The Holocaust Victims, Bystanders, and Death-dealers

Perpetrators “Death Dealers” As soon as Hitler became Chancellor the Nazis began to wear away the rights of the Jewish population Propaganda was used to get the population to jump on board with the ideals of the Nazi party Hitler wrote: The function of propaganda is to attract supporters, the function of organization to win members... Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea....

Josef Mengele Measurements – The twins were forced to undress and lay next to each other. Then every detail of their anatomy was carefully examined, studied, and measured. What was the same was deemed to be hereditary and was different was deemed to be the result of the environment. These tests would last for several hours. Blood – Blood tests included mass transfusions of blood from one twin to another. Eyes – In attempts to fabricate blue eyes, drops or injections of chemicals would be put in the eyes. This often caused severe pain, infections, and temporary or permanent blindness.

Josef Mengele Experiments on Twins Shots and Diseases – Mysterious injections that caused severe pain. Injections into the spine and spinal taps with no anesthesia. Diseases, including typhus and tuberculosis, would be purposely given to one twin and not the other. When one died, the other was often killed to examine and compare the effects of the disease. Surgeries – Various surgeries without anesthesia including organ removal, castration, and amputations. Death – The autopsies became the final experiment. Dr. Nyiszli performed autopsies on twins whom had died from the experiments or whom had been purposely killed just for after-death measurements and examination. Some of the twins had been stabbed with a needle that pierced their heart and then were injected with chloroform or phenol which caused near immediate blood coagulation and death.

Bystanders Self-deception – Claimed they “didn’t know” – Often… just turned a blind eye

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the labor leaders, and I did not speak out because I was not a labor leader. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me. --The Reverend Martin Niemöller, a pastor in the German Confessing Church who spent seven years in a concentration camp.

Victims Jews Up to 6 million deaths Roma (Gypsies) Nomadic people, hundreds of thousands killed Poles and Other Slavs Christian Poles and other Slavs, notably Ukrainians and Byelorussians… Millions of deaths Political Dissidents and Dissenting Clergy Political opposition to Nazis, Christians against the policies. Hundreds of clergy arrested, imprisoned, killed. Persons with Physical or Mental Disabilities Forced sterilization of 300, ,000 people… Secret “Euthanization” program. Hitler called it off… doctors still encouraged killing by starvation, poisoning, or injection Jehovah’s Witnesses Group outlawed by Nazis… 10,000 imprisoned in camps (1/2 of total population), 2,500- 5,000 killed

Victims Homosexuals Special Gestapo division set up to round up/persecute homosexuals, 5-15,000 sent to camps… even tormented by inmates Other Victims Hundreds of African-German children living in the Rhineland. Labeled "Rhineland Bastards" and forcibly sterilized. Nazis targeted numerous vagrants, prostitutes, alcoholics, and others who were considered unfit for society.

Survivors “There are 350,000 survivors of the Holocaust alive today... There are 350,000 experts who just want to be useful with the remainder of their lives. Please listen to the words and the echoes and the ghosts. And please teach this in your schools.” --Steven Spielberg, Academy Award acceptance speech