Although did not do well in school, he was very smart…decided to run for political office • Only excelled in art and P. E. • Only received 36% of vote, but declared himself “Fuhrer” when President Hildenburg died. – Appointed Reich Chancellor January 30, 1933 – He used a radio to reach the public…He was a very good speaker!

The Third Reich and Hitler’s Reign • Reich=Empire • Hitler called his time of ruling as the Third Reich • Used Jews as a “scapegoat” for placing blame regarding Germany’s failing economy. • Hitler despised those who were medically inferior…this included those born with birth defects (mental retardation, missing limbs, deaf, blind, mute. . etc). • Rumored to favor those with blond hair and blue eyes… “racial purity”

Germans attend a class in racial theory. Germany, date uncertain.

Hitler’s Reign • 1 st plan of action was to get rid of Germany’s Jews • This all took place in several stages – Propaganda: persuading all Germans Jews are bad – Taking away professional rights and civil liberties – Murder • Sent many Jews to other countries – Singapore accepted many of the Jews kicked out of Germany. – U. S. would NOT accept Germany’s Jews • Next, was to rid Germany of those with severe illnesses or mental illnesses. (Death) • Hitler started taking over other countries, causing WWII

WWII Defined • World War II (1939 -1945). • He took over 6 countries in only 44 days – France – Denmark – Luxembourg – Holland – Belgium – Poland—hardest hit. All intellectuals, leaders, artists, musicians, doctors, priests, and politicians were murdered. Why? ? • Germany, Italy, and Japan were the Axis Powers • England, United States (1942), Russia, and many other European countries were the Allied Powers.

Holocaust • Once Hitler took over the other countries, he also acquired more Jewish people • Developed “Concentration camps” – Holding/work centers for those of Jewish ancestry – There were hundreds of concentration camps throughout occupied Europe – Problem…too many people and too expensive to German government • Created “Final Solution” = mass extermination to rid Germany of Jews

Deportation of Jewish women from the Warsaw ghetto. Poland, 1942 -1943.

Holocaust • To determine who was a Jew, all Jews were required to wear a label that stated they were Jewish. – Poland= yellow Star of David • The Germans (Nazis) then took over Jewish businesses and properties – November 10, 1938 “Kristalnact”…Night of broken glass – Millions of dollars in damage done by Nazis…forced Jews to pay for damages – 200+ synagogues were burned to the ground

Holocaust • Many Jews were then sent to live in ghettos – Overcrowded…sometimes 3 -4 families per apartment – Starvation, extreme cold, unsanitary conditions, and disease killed thousands of people • The ghettos were eventually liquidated…occupants were sent to both concentration camps or death camps • All together roughly 12 million people were killed from 1939 -1945 – 6 million were Jews – 6 million were gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, freemasons, Polish, political prisoners, resistance fighters

View of the railcar on display in the Permanent Exhibition of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum #n 00090

Concentration vs. Death Camps Concentration Camps • A concentration camp is similar to a prison • Treated the inmates in a very inhumane manner. • Men, women, and children were all held in concentration camps Death/Extermination Camps • In Nazi Death Camps, the main purpose was to exterminate life. • They used many ways including gas chambers (Zyclon B or Carbon Monoxide), shootings, poisonous injections, to name a few.

Zyklon B pellets found at the liberation of the Majdanek camp. Poland, after July 1944.

Holocaust • Poland had ALL 6 of the death camps – Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Chelmo, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau (largest) • Victims were delivered by freight trains from ghettos – Were told they were being relocated • Men, women, and children were all subjected to horrible conditions on trains – No food, water, or facilities for several days and nights – Freezing conditions at night and extreme heat during day – Many died on journey to camps • Separated once arrived to camps

Jews being deported from the Warsaw ghetto board a freight train. Warsaw, Poland, July-September 1942.

Jewish deportees from the Lodz ghetto who are being taken to the Chelmno death camp, are transferred from a closed passenger train to a train of open cars at the Kolo train station.

Holocaust • Those under 14 years of age, mothers with small children, over 35 years of age, ill, or weak were sent to one side (undesirables) …healthy men, women, and teens were sent to the other side • Those that were undesirable were sent to the showers…essentially death chambers

A transport of Hungarian Jews lines up for selection at the Auschwitz extermination camp. Poland, May 1944

Holocaust • All possessions were confiscated. This included all clothing. • Those sent to the showers were poisoned to death with gas pellets. (20 minutes maximum) • Other prisoners were forced to clean out the bodies after they were killed…Commandos • If one was not sent to the showers, the average life span was only 6 months

A door to a gas chamber in Auschwitz. The note reads: Harmful gas! Entering endangers your life.

A warehouse full of shoes and clothing confiscated from the prisoners and deportees gassed upon their arrival. The Germans shipped these goods to Germany.

Holocaust • Conditions in camps were horrible • No food, water, clothing, or warm blankets • Threat of death was always present • Those who did survive it was by pure luck…no one to survive. • Most people lost WHOLE families---sole survivors Deportation of Jews. Koszeg, Hungary, July 1944.

• Dachau rations – Morning: 350 grams of bread, ½ C. imitation coffee – Lunch: either 1 C of turnip soup or cabbage soup – Evening: 20 -30 grams of sausage or cheese, ¾ C. of imitation tea, or 1 C. of soup. – Daily caloric intake was less than 500. • Survivors of the Ampfing subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp soon after liberation by U. S. troops. Ampfing, Germany, May 4, 1945.

Majority Rules

Holocaust Aftermath • U. S. did little to help with the situation before, during, or after…lots of Anti-Semitism here in the U. S. • Germany tried to cover up their crimes by walking prisoners on “death marches” as the Allied powers approached • Once war ended April 30, 1945 only a handful of Nazis were punished for their crimes – Nuremburg Trials • Hilter committed suicide and was never punished

Holocaust Aftermath • The Jews who did survive left Europe for other countries – U. S. – Israel/Palestine • Those who did not have the opportunity to leave were sent to “Displaced Persons” Camps. – Many were sole survivors with NO money, no home, or a nation

Holocaust Aftermath • The effects of the Holocaust are still present. • Survivors are still alive, but they are reaching advanced age and will not be with us much longer. • People did try to help, but it was too few. Jewish refugees in Feldafing displaced persons camp. Germany, after 1945.

Misc. Facts • “Arbeit Macht Frei” – Work will set you free • Switzerland—Neutral territory • 1. 1 million Jews killed in Auschwitz alone • 6, 720 acres of death (Auschwitz) • Dachau first Concentration Camp • Stories of extreme terror – Traveling execution machines

Corpses lie in one of the open railcars of the Dachau death train. The Dachau death train consisted of nearly forty cars containing the bodies of between two and three thousand prisoners transported to Dachau in the last days of the war. Dachau, Germany, April 29, 1945.

Photo mural showing a pile of hair shorn from the heads of female prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau as displayed at the National Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Auschwitz concentration camp showing Auschwitz II (Birkenau), including the gypsy camp. One of a series of aerial photographs taken by Allied reconnaissance units under the command of the 15 th U. S. Army Air Force during missions dating between April 4, 1944 and January 14, 1945. The photos were used to plan bombing raids, determine the accuracy of bombing sorties, or make damage assessments. A typical sortie employed two cameras equipped with lenses of different focal lengths.

Child survivors of Auschwitz, wearing adult-size prisoner jackets, stand behind a barbed wire fence. [Photograph #66935 A]

Corpses of women piled up on the floor of Block 11. [Photograph #08854]

Suitcases that belonged to people deported to the Auschwitz camp. This photograph was taken after Soviet forces liberated the camp. Auschwitz, Poland, after January 1945.

Identification pictures of a female inmate of the Auschwitz camp. Poland, between 1942 and 1945.

A survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp displays his tattooed arm.

Four survivors from Salonika display the tattoos they received while imprisoned in Auschwitz.

References -Pictures taken by Kate Stiglic -All information is based on knowledge acquired while in class. Nothing was taken from books verbatim. -Historical photos were taken from www. ushmm. org