Holocaust- New terms and questions

Terms to add to notes Brownshirts: Members of early Nazi militia, aided in Hitler’s rise to power. SS officers eventually took their place. Gypsies: Romani (or Roma) people, also called Sinti-Roma—an ethnic group of migrants, originating from the southern region of Asia (northern India). Like many other marginalized groups (religious and ethnic) they were targeted in the Holocaust for being different, and therefore sharing the blame for the all the problems in society. Jehovah’s Witnesses: Believers in a religion, like Judaism, that is remarkably similar to Christianity. In fact, many believe it is a Christian denomination like Presbyterian or Baptist. Because of their minor differences in faith, “traditional” Christians of this time who followed Hitler, viewed them as a threat to society, along with Jews.

Terms to add to notes Pogrom: An organized massacre of a particular ethnic group. Reich: Means “realm” or “kingdom” in German. Nazi Germany became known as the “Third Reich” because Adolf Hitler's rise to power was construed as the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth. The word "Reich" has Christian connotations; the Nazi government itself was steeped in religious imagery and symbolism. Shoah: Means “calamity” in Hebrew, and became known as another term for the Holocaust.

Answer in complete sentences, restating the question: What kinds of questions do you think people studying human catastrophes, like the Holocaust, would want to answer? Why use both primary and secondary sources to study this event? What benefits do each provide?

Questions to discuss while analyzing documents: Is it a primary or secondary source? What are your observations? What did you notice about the document? How does this document aid in your understanding of the Kristallnacht Pogrom? What new information does it add? How is this document important?

Echoes and Reflections L1 Q1 Summarize the causes and the effects of the Kristallnacht Pogrom based on your analysis of the five source materials.

Echoes and Reflections L1 Q2 In his testimony, Kurt Messerschmidt talks about helping the cigar shop owner pick up pieces of glass from the street. He says that he was sure some of the people disapproved of what was happening that night, but their disapproval was only silence. Why do you think that people are often unwilling to speak out when they see something wrong happening? What are the dangers of being silent in the face of injustice? This response should be about one paragraph and should directly reflect on the testimony. You should also consider a current example, in comparison with the past.

Journal Entry 1/27 How do you feel after listening to Kurt Messerschmidt talk about his experiences?  What role, if any, does memory play when giving a testimony?  How did Kurt's testimony reinforce what you learned from the other sources?  Did anything in the document sources or the testimony surprise you? Is there anything that you did not understand?