Historical Breakdown: The Holocaust, also known as: The Final
Solution The People Involved, A Background, and a Visual
Understanding
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The Holocaust Massive genocide committed against primarily
European Jews during the World War II era Genocide = the deliberate
and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic,
racial, religious, or national group This genocide was
state-sanctioned by the German Nazi state, led by Adolf Hitler
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The End Result Over six million European Jews were murdered,
which was approximately two-thirds of the population One million of
this number were children A total 11-17 million were killed (the
numbers are not fully known, records were destroyed) Others
attacked: gypsies, Soviet POWs/civilians, Polish, homosexuals, the
disabled, and Jehovah's Witnesses
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Types of Persecution Various Stages Laws that removed Jews from
civil society (Nuremberg Laws) These laws allowed an official
ideology of incorporating anti- Semitism as a form of scientific
racism; this law was designed to determine who was non- Aryan.
Stripped away basic rights.
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Types of Persecution Various Stages Ghettos A tight space that
was used within cities to imprison Holocaust victims prior to
transportation
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Ghettos
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Types of Persecution Various Stages Concentration camps Slave
labor camps designed to work a prisoner to death through exhaustion
or disease
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Types of Persecution Various Stages Einsatzgruppen formed
(extension of S.S.) A specialized unit that murdered Jews and
political opponents (believed to have killed at least 1,000,000
people)
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Types of Persecution Various Stages Extermination camps / gas
chambers Overcrowded ghettos would transport victims via freight
train, where if they survived, they were systematically killed in
the gas chambers
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Nazi-State General Understandings Every arm of Nazi Germanys
government was involved in the genocides The civilian population of
Germany were unaware of the gas chambers, but they knew of the
ghettos and concentration camps Holocaust victims most commonly
believed they were to be resettled somewhere else, they had little
to no idea about the death camps This was the first time a mass
murder of this size was taking place; it was difficult to accept
such an idea.
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How did this start? 1933-1935: After Hitler became Chancellor
of Germany (subsequently, the rise of Nazi power), the attacks on
Jews began. Boycott of Jewish businesses Discrimination of Jews
(banning of marriage between Aryan and non-Aryan) Goal became about
preserving German blood and honor many claimed that it was about
prevention of hereditary illness
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Medical Experiments Medical experiments Designed to see if one
could purify the blood line through science Dr. Josef Mengele: most
notorious physician, worked in Auschwitz Placed subjects in
pressure chambers Tested drugs and other medications Froze subjects
Attempted to change eye color by injecting chemicals into eyes
Various amputations Few survived surgeries, and when they did they
were killed following the surgery
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Medical Experiments Dr. Mengele: Preferred to work with Romani
children Asked children to call him Onkel Mengele (Uncle), he would
bring them candy and toys He personally escorted children to gas
chambers A Jewish inmate at Auschwitz reported as saying: I
remember one set of twins in particular: Guido and Ina, aged about
four. One day, Mengele took them away. When they returned, they
were in a terrible state: they had been sewn together, back to
back, like Siamese twins. Their wounds were infected and oozing
pus. They screamed day and night. Then their parents I remember the
mother's name was Stella managed to get some morphine and they
killed the children in order to end their suffering.
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Concentration Camps In total there were nearly 60 concentration
camps. 1933-1945 Data suggests over 4 million died in camps,
however many suggest that records were destroyed (meaning: the true
numbers will never truly be known)
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Types of Camps Hostage camps: camps where hostages were held
and killed as reprisals. Labor camps: concentration camps where
interned inmates had to do hard physical labor under inhumane
conditions and cruel treatment. Some of these camps were sub-camps
of bigger camps, or "operational camps", established for a
temporary need. POW camps: concentration camps where prisoners of
war were held after capture. POWs were usually soon assigned to
labor camps. Camps for rehabilitation and re-education of Poles:
camps where the intelligentsia of the ethnic Poles were held, and
"re-educated" according to Nazi values as slaves. Transit and
collection camps: camps where inmates were collected and routed to
main camps, or temporarily held (Durchgangslager or Dulag).
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The Extermination Camps First in existence with expressed goal
of murdering extensive amounts of people. Auschwitz-Birkenau Belzec
Chelmno Jasenovac Majdanek Maly Trostenets Sobibor Treblinka
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Death Marches: 1944-1945 As the Allied forces closed in on Nazi
forces, a desperate effort was made to conceal the death camps.
People were murdered faster, and disposed of in unknown ways Gas
chambers dismantled, crematoria dynamited Mass graves dug up to
cremate the bodies, while farmers planted crops over the site to
hide evidence Death marches were last attempt to hide evidence
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Death Marches Prisoners were forced to walk tens of miles in
snow to train stations. After walking to the train station, victims
were transported for days at a time without food or adequate cover
from the cold. After arrival at the new camp, they were made to
march again. Most victims were deathly ill, starved, and weak An
estimated 250,000 died during the marches This was the INTENDED
goal of the Nazis: they wanted the Jews to die a painful death, the
gas chambers were too effective Largest and best-known death march
was January 1945 35 mile march, 15,000 died Elie Weisel made this
march, and survived it is in his novel
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Victims VictimsKilled Jews5.9 million Soviet POWs23 million
Ethnic Poles1.82 million Romani220,0001,500,000
Disabled200,000250,000 Freemasons80,000 Slovenes20,00025,000
Homosexuals5,00015,000 Jehovahs Witnesses2,5005,000
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This is a BRIEF overview As we read Elie Wiesels account in
Night, you will be faced with understanding much more Keep these
notes handy. Wiesel uses Yiddish, Kabbalah, and German terms to
create a more real storyline. Prepare for a visual overview of the
Holocaust, at least of the images that do still exist.
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Elie Weisel: The Author Survived Auschwitz Circled is Elie,
five days after liberation
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Elie Wiesel Romanian-born Jewish-American Night is about his
time in Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps Lived
in the city of Sighet, Romania Inmate Tattoo ID: A-7713
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Upon arrival at the death camp Mother and sisters were
separated presumably, they died upon arrival in a gas chamber Elie
and his father remained together until the weeks leading up to
Buchenwalds liberation
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His novel is non-fiction Not embellished, is authentic. #1
Best-Seller as recently as 2006 Translated into 30 languages Ill
let Elie tell you his life story though with his novel these are
just some of the main points to take into consideration.
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Now that you have a start to the depth and horrors of the
Holocaust, we are going to review some of the most iconic images of
the Holocaust. Please remember that your sensitivity and maturity
are required. More importantly, as you walk away from this class
today take a moment to think of how The Holocaust in Pictures
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Discussion What major ideas would people be afraid we learned
from the Holocaust? Consider both positive and negative lessons.
After viewing the images, and hearing a brief history, what do you
feel now? What information was new or unexpected from this slide
show?