Research Paper Holocaust Overview

Emily Stoll

ENG Comp 102-106 Mr. Neuburger 2 April 2012

How the Holocaust happened and the event itself are two very fascinating topics. It is very important to know about the Holocaust and how it happened for many reasons. The Holocaust is considered to be a conspiracy theory in some parts of the world, but with survivor testimonies solidifying the event, it is ignorant to believe anything else but that it happened. Another reason it is important to know about the Holocaust and how it happened is to have a sense of awareness of what can happen to a nation, and hopefully avoid it. Even though the attempted extermination of all Jews from occupied territories took place over a two and a half to three year period of time, it was a series of events that unfolded over a thirty year time period that allowed the Holocaust to happen.

Nazi rise to power Even though the Great Depression threw Europe into a false democracy, the Nazi rise to power worsened the situation. It was no longer a powerless or apathetic government, but it became an authoritarian government with Hitler as Fuehrer. The Reichstag became the last party standing, with Social Democracy and even Communism falling out of the race. Some Socialist and Communist
This is an example of citizens being arrested for saluting Hitler before the Nazi rise to power. Source: http://bit.ly/HnpJFw

forms of control are seen in the Reichstag, even though both forms still include humane cooperation between government and citizen.

(Germany: Establishment Of The Nazi Dictatorship, United States Holocaust Museum)

Anti-Semitism Towards the Jews

In the article Anti-Semitism in history: Nazi antiSemitism, Nazi anti-Semitism is described in detail, beginning and ending with Hitlers ignition of conspiracies of the Jews. Hitler ignited old conspiracies about the Jewish people by correlating them with the Great Depression,
An example of Nazi Anti-Semitism towards Jews. Source: http://bit.ly/HIeNmj

which gained the permission of the German people to

discriminate, attack, and finally exterminate the Jews. (Antisemitism In History: Nazi Antisemitism, United States Holocaust Museum)

The Nuremberg Laws Also from the article Anti-Semitism in history: Nazi antiSemitism, the Nuremberg Laws were mentioned as physical evidence of Nazi anti-Semitism towards the Jews. Not only did the Nuremberg Laws discriminate against Jews, but they also divided Aryans from non-Aryans. (Antisemitism In History: Nazi Antisemitism, United States Holocaust Museum)
A chart used for the Nuremberg Laws that showed who was considered to be Jewish. Source: http://bit.ly/HbaK8s

Ursula Levy, a survivor, describes in her testimony that a catholic priest had formulated a lie about her heritage in order to

increase her chances of survival. He told German officers that she had a Catholic father in America, and they believed him because she did not look Jewish. The Catholic lie allowed her and her brother to wear their own clothes, get extra food, and stay in barracks with prisoners of higher status because of their abilities:

It would have been very easy for people to snatch that piece of bread from me, but no one ever did; I find that very remarkable, considering I cant wear a chain around my neck in Chicago for fear that someone might grab it. And for these people, a crumb of bread meant the difference between life and death. (Holocaust Survivor Ursula Levy Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute)

Nazi Propaganda

In the article, The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda during World War Two and the Holocaust, the first section explained the purpose of Nazi propaganda: it held the Nazi party together, but it was not relevant to the partys decision making process or motivation. Another viewpoint is that Nazi propaganda played a huge role in motivating
An example of Nazi propaganda. Source: http://bit.ly/HPMC6P

genocide by posing Jews as the enemy of Germany that needed to be

exterminated. Another interesting point the author described was how the German soldiers would exterminate more Jewish prisoners as they suffered heavy losses in the war. They blamed the Jews for everything, especially the attacks from their enemies, and they encouraged the German nation to believe the same way. However, even as the German nation approved of genocide and the Nazi government exterminated what they considered to be their true enemy, no victory was publicly announced.

The author reviews another authors book about Nazi propaganda, stating mostly that the author was very incorrect on many points. One statement of the reviewer, Thomas Kaplan, was that the author considered the anti-Semitism to be strictly Nazi, rather than the whole German nation. Yet, the author sourced Nazi documents that recorded an agreement among citizen and government to be anti-Semitic.

Kristallnacht
A synagogue that was burned during Kristallnacht. Source: http://bit.ly/J3xZx3

The article Shattered lives: Holocaust survivor recalls Kristallnacht is about a holocaust survivor who vividly recalls Kristallnacht. His name is Alex Lebenstein, and he remembered Kristallnacht as if it happened last year. The article stated that Lebenstein spoke about his experience of Kristallnacht. He was so enraged by the event that he knew he had to speak out against intolerance. (Shattered Lives: Holocaust Survivor Recalls Kristallnacht, Gale: Opposing Viewpoints in Context)

The Ghettos

From the survivor testimony of Malka Baran, she recalled that in 1941, she did work on the side in the ghetto; they received coupons for food when they worked. She worked for the Germans again after some
Jews being rounded up into the ghetto in Poland. Source: http://bit.ly/HPN2tV

relocation. She was taken to Hassock concentration camp in 1943, and worked in a factory in the camp for war materials. When they had to sleep on the bunks without bedding, she slept in her coat. A lady and one of the officers secretly gave them bread. A child in her barrack saved her from being overwhelmed by the situation. She would wash with snow and use the ammunition cleaning machines as well. (Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute) In order to buy the bread that she was given by the lady in the camp, she gave the chain from the necklace that she had taken from home when she and her family were evacuated. However, she could not bring herself to give up the heart: The chain that I sold for bread, I couldnt bring myself to sell the heart because it was the only thing I had from my parents. (Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute)

Jewish Resistance In the article Jewish resistance to Nazis inspiring, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was seen as a positive and uplifting event for other Jews. The Jews did not succeed in their resistance, but the fact that they made the attempt at all was a very significant event. The
A caf that was attacked as part of the Jewish resistance. Source: http://bit.ly/HbFkuw

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is a good summary of the

Holocaust. Every element in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising can be seen throughout the Holocaust, with the important element of the desire of the Jewish people to fight back and stand up for what

was right. Even though the Nazis had taken away everything that the Jewish people had, they did not take away their courage and strength to attempt to make things right.

The Wannsee Conference and The Final Solution

In the article titled Chapter four: the Final Solution, the author describes how intensely the Nazis hated the Soviets. The concentration camps were converted into extermination camps for the purpose of killing off the Soviets, but as the anti-Semitism increased,
The location of the Wannsee Conference. Source: http://bit.ly/HbME9y

the extermination camps were used for anyone who did

not obey Hitler. Not even Catholic priests were safe, according to the article. Also, according to the article, Hitler was almost certainly the one to determine the Final Solution. Lastly, the article describes over 200,000 Roma being executed by Nazis, and the German denial of the fact until the mid- 1980s. (Chapter Four: The Final Solution, EBSCOhost)

The Jewish Selction Process Used by Nazis

Malka Baran, a survivor, recounted that she had a lot of memory blocks from being traumatized. When the German soldiers first evacuated her neighborhood, they did selection immediately and her brother did not survive.

Selection on the platform in Poland. Source: http://bit.ly/HaP2fi

Therefore, she was mostly passive and shocked during her time in the camps. (Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute)

Extermination Methods Used by the Nazis Ursula Levy, a survivor, witnessed prisoners being loaded on to trucks in order to be taken away and shot: I would see the people being loaded on the open trucks, and they would sing; that amazed me so much. At the moment of liberation, she herself was loaded
A picture of gas chambers, one of the execution methods. Source: http://bit.ly/HXfh8Z

on to a train to be exterminated. Even though so many others died around her on the long journey, she survived

into liberation. After the train had been stopped, she witnessed the creation of a mass grave for all of those who had died on the journey. (Holocaust Survivor Ursula Levy Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute)

The Death Camps Also from Ursula Levys testimony, she described her time in the concentration camps. In the concentration camp, the French women inspired her with their vitality. The presence of those she knew helped her to survive. Her brother, Mr. Van macklenberg, and Mrs. Melkmen helped her survive, and her initial health was

A map of the death camps in Poland. Source: http://bit.ly/HGFUQj

always good as well. (Holocaust Survivor Ursula Levy Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute) Several interesting facts were found from the article Concentration Camps, 1933-1939. In the beginning, concentration camps were formed to incarcerate real and perceived political opponents. Also, it was not just Hitler and the Reichstag that monitored the concentration camps, but local civilian officials monitored concentration camps as well. According to the article, even though there was an intense need for workers, it was common to mistreat the prisoners to death. (Concentration camps, United States Holocaust Museum)

Liberation of Jewish Prisoners

The article Honoring liberation of Holocaust survivors records the 67th anniversary of Holocaust liberation. The stories of Hy Horowitz, a soldier, Ivar Segalowitz and Thea Rumstein, two Holocaust survivors, are recorded in the article. The importance of the anniversary itself is mentioned
Inmates waving an American flag at the time of liberation. Source: http://bit.ly/HeOXNp

several times as well:

The event sought not only to mark the anniversary, but also to preserve the memories of its horrors as a cautionary tale for humanity. Hy Horowitz, the soldier, spoke about the shock and grief of seeing so many dead men, women, and children. Ivar Segalowitz, the survivor, spoke about the importance of confronting those who deny the atrocities of the Holocaust. Thea Rumstein, the other survivor mentioned in the

article, spoke about being numb during the Holocaust, but being able to find love and happiness after liberation.

After Liberation Until the Formation of Israel Also from Malka Barans testimony, she described the moment of liberation, her recovery, and the central role that Israel played in her life. At the exact moment of liberation, she recalled that no one had moved out of the barrack because of such intense learned helplessness. Since she was so passive, other people guided her during and after liberation to ensure her survival and help her live a normal life. The Russian soldiers and a
A church in the camp after liberation. Source: http://bit.ly/Hd6jsZ

Jewish soldier were specific people she remembered. She also met her adoptive mother in Israel after she traveled there with false documents to

get her into Israel. Her cousin and a Holocaust survivor organization got her fake papers for travelling. (Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute) Long before Malka Baran travelled to Israel, she attempted to enroll in a high school that the survivor organization had organized. However, she recalled that she and her friend did not pursue the education for some reason: The welcoming [in the high school] was not very welcoming so we didnt want to go back there. I dont know exactly what happened, but we did not feel safe or comfortable there. (Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute) From the testimony of Ursula Levy, the moment of liberation and recovery were very positive things in her life. She recalled that the weather and the new life with her aunt and uncle were the good things about liberation, but depression was the one thing she had to get help for. She

did not actually have depression, but she was afraid that she would contract it since her aunt had contracted it. (Holocaust Survivor Ursula Levy Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation Institute)

How the Holocaust happened and the event itself are two very fascinating topics. Not only are they fascinating, but they are important to know in order to avoid ignorance and ensure that they do not happen again. Many Germans deny that the Holocaust even occurred, but this is more than likely out of guilt. It is important to accept the truth that it happened, because the survivors of the Holocaust especially do not want such an event to occur again. We may know when it happened and how it happened, but we will never really be certain as to why it happened. The survivors of the Holocaust will leave a legacy of possible forgiveness and protecting the innocent through their experiences of the Holocaust, but those who helped the Holocaust or denied it even happened leave no legacy of value.

Works CitedA Notice Board Covered with Nazi Propaganda Posters. Photograph. Yad Vashem. "Antisemitism In History: Nazi Antisemitism." United States Holocaust Museum. United States Holocaust Museum. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Bialystok, Poland, German Policemen Rounding up Jews in the Ghetto. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Bialystok, Poland. Bryan, Julien. An Anti-Jewish Sign Posted on a Street in Germany Reads, "Jews Are Not Wanted Here." 1937. Photograph. United States Holocaust Museum, Bavaria, Germany. "Concentration Camps, 1933-1939." United States Holocaust Museum. United States Holocaust Museum. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Dachau, Germany, 30/4/45, Inmates Waving an American Flag, during Liberation.1945. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Dachau, Germany. Germany, A Chart Displaying Who Was Considered a Jew According to the Nuremberg Laws. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Germany. Germany, A Policeman Forcing a Worker to Give the Nazi Salute before Hitler's Rise to Power. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Germany. "Germany: Establishment Of The Nazi Dictatorship." United States Holocaust Museum. United States Holocaust Museum. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. Hajenina, Lester. Majdanek, Poland, Gas Chambers in the Camp, after the Liberation, July 1944. 1944. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Majdanek, Poland. Hoffmann, E., and B. Walter. Birkenau, Poland, Selection on the Platform, 27/05/1944.1944. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Birkenau, Poland.

"Holocaust Survivor Malka Baran Testimony." Interview by Shulamit Bastaky. USC Shoah Foundation Institute. USC Shoah Foundation Institute, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. "Holocaust Survivor Ursula Levy Testimony." Interview by Marie Kaufman. USC Shoah Foundation Institute. USC Shoah Foundation Institute, 30 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Kaplan, Thomas Pegelow. "The Jewish Enemy: Nazi Propaganda during World War II and the Holocaust." EBSCOhost. 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Lake, Jalmer. Gusen, Austria, May 1945, A Church in the Camp, after Liberation. 1945. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Gusen, Austria. Manuel Ramos, Victor. "Honoring Liberation of Holocaust Survivors." 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Poland, Map Detailing the Death Camps in the Occupied Nazi Areas. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Poland. Simmons, Rhonda. "Shattered Lives: Holocaust Survivor Recalls Kristallnacht." Gale: Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 12 May 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Wagner, Karl. Marburg, Germany, A Synagogue on Fire on Kristallnacht, 10/11/1938.1938. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Marburg, Germany. Wannsee, Berlin, Germany, The Villa in Which the Wannsee Conference Was Conducted. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Wannsee, Berlin, Germany. Witherbee, Amy. "Chapter Four: The Final Solution." EBSCOhost. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Zeinert, Karen. "Jewish Resistance to Nazis Inspiring." EBSCOhost. Sept. 1993. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. ZOB. Krakow, Poland, The Cyganeria Cafe That the Jewish Resistance Attacked during 12/1942. 1942. Photograph. Yad Vashem, Krakow, Poland.