Holocaust Ghettos and Camps

“Final Solution” Oct 1941 – order from S.S. Head down Nazi chain of command with change to “Jewish problem” Prior to this, vigorously encourage Jews to emigrate (Madagascar Plan) Shift resulted in deportation of Jews to camps and ghettos in the East Systematic murder of millions of Jews Jewish children, kept alive in the Auschwitz II (Birkenau) pose in concentration camp uniforms between two rows of barbed wire fencing after liberation. Photograph Source: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/au28.html

Wannsee Conference January 20, 1942, Berlin suburb Coordinate Nazi bureaucracy required to carry out “Final Solution” including: deportation of Jews to killing centers Immediate death for those who were unable to work or the very young, the old, and the weak Segregation by gender of the remaining Jews Decimation through forced labor with insufficient nourishment Eventual death for the remaining Photograph Source: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/Wannsee/wanseeminutes.html

Ghettos Purpose to create total confinement for Jewish population Nazis hoped would deplete Jewish population quickly and naturally through starvation, disease and cold. Life in the ghetto was abominable, and thousands died. No medicine. Food ration allowed was a quarter of that available for the Germans (barely enough to allow survival. Water supply continaminated. Epidemics of tuberculosis, typhoid and lice. In the Warsaw ghetto, more than 70,000 died of exposure, disease, and starvation during the first 2 winters. Those who survived were either killed in 1943 in the ghetto or died in death camps. Photograph Source: http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/2916_1548.html and http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/2916_138.html

Concentration Camps Established in 1933 for imprisoning political opponents, extended to other “undesirables” Dehumanize prisoners both physically and emotionally Upon arrival at camp, inmates were usually stripped of all their valuables and clothes. They were then shorn of body hair, disinfected, given a shower and issued a striped prison uniform. At Auschwitz, number was tattooed on the arm. They were subjected to constant physical and emotional harassment and beating. The inmates’ food rations did not permit survival for very long. Those who resisted orders of the guards were shot on the spot. Numerous roll calls were held to assure that no prisoners had escaped. If one did attempt, all inmates suffered for it. Auschwitz, Poland, Prisoner no. 24288 & no. 22207 Photograph Source: http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/41668-container.html Photograph Source: http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/41668-container.html

Death Camps Great pains taken to deceive victims of their fate From ghettos and concentration camps, told they were being resettled to be put to work Gas chambers with Zyklon B At Auschwitz, able to ‘process’ death of 12,000 victims daily Jews deported unaware. SS made great effort to clam their victims. In Treblinka, wanted Jews to believe that it had a real railway station, stay in camp for a few days before being sent further east for ‘resettlement’, put to work. There were signs for a ‘ticket office’ and ‘restaurant’. Nazi planners would also say they would be issuing them work permits, told them to bring along their tools and to exchange their German marks for foreign currency. Food was also used to coax starving Jews onto the trains. Victims were separated by sex and told to remove their clothes. The bathes were in reality the fas chambers. The show heads in the baths were actually the inlets for Zyklon B gas. The crystals were sprinkled into the gas chamber through openings in the roof. The five chambers at Auschwitz could ‘process’ 2,000 people at a time. The heat from the bodies packed into the chamber helped the crystals give off a poisonours vapour which caused death by suffociation within 10 minutes. The chamber was then ventilated so that a squad of prisoners could enter to take the bodies to the crematoria. Photograph Source: http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/1798-container.html

Testimonial: Sara Schichter Source: http://www.mhmc.ca/en

A testimonial is a narrated story about ones past experience A testimonial is a narrated story about ones past experience. For example one may give a testimonial about his/her life history in the past. Leads into writing these testimonials or stories down for the diary entry, song or poem portfolio activity.

Activity - Dear Diary Portfolio Entry Let’s read Eva Heyman’s diary entries as a class, and discuss the Portfolio Entry activity