These curriculum links follow a suggested chronological presentation on the Holocaust. Each topic expands to include background information, maps, videos, testimonies, and lessons.
- Click on a tab below for your topic of interest, and it will turn orange.
- To see all links corresponding to your topic of interest, scroll down the page.
- Use the “Search by Keywords” field below to find ALL links for a particular topic.
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We welcome suggested additions and/or needed revisions from our users. Please contact: info@ahecinfo.org
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- Adolf Hitler
- America and the Holocaust
- Art
- Auschwitz/Birkenau
- Begin Your Unit
- Bystanders, Collaboration, and Complicity
- Contemporary Antisemitism
- Deportation
- Emigration
- Europe After World War I
- Film
- Finish Your Unit
- History of Antisemitism
- Holocaust Denial
- Jewish Life in Nazi Germany
- Judaism
- Kristallnacht
- Liberation
- Life in Nazi Germany
- Literature
- Music
- Nazi Propaganda
- Nazi Racism
- Operation Reinhard Camps
- Other Camps (alphabetical)
- Plays
- Poetry
- Pre-War Jewish Life
- Religious Institutions and the Third Reich
- Remembering the Holocaust
- Rescue
- Resistance
- Restoring Justice
- Specific Ghettos (alphabetical)
- Survival in Hiding
- Survivors / Displaced Persons
- The Aftermath
- The Camps (General)
- The Final Solution
- The Final Stages of War
- The Ghettos (general)
- The Nazi Party and Its Rise to Power
- The Perpetrators
- The Victims
- The Wannsee Conference
- The War in the East
- The War in the South
- The War in the West
- The World Response
- The Yellow Star
- Violations of Versailles
- What the Nazis Believed
- World War II Begins
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- Adolf Hitler
- Adolf Hitler and World War I: 1913-1919, USHMM
- Adolf Hitler, about.com
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Adolf Hitler, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes quotes and speeches.
- Adolf Hitler: From Unknown to Dictator of Germany, The History Place
- Adolf Hitler: Man and Monster, BBC
- Hitler Develops His Antisemitic Ideas, The Holocaust Explained
- Hitler’s Family Tree, about.com
- LESSON: Adolf Hitler, remember.org
- Making a Leader, from Propaganda Exhibit, USHMM
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VIDEO: Hitler Campaign Speech, Historical Film Footage (1:19), USHMM
Waldenburg, Germany, July 22, 1932. Transcript: [Band music and cheering; singing of the Horst Wessel song] Adolf Hitler: For fourteen long years these parties have raped German freedom, beaten German men with clubs. Before two or three months pass this terror will be removed if you vote for National Socialists."
- VIDEO: Hitler Speech, September 1935 (2:41), USHMM
- America and the Holocaust
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“The US and the Holocaust,” Ken Burns in the Classroom
This site includes resources by topic for the classroom.
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[Dr. Seuss] Dr. Seuss Went to War, A Catalog of Political Cartoons, UC San Diego
The Dr. Seuss Collection in the Mandeville Special Collections Library at the University of California, San Diego, contains the original drawings and/or newspaper clippings of all of these cartoons. This website makes these cartoons available to all internet users. The cartoons have been scanned from the original newspaper clippings in the UCSD collection.
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[Dr. Seuss] The Political Dr. Seuss, PBS
A gallery of many of Dr. Seuss' political cartoons with a brief description.
- [Fort Ontario] Emergency Refugee Shelter, USHMM
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[Fort Ontario] Oral Histories: Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario, Oswego State University of New York
The interviews were done in connection with the Refugees' 40th reunion in New York City and contain interviews with and about Fort Ontario Refugees. NOTE: Jack Bass mentioned in these tapes is not Jack Bass from Birmingham.
- [Fort Ontario] Ruth Gruber Finds Haven for 1,000 Holocaust Refugees, Jewish Women’s Archives
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[Fort Ontario] Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum
The Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the story of the 982 European refugees who were allowed into the United States as “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Holocaust in World War II. They were temporarily housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York from August 1944 – February 1946.
- [Karski] Alerting the World: Jan Karski, USHMM
- [Karski] Jan Karski Educational Foundation
- [Karski] Jan Karski-Humanity’s Hero, Polish History Museum
- [Karski] VIDEO: Jan Karski-How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust (5:38), remember.org
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[Karski] VIDEO: Warning the World (5:18), Facing History and Ourselves
Jan Karski, a diplomat and member of the Polish resistance, describes his experience in the Warsaw Ghetto and his meeting with U.S. President Roosevelt.
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Escapees from Auschwitz-Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, remember.org
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Exposing Auschwitz, aish.com
- [Wetzler-Vrba] The First Report About Auschwitz by John S. Conway, Museum of Tolerance
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[Wetzler-Vrba] VIDEO: Escape From Auschwitz (53:52), PBS
The death factory at Auschwitz was a closely guarded secret of the Third Reich – until two men, Rudolph Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, escaped to tell the world about the Nazi atrocities. Escape from Auschwitz reveals the story of their escape and explores the controversial decision by the head of the Hungarian underground not to make their report public.
- Allies Knew of Plan for Italy’s Jews, Jewish Virtual Library
- ANIMATED MAP: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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ARCHIVED EXHIBIT: FDR and the Holocaust, 1942-1945, FDR Library
America’s response to the Holocaust has become the subject of intense historical interest in recent decades. Historians debate why FDR and other American decision-makers did not do more to admit Jewish refugees and undertake policies—including bombing rail lines to Auschwitz or Auschwitz itself—that might have saved lives. This online exhibit explores these issues and includes primary documents.
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AUDIO: Real-Time Radio Broadcasts from D-Day, June 6, 1944, World War II Foundation
Listen to actual real-time radio broadcasts from NBC, CBS and the BBC News on June 6, 1944, the date of the Allied landings in Northwest France. These factual news broadcasts are Public Domain.
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AUDIO: When Nazis Took Manhattan (7:43), NPR Radio Lab
On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of New York's Madison Square Garden was lit up with the evening's main event: a "Pro American Rally." The organizers had chosen the date in celebration of George Washington's birthday and had procured a 30-foot-tall banner of America's first president for the stage. More than 20,000 men and women streamed inside and took their seats. The view they had was stunning: Washington was hung between American flags — and swastikas. The rally was sponsored by the German American Bund, an organization with headquarters in Manhattan and thousands of members across the United States. In the 1930s, the Bund was one of several organizations in the United States that were openly supportive of Adolf Hitler and the rise of fascism in Europe.
- Auschwitz Bombing Controversy: Could the Allies Have Bombed Auschwitz-Birkenau, Jewish Virtual Library
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BBC: 700,000 Jews Killed in Poland, Jewish Virtual Library
Report from June 2, 1942.
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British Doubt Reports on Mass Murder of Polish Jews, Jewish Virtual Library
August 1943
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Displaced Persons and Postwar America, USHMM
Following World War II and the Holocaust, the United States provided aid to hundreds of thousands of European Displaced Persons (DPs). American organizations also helped many DPs immigrate to the US. These sources reveal DPs' experiences as they encountered Americans and United States policies. Through documents, correspondence, films, and other materials, this collection examines how DPs understood and experienced immigration to the US in the wake of catastrophe.
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Eavesdropping on Hell: Historical Guide to Western Communications Intelligence and the Holocaust, 1939-1945
This 174-page piece was put out by the Center for Cryptologic History at the National Security Agency, 2004.
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Eduard Schulte, USHMM
Eduard Schulte (1891–1966) was a prominent German industrialist and secret anti-Nazi who leaked the first report to the west that the Nazis intended to murder all Jews in Europe.
- Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
- EXHIBIT: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Americans and the Holocaust, USHMM
Holocaust history raises important questions about what Europeans could have done to stop the rise of Nazism in Germany and its assault on Europe’s Jews. Questions also must be asked of the international community, including the United States. What did the US government and the American people know about the threats posed by Nazi Germany? What responses were possible? And when? This exhibition examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide.
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EXHIBIT: The Story of Anthony Acevedo, USHMM/Americans and the Holocaust
Anthony Acevedo was a Mexican American who served as a US Army medic during World War II. He was captured by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge and held as a prisoner of war (POW) in the Berga subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. While there, he kept a secret diary of his experiences, including a record of his fellow American soldiers’ deaths.
- FDR’s Response to Kristallnacht: Another Look, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
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How America Learned of the Holocaust, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Written by Dr. Rafael Medoff in 2003/2004.
- How German-Born ‘Ritchie Boys’ Helped America Defeat Hitler, New York Post, July 25, 2017
- January 22, 1944: President Established War Refugee Board, History Unfolded/US Newspapers and the Holocaust
- LESSON PLANS: Teaching Materials on Americans and the Holocaust, USHMM
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LESSON: A Case Study on the Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Teaching Materials
By examining the Wagner-Rogers Bill of 1939, students learn how Americans debated the country’s role as a haven for refugees, identifying economic, social, and geopolitical factors that influenced Americans’ attitudes about the United States’ role in the world during the critical years 1938–1941. Using primary-source documents, students identify and evaluate arguments that Americans made for and against the acceptance of child refugees in 1939. The lesson concludes with reflection on questions that this history raises about America’s role in the world today.
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LESSON: History Unfolded-US Newspapers and the Holocaust (2-3 class periods), USHMM
Students investigate what information about the Holocaust was available in their communities by doing original research using historic newspapers found online or in a local library. Through an analysis of their discoveries, they better understand American responses to the Holocaust within the socio-economic and political context of the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. In conjunction with this lesson, consider adding the AHEC online resource of "Kristallnacht in Birmingham Newspapers."
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LESSON: The Wagner-Rogers Bill: Debate, American Immigration Law Foundation
This lesson allows students to develop and hear the arguments for and against the Wagner-Rogers bill, by taking part in a mock Congressional debate on the bill. Students are encouraged to develop and listen to persuasive testimony and speeches, and to come up with creative strategies to change the legislation in ways in which it might be more acceptable.
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LESSON: US Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis – Weighing the Evidence, National Archives
This activity introduces students to the dispute between U.S. Government agencies over rescuing Europe's Jews from extermination during the Holocaust. Using memos from the State and Treasury Departments, as well as presidential proclamations and Congressional legislation, students will: 1. Identify impediments to the admission of refugees to the United States 2. Explore actions taken by various U.S. officials to both rescue and block immigration of European Jews 3. Explain the roles of the State and Treasury Departments in rescuing refugees
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Life Magazine, September 25, 1939
From the pages of "Life Magazine," see what Americans knew in September 1939. Great primary resource for students.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: What did Refugees Need to Obtain a US Visa in the 1930s?, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
As the Nazi regime’s attacks intensified in the late 1930s, hundreds of thousands of Jews in Germany tried to immigrate to the United States. To enter the United States, each person needed an immigration visa stamped into his or her passport. It was difficult to get the necessary papers to leave Germany, and US immigration visas were difficult to obtain. The process could take years. EXPLORE THE SEVEN STEPS THAT WERE REQUIRED FOR THOSE SEEKING TO IMMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES.
- Peter Bergson (Hillel Kook), The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- Peter Bergson, USHMM
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PHOTO: US Aerial Reconnaissance Photo, Auschwitz-Birkenau, August 25, 1944
An enlargement of part of a photo of Auschwitz-Birkenau taken by a Mosquito plane from the South African Air force’s 60 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (Sortie no. 60PR/694) under the command of the U.S. Airforce. The selection process of a recently arrived transport visible on the ramp has been completed, and those selected to die are being to taken to Crematorium II. Also visible is a cultivated garden in the courtyard of Crematorium II, the open gate into it, and Crematorium III. The basement undressing rooms and gas chambers of both complexes can also be seen.
- PHOTOS: US Aerial Reconnaissance Photos, Auschwitz-Birkenau, August 25, 1944
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POLITICAL CARTOON: Evian Conference 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
Political cartoon entitled “Will the Evian Conference Guide Him to Freedom?” in The New York Times, July 3, 1938
- POLITICAL CARTOON: Please Ring the Bell for Us, Francis Knott, July 1939
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POLITICAL CARTOON: The Evian Conference
Cartoon published in 1938 by the Daily Express newspaper in Britain showing refugees from Nazi occupied territories and the unwillingness of any countries to take them.
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POSTER SET: American Responses, USHMM
Twelve printable posters on the American response to the Holocaust.
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Wagner-Rogers Refugee Bill Backed at Hearing, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: History Unfolded-US Newspapers and the Holocaust, USHMM
This project, still ongoing, investigates US press coverage for a number of Holocaust-related events. You can search by date/content theme/location.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: As We Have No Racial Problem, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Thee attitude of most delegates at Evian was perhaps best expressed by Australia’s representative, Colonel T.W. White in the following speech.
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READING: The United States Enters World War II, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine the history of the United States’ entrance into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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READING: A Report on the Murder of Jews, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the memo that urged President Roosevelt to step up US efforts to rescue Jews from the Nazis, and led him to establish the War Refugee Board.
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READING: America & the Holocaust, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Americans’ attitudes of fear and distrust toward Jewish refugees from Europe.
- READING: America and the Holocaust, Facing History and Ourselves
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READING: American Public Opinion Data, Facing History and Ourselves
The following surveys and polling questions were conducted between 1938-41 and gauge US attitudes toward Jews.
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READING: The Voyage of the St. Louis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why countries including the US refused to accept Jewish refugees who sought to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe on the St. Louis.
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RECORDING: The Mysterious Stranger (44:06), BBC
Edward Schulte was a German industrialist who, in 1942, repeatedly passed information to the Allies about Hitler's plans for the Jews in Europe. This program asks what the Allies' motives were for appearing to do so little to help the victims of the Final Solution. It also finds out why, even in post-war Switzerland, Schulte was keen to keep his identity a secret.
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Records of the War Refugee Board, 1944-1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
This significant Holocaust-era research collection consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, petitions, vouchers, press clippings, and related papers pertaining to policies, programs, and operations of the War Refugee Board.
- Ritchie Boys: The Secret US Unit Bolstered by German-Born Jews That Helped the Allies Beat Hitler, CBS/60 Mintes
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SD Report on the Outcomes of the Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
Summary of the outcomes from the Evian Conference and its ramifications for German-Jewish policy given by the Nazi intelligence and security body (SD) in July 1938.
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Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of the Ritchie Boys
The Ritchie Boys consisted of approximately 15,200 servicemen who were trained for U.S. Army Intelligence during WWII at the secret Camp Ritchie training facility in Maryland. Approximately 14%, or 2,200, of them were Jewish refugees born in Germany and Austria. Most of the men sent to Camp Ritchie for training were assigned there because of fluency in German, French, Italian, Polish, or other languages needed by the US Army during WWII. They had been drafted into or volunteered to join the US Army and when their ability to speak the languages of the enemy were discovered, they were sent to Camp Ritchie on secret orders. Includes a roster of the Ritchie Boys.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Local Doctor Shares Chilling Story of Surviving Holocaust, The Buffalo News
The story of Dr. Sol Messinger.
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The Bergson Group: A History in Photographs, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Note several links at the bottom of page.
- The Day the Rabbis Marched, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- The Evian Conference, USHMM
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The Immigration of Refugee Children to the US, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Numerous organizations and individuals attempted to bring unaccompanied children, mostly German Jewish children, to the United States between 1933 and 1945. More than one thousand unaccompanied children escaped Nazi persecution by immigrating to the United States as part of these organized efforts. This article provides a summary of this work.
- The Riegner Report, Jewish Virtual Library
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The Riegner Report: State Department Learns of Nazi Extermination Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
Full contents of the telegram.
- The Riegner Report: Welles Tells Wise He Has Information on Nazi Extermination Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Significance of the Evian Conference, The Holocaust Explained
- The U.S. and the Holocaust, USHMM
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Wartime Rescue Activity, USHMM
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Why Auschwitz Was Not Bombed, USHMM
- The Wagner-Rogers Bill, Jewish Virtual Library
- The War Refugee Board, Jewish Virtual Library
- U.S. Policy and Its Impact on European Jews, USHMM
- U.S. Policy Toward Jewish Refugees, 1941-1952, USHMM
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VIDEO LESSON: Anthony Acevedo (37:31), Christina Chaverria/USHMM
Christina presents the story of Anthony Acevedo to the Holt High School/Tuscaloosa classroom of Mindy Walker, October 2020. Acevedo was a Mexican American who served as a US Army medic during World War II. He was captured by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge and held as a prisoner of war (POW) in the Berga subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. While there, he kept a secret diary of his experiences, including a record of his fellow American soldiers’ deaths.
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VIDEO: A Night at the Garden (7:06)
In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from American history. "A Night at the Garden", made entirely from archival footage filmed that night, transports audiences to this chilling gathering and shines a light on the power of demagoguery and antisemitism in the United States. The film was nominated for a 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short; it was also an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.
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VIDEO: A Night at the Garden / Discussion with Marshall Curry and Rebecca Kobrin (36:58), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Academy Award-nominated documentarian Marshall Curry screened his film "A Night at the Garden" at the Museum on February 28, 2019. He and Professor Rebecca Kobrin (Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History, Department of History, Columbia University) discussed the film as well as the history and rise of Nazism in the United States. Curry's short documentary "A Night at the Garden" was nominated for an Academy Award and is online at anightatthegarden.com.
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VIDEO: American Experience: America and the Holocaust (1:22:45), Facing History and Ourselves
This episode of The American Experience examines the role of the United States in the Holocaust, exploring such issues as American antisemitism and the deliberate suppression of information that European Jews were slated for genocide. Study Guide to the film available from Facing History at: https://www.facinghistory.org/books-borrowing/america-and-holocaust-study-guide
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VIDEO: Americans and the Holocaust Tour, USHMM
Americans and the Holocaust looks closely at America’s role in this history. The United States alone could not have prevented the Holocaust, but more could have been done to save some of the six million Jews that were killed. This exhibition examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide. Introduction (2:18); Fear Itself, 1933-1937 (9:31); Desperate Times, Limited Measures, 1938-1941 (9:34); Storm Clouds Gather, 1939-1941 (7:10); America at War, 1942-1945 (7:54); Conclusion (3:07)
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VIDEO: Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses (16:43), USHMM
American responses to the persecution and murder of European Jews during the Holocaust invite reflection on the role of individuals, organizations, and governments in confronting hatred and mass atrocities.
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VIDEO: Evian Conference Fails to Aid Refugees, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Delegates of 32 countries assembled at the Royal Hotel in Evian, France, from July 6 to 15, 1938, to discuss the problem of Jewish refugees. The refugees were desperate to flee Nazi persecution in Germany, but could not leave without having permission to settle in other countries. The Evian Conference resulted in almost no change in the immigration policies of most of the attending nations. The major powers--the United States, Great Britain, and France--opposed unrestricted immigration, making it clear that they intended to take no official action to alleviate the German-Jewish refugee problem.
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VIDEO: How Did FDR’s Leadership Shape American Responses to the Nazi Threat? (1:28:27), USHMM
In a new biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, distinguished historian Robert Dallek examines complex questions about the US president, who came to power the same year as Adolf Hitler in Germany, prepared America to fight a Second World War, and died as US troops saw the first physical evidence of the Holocaust. On December 13, 2017, the Museum hosted a discussion to offer fresh perspectives to questions such as how did Roosevelt deal with an isolationist nation? What shaped his response to the persecution of Jews?
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VIDEO: The Auschwitz Bombing Controversy in Context (17:00), Yad Vashem
Dr. David Silberklang, Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, discusses the controversial decision of the Allies in regards to bombing the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1944.
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VIDEO: The Conspiracy Theory of World War II (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf explores the place antisemitism held in Nazi propaganda, addressing the question of why this phenomenon assumed genocidal proportions between 1941 and 1945.
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VIDEO: The Ritchie Boys (1:33), YouTube
The so-called "Ritchie Boys" were mostly Jewish immigrants from Germany and Austria and were specially trained in counterintelligence, interrogation, investigation and psychological warfare. In top secret operations they were used both here and on the front lines to assist in the fight against the Nazis. This is the story of Guy Stern.
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VIDEO: The US and the Holocaust, A Ken Burns Film
"The U.S. and the Holocaust" is a three-part, six-hour series that examines America’s response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the twentieth century. This site has segments from the movie for classroom use.
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VIDEO: U.S. Enters World War II, Historical Film Footage (2:54), USHMM
December 8, 1941: Portion of the speech in which President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the US Congress to declare war on Japan following the previous day's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
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VIDEO: When 20,000 American Nazis Descended Upon New York City (7:05), The Atlantic
In February 1939, the German American Bund organized a rally of 20,000 Nazi supporters at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The rally was held on George Washington's birthday to proclaim the rights of white gentiles, the "true patriots." This Madison Square Garden rally drew a crowd of 20,000 who consistently booed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and chanted the Nazi salutation "Heil Hitler."
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VIDEO/ANIMATED: Tony-A Soldier’s Journey (6:51), USHMM
US Army medic Tony Acevedo was among hundreds of American soldiers forced to surrender to the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was captured in January 1945 and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, where he and his comrades were beaten and tortured. Tony recorded every atrocity and death he witnessed in a secret diary to honor his fellow soldiers and keep their memory alive. View Tony’s diary and related artifacts: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/personal-story/anthony-acevedo
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Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
Includes one survivor testimony.
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Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The 1939 Wagner-Rogers Bill is the common name for two identical congressional bills (one in the US House of Representatives and one in the US Senate) that proposed admitting 20,000 German refugee children to the United States outside of immigration quotas. Despite congressional hearings and public debate in the spring of 1939, the bills never came to a vote.
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War Refugee Board Receives Report on Final Solution, Jewish Virtual Library
This letter from the War Refugee Board refers to the report written by Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler describing what they had seen before escaping from Auschwitz-Birkenau on April 7, 1944.
- War Refugee Board: Background and Establishment, USHMM
- When Did the World Find Out About the Holocaust?, Jewish Virtual Library
- Displaced Persons and Postwar America
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Displaced Persons and Postwar America, USHMM
Following World War II and the Holocaust, the United States provided aid to hundreds of thousands of European Displaced Persons (DPs). American organizations also helped many DPs immigrate to the US. These sources reveal DPs' experiences as they encountered Americans and United States policies. Through documents, correspondence, films, and other materials, this collection examines how DPs understood and experienced immigration to the US in the wake of catastrophe.
- Evian Conference, 1938
- Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
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POLITICAL CARTOON: Evian Conference 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
Political cartoon entitled “Will the Evian Conference Guide Him to Freedom?” in The New York Times, July 3, 1938
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POLITICAL CARTOON: The Evian Conference
Cartoon published in 1938 by the Daily Express newspaper in Britain showing refugees from Nazi occupied territories and the unwillingness of any countries to take them.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: As We Have No Racial Problem, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Thee attitude of most delegates at Evian was perhaps best expressed by Australia’s representative, Colonel T.W. White in the following speech.
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SD Report on the Outcomes of the Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
Summary of the outcomes from the Evian Conference and its ramifications for German-Jewish policy given by the Nazi intelligence and security body (SD) in July 1938.
- The Evian Conference, USHMM
- The Significance of the Evian Conference, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Evian Conference Fails to Aid Refugees, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Delegates of 32 countries assembled at the Royal Hotel in Evian, France, from July 6 to 15, 1938, to discuss the problem of Jewish refugees. The refugees were desperate to flee Nazi persecution in Germany, but could not leave without having permission to settle in other countries. The Evian Conference resulted in almost no change in the immigration policies of most of the attending nations. The major powers--the United States, Great Britain, and France--opposed unrestricted immigration, making it clear that they intended to take no official action to alleviate the German-Jewish refugee problem.
- Public Response
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AUDIO: When Nazis Took Manhattan (7:43), NPR Radio Lab
On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of New York's Madison Square Garden was lit up with the evening's main event: a "Pro American Rally." The organizers had chosen the date in celebration of George Washington's birthday and had procured a 30-foot-tall banner of America's first president for the stage. More than 20,000 men and women streamed inside and took their seats. The view they had was stunning: Washington was hung between American flags — and swastikas. The rally was sponsored by the German American Bund, an organization with headquarters in Manhattan and thousands of members across the United States. In the 1930s, the Bund was one of several organizations in the United States that were openly supportive of Adolf Hitler and the rise of fascism in Europe.
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POSTER SET: American Responses, USHMM
Twelve printable posters on the American response to the Holocaust.
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READING: America & the Holocaust, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Americans’ attitudes of fear and distrust toward Jewish refugees from Europe.
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READING: American Public Opinion Data, Facing History and Ourselves
The following surveys and polling questions were conducted between 1938-41 and gauge US attitudes toward Jews.
- The Day the Rabbis Marched, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
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VIDEO: A Night at the Garden (7:06)
In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from American history. "A Night at the Garden", made entirely from archival footage filmed that night, transports audiences to this chilling gathering and shines a light on the power of demagoguery and antisemitism in the United States. The film was nominated for a 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short; it was also an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival.
-
VIDEO: A Night at the Garden / Discussion with Marshall Curry and Rebecca Kobrin (36:58), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Academy Award-nominated documentarian Marshall Curry screened his film "A Night at the Garden" at the Museum on February 28, 2019. He and Professor Rebecca Kobrin (Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History, Department of History, Columbia University) discussed the film as well as the history and rise of Nazism in the United States. Curry's short documentary "A Night at the Garden" was nominated for an Academy Award and is online at anightatthegarden.com.
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VIDEO: Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses (16:43), USHMM
American responses to the persecution and murder of European Jews during the Holocaust invite reflection on the role of individuals, organizations, and governments in confronting hatred and mass atrocities.
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VIDEO: When 20,000 American Nazis Descended Upon New York City (7:05), The Atlantic
In February 1939, the German American Bund organized a rally of 20,000 Nazi supporters at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The rally was held on George Washington's birthday to proclaim the rights of white gentiles, the "true patriots." This Madison Square Garden rally drew a crowd of 20,000 who consistently booed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and chanted the Nazi salutation "Heil Hitler."
- Riegner Telegram, 1942
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Eduard Schulte, USHMM
Eduard Schulte (1891–1966) was a prominent German industrialist and secret anti-Nazi who leaked the first report to the west that the Nazis intended to murder all Jews in Europe.
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RECORDING: The Mysterious Stranger (44:06), BBC
Edward Schulte was a German industrialist who, in 1942, repeatedly passed information to the Allies about Hitler's plans for the Jews in Europe. This program asks what the Allies' motives were for appearing to do so little to help the victims of the Final Solution. It also finds out why, even in post-war Switzerland, Schulte was keen to keep his identity a secret.
- The Riegner Report, Jewish Virtual Library
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The Riegner Report: State Department Learns of Nazi Extermination Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
Full contents of the telegram.
- The Riegner Report: Welles Tells Wise He Has Information on Nazi Extermination Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
- St. Louis, 1939
- ANIMATED MAP: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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READING: The Voyage of the St. Louis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why countries including the US refused to accept Jewish refugees who sought to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe on the St. Louis.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Local Doctor Shares Chilling Story of Surviving Holocaust, The Buffalo News
The story of Dr. Sol Messinger.
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Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
Includes one survivor testimony.
- The Auschwitz Bombing Controversy, 1944
- Auschwitz Bombing Controversy: Could the Allies Have Bombed Auschwitz-Birkenau, Jewish Virtual Library
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PHOTO: US Aerial Reconnaissance Photo, Auschwitz-Birkenau, August 25, 1944
An enlargement of part of a photo of Auschwitz-Birkenau taken by a Mosquito plane from the South African Air force’s 60 Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (Sortie no. 60PR/694) under the command of the U.S. Airforce. The selection process of a recently arrived transport visible on the ramp has been completed, and those selected to die are being to taken to Crematorium II. Also visible is a cultivated garden in the courtyard of Crematorium II, the open gate into it, and Crematorium III. The basement undressing rooms and gas chambers of both complexes can also be seen.
- PHOTOS: US Aerial Reconnaissance Photos, Auschwitz-Birkenau, August 25, 1944
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Why Auschwitz Was Not Bombed, USHMM
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VIDEO: The Auschwitz Bombing Controversy in Context (17:00), Yad Vashem
Dr. David Silberklang, Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, discusses the controversial decision of the Allies in regards to bombing the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1944.
- The Bergson Group, 1942
- Peter Bergson (Hillel Kook), The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- Peter Bergson, USHMM
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The Bergson Group: A History in Photographs, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
Note several links at the bottom of page.
- The Ritchie Boys
- How German-Born ‘Ritchie Boys’ Helped America Defeat Hitler, New York Post, July 25, 2017
- Ritchie Boys: The Secret US Unit Bolstered by German-Born Jews That Helped the Allies Beat Hitler, CBS/60 Mintes
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Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of the Ritchie Boys
The Ritchie Boys consisted of approximately 15,200 servicemen who were trained for U.S. Army Intelligence during WWII at the secret Camp Ritchie training facility in Maryland. Approximately 14%, or 2,200, of them were Jewish refugees born in Germany and Austria. Most of the men sent to Camp Ritchie for training were assigned there because of fluency in German, French, Italian, Polish, or other languages needed by the US Army during WWII. They had been drafted into or volunteered to join the US Army and when their ability to speak the languages of the enemy were discovered, they were sent to Camp Ritchie on secret orders. Includes a roster of the Ritchie Boys.
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VIDEO: The Ritchie Boys (1:33), YouTube
The so-called "Ritchie Boys" were mostly Jewish immigrants from Germany and Austria and were specially trained in counterintelligence, interrogation, investigation and psychological warfare. In top secret operations they were used both here and on the front lines to assist in the fight against the Nazis. This is the story of Guy Stern.
- U.S. Enters the War
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AUDIO: Real-Time Radio Broadcasts from D-Day, June 6, 1944, World War II Foundation
Listen to actual real-time radio broadcasts from NBC, CBS and the BBC News on June 6, 1944, the date of the Allied landings in Northwest France. These factual news broadcasts are Public Domain.
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EXHIBIT: The Story of Anthony Acevedo, USHMM/Americans and the Holocaust
Anthony Acevedo was a Mexican American who served as a US Army medic during World War II. He was captured by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge and held as a prisoner of war (POW) in the Berga subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. While there, he kept a secret diary of his experiences, including a record of his fellow American soldiers’ deaths.
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Life Magazine, September 25, 1939
From the pages of "Life Magazine," see what Americans knew in September 1939. Great primary resource for students.
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READING: The United States Enters World War II, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine the history of the United States’ entrance into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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VIDEO LESSON: Anthony Acevedo (37:31), Christina Chaverria/USHMM
Christina presents the story of Anthony Acevedo to the Holt High School/Tuscaloosa classroom of Mindy Walker, October 2020. Acevedo was a Mexican American who served as a US Army medic during World War II. He was captured by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge and held as a prisoner of war (POW) in the Berga subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. While there, he kept a secret diary of his experiences, including a record of his fellow American soldiers’ deaths.
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VIDEO: U.S. Enters World War II, Historical Film Footage (2:54), USHMM
December 8, 1941: Portion of the speech in which President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the US Congress to declare war on Japan following the previous day's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
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VIDEO/ANIMATED: Tony-A Soldier’s Journey (6:51), USHMM
US Army medic Tony Acevedo was among hundreds of American soldiers forced to surrender to the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was captured in January 1945 and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, where he and his comrades were beaten and tortured. Tony recorded every atrocity and death he witnessed in a secret diary to honor his fellow soldiers and keep their memory alive. View Tony’s diary and related artifacts: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/personal-story/anthony-acevedo
- U.S. Policy
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Eavesdropping on Hell: Historical Guide to Western Communications Intelligence and the Holocaust, 1939-1945
This 174-page piece was put out by the Center for Cryptologic History at the National Security Agency, 2004.
- FDR’s Response to Kristallnacht: Another Look, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
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LESSON: US Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis – Weighing the Evidence, National Archives
This activity introduces students to the dispute between U.S. Government agencies over rescuing Europe's Jews from extermination during the Holocaust. Using memos from the State and Treasury Departments, as well as presidential proclamations and Congressional legislation, students will: 1. Identify impediments to the admission of refugees to the United States 2. Explore actions taken by various U.S. officials to both rescue and block immigration of European Jews 3. Explain the roles of the State and Treasury Departments in rescuing refugees
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: What did Refugees Need to Obtain a US Visa in the 1930s?, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
As the Nazi regime’s attacks intensified in the late 1930s, hundreds of thousands of Jews in Germany tried to immigrate to the United States. To enter the United States, each person needed an immigration visa stamped into his or her passport. It was difficult to get the necessary papers to leave Germany, and US immigration visas were difficult to obtain. The process could take years. EXPLORE THE SEVEN STEPS THAT WERE REQUIRED FOR THOSE SEEKING TO IMMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES.
- U.S. Policy and Its Impact on European Jews, USHMM
- U.S. Policy Toward Jewish Refugees, 1941-1952, USHMM
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VIDEO: How Did FDR’s Leadership Shape American Responses to the Nazi Threat? (1:28:27), USHMM
In a new biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt, distinguished historian Robert Dallek examines complex questions about the US president, who came to power the same year as Adolf Hitler in Germany, prepared America to fight a Second World War, and died as US troops saw the first physical evidence of the Holocaust. On December 13, 2017, the Museum hosted a discussion to offer fresh perspectives to questions such as how did Roosevelt deal with an isolationist nation? What shaped his response to the persecution of Jews?
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VIDEO: The Conspiracy Theory of World War II (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf explores the place antisemitism held in Nazi propaganda, addressing the question of why this phenomenon assumed genocidal proportions between 1941 and 1945.
- Wagner-Rogers Bill, 1939
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LESSON: A Case Study on the Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Teaching Materials
By examining the Wagner-Rogers Bill of 1939, students learn how Americans debated the country’s role as a haven for refugees, identifying economic, social, and geopolitical factors that influenced Americans’ attitudes about the United States’ role in the world during the critical years 1938–1941. Using primary-source documents, students identify and evaluate arguments that Americans made for and against the acceptance of child refugees in 1939. The lesson concludes with reflection on questions that this history raises about America’s role in the world today.
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LESSON: The Wagner-Rogers Bill: Debate, American Immigration Law Foundation
This lesson allows students to develop and hear the arguments for and against the Wagner-Rogers bill, by taking part in a mock Congressional debate on the bill. Students are encouraged to develop and listen to persuasive testimony and speeches, and to come up with creative strategies to change the legislation in ways in which it might be more acceptable.
- POLITICAL CARTOON: Please Ring the Bell for Us, Francis Knott, July 1939
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Wagner-Rogers Refugee Bill Backed at Hearing, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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The Immigration of Refugee Children to the US, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Numerous organizations and individuals attempted to bring unaccompanied children, mostly German Jewish children, to the United States between 1933 and 1945. More than one thousand unaccompanied children escaped Nazi persecution by immigrating to the United States as part of these organized efforts. This article provides a summary of this work.
- The Wagner-Rogers Bill, Jewish Virtual Library
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Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The 1939 Wagner-Rogers Bill is the common name for two identical congressional bills (one in the US House of Representatives and one in the US Senate) that proposed admitting 20,000 German refugee children to the United States outside of immigration quotas. Despite congressional hearings and public debate in the spring of 1939, the bills never came to a vote.
- War Refugee Board, 1944
- [Fort Ontario] Emergency Refugee Shelter, USHMM
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[Fort Ontario] Oral Histories: Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario, Oswego State University of New York
The interviews were done in connection with the Refugees' 40th reunion in New York City and contain interviews with and about Fort Ontario Refugees. NOTE: Jack Bass mentioned in these tapes is not Jack Bass from Birmingham.
- [Fort Ontario] Ruth Gruber Finds Haven for 1,000 Holocaust Refugees, Jewish Women’s Archives
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[Fort Ontario] Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum
The Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the story of the 982 European refugees who were allowed into the United States as “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Holocaust in World War II. They were temporarily housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York from August 1944 – February 1946.
- January 22, 1944: President Established War Refugee Board, History Unfolded/US Newspapers and the Holocaust
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READING: A Report on the Murder of Jews, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the memo that urged President Roosevelt to step up US efforts to rescue Jews from the Nazis, and led him to establish the War Refugee Board.
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Records of the War Refugee Board, 1944-1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
This significant Holocaust-era research collection consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, petitions, vouchers, press clippings, and related papers pertaining to policies, programs, and operations of the War Refugee Board.
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Wartime Rescue Activity, USHMM
- The War Refugee Board, Jewish Virtual Library
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War Refugee Board Receives Report on Final Solution, Jewish Virtual Library
This letter from the War Refugee Board refers to the report written by Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler describing what they had seen before escaping from Auschwitz-Birkenau on April 7, 1944.
- War Refugee Board: Background and Establishment, USHMM
- Warnings From Europe
- [Karski] Alerting the World: Jan Karski, USHMM
- [Karski] Jan Karski Educational Foundation
- [Karski] Jan Karski-Humanity’s Hero, Polish History Museum
- [Karski] VIDEO: Jan Karski-How One Man Tried to Stop the Holocaust (5:38), remember.org
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[Karski] VIDEO: Warning the World (5:18), Facing History and Ourselves
Jan Karski, a diplomat and member of the Polish resistance, describes his experience in the Warsaw Ghetto and his meeting with U.S. President Roosevelt.
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Escapees from Auschwitz-Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, remember.org
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Exposing Auschwitz, aish.com
- [Wetzler-Vrba] The First Report About Auschwitz by John S. Conway, Museum of Tolerance
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[Wetzler-Vrba] VIDEO: Escape From Auschwitz (53:52), PBS
The death factory at Auschwitz was a closely guarded secret of the Third Reich – until two men, Rudolph Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, escaped to tell the world about the Nazi atrocities. Escape from Auschwitz reveals the story of their escape and explores the controversial decision by the head of the Hungarian underground not to make their report public.
- Allies Knew of Plan for Italy’s Jews, Jewish Virtual Library
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BBC: 700,000 Jews Killed in Poland, Jewish Virtual Library
Report from June 2, 1942.
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British Doubt Reports on Mass Murder of Polish Jews, Jewish Virtual Library
August 1943
- When Did the World Find Out About the Holocaust?, Jewish Virtual Library
- Art
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“Coping Through Art – Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Theresienstadt”, Yad Vashem
Conditions in Theresienstadt were appalling, and even more so for children who had to first cope with the enormous trauma and life-changing upheaval that deportation wreaked upon their young lives. Realizing that art could be a therapeutic tool to help children to deal with their feelings of loss, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty, Friedl set about teaching over 600 children with the enormous enthusiasm and energy that her friends, colleagues and students remember as being so typical for her.
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A Testament to the Artist: Restoring Alfred Kantor’s Sketchbook and Portfolio, Museum of Jewish Heritage
"The Book of Alfred Kantor: contains 127 sketches and paintings, most of which were made during his incarceration in three concentration camps. Some were re-creations after the war. Alfred Kantor (1923, Prague - 2003, Maine) was expelled from the Rottner School of Advertising in Prague in 1941 because he was Jewish. Soon after he was deported to Theresienstadt. During his time there, Kantor painted and sketched daily life -- even the fake shops set up for the Red Cross visit in 1944. When he learned that he was to be deported to Auschwitz, Kantor left those drawings with a close friend, who returned them after the war. At Auschwitz, art supplied were more difficult to find, especially since art was totally prohibited. Kantor was slipped a watercolor set while working in the sick ward. His finished pieces were either destroyed or hidden. In 1944, Kantor was transferred to Schwarzheide, a subcamp of Sachsenhausen. After the war ended, Kantor was transported back to Theresienstadt
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Aaron Morgan, “The Mound Series,”University of Minnesota
Art, like his Jewish heritage, has always been at the core of Aaron Morgan’s being. A native New Yorker, he was trained at the High School of Art & Design. Morgan traces his Jewish roots far back before his father changed the family name in 1927 from Morgenstern to Morgan. The Mound Series is based on the Hassidic tale of the 36 hidden Tzaddikim. In Kabbalistic folklore, the thirty-six hidden ones have the potential to save the world: they appear when they are needed, and one of them might be the Messiah. In almost all the works of art, thirty-five of the thirty-six figures are represented. One is not. The others — gone, buried, ashes. One escapes; one of the thirty-six survives . . . The Jewish people survive!
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Art & Remembrance
Inspired by the art and story of Holocaust survivor Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, Art and Remembrance draws on the power and passion of Esther’s art and story–and other first-person narratives told through art–to educate about the Holocaust and other forms of social injustice; to open hearts and minds to the experiences of others; and to give voice to those who may yet share their stories through the healing power of art.
- Art, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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ART: “Couple with Czech Shield, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It depicts a couple leaning on a shield bearing the Czech coat of arms. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Jo Spier
Watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier and given to Moritz and Hildegard Henschel while they were imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people dancing through a stone gate, leaving behind a trail of Star of David badges. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after liberation. Moritz was an influential lawyer in Berlin when Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933. As government persecution of Jews intensified, Moritz and Hildegard sent their daughters Marianne, 15, to Palestine and Lilly, 13, to England in 1939. Moritz was on the board of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, created by the Nazi government in February 1939 to organize Jewish affairs. The Association was eventually forced to assist with deportations. In 1940, Moritz became president of the Berlin Jewish Community. In January 1943, Moritz became president of the Reich Association, when Leo Baeck was deported. On June 10, 1943, the Reich Association was shut down and Moritz and Hildegard were deported to Theresienstadt. Moritz was elected to the Jewish Council and put in charge of the Freizeitgestaltung, which produced cultural events and materials. On May 9, 1945, the camp was liberated by Soviet forces. Moritz and Hildegard went to Deggendorf displaced persons camp, then immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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ART: “Transport Arrival, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people walking along a city street, many disabled or crutches; others pull a wagons, one with a Star of David. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943. He was deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
- ART: Auschwitz Paintings by Survivor Jan Komski, remember.org
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ART: Images from Auschwitz-Birkenau by John Wiernicki
Watercolor and ink drawings created after the war. Includes biography of John Wiernicki.
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ART: My Nazi Death Camp Childhood Diary-in Pictures, by Helga Weiss
Helga Weiss, a Czech Jewish girl, was sent with her parents to the concentration camp at Terezin, a few days after her 12th birthday in 1941. She kept a diary, in words and pictures, and when she and her mother were sent on to Auschwitz in 1944, her uncle hid the diary in a brick wall for safekeeping. These are some of the pictures from her diary, which has only now been published.
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ART: The Warsaw Ghetto by Israel Bernbaum, University of Minnesota
Israel Bernbaum was a Jew born in Warsaw, Poland in 1920,escaping Warsaw before the ghetto was sealed. He survived the war living in the Soviet Union, coming to the United States in 1957 after being repatriated to Poland from the USSR as a Polish national. While working as a dental technician, Bernbaum studied art at Queens College, graduating with a B.A. in 1973. This was the period when he produced his first large works dealing with the Holocaust experiences. In particular, Bernbaum aimed his images at young people in the hope that simplicity of image, color, and almost a cartoon-like form would help tell the story of Jewish suffering. Familiar images appear in his works such as portraits of Anne Frank, the child from the Stroop Report photos of the Warsaw Ghetto, and especially images of destruction with street names in the field of debris around Warsaw. Other images deal with the deportation of the children of the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka and the heroism of Janusz Korczak.
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Arthur Szyk: Artist for Freedom, Library of Congress
Arthur Szyk (1894–1951) was one America's leading political artists during World War II, when he produced hundreds of anti-Axis illustrations and cartoons in aid of the Allied war effort. Throughout his career he created art in the service of human rights and civil liberties—in his native Poland, in Paris where he was trained during the 1920s, and in America, the country he adopted in 1940. Settling in the United States, Szyk announced, “At last, I have found the home I have always searched for. Here I can speak of what my soul feels. There is no other place on earth that gives one the freedom, liberty and justice that America does.”
- Artists’ Responses to the Holocaust, Imperial War Museum
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Artwork of Zinovii Tolkatchev, Yad Vashem
In the USSR, probably the first and foremost Jewish artist who dealt with the Holocaust from a liberator’s perspective was Zinovii Tolkatchev, who served as an official artist for a Soviet Army documentation unit.
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Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Jewish Museum Berlin
The exhibition "Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto" presents works by the graphic artist Bedřich Fritta (1906–1944), produced between 1942 and 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The majority of Bedrich Fritta's large ink drawings and sketches, numbering more than one hundred, survived in hiding. This survey exhibition focuses on the aesthetic techniques through which Fritta interpreted and commented on daily ghetto life. It reveals the diversity of his visual language and the extraordinary artistic quality of his drawings and sketches.
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Chess in the Art of Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
Samuel Bak was born on August 12, 1933 in Vilna, Poland at a crucial moment in modern history. From 1940 to 1944, Vilna was under first Soviet, then German occupation. Bak's artistic talent was first recognized during an exhibition of his work in the Ghetto of Vilna when he was nine. While both he and his mother survived, his father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis.
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David Friedmann, “Because They Were Jews!”, University of Minnesota
David Friedmann's successful career as an artist was shattered by the Holocaust. After liberation, he produced a legacy of artwork to commemorate the millions of Jews who perished, as well as to record mans' inhumanity to man. His burning desire was to show the world what persecution, torment, and agony was like as practiced by the Nazis, so that it would never happen again.
- David Olere Art Analysis Lesson, Rich Gair, Professor of Holocaust Studies
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David Olere Drawings & Paintings, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
Full gallery with descriptions.
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Dr. Robert Fisch, University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Robert 0. Fisch, is a native of Budapest, Hungary and a survivor of Nazi concentration camps including Mauthausen. He completed medical school in Hungary, and came to America in 1957. Dr. Fisch became a medical intern and eventually a professor in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he practiced and taught until his retirement. This site provide background into his life and video footage about his life.
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Eli Leskley’s Ghetto Diary, University of Minnesota
Born in 1911, Leskley painted 70 satiric watercolors while he was interned in Theresienstadt. The works are reflective of daily life in the ghetto. Fearing for his and his wife's life he cut up many of the originals into small fragments, which his wife smartly hid. They were retrieved after the war and Leskley recreated each one. All of the following images relate to life in Theresienstadt. They reflect the irony and the complexities that was life in Theresienstadt.
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Esther Lurie, Scenes from the Kovno Ghetto, University of Minnesota
Esther Lurie(1913-1998) was born in Liepaja, Latvia, emigrated to Palestine in 1934 and returned to the Baltic States several times for exhibitions. She was caught in Lithuania when the war between Germany and the USSR broke out in 1941 and survived the Kovno Ghetto and Stutthoff concentration camp. Many of her works survived in hidden spaces of the Ghetto.
- EXHIBIT: The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk, USHMM
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Felix Nussbaum: Self Portraits of a Jew in Turmoil, Yad Vashem
Felix Nussbaum was a German Jew caught in the relentless downward spiral of Nazi persecution, an artist who in the prime of his creative life had to focus on his own survival. In the end, he was murdered by people who saw him only as an object of hatred - a Jew - rather than as an extraordinarily talented human being with a gift to bring beauty into the world.
- Illuminations: The Art of Samuel Bak, Facing History and Ourselves
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Joseph Bau, Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Mr. Bau was born in Krakow, Poland in 1920. His education was interrupted by World War II, during which he was interned in Plaszow concentration camp, to a subcamp of Gross Rosen, and then to Oscar Schindler's cam/factory at Zablocie where he stayed until the end of the war. He immigrated to Israel in 1950 and worked as a graphic artist. This collection of work offers a unique perspective of his work.
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LESSON: “A Childhood Ensnared in Tears,” Creative Use of Holocaust Imagery in the Classroom, Yad Vashem
Using the work of Chava Wolf, a Jewish child during the Holocaust, students will not only contemplate the symbolism in her brightly colored, child-like paintings, but will also create through their own artwork.
- LESSON: Teaching the Holocaust: Light from the Yellow Star Leads the Way, Holocaust Teacher Resource Center
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Light From the Yellow Star, Dr. Robert O. Fisch, University of Minnesota
Dr. Robert O. Fisch is a retired pediatrician and visual artist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His art expresses issues of humanity that he hopes will heal the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust. "Light From The Yellow Star" offers a narrative of Dr. Fisch's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp through eloquent paintings and moving prose. the text exudes an optimism and hopefulness about life, even though it recounts a personal story of terrible suffering.
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Light from the Yellow Star, Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
From the collection at the University of Minnesota, this includes all of the images from the book as well as the artists statement for each.
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Monuments Men Foundation
The Monuments Men Foundation honors the legacy of the men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, known as the "Monuments Men," and their unprecedented and heroic work protecting and safeguarding civilization's most important artistic and cultural treasures from armed conflict during World War II.
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Moshe Matarosso Collection, USHMM
Matarossa was a Holocaust survivor, born in Thessaloniki, Greece 1927. In 1941 the Germans invaded Greece. In February 1943, the deportations began, and Moshe was taken to Auschwitz.
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Murals of the Holocaust, PBS
For over 20 years, a summer program for gifted adolescents at Western Kentucky University has offered an arts-integrated history course on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. The course concludes with students working as a group to create a large mural on the Holocaust. In this way, students use the power of art to deal with their own emotions as well as to educate others. The murals from the past 20 years went on a traveling display in Kentucky to engage a broader audience in thought-provoking conversation on the topic. In this video collection, hear the stories of a Holocaust survivor and the son of a Holocaust survivor who are involved with the program, learn how students in the program decided on a theme for their mural, and learn how one teacher incorporates the arts into Holocaust history lessons.
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PICTORIAL DIARY: Erich Lichtblau-Leskly, Theresienstadt 1942-1945
While imprisoned in Theresienstadt (Terezin) Ghetto, Erich Lichtblau-Leskly artistically depicted the daily lives of its residents, poignantly capturing the complications and ironies of ghetto life. His paintings are rendered in a cartoon style, and many are sarcastic commentary on the desperate conditions under which the Jewish prisoners existed, contradicting Nazi propaganda that promoted Theresienstadt as a model facility where Jews supposedly were well treated. It’s clear that he’s only showing them to his wife and not to other people, because he’s making fun of a lot of the other people, including people who could have punished him. In the spring of 1945, Lichtblau-Leskly cut most of his artwork into pieces. His wife, Elsa Lichtblau, hid the fragmented artwork under the floorboards of the barracks, and Lichtblau-Leskly was able to retrieve it after liberation. While living in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, he reworked these fragments into larger watercolor illustrations.
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Samuel Bak – An Arduous Road, Yad Vashem
An online exhibition.
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Samuel Bak, Alchetron
Some of Samuel Bak's paintings as well as links to YouTube videos about the artist and his work.
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Shelomo Selinger, University of Minnesota
Shelomo Selinger is an Israeli sculptor and artist who was born in Jaworzno, Poland in 1928. Selinger was a prisoner in nine concentration camps (including to Gross-Rosen). He was found in a pile of bodies by a Russian-Jewish medical doctor in the liberating Red Army in Theresienstadt. He had a long recovery, mentally as he suffered from amnesia for seven years, in regards to his war time experiences. He immigrated to Israel in 1946, and studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1955-1958. A series of drawings in pen and ink by Selinger done in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Selinger's depiction of the conditions and brutality of the German concentration camps are done in a style that creates a fragmented narrative but provides sufficient indication of the violence so that the story is well understood.
- Speaking About the Unspeakable: A Lecture by Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
- Teaching About Auschwitz Through Art, Yad Vashem
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Teaching the Holocaust with Visual Art, University of Minnesota
Search is available by artist or places. Very helpful for adding art to your curriculum.
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The Arthur Szyk Collection, JSTOR
Irvin Ungar describes the life and work of artist Arthur Szyk.
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The Inclusion of Art in a Study of the Holocaust, Alabama Holocaust Education Center
References artwork contained in the AHEC PowerPoint, "The Holocaust."
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VIDEO (1/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
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VIDEO (2/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Felix Nussbaum (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
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VIDEO (3/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Halina Olomucki (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
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VIDEO (4/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Carol Deutsch (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
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VIDEO: “Draw What You See” by Helga Weissova (3:54)
On an Auschwitz platform in 1944, Helga Weiss and her mother fooled one of the most reviled men in modern history, Josef Mengele, and managed to save their lives. Not long into her teens, Weiss lied about her age, claiming she was old enough to work for her keep. Her mother persuaded the Nazis that Helga was in fact her daughter's older sister, and she was sent to the forced labor barracks and not the gas chamber. Throughout her journey, Helga's father told her, "Draw what you see." And she did. This video tells her story through her drawings.
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VIDEO: “SS Dog” by Leon Haas (3:41), Yad Vashem / Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Guidelines for Educators (3:52), Yad Vashem Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
- VIDEO: Spiritual Survival-Art During the Holocaust (43:39), Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Through the Eye of the Needle – The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (30:02), YouTube
More than 40 years after the Holocaust, Esther Nisenthal Krinitz depicted her remarkable story of survival through a stunningly beautiful series of 36 fabric collage and embroidery panels. Through Esther’s own words and images of her artwork, as well as interviews with her daughters and others,this 30-minute film explores the capacity of the human heart to heal. Through these reflections, we are reminded that genocide and acts of baseless hatred are still with us, and that Esther’s story, and those like hers, compel us to build a just and peaceful world for all.
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Wolfgang Hergeth, the “Janusz Korczak Cycle,” University of Minnesota
Wolfgang Hergeth was born on January 21, 1946 in Silberbach, Czechoslovakia. The "Janusz Korczak Cycle" was introduced in 1998 at the Uhlberghalle in Filderstadt, Germany. Janusz Korczak, born Henryk Goldsmit in Warsaw on July 22, 1878, was a prominent, Polish Jewish pediatrician, professor, and founder of an internationally respected children's home. His personal sacrifice is beyond measure. After the fall of Poland, when the Germans proceeded to transport to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews from all over Warsaw and beyond, the orphanage was overwhelmed. Yet from beginning to end Korczak was the shield that protected all who were under his care -- his children. He resolved to go with them wherever they might be taken. As it turned out, this meant to Treblinka and to death. In the decades since the Holocaust, tales of this martyred Jewish doctor have taken on a legendary quality, especially the spectacular drama that unfolded on his last journey with the children. With the cycle, Hergeth creates eleven paintings dedicated to Korczak giving expression to Korczak's own views of the calamity unfolding in his midst, including the expected fate that awaited his condemned children.
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Yellow Star Foundation
The Yellow Star Foundation website builds on the great success of Dr. Robert Fisch's book, "Light from The Yellow Star: Lessons of Love From the Holocaust," to teach students about the Holocaust. The website includes lesson plans, video clips, a teachers’ forum, classroom ideas, links to resources, classroom dos and don’ts, information about the Holocaust, and profiles of projects successfully used in other parts of the country.
- Aaron Morgan
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Aaron Morgan, “The Mound Series,”University of Minnesota
Art, like his Jewish heritage, has always been at the core of Aaron Morgan’s being. A native New Yorker, he was trained at the High School of Art & Design. Morgan traces his Jewish roots far back before his father changed the family name in 1927 from Morgenstern to Morgan. The Mound Series is based on the Hassidic tale of the 36 hidden Tzaddikim. In Kabbalistic folklore, the thirty-six hidden ones have the potential to save the world: they appear when they are needed, and one of them might be the Messiah. In almost all the works of art, thirty-five of the thirty-six figures are represented. One is not. The others — gone, buried, ashes. One escapes; one of the thirty-six survives . . . The Jewish people survive!
- Alfred Kantor
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A Testament to the Artist: Restoring Alfred Kantor’s Sketchbook and Portfolio, Museum of Jewish Heritage
"The Book of Alfred Kantor: contains 127 sketches and paintings, most of which were made during his incarceration in three concentration camps. Some were re-creations after the war. Alfred Kantor (1923, Prague - 2003, Maine) was expelled from the Rottner School of Advertising in Prague in 1941 because he was Jewish. Soon after he was deported to Theresienstadt. During his time there, Kantor painted and sketched daily life -- even the fake shops set up for the Red Cross visit in 1944. When he learned that he was to be deported to Auschwitz, Kantor left those drawings with a close friend, who returned them after the war. At Auschwitz, art supplied were more difficult to find, especially since art was totally prohibited. Kantor was slipped a watercolor set while working in the sick ward. His finished pieces were either destroyed or hidden. In 1944, Kantor was transferred to Schwarzheide, a subcamp of Sachsenhausen. After the war ended, Kantor was transported back to Theresienstadt
- Arthur Szyk
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Arthur Szyk: Artist for Freedom, Library of Congress
Arthur Szyk (1894–1951) was one America's leading political artists during World War II, when he produced hundreds of anti-Axis illustrations and cartoons in aid of the Allied war effort. Throughout his career he created art in the service of human rights and civil liberties—in his native Poland, in Paris where he was trained during the 1920s, and in America, the country he adopted in 1940. Settling in the United States, Szyk announced, “At last, I have found the home I have always searched for. Here I can speak of what my soul feels. There is no other place on earth that gives one the freedom, liberty and justice that America does.”
- EXHIBIT: The Art and Politics of Arthur Szyk, USHMM
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The Arthur Szyk Collection, JSTOR
Irvin Ungar describes the life and work of artist Arthur Szyk.
- Bedřich Fritta
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Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Jewish Museum Berlin
The exhibition "Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto" presents works by the graphic artist Bedřich Fritta (1906–1944), produced between 1942 and 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The majority of Bedrich Fritta's large ink drawings and sketches, numbering more than one hundred, survived in hiding. This survey exhibition focuses on the aesthetic techniques through which Fritta interpreted and commented on daily ghetto life. It reveals the diversity of his visual language and the extraordinary artistic quality of his drawings and sketches.
- Carol Deutsch
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VIDEO (4/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Carol Deutsch (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
- David Friedmann
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David Friedmann, “Because They Were Jews!”, University of Minnesota
David Friedmann's successful career as an artist was shattered by the Holocaust. After liberation, he produced a legacy of artwork to commemorate the millions of Jews who perished, as well as to record mans' inhumanity to man. His burning desire was to show the world what persecution, torment, and agony was like as practiced by the Nazis, so that it would never happen again.
- David Olere
- David Olere Art Analysis Lesson, Rich Gair, Professor of Holocaust Studies
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David Olere Drawings & Paintings, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
Full gallery with descriptions.
- Dr. Robert O. Fisch
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Dr. Robert Fisch, University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Robert 0. Fisch, is a native of Budapest, Hungary and a survivor of Nazi concentration camps including Mauthausen. He completed medical school in Hungary, and came to America in 1957. Dr. Fisch became a medical intern and eventually a professor in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he practiced and taught until his retirement. This site provide background into his life and video footage about his life.
- LESSON: Teaching the Holocaust: Light from the Yellow Star Leads the Way, Holocaust Teacher Resource Center
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Light From the Yellow Star, Dr. Robert O. Fisch, University of Minnesota
Dr. Robert O. Fisch is a retired pediatrician and visual artist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His art expresses issues of humanity that he hopes will heal the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust. "Light From The Yellow Star" offers a narrative of Dr. Fisch's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp through eloquent paintings and moving prose. the text exudes an optimism and hopefulness about life, even though it recounts a personal story of terrible suffering.
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Light from the Yellow Star, Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
From the collection at the University of Minnesota, this includes all of the images from the book as well as the artists statement for each.
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Yellow Star Foundation
The Yellow Star Foundation website builds on the great success of Dr. Robert Fisch's book, "Light from The Yellow Star: Lessons of Love From the Holocaust," to teach students about the Holocaust. The website includes lesson plans, video clips, a teachers’ forum, classroom ideas, links to resources, classroom dos and don’ts, information about the Holocaust, and profiles of projects successfully used in other parts of the country.
- Erich Lichtblau-Leskly
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Eli Leskley’s Ghetto Diary, University of Minnesota
Born in 1911, Leskley painted 70 satiric watercolors while he was interned in Theresienstadt. The works are reflective of daily life in the ghetto. Fearing for his and his wife's life he cut up many of the originals into small fragments, which his wife smartly hid. They were retrieved after the war and Leskley recreated each one. All of the following images relate to life in Theresienstadt. They reflect the irony and the complexities that was life in Theresienstadt.
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PICTORIAL DIARY: Erich Lichtblau-Leskly, Theresienstadt 1942-1945
While imprisoned in Theresienstadt (Terezin) Ghetto, Erich Lichtblau-Leskly artistically depicted the daily lives of its residents, poignantly capturing the complications and ironies of ghetto life. His paintings are rendered in a cartoon style, and many are sarcastic commentary on the desperate conditions under which the Jewish prisoners existed, contradicting Nazi propaganda that promoted Theresienstadt as a model facility where Jews supposedly were well treated. It’s clear that he’s only showing them to his wife and not to other people, because he’s making fun of a lot of the other people, including people who could have punished him. In the spring of 1945, Lichtblau-Leskly cut most of his artwork into pieces. His wife, Elsa Lichtblau, hid the fragmented artwork under the floorboards of the barracks, and Lichtblau-Leskly was able to retrieve it after liberation. While living in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, he reworked these fragments into larger watercolor illustrations.
- Esther Lurie
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Esther Lurie, Scenes from the Kovno Ghetto, University of Minnesota
Esther Lurie(1913-1998) was born in Liepaja, Latvia, emigrated to Palestine in 1934 and returned to the Baltic States several times for exhibitions. She was caught in Lithuania when the war between Germany and the USSR broke out in 1941 and survived the Kovno Ghetto and Stutthoff concentration camp. Many of her works survived in hidden spaces of the Ghetto.
- Esther Nisenthal Krinitz
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Art & Remembrance
Inspired by the art and story of Holocaust survivor Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, Art and Remembrance draws on the power and passion of Esther’s art and story–and other first-person narratives told through art–to educate about the Holocaust and other forms of social injustice; to open hearts and minds to the experiences of others; and to give voice to those who may yet share their stories through the healing power of art.
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VIDEO: Through the Eye of the Needle – The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (30:02), YouTube
More than 40 years after the Holocaust, Esther Nisenthal Krinitz depicted her remarkable story of survival through a stunningly beautiful series of 36 fabric collage and embroidery panels. Through Esther’s own words and images of her artwork, as well as interviews with her daughters and others,this 30-minute film explores the capacity of the human heart to heal. Through these reflections, we are reminded that genocide and acts of baseless hatred are still with us, and that Esther’s story, and those like hers, compel us to build a just and peaceful world for all.
- Felix Nussbaum
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Felix Nussbaum: Self Portraits of a Jew in Turmoil, Yad Vashem
Felix Nussbaum was a German Jew caught in the relentless downward spiral of Nazi persecution, an artist who in the prime of his creative life had to focus on his own survival. In the end, he was murdered by people who saw him only as an object of hatred - a Jew - rather than as an extraordinarily talented human being with a gift to bring beauty into the world.
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VIDEO (2/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Felix Nussbaum (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
- Halina Olomucki
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VIDEO (3/5): Teaching the Holocaust Using Art-Halina Olomucki (12:28), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust using Art", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby discusses various approaches to utilizing Holocaust art in teaching the Holocaust to your students. As she stresses, a teacher does not have to be an expert in the field to broach this topic. Focusing on three individual artworks, Elsby demonstrates how exploring the artistic aspects of each painting, together with the context in which they were created and the questions they raise, combine to deepen our understanding of the Holocaust as a human event. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Art - Introduction Part 2: Felix Nussbaum - Le Réfugié (The Refugee) Part 3: Halina Olomucki - The Armband Peddler Part 4: Carol Deutsch – “In Her Mouth Was an Olive Leaf” Part 5: Artwork & Credits
- Helga Weiss
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ART: My Nazi Death Camp Childhood Diary-in Pictures, by Helga Weiss
Helga Weiss, a Czech Jewish girl, was sent with her parents to the concentration camp at Terezin, a few days after her 12th birthday in 1941. She kept a diary, in words and pictures, and when she and her mother were sent on to Auschwitz in 1944, her uncle hid the diary in a brick wall for safekeeping. These are some of the pictures from her diary, which has only now been published.
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VIDEO: “Draw What You See” by Helga Weissova (3:54)
On an Auschwitz platform in 1944, Helga Weiss and her mother fooled one of the most reviled men in modern history, Josef Mengele, and managed to save their lives. Not long into her teens, Weiss lied about her age, claiming she was old enough to work for her keep. Her mother persuaded the Nazis that Helga was in fact her daughter's older sister, and she was sent to the forced labor barracks and not the gas chamber. Throughout her journey, Helga's father told her, "Draw what you see." And she did. This video tells her story through her drawings.
- Israel Bernbaum
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ART: The Warsaw Ghetto by Israel Bernbaum, University of Minnesota
Israel Bernbaum was a Jew born in Warsaw, Poland in 1920,escaping Warsaw before the ghetto was sealed. He survived the war living in the Soviet Union, coming to the United States in 1957 after being repatriated to Poland from the USSR as a Polish national. While working as a dental technician, Bernbaum studied art at Queens College, graduating with a B.A. in 1973. This was the period when he produced his first large works dealing with the Holocaust experiences. In particular, Bernbaum aimed his images at young people in the hope that simplicity of image, color, and almost a cartoon-like form would help tell the story of Jewish suffering. Familiar images appear in his works such as portraits of Anne Frank, the child from the Stroop Report photos of the Warsaw Ghetto, and especially images of destruction with street names in the field of debris around Warsaw. Other images deal with the deportation of the children of the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka and the heroism of Janusz Korczak.
- Jan Komski
- John Wiernicki
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ART: Images from Auschwitz-Birkenau by John Wiernicki
Watercolor and ink drawings created after the war. Includes biography of John Wiernicki.
- Joseph Bau
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Joseph Bau, Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Mr. Bau was born in Krakow, Poland in 1920. His education was interrupted by World War II, during which he was interned in Plaszow concentration camp, to a subcamp of Gross Rosen, and then to Oscar Schindler's cam/factory at Zablocie where he stayed until the end of the war. He immigrated to Israel in 1950 and worked as a graphic artist. This collection of work offers a unique perspective of his work.
- Joseph Spier
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ART: “Couple with Czech Shield, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It depicts a couple leaning on a shield bearing the Czech coat of arms. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Jo Spier
Watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier and given to Moritz and Hildegard Henschel while they were imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people dancing through a stone gate, leaving behind a trail of Star of David badges. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after liberation. Moritz was an influential lawyer in Berlin when Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933. As government persecution of Jews intensified, Moritz and Hildegard sent their daughters Marianne, 15, to Palestine and Lilly, 13, to England in 1939. Moritz was on the board of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, created by the Nazi government in February 1939 to organize Jewish affairs. The Association was eventually forced to assist with deportations. In 1940, Moritz became president of the Berlin Jewish Community. In January 1943, Moritz became president of the Reich Association, when Leo Baeck was deported. On June 10, 1943, the Reich Association was shut down and Moritz and Hildegard were deported to Theresienstadt. Moritz was elected to the Jewish Council and put in charge of the Freizeitgestaltung, which produced cultural events and materials. On May 9, 1945, the camp was liberated by Soviet forces. Moritz and Hildegard went to Deggendorf displaced persons camp, then immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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ART: “Transport Arrival, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people walking along a city street, many disabled or crutches; others pull a wagons, one with a Star of David. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943. He was deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
- Leo Haas
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VIDEO: “SS Dog” by Leon Haas (3:41), Yad Vashem / Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
- Moshe Matarasso
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Moshe Matarosso Collection, USHMM
Matarossa was a Holocaust survivor, born in Thessaloniki, Greece 1927. In 1941 the Germans invaded Greece. In February 1943, the deportations began, and Moshe was taken to Auschwitz.
- Peter Ginz
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
- Samuel Bak
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Chess in the Art of Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
Samuel Bak was born on August 12, 1933 in Vilna, Poland at a crucial moment in modern history. From 1940 to 1944, Vilna was under first Soviet, then German occupation. Bak's artistic talent was first recognized during an exhibition of his work in the Ghetto of Vilna when he was nine. While both he and his mother survived, his father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis.
- Illuminations: The Art of Samuel Bak, Facing History and Ourselves
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Samuel Bak – An Arduous Road, Yad Vashem
An online exhibition.
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Samuel Bak, Alchetron
Some of Samuel Bak's paintings as well as links to YouTube videos about the artist and his work.
- Speaking About the Unspeakable: A Lecture by Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
- Shelomo Selinger
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Shelomo Selinger, University of Minnesota
Shelomo Selinger is an Israeli sculptor and artist who was born in Jaworzno, Poland in 1928. Selinger was a prisoner in nine concentration camps (including to Gross-Rosen). He was found in a pile of bodies by a Russian-Jewish medical doctor in the liberating Red Army in Theresienstadt. He had a long recovery, mentally as he suffered from amnesia for seven years, in regards to his war time experiences. He immigrated to Israel in 1946, and studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1955-1958. A series of drawings in pen and ink by Selinger done in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Selinger's depiction of the conditions and brutality of the German concentration camps are done in a style that creates a fragmented narrative but provides sufficient indication of the violence so that the story is well understood.
- Wolfgang Hergeth
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Wolfgang Hergeth, the “Janusz Korczak Cycle,” University of Minnesota
Wolfgang Hergeth was born on January 21, 1946 in Silberbach, Czechoslovakia. The "Janusz Korczak Cycle" was introduced in 1998 at the Uhlberghalle in Filderstadt, Germany. Janusz Korczak, born Henryk Goldsmit in Warsaw on July 22, 1878, was a prominent, Polish Jewish pediatrician, professor, and founder of an internationally respected children's home. His personal sacrifice is beyond measure. After the fall of Poland, when the Germans proceeded to transport to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews from all over Warsaw and beyond, the orphanage was overwhelmed. Yet from beginning to end Korczak was the shield that protected all who were under his care -- his children. He resolved to go with them wherever they might be taken. As it turned out, this meant to Treblinka and to death. In the decades since the Holocaust, tales of this martyred Jewish doctor have taken on a legendary quality, especially the spectacular drama that unfolded on his last journey with the children. With the cycle, Hergeth creates eleven paintings dedicated to Korczak giving expression to Korczak's own views of the calamity unfolding in his midst, including the expected fate that awaited his condemned children.
- Auschwitz/Birkenau
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Escapees from Auschwitz-Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, remember.org
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Exposing Auschwitz, aish.com
- [Wetzler-Vrba] The First Report About Auschwitz by John S. Conway, Museum of Tolerance
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[Wetzler-Vrba] VIDEO: Escape From Auschwitz (53:52), PBS
The death factory at Auschwitz was a closely guarded secret of the Third Reich – until two men, Rudolph Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, escaped to tell the world about the Nazi atrocities. Escape from Auschwitz reveals the story of their escape and explores the controversial decision by the head of the Hungarian underground not to make their report public.
- A Tale of Two Albums, USHMM
- ANIMATED MAP: Auschwitz, BBC
- ANIMATED MAP: Auschwitz, USHMM
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Architecture of Murder: The Auschwitz-Birkenau Blueprints, Yad Vashem
The Auschwitz complex was not built overnight. This was a major construction project that lasted years and was never completed. A number of organizations and companies were involved in the building process, as well as thousands of workers, both German and foreign. What started as a single camp with 22 buildings in 1940 became a complex of 3 main camps and 40 sub-camps. Learn the history and see the blueprints.
- ART: Art of the Camp & Post Camp Period, Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum
- ART: Auschwitz Paintings by Survivor Jan Komski, remember.org
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ART: Images from Auschwitz-Birkenau by John Wiernicki
Watercolor and ink drawings created after the war. Includes biography of John Wiernicki.
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Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim
Learn about the 400-year Jewish history of Oświęcim.
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Auschwitz Through the Lens of the SS: Photos of Nazi Leadership at the Camp, USHMM
The Höcker Album
- Auschwitz-Birkenau Extermination Camp, Yad Vashem
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Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum
Includes sections on history and education.
- Auschwitz-Birkenau: Crematoria & Gas Chambers, Jewish Virtual Library
- Auschwitz-Birkenau: Nazi Medical Experimentation, Jewish Virtual Library
- Auschwitz, The Holocaust Explained
- Auschwitz, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Deadly Medicine-Creating the Master Race, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Science and Suffering, Victims and Perpetrators of Nazi Human Experimentation, The Wiener Holocaust Library
Under the Nazis, medical research supported a new vision for a 'racially pure' Europe. Nazi policy eroded the legal basis for the protection of individual rights, including control over one's own body to promote the body politic. Through portraits of victims and perpetrators, this online exhibit explores the legacy of medical research under Nazism, and its impact on bioethics today.
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EXHIBIT: The Stories of Six Righteous Among the Nations in Auschwitz, Yad Vashem
Even within the horror that was Auschwitz, there were flickers of light. Despite the total dehumanization that was part of the camp system, there were remarkable acts of solidarity and humanity by camp inmates. Among them were non-Jews, who at risk to their own lives, sought to ease the pain, to give aid and to rescue Jews. Features the stories of Ludwig Wörl, Dr. Adelaide Hautval, Lorenzo Perrone, Jerzy Bielecki, Dr. Ella Lingens, and Jerzy Pozimski.
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Inside the Epicenter of Horror-Photographs of the Sonderkommando, Yad Vashem
Among the millions of photographs that are related to Nazi death camps, only four depict the actual process of mass killing perpetrated at the gas chambers in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
- Josef Mengele, USHMM
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
- LESSON: Learning and Remembering About Auschwitz-Birkenau, Yad Vashem
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LESSON: The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm, iWitness
When ten-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz and finding a new life in America.
- LESSONS: The Auschwitz Album, A Curriculum for High School Students, Yad Vashem
- Nazi Medical Experiments, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: 70 Stories of Auschwitz, USC Shoah Foundation
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, listen to the testimonies of 70 Holocaust survivors, drawn from the Visual History Archive at USC Shoah Foundation, as they recall their personal experiences in the Nazi extermination camp.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Born in the City That Became Auschwitz, USC Shoah Foundation
The existence of the city dates back at least to 12th century. Following the partition of Poland in 1772, the city was annexed to the Habsburg Austrian Empire, returning to Polish rule only after the end of WWI. During that time, Oświęcim became an industrial center and an important railroad junction. Jewish population in 1921 was 4,950. On the eve of World War II, there were about 8,000 Jews in the city, over half the whole population. Oświęcim was occupied immediately at the beginning of WWII. By October 1939, it was annexed into Greater Germany.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Surviving Auschwitz, USC Shoah Foundation
Peter Hersch (b. 1930 in Loza, Podkarpatska Rus, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) describes his deportation to Auschwitz II-Birkenau from the Mukačevo ghetto in a cattle train. He recounts the crowding, confusion, thirst, and unsanitary conditions. Lili Springer (b. 1930 in Vyskovo nad Tisou, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) recounts her first impressions of Auschwitz II-Birkenau after arriving on train. She was put in a line with other relatively healthy people, then given a shower and old clothes to wear. She describes entering the camp while an orchestra played and arriving at her barrack for the first time. Andrew Burian (b. 1930 in Buštino, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) describes the Appell (roll-call) in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, when camp guards periodically selected prisoners for forced labor groups or for extermination. He also describes the daily allotment of food in the camp.
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Oshpitzin, Auschwitz Jewish Center
Oshpitzin was the name the Jews of Oswiecim called their town. Explore a virtual map of Oswiecim and a guidebook to pre-war Jewish life. Of special note under Multimedia is the VIDEO: "Oshiptisin. Save From Oblivion" (37:44)
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Prisoner Revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, USHMM
On October 7, 1944, prisoners assigned to Crematorium IV at the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center rebel after learning that they were going to be killed. Members of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium IV rose in revolt.
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READING: Auschwitz, Facing History and Ourselves
Read eyewitness accounts of the killing process at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
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READING: Choiceless Choices, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the experiences of Jewish prisoners who were forced to help German guards murder other prisoners.
- Rudolf Höss-Commandant of Auschwitz by Laurence Rees, BBC
- Sonderkommando Revolt, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Auschwitz II-Birkenau Sonderkommando Testimony Clips (24:13), USC Shoah Foundation
Five survivors of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau death camp describe their perspectives of the Sonderkommando Uprising of 1944.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Eva Kor (22:50)
Eva Kor is a Holocaust survivor who endured the Dr. Josef Mengele's twin experiments at Auschwitz. This is her 2014 speech in Columbus, OH.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Eva Kor on Her Experience with Josef Mengele, USC Shoah Foundation
Eva Kor and her twin sister Miriam were experimented on by infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. She describes how one experiment nearly killed her but she promised herself she would survive.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kitty Felix, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The following testimony from Kitty Felix (today Kitty Hart-Moxon) demonstrates how conventional notions of status and decency were irrelevant to survival in Auschwitz.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ruth Brand (3:21), USC Shoah Foundation
Ruth Brand talks about the decision to fast on Yom Kippur—also known as the Day of Atonement—in Auschwitz II-Birkenau as a form of resistance.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Saul Reichert (3:15), Musee de l’Holocauste Montreal
Saul Reichert was born in 1930 in Zgierz, Poland but he grew up in Pabianice. Soon after the occupying German forces established the ghetto, Saul’s family was forced to move in. In 1942 they were transferred to the Lodz ghetto and in 1944 they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In this excerpt, Saul recalls how they celebrated Rosh Hashanah in the camp.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Selection in Auschwitz (4:53), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Jacki Handali and Rita Weiss describe their arrival in Auschwitz and the selection process. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Witold Pilecki, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Pilecki was the only known voluntary inmate of Auschwitz, who spent two and a half years gathering intelligence from within the camp. After a group of Polish political opponents were imprisoned in Auschwitz in August 1940 and then their families learned of their deaths, Pilecki volunteered to investigate.
- Tattoos and Numbers – The System of Identifying Prisoners at Auschwitz
- Teaching About Auschwitz Through Art, Yad Vashem
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The Album, USHMM
Karl Höcker's photograph album includes both documentation of official visits and ceremonies at Auschwitz as well as more personal photographs depicting the myriad of social activities that he and other members of the Auschwitz camp staff enjoyed.
- The Revolt at Auschwitz (October 7, 1944), Jewish Virtual Library
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Then and Now: Auschwitz Paintings by Survivors and Recent Photos, remember.org
This exhibit contrasts contemporary photographs of these two camps, with images of what they were like 1940-45 as remembered by artist-survivors. Much of the art was created soon after their liberation.
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VIDEO: Auschwitz (Oświęcim) (21:00)
Published in 1945, this film was used for the war crime tribunal in Nuremberg 1945-46 to show the atrocities in the Auschwitz complex All footage were taken some month after liberation. After liberation the camp was cleaned up for those inmates who still lived there. This film has no audio track due the fact that the Nuremberg trials were international ... no original script to this film are known to exist.
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VIDEO: Auschwitz 70, The Past is Present (51:44), USC Shoah Foundation
This site includes an image gallery, activities, and classroom resources.
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VIDEO: Auschwitz-Drone Video of Nazi Concentration Camp (2:29), BBC
The BBC deployed a camera-equipped drone over site, offering a chilling tour of where as many as 1.1 million people died at the hands of Nazis between 1940 and 1945. Located in southern Poland, it was the largest death camp under Adolf Hitler's "final solution."
- VIDEO: CNN Special Report-Voices of Auschwitz, 2015 (46:50), YouTube
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VIDEO: Crematorium II at Auschwitz-Birkenau (3:05), Antonio Fontoura Jr./YouTube
A virtual reconstruction of the Crematorium II.
- VIDEO: Day in Auschwitz, Kitty Hart-Moxon’s Story of Survival (47:32), USC Shoah Foundation
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VIDEO: Encountering Auschwitz (9:23), USHMM
In this film from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, historians and survivors discuss the significance of Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: Eva: A-7603, Film Website
The story of Eva Moses Kor, Holocaust survivor. At 10, she survived experiments by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. At 50, she helped launch the biggest manhunt in history.Now in her 80s, after decades of pain and anger, she travels the world to promote what her life journey has taught: Hope. Healing. Humanity. Includes viewing guide for the video.
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VIDEO: Eva: A-7603, Student Viewing Handout, Mindy Walker, Holt High School, Tuscaloosa, AL
Viewing handout for students to complete while watching the film.
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Auschwitz (2:13), USHMM
Historical film footage.
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VIDEO: Our Liberation-Stories of Holocaust Survivors’ Road to Freedom (24:11), International March of the Living
On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the greatest mass murder in human history, where over 1 million of Hitler’s 6 million Jewish victims perished. As the world commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the film tells the moving stories of six Holocaust survivors, as they revisit that pivotal moment in their lives, when Allied troops overran the Nazi death camps, and gave the survivors the Freedom they so deeply yearned for. "Our Liberation” is directed and produced by Naomi Wise. The Holocaust survivors featured in the film are all connected to the March of the Living. They are: Miriam Ziegler, Faigie Libman, Robert Engel Z”L, Ernest Ehrmann, Howard Kleinberg Z”L and Joe Mandel. The first of the six stories, features the poignant return of Toronto resident Miriam Ziegler, to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the infamous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele performed medical experiments on her when she was just a child. Pictured in the photo (second from the left) at nine years old, she is holding her arm out with her Auschwitz tattoo number, because the Russian soldier asked her for her name and she instinctively showed him the number on her arm - That was her natural reaction in Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: The Harmonica Player from Auschwitz (4:36), Yad Vashem/YouTube
A moving video that highlights the story of Auschwitz survivor Shmuel Gogol. Gogol's harmonica was seized upon arrival at Auschwitz, but he traded his meager daily ration of bread for another one. Gogol was quickly caught by a camp guard, ordered to join the Auschwitz orchestra and forced to play while Jews were led to the gas chambers. Gogol promised that if he survived he would dedicate his life to teaching Jewish children to play the harmonica. He went on to establish the Ramat Gan Harmonica Choir. The choir has performed at Yad Vashem, paying tribute to the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust, becoming part of Yad Vashem's ongoing efforts to keep the stories of the Shoah alive for generations to come.
- Gas Chambers and Crematoria
- Auschwitz-Birkenau: Crematoria & Gas Chambers, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Crematorium II at Auschwitz-Birkenau (3:05), Antonio Fontoura Jr./YouTube
A virtual reconstruction of the Crematorium II.
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
- Jewish Life in Oswiecim Before the War
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Auschwitz Jewish Center in Oświęcim
Learn about the 400-year Jewish history of Oświęcim.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Born in the City That Became Auschwitz, USC Shoah Foundation
The existence of the city dates back at least to 12th century. Following the partition of Poland in 1772, the city was annexed to the Habsburg Austrian Empire, returning to Polish rule only after the end of WWI. During that time, Oświęcim became an industrial center and an important railroad junction. Jewish population in 1921 was 4,950. On the eve of World War II, there were about 8,000 Jews in the city, over half the whole population. Oświęcim was occupied immediately at the beginning of WWII. By October 1939, it was annexed into Greater Germany.
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Oshpitzin, Auschwitz Jewish Center
Oshpitzin was the name the Jews of Oswiecim called their town. Explore a virtual map of Oswiecim and a guidebook to pre-war Jewish life. Of special note under Multimedia is the VIDEO: "Oshiptisin. Save From Oblivion" (37:44)
- Liberation of Auschwitz
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VIDEO: Auschwitz (Oświęcim) (21:00)
Published in 1945, this film was used for the war crime tribunal in Nuremberg 1945-46 to show the atrocities in the Auschwitz complex All footage were taken some month after liberation. After liberation the camp was cleaned up for those inmates who still lived there. This film has no audio track due the fact that the Nuremberg trials were international ... no original script to this film are known to exist.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Auschwitz (2:13), USHMM
Historical film footage.
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VIDEO: Our Liberation-Stories of Holocaust Survivors’ Road to Freedom (24:11), International March of the Living
On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the greatest mass murder in human history, where over 1 million of Hitler’s 6 million Jewish victims perished. As the world commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the film tells the moving stories of six Holocaust survivors, as they revisit that pivotal moment in their lives, when Allied troops overran the Nazi death camps, and gave the survivors the Freedom they so deeply yearned for. "Our Liberation” is directed and produced by Naomi Wise. The Holocaust survivors featured in the film are all connected to the March of the Living. They are: Miriam Ziegler, Faigie Libman, Robert Engel Z”L, Ernest Ehrmann, Howard Kleinberg Z”L and Joe Mandel. The first of the six stories, features the poignant return of Toronto resident Miriam Ziegler, to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the infamous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele performed medical experiments on her when she was just a child. Pictured in the photo (second from the left) at nine years old, she is holding her arm out with her Auschwitz tattoo number, because the Russian soldier asked her for her name and she instinctively showed him the number on her arm - That was her natural reaction in Auschwitz.
- Life in the Camp
- ART: Art of the Camp & Post Camp Period, Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum
- ART: Auschwitz Paintings by Survivor Jan Komski, remember.org
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Surviving Auschwitz, USC Shoah Foundation
Peter Hersch (b. 1930 in Loza, Podkarpatska Rus, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) describes his deportation to Auschwitz II-Birkenau from the Mukačevo ghetto in a cattle train. He recounts the crowding, confusion, thirst, and unsanitary conditions. Lili Springer (b. 1930 in Vyskovo nad Tisou, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) recounts her first impressions of Auschwitz II-Birkenau after arriving on train. She was put in a line with other relatively healthy people, then given a shower and old clothes to wear. She describes entering the camp while an orchestra played and arriving at her barrack for the first time. Andrew Burian (b. 1930 in Buštino, Czechoslovakia [as of 1991, Ukraine]) describes the Appell (roll-call) in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, when camp guards periodically selected prisoners for forced labor groups or for extermination. He also describes the daily allotment of food in the camp.
- Rudolf Höss-Commandant of Auschwitz by Laurence Rees, BBC
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kitty Felix, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The following testimony from Kitty Felix (today Kitty Hart-Moxon) demonstrates how conventional notions of status and decency were irrelevant to survival in Auschwitz.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ruth Brand (3:21), USC Shoah Foundation
Ruth Brand talks about the decision to fast on Yom Kippur—also known as the Day of Atonement—in Auschwitz II-Birkenau as a form of resistance.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Saul Reichert (3:15), Musee de l’Holocauste Montreal
Saul Reichert was born in 1930 in Zgierz, Poland but he grew up in Pabianice. Soon after the occupying German forces established the ghetto, Saul’s family was forced to move in. In 1942 they were transferred to the Lodz ghetto and in 1944 they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In this excerpt, Saul recalls how they celebrated Rosh Hashanah in the camp.
-
VIDEO: The Harmonica Player from Auschwitz (4:36), Yad Vashem/YouTube
A moving video that highlights the story of Auschwitz survivor Shmuel Gogol. Gogol's harmonica was seized upon arrival at Auschwitz, but he traded his meager daily ration of bread for another one. Gogol was quickly caught by a camp guard, ordered to join the Auschwitz orchestra and forced to play while Jews were led to the gas chambers. Gogol promised that if he survived he would dedicate his life to teaching Jewish children to play the harmonica. He went on to establish the Ramat Gan Harmonica Choir. The choir has performed at Yad Vashem, paying tribute to the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust, becoming part of Yad Vashem's ongoing efforts to keep the stories of the Shoah alive for generations to come.
- Medical Experimentation
- Auschwitz-Birkenau: Nazi Medical Experimentation, Jewish Virtual Library
- EXHIBIT: Deadly Medicine-Creating the Master Race, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Science and Suffering, Victims and Perpetrators of Nazi Human Experimentation, The Wiener Holocaust Library
Under the Nazis, medical research supported a new vision for a 'racially pure' Europe. Nazi policy eroded the legal basis for the protection of individual rights, including control over one's own body to promote the body politic. Through portraits of victims and perpetrators, this online exhibit explores the legacy of medical research under Nazism, and its impact on bioethics today.
- Josef Mengele, USHMM
- Nazi Medical Experiments, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Eva Kor (22:50)
Eva Kor is a Holocaust survivor who endured the Dr. Josef Mengele's twin experiments at Auschwitz. This is her 2014 speech in Columbus, OH.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Eva Kor on Her Experience with Josef Mengele, USC Shoah Foundation
Eva Kor and her twin sister Miriam were experimented on by infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. She describes how one experiment nearly killed her but she promised herself she would survive.
- Prisoner Revolt
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
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Prisoner Revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, USHMM
On October 7, 1944, prisoners assigned to Crematorium IV at the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center rebel after learning that they were going to be killed. Members of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium IV rose in revolt.
- Sonderkommando Revolt, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- The Revolt at Auschwitz (October 7, 1944), Jewish Virtual Library
- Selection
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Selection in Auschwitz (4:53), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Jacki Handali and Rita Weiss describe their arrival in Auschwitz and the selection process. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
- Sonderkommandos
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Inside the Epicenter of Horror-Photographs of the Sonderkommando, Yad Vashem
Among the millions of photographs that are related to Nazi death camps, only four depict the actual process of mass killing perpetrated at the gas chambers in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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READING: Auschwitz, Facing History and Ourselves
Read eyewitness accounts of the killing process at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
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READING: Choiceless Choices, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the experiences of Jewish prisoners who were forced to help German guards murder other prisoners.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Auschwitz II-Birkenau Sonderkommando Testimony Clips (24:13), USC Shoah Foundation
Five survivors of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau death camp describe their perspectives of the Sonderkommando Uprising of 1944.
- Tattoos
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LESSON: The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm, iWitness
When ten-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz and finding a new life in America.
- Tattoos and Numbers – The System of Identifying Prisoners at Auschwitz
- The Auschwitz Album
- A Tale of Two Albums, USHMM
- LESSONS: The Auschwitz Album, A Curriculum for High School Students, Yad Vashem
- The Höcker Album
- A Tale of Two Albums, USHMM
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Auschwitz Through the Lens of the SS: Photos of Nazi Leadership at the Camp, USHMM
The Höcker Album
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The Album, USHMM
Karl Höcker's photograph album includes both documentation of official visits and ceremonies at Auschwitz as well as more personal photographs depicting the myriad of social activities that he and other members of the Auschwitz camp staff enjoyed.
- The Wetzler-Vrba Report
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Escapees from Auschwitz-Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, remember.org
- [Wetzler-Vrba] Exposing Auschwitz, aish.com
- [Wetzler-Vrba] The First Report About Auschwitz by John S. Conway, Museum of Tolerance
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[Wetzler-Vrba] VIDEO: Escape From Auschwitz (53:52), PBS
The death factory at Auschwitz was a closely guarded secret of the Third Reich – until two men, Rudolph Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, escaped to tell the world about the Nazi atrocities. Escape from Auschwitz reveals the story of their escape and explores the controversial decision by the head of the Hungarian underground not to make their report public.
- Begin Your Unit
- “The Camera as Weapon: Documentary Photography and the Holocaust,” Museum of Tolerance
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A Practical Guide on How to Confront Hate, Tina Kempin Reuter, UAB Institute for Human Rights
Explores what we can do to confront hate, white supremacy, and racism.
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An Overview of the Holocaust: Topics to Teach, USHMM
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has identified topic areas for you to consider while planning a course of study on the Holocaust. We recommend that you introduce your students to these topics even if you have limited time to teach about the Holocaust. An introduction to the topic areas is essential for providing students with a sense of the breadth of the history of the Holocaust.
- Analysis Worksheet – Artifact, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Cartoon, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Map, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Motion Picture, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Photo, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Poster, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Sound Recording, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Written Document, National Archives
- ANIMATED MAP: Europe After World War I, The Map as History
- ANIMATED MAP: Introduction to the Holocaust (1:57), USHMM
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ANIMATED MAP: Maps, Central Europe and History (7:48), Centropa
This short trip through Europe´s maps explains how borders moved and cultures moved with them.
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ANIMATED MAP: World War II and the Holocaust (6:34), USHMM
Serves as a timeline for the Holocaust. Includes full transcript.
- Archival Photographs, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Audio Glossary of Holocaust Terms, Echoes & Reflections
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Brief History of the Holocaust, A Reference Tool, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum tells the story of the Holocaust from a unique perspective, that of Montreal survivors. This piece, that accompanies their exhibition, tells the story of Jewish communities before, during and after the Holocaust. It explores the unimaginable tragedy in which so many lives were lost and the horrors witnessed by the few who survived. Montreal became home to the third largest survivor population after World War II. Approximately 5,000 survivors still reside in the Montreal area today.
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Centropa
The first oral history project that combines old family pictures with the stories that go with them, Centropa has interviewed 1,200 elderly Jews living in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Sephardic communities of Greece, Turkey and the Balkans.
- Chronology of the Holocaust
- Critical Analysis of Photographs as Historical Sources, Yad Vashem
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Dehumanization and Incitement: The Use and Abuse of Holocaust Photographs and Images, Keene State College
A potential pitfall in teaching about the Holocaust is using Holocaust imagery without ever teaching students how to evaluate and decode those images. Teach your students how to avoid these pitfalls.
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Experiencing History: Holocaust Sources in Context, USHMM
Learn about the Holocaust through unique, original sources. With this tool, you can read, watch, and examine the experiences of everyday people to analyze how genocide unfolded. Discover a diary, a letter, a newspaper article, or a policy paper; see a photograph, or watch film footage. Discuss the complex context from which the Holocaust emerged and consider the importance of primary sources for understanding the world.
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German History in Documents and Images: Nazi Germany 1933-45, German Historical Institute, Washginton, DC
A comprehensive collection of documents, images, and maps accompanied by a section introduction by leading scholars. Many of the documents included in this project are difficult to locate in print publications, especially outside of Germany. All of the German-language documents included in GHDI are accompanied by contemporary English translations, almost all of which were commissioned for the project. GHDI also offers new access to a range of historically significant visual images, many of which will be unfamiliar to viewers.
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Holocaust Education Map, Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC)
This online Curriculum Resource focuses on 4 Domains: Intolerance, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, Responsibility. They then hand-picked from the best resources in the world like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Facing History and Ourselves, and Echoes and Reflections. Then, lessons and resources were edited into simplified ready-to-use plans by a team of teaching experts. Lessons can be selected based on grade level and/or class time.
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Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory, Digital Edition of the Book by Lawrence L Langer, Fortunoff Video Archives/Yale University
A seminal text in Holocaust studies, Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory draws on testimonies from the Fortunoff Video Archive to examine how they can complement "historical studies by enabling us to confront the human dimensions of the catastrophe." It also examines “the form and function of memory as survivors relive devastating experiences of pain, humiliation, and loss.”
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Holocaust Timeline, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center
This timeline parallels the "Road to War" with the "Road to the Holocaust."
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ID Cards (printable) Used at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
The sheer number of victims in the Holocaust challenges easy comprehension. When visitors enter the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, they receive an ID card telling the true story of a person who lived during the Holocaust. Using these individual profiles, show your students that behind the massive statistics are real people—children and parents, neighbors and friends—and a diversity of personal experience. The collection is browsable by gender and age.
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If You Heard What I Heard
The true stories of Holocaust survivors as they were heard by the last generation to hear the stories directly from them - their grandchildren. Educational materials available to use these in your classroom.
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Images, Audio & Video, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Unique source searchable by topic.
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IWitness, USC Shoah Foundation
Based on the Survivor Testimonies created by Steven Spielberg and donated to the USC Shoah Foundation, IWitness provides access to these testimonies to watch, teach, and share with your classroom. Clips can be browsed by topic and edited for classroom projects.
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Key Documents from the National Archives of the UK
These key documents from The National Archives lend themselves most readily to an analysis of the Allied response to the question of saving the Jews. The documents in the collection are labelled and arranged together according to theme.
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LESSON: Narrative Links, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Gyula Frenkel was imprisoned in the Vapniarca concentration camp in Transnistria from 1942 until 1943. Whilst in the camp he made a belt from copper and aluminium. Each link depicts the conditions of the camp and tells of his experiences and those of other prisoners. In this lesson, as students encounter the object, they examine each link, make meaning, and construct a narrative. As they consider an explanation of the links and discover how Frenkel sequenced these, students attempt to synthesise these different narratives and thus reflect on the nature of recounting the past. Includes Lesson Plan and PowerPoint.
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LESSON: Overview of the Holocaust (1 class period), USHMM
Organized around the Museum-produced 38 minute documentary "The Path to Nazi Genocide," these materials and discussion questions provide students with an introduction to the history of the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Pyramid of Hate Exercise, USC Shoah Foundation
This classroom exercise is designed to help educators teach students ages 14-18 about the effects and consequences of hatred and intolerance. The exercise integrates first-person testimonies.
- LESSON: Stereotypes and Prejudices, remember.org
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LESSON: Surviving the Holocaust, Fairfax County Public Schools
This lesson examines the Holocaust through the experience of Irene Fogel Weiss, a Jewish woman who survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Irene shares her personal story, covering how Nazi influences took over her town of Botragy, Czechoslovakia, the harassment of her family and fellow Jews, their deportation to a Hungarian ghetto, her arrival at Auschwitz, and their death march into Germany. She concludes by examining critical questions around humanity, civility, propaganda, and analyzing information in a search for the truth. These topics pose excellent opportunities for student reflection and discussion, as well as comparisons with contemporary issues facing our localities and our nation. This lesson includes accompanying video testimony.
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LESSON: The Escalation of Hate, Partners Against Hate
The goal of this lesson is to examine the escalating nature of hate and to consider the difficulty of stopping the progression once it begins.
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LESSON: Those Who Don’t Know-Identity, Membership, and Stereotypes, Facing History and Ourselves
Students prepare to study prejudice and stereotyping in Nazi-occupied Germany by considering the ways that people are defined by others.
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LESSON: Timeline Activity (1-2 class periods), USHMM
Teachers often have very little time to teach about the Holocaust, and yet they are asked to focus on Content, Context, and Complexity—the foundational principles of our pedagogical guidelines—in their approach. We believe that building a timeline that integrates personal stories, key historical events (including World War II, the Holocaust, and the world’s response), Nazi laws and decrees, and other relevant themes/topics can provide a platform to understand both how and why the Holocaust happened, and that it can be accomplished in a relatively short time frame. This interactive lesson also lends itself to critical thinking and understanding that the Holocaust happened to individuals and was incremental. It allows students to make inferences about the inter-relatedness of time and geographic location to the events that took place, affecting individuals and victim groups.
- LESSON: Universe of Obligation, Facing History and Ourselves
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LESSON: Using Art to Teach “Number the Stars” (VIDEO: 5:05), PBS Learning Media
In this episode of NJEA’s Classroom Close-up, fifth-grade students at Alan B. Shepard Elementary School learn about the holocaust by reading the book, Number the Stars, and creating paneled works of art.The paneled artwork, called triptychs, uses historical photos to show how holocaust victims’ lives were transformed. Through the research and creation of the artwork, students learn to analyze images and build empathy.
- LESSON: Using Testimony to Teach, Facing History and Ourselves
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Maps, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Broad selection of maps.
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Myths and Misconceptions, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
A series of short films presented by Stephen Feinberg, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, explore the myths and misconceptions about the Nazi period and the Holocaust that students may bring with them to the classroom.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: History of the Holocaust, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
Based on the "Brief History of the Holocaust" reference guide. Includes interactive timelines and maps.
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POSTER SET: The Holocaust, Nazi Assault 1933-1945, USHMM
Twenty-one printable posters.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: History Unfolded-US Newspapers and the Holocaust, USHMM
This project, still ongoing, investigates US press coverage for a number of Holocaust-related events. You can search by date/content theme/location.
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Prism Journal, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education & Administration, Yeshiva University
Azrieli Graduate School publishes "PRISM: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Holocaust Educators." "Prism" offers educators a practical, scholarly resource on teaching the Holocaust at the high school, college and graduate school levels. Each issue examines a specific topic through a variety of lenses, including education, history, literature, poetry, psychology and art. Experts from high schools, colleges, universities, museums and resource centers in the United States and Israel bring diverse perspectives highlighting particular facets of the issue at hand.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Echoes and Reflections Teacher’s Resource Guide
This site contains the full testimonies as well as the clips of survivors who are part of the curriculum.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: IWitness, USC Shoah Foundation
Clipped testimonies, searchable by topic, with the full testimony available as well.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Re-Collection, Azrieli Foundation
A collection of Canadian survivor stories and videos.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The 1939 Society
Some of these videos were recorded at UCLA in the 1980′s and others as part of a project by The Anti-Defamation League, Orange County. As the audience, you help preserve the legacy of survivors by listening to their stories—and by sharing them with others.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Various, Museum of Jewish Heritage/Coming of Age in the Holocaust
Features twelve stories of Holocaust survivors and one story of an individual who grew up in the Mandate of Palestine during the same period. Brief summaries allow you to select the survivor you would like to explore further. Each survivor's story is divided into chapters with a collection of video clips, timeline, geography, discussion topics, and project suggestions.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Survivors Testimony Film Series, Yad Vashem
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Survivors and Witnesses: Using Video Testimony in the Classroom, Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves has selected testimony from USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive to complement the print and digital editions of Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior.
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The Ten Stages of Genocide, Montreal Holocaust Museum
According to academic and activist Gregory H. Stanton, genocide is a process that develops in ten stages, described here. The stages do not necessarily follow a linear progression and may coexist. Prevention measures may be implemented at any stage.
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This Month in Holocaust History, The Holocaust Explained
Description of events that occurred in each month.
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This Month in Holocaust History, Yad Vashem
Photos, by month, from the archives of Yad Vashem.
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Timeline of Events, USHMM
Each event has a full description and some have accompanying images and video.
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Timeline of the Holocaust, Echoes & Reflections
This timeline chronicles key dates from 1933-1945 and is supported by primary source materials and accompanied classroom activities designed to enhance instruction.
- Timeline of the Holocaust, Museum of Tolerance
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VIDEO: “Why Did the Holocaust Happen?” Lecture by Peter Hayes (1:22), USHMM
On January 17, 2017 historian Peter Hayes spoke at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to discuss his new book, "Why? Explaining the Holocaust."
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
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VIDEO: Teaching About the Holocaust-Bringing the Lesson of Closure (3:48), USHMM
Dr. Joyce Witt, AP European History teacher at Highland Park High School in Chicago, demonstrates in this sample lesson an exemplary method for teaching a class on the Holocaust. Joyce Witt was a 1997-1998 Teacher Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This program was a part of the museum's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Exemplary Lessons Initiative. Dr. Witt explains: Study of the Holocaust would not be complete without a discussion of implications for the future. How should the Holocaust be woven into the fabric of twentieth-century history? How can its study move us forward so that our children are not traumatized and fixated on its atrocities? Most important, what are the lessons that can be learned from this horrific event so that our children learn from the past to make a better world? These essential questions must be asked if the study of the Holocaust is to have meaning in the post-Holocaust world.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust in Today’s World (11:10), Echoes & Reflections
Teaching about the Holocaust can be overwhelming. How can we provide a meaningful learning experience for our students in a limited amount of time? What is an effective approach to making learning about the Holocaust relevant and meaningful to students in today's world?
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust in Today’s World (11:10), Echoes & Reflections Video Toolbox
This video introduces effective approaches to help guide you in making instructional decisions, in order to increase students’ knowledge of the history of the Holocaust, and their understanding of its ongoing relevance to their lives and current society.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs (3:06), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs", ISHS staff member Franziska Reiniger discusses how you can explore Holocaust photography with your students. Introducing some general points to keep in mind when teaching using any photograph from the Holocaust, Ms. Reiniger then proceeds with two examples, demonstrating the remarkable differences we find in photographs taken from different points of view. The graphical elements within a photograph sometimes hint at the external circumstances surrounding the time and place when the photograph was taken, and be studying both we deepen our understanding of the Holocaust. The photographs discussed in this video are available for viewing and for downloading from our website. Franziska Reiniger is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs Part 2: Photographs as Propaganda Part 3: Documentation of Atrocities: The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross
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VIDEO: The Path to Nazi Genocide – Worksheet, USHMM
Organized around a Museum-produced 38-minute documentary, "The Path to Nazi Genocide," this worksheet provides students with an introduction to the history of the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: The Path to Nazi Genocide (38 minutes), USHMM
This 38-minute film examines the Nazis’ rise and consolidation of power in Germany. Using rare footage, the film explores their ideology, propaganda, and persecution of Jews and other victims. It also outlines the path by which the Nazis and their collaborators led a state to war and to the murder of millions of people. By providing a concise overview of the Holocaust and those involved, this resource is intended to provoke reflection and discussion about the role of ordinary people, institutions, and nations between 1918 and 1945. (This film is intended for adult viewers, but selected segments may be appropriate for younger audiences.)
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VIDEO: Thomas Buergenthal Discusses Quote from Abel Herzberg (0:48), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
"There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times." Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg
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VIDEO: Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom (1:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom", ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon discusses how we recommend choosing and using Holocaust testimony with your students. After first discussing the aspects unique to face-to-face survivor testimony, aspects that we will invariably lose in a world without survivors, Ms. Ochayon proceeds to contrast and then balance two approaches to chosing testimony video: the historical, and the personal. Chosing a piece of testimony that is only personal or only historical can be counterproductive; it is by choosing testimony that relates, personally, to historical events that we derive a deeper understanding from the survivors. The testimonies discussed in this video are available for viewing from our website. The video includes testimony by Leo Laufer, Oscar Pinkus, Livia Wiederman. Sheryl Silver-Ochayon is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom Part 2: Childhood During the Holocaust
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (1/7) (:54): Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- VIDEO: Why Should Students Consider History from Multiple Perspectives? (0:53), Brown University/Choices Program
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Voices of the Holocaust, Illinois Institute of Technology
In 1946, Dr. David P. Boder, a psychology professor from Chicago's Illinois Institute of Technology, traveled to Europe to record the stories of Holocaust survivors in their own words. Over a period of three months, he visited refugee camps in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, carrying a wire recorder and 200 spools of steel wire, upon which he was able to record over 90 hours of first-hand testimony. These recordings represent the earliest known oral histories of the Holocaust, which are available through this online archive. NOTE: Jack Bass (Jürgen Bassfreund) of Birmingham was interviewed by David Boder. See: https://voices.iit.edu/interviewee?doc=bassfreundJ
- What Was the Holocaust?, The Holocaust Explained
- Why Simulation Activities Should Not Be Used, Anti-Defamation League
- Why Teach About the Holocaust?, UNESCO
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Witnesses to the Holocaust: Stories of Minnesota Holocaust Survivors and Liberators, 25th Edition
This resource captures the vivid memories of people who experienced the Holocaust – those imprisoned in concentration camps, those who managed to escape internment, and those who liberated the concentration camps. Simple and eloquent, these testimonies detail not just the experiences, but the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a world turned upside down. These are compelling stories not just of pain and death but also of individual acts of heroism and tenacity, the apex of the human spirit.
- World War II: Timeline, USHMM
- Artifacts
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Experiencing History: Holocaust Sources in Context, USHMM
Learn about the Holocaust through unique, original sources. With this tool, you can read, watch, and examine the experiences of everyday people to analyze how genocide unfolded. Discover a diary, a letter, a newspaper article, or a policy paper; see a photograph, or watch film footage. Discuss the complex context from which the Holocaust emerged and consider the importance of primary sources for understanding the world.
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LESSON: Narrative Links, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Gyula Frenkel was imprisoned in the Vapniarca concentration camp in Transnistria from 1942 until 1943. Whilst in the camp he made a belt from copper and aluminium. Each link depicts the conditions of the camp and tells of his experiences and those of other prisoners. In this lesson, as students encounter the object, they examine each link, make meaning, and construct a narrative. As they consider an explanation of the links and discover how Frenkel sequenced these, students attempt to synthesise these different narratives and thus reflect on the nature of recounting the past. Includes Lesson Plan and PowerPoint.
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
- Documents
- Analysis Worksheet – Written Document, National Archives
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Experiencing History: Holocaust Sources in Context, USHMM
Learn about the Holocaust through unique, original sources. With this tool, you can read, watch, and examine the experiences of everyday people to analyze how genocide unfolded. Discover a diary, a letter, a newspaper article, or a policy paper; see a photograph, or watch film footage. Discuss the complex context from which the Holocaust emerged and consider the importance of primary sources for understanding the world.
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German History in Documents and Images: Nazi Germany 1933-45, German Historical Institute, Washginton, DC
A comprehensive collection of documents, images, and maps accompanied by a section introduction by leading scholars. Many of the documents included in this project are difficult to locate in print publications, especially outside of Germany. All of the German-language documents included in GHDI are accompanied by contemporary English translations, almost all of which were commissioned for the project. GHDI also offers new access to a range of historically significant visual images, many of which will be unfamiliar to viewers.
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Key Documents from the National Archives of the UK
These key documents from The National Archives lend themselves most readily to an analysis of the Allied response to the question of saving the Jews. The documents in the collection are labelled and arranged together according to theme.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: History Unfolded-US Newspapers and the Holocaust, USHMM
This project, still ongoing, investigates US press coverage for a number of Holocaust-related events. You can search by date/content theme/location.
- Holocaust Pedagogy
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An Overview of the Holocaust: Topics to Teach, USHMM
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has identified topic areas for you to consider while planning a course of study on the Holocaust. We recommend that you introduce your students to these topics even if you have limited time to teach about the Holocaust. An introduction to the topic areas is essential for providing students with a sense of the breadth of the history of the Holocaust.
- Analysis Worksheet – Artifact, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Cartoon, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Map, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Motion Picture, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Photo, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Poster, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Sound Recording, National Archives
- Analysis Worksheet – Written Document, National Archives
- Audio Glossary of Holocaust Terms, Echoes & Reflections
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Brief History of the Holocaust, A Reference Tool, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum tells the story of the Holocaust from a unique perspective, that of Montreal survivors. This piece, that accompanies their exhibition, tells the story of Jewish communities before, during and after the Holocaust. It explores the unimaginable tragedy in which so many lives were lost and the horrors witnessed by the few who survived. Montreal became home to the third largest survivor population after World War II. Approximately 5,000 survivors still reside in the Montreal area today.
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Holocaust Education Map, Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC)
This online Curriculum Resource focuses on 4 Domains: Intolerance, Nazi Germany, The Holocaust, Responsibility. They then hand-picked from the best resources in the world like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Facing History and Ourselves, and Echoes and Reflections. Then, lessons and resources were edited into simplified ready-to-use plans by a team of teaching experts. Lessons can be selected based on grade level and/or class time.
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LESSON: Timeline Activity (1-2 class periods), USHMM
Teachers often have very little time to teach about the Holocaust, and yet they are asked to focus on Content, Context, and Complexity—the foundational principles of our pedagogical guidelines—in their approach. We believe that building a timeline that integrates personal stories, key historical events (including World War II, the Holocaust, and the world’s response), Nazi laws and decrees, and other relevant themes/topics can provide a platform to understand both how and why the Holocaust happened, and that it can be accomplished in a relatively short time frame. This interactive lesson also lends itself to critical thinking and understanding that the Holocaust happened to individuals and was incremental. It allows students to make inferences about the inter-relatedness of time and geographic location to the events that took place, affecting individuals and victim groups.
-
Myths and Misconceptions, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
A series of short films presented by Stephen Feinberg, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, explore the myths and misconceptions about the Nazi period and the Holocaust that students may bring with them to the classroom.
-
ONLINE EXHIBIT: History of the Holocaust, Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
Based on the "Brief History of the Holocaust" reference guide. Includes interactive timelines and maps.
-
Prism Journal, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education & Administration, Yeshiva University
Azrieli Graduate School publishes "PRISM: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Holocaust Educators." "Prism" offers educators a practical, scholarly resource on teaching the Holocaust at the high school, college and graduate school levels. Each issue examines a specific topic through a variety of lenses, including education, history, literature, poetry, psychology and art. Experts from high schools, colleges, universities, museums and resource centers in the United States and Israel bring diverse perspectives highlighting particular facets of the issue at hand.
-
The Ten Stages of Genocide, Montreal Holocaust Museum
According to academic and activist Gregory H. Stanton, genocide is a process that develops in ten stages, described here. The stages do not necessarily follow a linear progression and may coexist. Prevention measures may be implemented at any stage.
-
VIDEO: Teaching About the Holocaust-Bringing the Lesson of Closure (3:48), USHMM
Dr. Joyce Witt, AP European History teacher at Highland Park High School in Chicago, demonstrates in this sample lesson an exemplary method for teaching a class on the Holocaust. Joyce Witt was a 1997-1998 Teacher Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This program was a part of the museum's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Exemplary Lessons Initiative. Dr. Witt explains: Study of the Holocaust would not be complete without a discussion of implications for the future. How should the Holocaust be woven into the fabric of twentieth-century history? How can its study move us forward so that our children are not traumatized and fixated on its atrocities? Most important, what are the lessons that can be learned from this horrific event so that our children learn from the past to make a better world? These essential questions must be asked if the study of the Holocaust is to have meaning in the post-Holocaust world.
-
VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust in Today’s World (11:10), Echoes & Reflections
Teaching about the Holocaust can be overwhelming. How can we provide a meaningful learning experience for our students in a limited amount of time? What is an effective approach to making learning about the Holocaust relevant and meaningful to students in today's world?
-
VIDEO: Thomas Buergenthal Discusses Quote from Abel Herzberg (0:48), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
"There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times." Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg
- VIDEO: Why Should Students Consider History from Multiple Perspectives? (0:53), Brown University/Choices Program
- Why Simulation Activities Should Not Be Used, Anti-Defamation League
- Why Teach About the Holocaust?, UNESCO
- Maps
- Analysis Worksheet – Map, National Archives
- ANIMATED MAP: Europe After World War I, The Map as History
- ANIMATED MAP: Introduction to the Holocaust (1:57), USHMM
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ANIMATED MAP: Maps, Central Europe and History (7:48), Centropa
This short trip through Europe´s maps explains how borders moved and cultures moved with them.
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ANIMATED MAP: World War II and the Holocaust (6:34), USHMM
Serves as a timeline for the Holocaust. Includes full transcript.
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German History in Documents and Images: Nazi Germany 1933-45, German Historical Institute, Washginton, DC
A comprehensive collection of documents, images, and maps accompanied by a section introduction by leading scholars. Many of the documents included in this project are difficult to locate in print publications, especially outside of Germany. All of the German-language documents included in GHDI are accompanied by contemporary English translations, almost all of which were commissioned for the project. GHDI also offers new access to a range of historically significant visual images, many of which will be unfamiliar to viewers.
-
Maps, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Broad selection of maps.
- Photographs
- “The Camera as Weapon: Documentary Photography and the Holocaust,” Museum of Tolerance
- Analysis Worksheet – Photo, National Archives
- Archival Photographs, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Critical Analysis of Photographs as Historical Sources, Yad Vashem
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Dehumanization and Incitement: The Use and Abuse of Holocaust Photographs and Images, Keene State College
A potential pitfall in teaching about the Holocaust is using Holocaust imagery without ever teaching students how to evaluate and decode those images. Teach your students how to avoid these pitfalls.
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Experiencing History: Holocaust Sources in Context, USHMM
Learn about the Holocaust through unique, original sources. With this tool, you can read, watch, and examine the experiences of everyday people to analyze how genocide unfolded. Discover a diary, a letter, a newspaper article, or a policy paper; see a photograph, or watch film footage. Discuss the complex context from which the Holocaust emerged and consider the importance of primary sources for understanding the world.
-
German History in Documents and Images: Nazi Germany 1933-45, German Historical Institute, Washginton, DC
A comprehensive collection of documents, images, and maps accompanied by a section introduction by leading scholars. Many of the documents included in this project are difficult to locate in print publications, especially outside of Germany. All of the German-language documents included in GHDI are accompanied by contemporary English translations, almost all of which were commissioned for the project. GHDI also offers new access to a range of historically significant visual images, many of which will be unfamiliar to viewers.
-
Images, Audio & Video, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Unique source searchable by topic.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs (3:06), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs", ISHS staff member Franziska Reiniger discusses how you can explore Holocaust photography with your students. Introducing some general points to keep in mind when teaching using any photograph from the Holocaust, Ms. Reiniger then proceeds with two examples, demonstrating the remarkable differences we find in photographs taken from different points of view. The graphical elements within a photograph sometimes hint at the external circumstances surrounding the time and place when the photograph was taken, and be studying both we deepen our understanding of the Holocaust. The photographs discussed in this video are available for viewing and for downloading from our website. Franziska Reiniger is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs Part 2: Photographs as Propaganda Part 3: Documentation of Atrocities: The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross
- Sources for Survivor Testimony
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Centropa
The first oral history project that combines old family pictures with the stories that go with them, Centropa has interviewed 1,200 elderly Jews living in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Sephardic communities of Greece, Turkey and the Balkans.
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Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory, Digital Edition of the Book by Lawrence L Langer, Fortunoff Video Archives/Yale University
A seminal text in Holocaust studies, Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory draws on testimonies from the Fortunoff Video Archive to examine how they can complement "historical studies by enabling us to confront the human dimensions of the catastrophe." It also examines “the form and function of memory as survivors relive devastating experiences of pain, humiliation, and loss.”
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ID Cards (printable) Used at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
The sheer number of victims in the Holocaust challenges easy comprehension. When visitors enter the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, they receive an ID card telling the true story of a person who lived during the Holocaust. Using these individual profiles, show your students that behind the massive statistics are real people—children and parents, neighbors and friends—and a diversity of personal experience. The collection is browsable by gender and age.
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If You Heard What I Heard
The true stories of Holocaust survivors as they were heard by the last generation to hear the stories directly from them - their grandchildren. Educational materials available to use these in your classroom.
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IWitness, USC Shoah Foundation
Based on the Survivor Testimonies created by Steven Spielberg and donated to the USC Shoah Foundation, IWitness provides access to these testimonies to watch, teach, and share with your classroom. Clips can be browsed by topic and edited for classroom projects.
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LESSON: Surviving the Holocaust, Fairfax County Public Schools
This lesson examines the Holocaust through the experience of Irene Fogel Weiss, a Jewish woman who survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Irene shares her personal story, covering how Nazi influences took over her town of Botragy, Czechoslovakia, the harassment of her family and fellow Jews, their deportation to a Hungarian ghetto, her arrival at Auschwitz, and their death march into Germany. She concludes by examining critical questions around humanity, civility, propaganda, and analyzing information in a search for the truth. These topics pose excellent opportunities for student reflection and discussion, as well as comparisons with contemporary issues facing our localities and our nation. This lesson includes accompanying video testimony.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Echoes and Reflections Teacher’s Resource Guide
This site contains the full testimonies as well as the clips of survivors who are part of the curriculum.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: IWitness, USC Shoah Foundation
Clipped testimonies, searchable by topic, with the full testimony available as well.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Re-Collection, Azrieli Foundation
A collection of Canadian survivor stories and videos.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The 1939 Society
Some of these videos were recorded at UCLA in the 1980′s and others as part of a project by The Anti-Defamation League, Orange County. As the audience, you help preserve the legacy of survivors by listening to their stories—and by sharing them with others.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Various, Museum of Jewish Heritage/Coming of Age in the Holocaust
Features twelve stories of Holocaust survivors and one story of an individual who grew up in the Mandate of Palestine during the same period. Brief summaries allow you to select the survivor you would like to explore further. Each survivor's story is divided into chapters with a collection of video clips, timeline, geography, discussion topics, and project suggestions.
-
Survivors and Witnesses: Using Video Testimony in the Classroom, Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves has selected testimony from USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive to complement the print and digital editions of Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior.
-
Voices of the Holocaust, Illinois Institute of Technology
In 1946, Dr. David P. Boder, a psychology professor from Chicago's Illinois Institute of Technology, traveled to Europe to record the stories of Holocaust survivors in their own words. Over a period of three months, he visited refugee camps in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, carrying a wire recorder and 200 spools of steel wire, upon which he was able to record over 90 hours of first-hand testimony. These recordings represent the earliest known oral histories of the Holocaust, which are available through this online archive. NOTE: Jack Bass (Jürgen Bassfreund) of Birmingham was interviewed by David Boder. See: https://voices.iit.edu/interviewee?doc=bassfreundJ
-
Witnesses to the Holocaust: Stories of Minnesota Holocaust Survivors and Liberators, 25th Edition
This resource captures the vivid memories of people who experienced the Holocaust – those imprisoned in concentration camps, those who managed to escape internment, and those who liberated the concentration camps. Simple and eloquent, these testimonies detail not just the experiences, but the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a world turned upside down. These are compelling stories not just of pain and death but also of individual acts of heroism and tenacity, the apex of the human spirit.
- Timelines
- Chronology of the Holocaust
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Holocaust Timeline, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center
This timeline parallels the "Road to War" with the "Road to the Holocaust."
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LESSON: Timeline Activity (1-2 class periods), USHMM
Teachers often have very little time to teach about the Holocaust, and yet they are asked to focus on Content, Context, and Complexity—the foundational principles of our pedagogical guidelines—in their approach. We believe that building a timeline that integrates personal stories, key historical events (including World War II, the Holocaust, and the world’s response), Nazi laws and decrees, and other relevant themes/topics can provide a platform to understand both how and why the Holocaust happened, and that it can be accomplished in a relatively short time frame. This interactive lesson also lends itself to critical thinking and understanding that the Holocaust happened to individuals and was incremental. It allows students to make inferences about the inter-relatedness of time and geographic location to the events that took place, affecting individuals and victim groups.
-
This Month in Holocaust History, The Holocaust Explained
Description of events that occurred in each month.
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This Month in Holocaust History, Yad Vashem
Photos, by month, from the archives of Yad Vashem.
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Timeline of Events, USHMM
Each event has a full description and some have accompanying images and video.
-
Timeline of the Holocaust, Echoes & Reflections
This timeline chronicles key dates from 1933-1945 and is supported by primary source materials and accompanied classroom activities designed to enhance instruction.
- Timeline of the Holocaust, Museum of Tolerance
- World War II: Timeline, USHMM
- Understanding Hate
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A Practical Guide on How to Confront Hate, Tina Kempin Reuter, UAB Institute for Human Rights
Explores what we can do to confront hate, white supremacy, and racism.
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LESSON: Pyramid of Hate Exercise, USC Shoah Foundation
This classroom exercise is designed to help educators teach students ages 14-18 about the effects and consequences of hatred and intolerance. The exercise integrates first-person testimonies.
- LESSON: Stereotypes and Prejudices, remember.org
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LESSON: The Escalation of Hate, Partners Against Hate
The goal of this lesson is to examine the escalating nature of hate and to consider the difficulty of stopping the progression once it begins.
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LESSON: Those Who Don’t Know-Identity, Membership, and Stereotypes, Facing History and Ourselves
Students prepare to study prejudice and stereotyping in Nazi-occupied Germany by considering the ways that people are defined by others.
- Using Art to Teach the Holocaust
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LESSON: Using Art to Teach “Number the Stars” (VIDEO: 5:05), PBS Learning Media
In this episode of NJEA’s Classroom Close-up, fifth-grade students at Alan B. Shepard Elementary School learn about the holocaust by reading the book, Number the Stars, and creating paneled works of art.The paneled artwork, called triptychs, uses historical photos to show how holocaust victims’ lives were transformed. Through the research and creation of the artwork, students learn to analyze images and build empathy.
- Using Testimony in the Classroom
- LESSON: Using Testimony to Teach, Facing History and Ourselves
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Survivors Testimony Film Series, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom (1:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom", ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon discusses how we recommend choosing and using Holocaust testimony with your students. After first discussing the aspects unique to face-to-face survivor testimony, aspects that we will invariably lose in a world without survivors, Ms. Ochayon proceeds to contrast and then balance two approaches to chosing testimony video: the historical, and the personal. Chosing a piece of testimony that is only personal or only historical can be counterproductive; it is by choosing testimony that relates, personally, to historical events that we derive a deeper understanding from the survivors. The testimonies discussed in this video are available for viewing from our website. The video includes testimony by Leo Laufer, Oscar Pinkus, Livia Wiederman. Sheryl Silver-Ochayon is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Using Holocaust Testimony in the Classroom Part 2: Childhood During the Holocaust
- Bystanders, Collaboration, and Complicity
- Bystanders, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Collaboration, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Some Were Neighbors-Collaboration & Complicity in the Holocaust, USHMM
- LESSON: Deconstructing the Familiar, A Photo Activity, USHMM
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LESSON: Ethical Leadership (1 class period), USHMM
These educational modules explore how challenges to ethical behavior and leadership played out in the context of the Holocaust and pose larger questions about how they confront us today. This lesson was designed for college level, but is adaptable for secondary level.
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LESSON: Guilt, Responsibility and Punishment, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains photos of different people, some of whom were involved in the implementation of the Holocaust. By the end of this activity, you will have developed your ability to think critically and from different perspectives. You will also have reflected on how both the indifference of individuals and the choices they make can lead to horrific consequences. This will help you to understand the role of passive observers and the dangers of remaining silent.
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LESSON: The Holocaust: Bystanders and Upstanders, Facing History and Ourselves
Students explore the stories of individuals, groups, and nations who made choices to resist the Nazis, as well as the bystanders who decided to remain silent.
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LESSON: The Roles of Individuals, USHMM
Millions of ordinary people witnessed the crimes of the Holocaust. These teaching materials explore the motives and pressures that led many individuals to abandon their fellow human beings—or to make the choice to help.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Chaim Rumkowski’s Speech to Lodz Ghetto Residents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Rumkowski's famous "Give Me Your Children" speech.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: The Population Has Not Behaved Correctly, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Szczebrzeszyn is a small town in eastern Poland. Its Jewish community was destroyed in October 1942. Some Jews were deported to Bełżec extermination camp; many were shot in the streets of the town and in its Jewish cemetery which is shown in the photograph. The reactions of the non-Jewish population were recorded by a local doctor, Zygmunt Klukowski, in his diary.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: The Question of Jewish Children Does Not Interest Him, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Although only the governments of Germany, Romania and Croatia murdered Jews as state policy, other states actively participated in the Holocaust. On 16-17 July 1942 more than 13,000 Jews without French citizenship were arrested by French police in Paris; the victims included more than 4,000 children. Most of the arrestees were held at the Vélodrome d’Hiver, an indoor cycling stadium, before being transferred to transit camps. The idea of arresting the children came from the French Prime Minister Laval, as this telegram sent by Theodor Dannecker, the SS representative in France, a few days before the round-up makes clear.
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READING: The Hangman, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore bystander behavior and the challenges of speaking up with Maurice Ogden's poem, "The Hangman."
- SPEECH: The Perils of Indifference by Elie Wiesel, The White House, April 1999, The History Place/Great Speeches Collection
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VIDEO: Bystanders and Resisters (5:11), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, discusses the roles of bystanders and resisters during the Holocaust.
- VIDEO: Elie Wiesel Talks About Fighting Indifference (1:00), Facing History and Ourselves
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VIDEO: How Did Ordinary Citizens Become Murderers? (1:30), USHMM
What prompted average people to commit extraordinary crimes in support of the Nazi cause? On September 13, 2017, the Museum hosted a discussion on this topic. Featuring Dr. Christopher Browning & Dr. Wendy Lower.
- Contemporary Antisemitism
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Confront Hate and Antisemitism, USHMM
In the aftermath of the moral and societal failures that made the Holocaust possible, confronting antisemitism and all forms of hatred is critical. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum offer resources for teachers to share in their classrooms.
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Contemporary Antisemitism, USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
Eyewitness video testimonies.
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LESSON: Antisemtism and the Bystander Effect, USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
Grades 7-10, ELA. In this activity, students will develop an understanding of what it means to be a bystander and the impact of bystanding. Students will watch testimonies from survivors of and witnesses to historical and contemporary antisemitism who describe the consequences of the bystander effect in their own lives. Students will construct a social media message for the #BeginsWithMe campaign that describes their own plan to counter bystander behavior.
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LESSON: Contemporary Antisemitism, USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
Grades 9-10, ELA. What is antisemitism and how is it different than contemporary antisemitism? How do historical events shape contemporary societies? This activity defines antisemitism and contemporary antisemitism, and focuses on Denmark's collective pride around the Holocaust-era rescue of its Jewish citizens and how this pride was reinvigorated after a 2015 attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark. Through testimony, students will see how antisemitism, hate, and stereotypes impact everyone in society, not just those targeted in an attack.
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LESSON: Promoting Effective Conversation Skills, USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
Grades 9-10. ELA. Students will apply the concept of respectful disagreement. Students will develop strategies to respectfully disagree when confronted with differing ideas.
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PODCAST: Deborah Lipstadt, Voices of Antisemitism (4:56), USHMM
When Holocaust denier David Irving sued Deborah Lipstadt for libel in a British court, she experienced what she called "the world of difference between reading about antisemitism and hearing it up close and personal."
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Stronger Than Hate, USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
Educational resources for building empathy and respect.
- Deportation
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DATABASE: Transports to Extinction, Yad Vashem
The Shoah (Holocaust) Deportation Database allows the visitor to search for victims by name, departure date, transport number, etc. This database is continually being updated.
- Map: The European Rail System, USHMM
- POEM: “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar,” by Dan Pagis, Yad Vashem
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READING: The “Special Trains,” Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the role of bureaucrats in the Nazi regime with this interview with a man who managed the trains to Auschwitz and Treblinka.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Deportations, USHMM
Includes several oral histories on the topic of Deportation.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Halina Birenbaum, Masha Putermilch, and Yosef Charny (4:14), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivors describe the mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto in the summer of 1942. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Shmuel Rotbard, Miriam Akavia, and Aliza Avnon (3:41), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Holocaust survivors describe the deportation from Cracow, Poland, to the concentration camps. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Blanka Rothschild (1:47), USHMM
Survivor describes deportation from the Lodz Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kalman Perk (2:55), Yad Vashem
Born in 1930 in Kaunas, Lithuania, Kalman Perk was deported with his family to the Kovno ghetto in 1941. Hiding in a cellar in July 1944 to escape the impending liquidation of the ghetto, the family was forced to abandon their hiding place due to German-ignited fires in the ghetto. They were then loaded onto a cattle car and deported to the concentration camps. Convinced by his parents that he must escape, Kalman jumped out the window of the moving train and fled eastward into Russia. Kalman adopted the last words his father spoke to him before escaping from the train, "Be a decent person", as the guiding principle of his life.
- The Forgotten Part of the Final Solution-The Liquidation of the Ghettos, by Wolfgang Scheffler, Museum of Tolerance
- The Online Guide of the Deportations of Jews Research Project, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Curator Discusses Man’s Last Letter (1:59), USHMM,
Letter written by Otto Simmonds and thrown from the railroad car deporting him from the camp of Drancy in France, to Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: I Have a Message for You (12:45), The New York Times
Klara was 20 years old and living in Belgium when she, her husband, and her father were taken in a roundup to the Mechelen transit camp and put on a train bound for Auschwitz. This beautiful film includes interviews with Klara accented with artisitic drawings, and tells the story of her escape and guilt at leaving her father.
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VIDEO: Toyland (13:55), Magnet Film
Germany 1942: In order to protect her son Marianne Meißner tried to make him believe that the Jewish neighbours are going on a journey to “Toyland”. One morning her son has disappeared - the Jewish neighbours too. Toyland is a film about guilt, responsibility, small and big lies. Winner 2009 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
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VIDEO: Westerbork Deportation Footage by Werner Breslauer, Experiencing History, USHMM
The film featured here is a hybrid of perpetrator and victim footage. Recording the deportation of Dutch Jews (and some Sinti-Roma) from Westerbork on May 19, 1944, it chronicles the loading of train cars bound for Auschwitz. The cameraman, Werner (Rudolf) Breslauer, was a German Jew who fled to the Netherlands with his wife and three children. Embedded within this footage is a now iconic image of a young Sinti girl as she is being deported. Settela Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau between July 31 and August 1, 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camp"). Settela's last, and world renowned, picture was taken on May 19, 1944 moments before the train door was bolted and locked in front of her. The image of Settela peeking through the train doors, head covered, has become a symbol of the genocide of the Sinti/Roma during the Holocaust.
- Emigration
- ANIMATED MAP: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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CHART: Immigrants Admitted to the U.S. – Fiscal Years 1900-2002, INS
Scroll to page 2.
- CHART: Jewish Emigration from Germany and Austria, 1933-1939, According to Destination, Yad Vashem
- CHART: Jewish Emigration from Nazi Territories 1933-1941, Yad Vashem
- Documentation Required for Emigration from Germany (PDF), USHMM
- Documentation Required for Immigration Visas to Enter the U.S. (PDF), USHMM
- Escape from German-Occupied Europe, USHMM
- Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
- EXHIBIT: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Flight and Rescue, USHMM
This is the extraordinary story of more than 2,000 Polish Jewish refugees. Enduring the hardships of travel and restrictive immigration laws, they escaped wartime Europe to safety in the Far East just months before the start of the Nazi genocide that claimed the lives of 3 million Polish Jews. Experience their journey through photographs, personal articles, and survivor interviews.
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EXHIBIT: The Boy Alone in Nazi Vienna, The Wiener Holocaust Library
During the Kindertransport, children left their home countries and families behind. Many would no longer see their parents again. But for some, the Kindertransport promised a reunion with a parent who had made the painful decision to leave first. A cache of 40 letters recently discovered in a UK loft documents this more unusual experience from a child's perspective. The letters were written by a boy in Vienna to his mother, who was already in the UK, over the course of an agonising four-month separation. During this time each worked frantically towards a reunion that they could not be certain would happen as war clouds gathered.
- German and Austrian Jewish Refugees in Shanghai, USHMM
- German Jewish Refugees, USHMM
- German-Jewish Refugees, 1933-1939, USHMM
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Harvor from the Holocaust, PBS Learning Media
Harbor from the Holocaust explores the extraordinary relationship of these Jews and their adopted city of Shanghai, even through the bitter years of Japanese occupation 1937-1945 and the Chinese civil war that followed. It was a relationship that produced some exceptional artists, statesmen and authors, as well as ‘ordinary’ people who survived to carry on their Jewish religion and traditions that would have otherwise been consigned to oblivion.
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How UK’s ‘Kitchener Camp’ rescue saved 4,000 Jewish men after Kristallnacht, Times of Israel, July 3, 2020
The camp was the concrete manifestation of a softening of the British government’s hardline approach to those fleeing Nazi persecution. Amid public and parliamentary revulsion at the terrible events of November 1938, and under heavy pressure from the Central British Fund (CBF) for German Jewry (now World Jewish Relief), the Home Office agreed to admit thousands of Jewish refugees, albeit under stringent conditions. As a result, the Kindertransport saw 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children brought to Britain. Less well-known or celebrated, however, is the equally remarkable story of the “Kitchener Camp” rescue that undoubtedly saved the lives of nearly 4,000 German and Austrian Jewish men.
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IMAGE: Plea for Help for Europe’s Jews, Facing History and Ourselves
In the Chicago Daily News, November 23, 1938, the cartoonist Cecil Jensen pleaded for world leaders to help Europe's Jews.
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Immigration & Refugee Policy During WWII, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains links for more specific topics.
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Jewish Refugees Aboard the SS Quanza, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The SS Quanza was a Portuguese ship chartered by 317 Jewish refugees attempting to escape Nazi-dominated Europe in August 1940. Passengers with valid visas were allowed to disembark in New York and Vera Cruz, but that left 81 refugees seeking asylum. Their request to land in the USA triggered a political and legal battle between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Assistant Secretary of State Breckinridge Long.
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Kindertransport Association Oral History Project, YouTube
Thirty personal testimonies.
- Kindertransport, BBC
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Kindertransport: 1938-1940, USHMM
Includes photos and personal histories.
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Kitchener Camp (UK)
This former army camp near Sandwich, Kent, was adapted by the Council of German Jewry to house mostly single Jewish men from Germany and Austria who had been released from concentration camps in the aftermath of the infamous Kristallnacht Pogrom on the proviso that they would leave Germany immediately, often without their families. This site includes a timeline, documents, photos, names, etc.
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LESSON: A Case Study on the Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Teaching Materials
By examining the Wagner-Rogers Bill of 1939, students learn how Americans debated the country’s role as a haven for refugees, identifying economic, social, and geopolitical factors that influenced Americans’ attitudes about the United States’ role in the world during the critical years 1938–1941. Using primary-source documents, students identify and evaluate arguments that Americans made for and against the acceptance of child refugees in 1939. The lesson concludes with reflection on questions that this history raises about America’s role in the world today.
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LESSON: Analyzing Einstein’s Citizenship Application, National Archives
Students will examine and interpret information from a 1936 Declaration of Intention document to discover the individual applying for citizenship in the United States: Albert Einstein.
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LESSON: Escape in Peter Feigl’s Diary, Facing History and Ourselves
By comparing two personal accounts of escape from German-occupied Europe, students gain a deeper understanding of escape and the refugee experience during the Holocaust.
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LESSON: MS St. Louis Crisis, Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies/Keene State College
This lesson explores the US decision-making process in rejecting the passengers from the St. Louis. Includes background information, questions to consider, and the personal story of a local survivor who was on the St. Louis.
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LESSON: Refugee Experiences in Elisabeth Kaufmann’s Diary, Facing History and Ourselves
Students draw on diary entries and historical documents to gain insight into experiences of refugees during the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Refugee Politics in Europe, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains information about the historical event known as the Evian Conference. By the end of the activity you will have developed your understanding of contemporary issues and human rights, including how we view newcomers today.
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LESSON: The Wagner-Rogers Bill: Debate, American Immigration Law Foundation
This lesson allows students to develop and hear the arguments for and against the Wagner-Rogers bill, by taking part in a mock Congressional debate on the bill. Students are encouraged to develop and listen to persuasive testimony and speeches, and to come up with creative strategies to change the legislation in ways in which it might be more acceptable.
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LESSON: Understanding the Kindertransport, IWitness/USC Shoah Foundation
This Information Quest activity introduces students to the Kindertransport, the transport of child refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe to England, and its effects on the children who experienced the journey. It provides important historical context for the book, "The Children of Willesden Lane," the story of one child's journey from Westbahnhof station to Willesden Lane and beyond. Students will engage in a close reading of a variety of texts, develop an appreciation for the historical context of the story and listen to first person accounts of the experience on the Kindertransport. The activity complements the Facing History and Ourselves teachers resource for The Children of Willesden Lane.
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LESSON: Why Didn’t They Just Leave?, USHMM
Students will explore the documents necessary for emigration and immigration in the 1930s and read diary passages that personalize the challenges of seeking refuge. This lesson utilizes the following additional resources: "The Path to Nazi Genocide", animated maps, and "Salvaged Pages" by Alexandra Zapruder.
- Madagascar Plan, Yad Vashem
- Nisko and Lublin Plan, Yad Vashem
- Nisko: The First Experiment in Deportation, Museum of Tolerance
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: What did Refugees Need to Obtain a US Visa in the 1930s?, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
As the Nazi regime’s attacks intensified in the late 1930s, hundreds of thousands of Jews in Germany tried to immigrate to the United States. To enter the United States, each person needed an immigration visa stamped into his or her passport. It was difficult to get the necessary papers to leave Germany, and US immigration visas were difficult to obtain. The process could take years. EXPLORE THE SEVEN STEPS THAT WERE REQUIRED FOR THOSE SEEKING TO IMMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES.
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Operation Texas, Jewish Virtual Library
In 1938, Lyndon Baines Johnson - then a Congressman who would later become the 36th President of the United States - worked covertly to establish a refuge in Texas for European Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. Johnson eventually helped hundreds of European Jews enter Texas through Cuba, Mexico and South America.
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Orchestra of Exiles, PBS Learning Media
On the brink of World War II and the rise of Nazi-occupation, one man’s remarkable four-year odyssey helped rescue Europe’s premier Jewish musicians and their families from persecution, while preserving the musical heritage of Europe. Orchestra of Exiles, a 90-minute documentary film by Academy Award-nominated Josh Aronson, tells the dramatic story of celebrated Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman (1882-1947). With courage, resourcefulness, and an entourage of allies including Arturo Toscanini and Albert Einstein, Huberman bravely stood up to racial intolerance, ultimately saving almost 1,000 Jews from 1933–1936 while forming the Palestine Symphony Orchestra.
- PHOTO STORY: 6 Stories of the Kindertransport, The Imperial War Museum
- Polish Jewish Refugees in the Shanghai Ghetto, 1941-1945, USHMM
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POLITICAL CARTOON: Evian Conference 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
Political cartoon entitled “Will the Evian Conference Guide Him to Freedom?” in The New York Times, July 3, 1938
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POLITICAL CARTOON: European Crossroads – Daily Express, October 17, 1938
Shows refugees from Nazi Germany with no place to go.
- POLITICAL CARTOON: Please Ring the Bell for Us, Francis Knott, July 1939
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POLITICAL CARTOON: The Evian Conference
Cartoon published in 1938 by the Daily Express newspaper in Britain showing refugees from Nazi occupied territories and the unwillingness of any countries to take them.
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Wagner-Rogers Refugee Bill Backed at Hearing, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: As We Have No Racial Problem, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Thee attitude of most delegates at Evian was perhaps best expressed by Australia’s representative, Colonel T.W. White in the following speech.
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READING: A Refugee Crisis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how nations around the world responded to the Jewish refugee crisis created by Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria.
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READING: The Voyage of the St. Louis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why countries including the US refused to accept Jewish refugees who sought to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe on the St. Louis.
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SD Report on the Outcomes of the Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
Summary of the outcomes from the Evian Conference and its ramifications for German-Jewish policy given by the Nazi intelligence and security body (SD) in July 1938.
- STUDY GUIDE: Into the Arms of Strangers, Stories of the Kindertransport
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Child Survivors of the Holocaust, BBC
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Esther Starobin-Fate of Family that Remained in Germany (6:57), USHMM
Esther Starobin and her three sisters left Germany for Great Britain in 1939 as part of a special rescue of Jewish children known as the Kindertransport, or children’s transport. In this episode, Esther discusses how she learned the fate of her parents and brother who remained in Germany after she and her sisters had left.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie Traum-Evacuated to England (9:05), USHMM
Freddie Traum discusses life as a refugee in Great Britain during World War II. Freddie and his sister were sent from their home in Austria to England as part of the Kindertransport, the special transport that brought thousands of refugee Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940. Freddie initially lived with a family in London but was evacuated to the countryside, along with other Londoners, when Great Britain declared war on Germany in September of 1939.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Friendship Before, During, and After the War (6:47), Facing History and Ourselves
Vera Gissing, who survived the Holocaust as part of the Kindertransport, describes the importance of her non-Jewish friends to her and her parents throughout World War II.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kurt Klein (2:06), USHMM
As Nazi anti-Jewish policy intensified, Kurt's family decided to leave Germany. Kurt left for the United States in 1937, but his parents were unable to leave before the outbreak of World War II. Kurt's parents were eventually deported to Auschwitz, in German-occupied Poland. In 1942, Kurt joined the United States Army and was trained in military intelligence. In Europe, he interrogated prisoners of war. In May 1945, he took part in the surrender of a village in Czechoslovakia and returned the next day to assist over 100 Jewish women who had been abandoned there during a death march. Kurt's future wife, Gerda, was one of the women in this group.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Local Doctor Shares Chilling Story of Surviving Holocaust, The Buffalo News
The story of Dr. Sol Messinger.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Preparing for the Kindertransport (7:04), Facing History and Ourselves
Vera Gissing, a Holocaust survivor from Czechoslovakia, recalls how her family prepared her for the Kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish refugee children to Great Britain.
- The Evian Conference, USHMM
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The Immigration of Refugee Children to the US, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Numerous organizations and individuals attempted to bring unaccompanied children, mostly German Jewish children, to the United States between 1933 and 1945. More than one thousand unaccompanied children escaped Nazi persecution by immigrating to the United States as part of these organized efforts. This article provides a summary of this work.
- The Jews of Shanghai, The Holocaust Explained
- The Kindertransport Association
- The Kindertransport, The Holocaust Explained
- The Kitchener Camp for Refugees, The Wiener Holocaust Library
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The Nazis & the Jews: The Madagascar Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes full text of the Madagascar Plan.
- The Significance of the Evian Conference, The Holocaust Explained
- The Wagner-Rogers Bill, Jewish Virtual Library
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TIMELINE: An Interactive Timeline-US Immigration Policy, Past and Present, Brown University/Choices Program
Includes lesson plans.
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VIDEO: Evian Conference Fails to Aid Refugees, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Delegates of 32 countries assembled at the Royal Hotel in Evian, France, from July 6 to 15, 1938, to discuss the problem of Jewish refugees. The refugees were desperate to flee Nazi persecution in Germany, but could not leave without having permission to settle in other countries. The Evian Conference resulted in almost no change in the immigration policies of most of the attending nations. The major powers--the United States, Great Britain, and France--opposed unrestricted immigration, making it clear that they intended to take no official action to alleviate the German-Jewish refugee problem.
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VIDEO: Kindertransport Premovie(11:57), Pomona College Theatre Department
A short video about the events leading up the Kindertransport... An educational supplement to Pomona College Theater Department's of Kindertransport by Diane Samuels.
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VIDEO: Nobody Wants Us (37:00)
In September 1940, three teenagers were trapped on the steamship Quanze in the port of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Along with 83 other exhausted refugees, they were hoping to be allowed on American soil — where millions of others in distress had safely landed before them. Times had changed and America was turning away refugees at this critical time in history. Would these families be turned away too? "Nobody Wants Us" is their story. The relevance of this documentary goes far beyond the historical significance of the Steamship Quanza. It addresses how the US has responded to these refugees fleeing war torn Europe and encourages us to consider our reaction to refugees today. The film reinforces the concept of helping those in need when the world seems against them.
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VIDEO: Refugee Ships at Sea (7:50), Americans and the Holocaust/USHMM
Includes details on the voyage of the St. Louis (May 1939) and the SS Quanza (August 1940) More than 1,200 ships carrying nearly 111,000 Jewish refugees arrived in New York between March 1938, when Germany annexed Austria, and October 1941, when Germany banned emigration. This seven-minute film shows the passage of ships carrying Jewish refugees from Europe to the United States between 1938 and 1941, as well as the atypical voyages of the MS St Louis in May 1939 and the SS Quanza in August 1940.
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VIDEO: Ruth-A Little Girl’s Big Journey (16:04), USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
This animated short film for primary school students follows Dr. Ruth Westheimer's survival of the Holocaust a s young girl. It explores universal themes of fear, loss, and loneliness, as well as resilience, bravery, and hope.
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VIDEO: Webinar – Remembering the MS St. Louis (1:09), Museum of Jewish Heritage
In May 1939, more than 930 Jews fled the Third Reich aboard the MS St. Louis. Their destination was Cuba and then most planned to immigrate to the United States, but they were turned away by both countries. Forced to return to Europe, ultimately more than 250 of the passengers died in the Holocaust. In this special commemorative program, award-winning journalist Armando Lucas Correa (The German Girl), who is an expert on the history of the St. Louis, is in conversation with Sirius XM radio host Jessica Shaw.
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VIDEO/ANIMATED: Franz-A Professor’s Plea (5:18), USHMM
Jewish professor Dr. Franz Goldberger—desperate to escape Nazi persecution in Vienna, Austria, in the late 1930s—wrote letters to strangers in the United States. He was searching for someone to serve as his financial sponsor for immigration. One of Franz’s letters reached Helen Roseland, a postal worker in Eagle Grove, Iowa. Although she had never met Franz, she resolved to help him—tackling a mountain of paperwork and racing against time. View Franz’s letter and related photographs: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/personal-story/franz-goldberger?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=behind_every_name&utm_content=franz_goldberger
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Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
Includes one survivor testimony.
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Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The 1939 Wagner-Rogers Bill is the common name for two identical congressional bills (one in the US House of Representatives and one in the US Senate) that proposed admitting 20,000 German refugee children to the United States outside of immigration quotas. Despite congressional hearings and public debate in the spring of 1939, the bills never came to a vote.
- Plans to Remove the Jews from Europe
- Madagascar Plan, Yad Vashem
- Nisko and Lublin Plan, Yad Vashem
- Nisko: The First Experiment in Deportation, Museum of Tolerance
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The Nazis & the Jews: The Madagascar Plan, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes full text of the Madagascar Plan.
- Shanghai
- German and Austrian Jewish Refugees in Shanghai, USHMM
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Harvor from the Holocaust, PBS Learning Media
Harbor from the Holocaust explores the extraordinary relationship of these Jews and their adopted city of Shanghai, even through the bitter years of Japanese occupation 1937-1945 and the Chinese civil war that followed. It was a relationship that produced some exceptional artists, statesmen and authors, as well as ‘ordinary’ people who survived to carry on their Jewish religion and traditions that would have otherwise been consigned to oblivion.
- Polish Jewish Refugees in the Shanghai Ghetto, 1941-1945, USHMM
- The Jews of Shanghai, The Holocaust Explained
- SS Quanza, August 1940
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Jewish Refugees Aboard the SS Quanza, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The SS Quanza was a Portuguese ship chartered by 317 Jewish refugees attempting to escape Nazi-dominated Europe in August 1940. Passengers with valid visas were allowed to disembark in New York and Vera Cruz, but that left 81 refugees seeking asylum. Their request to land in the USA triggered a political and legal battle between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Assistant Secretary of State Breckinridge Long.
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VIDEO: Nobody Wants Us (37:00)
In September 1940, three teenagers were trapped on the steamship Quanze in the port of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Along with 83 other exhausted refugees, they were hoping to be allowed on American soil — where millions of others in distress had safely landed before them. Times had changed and America was turning away refugees at this critical time in history. Would these families be turned away too? "Nobody Wants Us" is their story. The relevance of this documentary goes far beyond the historical significance of the Steamship Quanza. It addresses how the US has responded to these refugees fleeing war torn Europe and encourages us to consider our reaction to refugees today. The film reinforces the concept of helping those in need when the world seems against them.
- The Evian Conference, July 1938
- Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
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LESSON: Refugee Politics in Europe, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains information about the historical event known as the Evian Conference. By the end of the activity you will have developed your understanding of contemporary issues and human rights, including how we view newcomers today.
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POLITICAL CARTOON: Evian Conference 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
Political cartoon entitled “Will the Evian Conference Guide Him to Freedom?” in The New York Times, July 3, 1938
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POLITICAL CARTOON: European Crossroads – Daily Express, October 17, 1938
Shows refugees from Nazi Germany with no place to go.
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POLITICAL CARTOON: The Evian Conference
Cartoon published in 1938 by the Daily Express newspaper in Britain showing refugees from Nazi occupied territories and the unwillingness of any countries to take them.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: As We Have No Racial Problem, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Thee attitude of most delegates at Evian was perhaps best expressed by Australia’s representative, Colonel T.W. White in the following speech.
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SD Report on the Outcomes of the Evian Conference, Yad Vashem
Summary of the outcomes from the Evian Conference and its ramifications for German-Jewish policy given by the Nazi intelligence and security body (SD) in July 1938.
- The Evian Conference, USHMM
- The Significance of the Evian Conference, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Evian Conference Fails to Aid Refugees, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Delegates of 32 countries assembled at the Royal Hotel in Evian, France, from July 6 to 15, 1938, to discuss the problem of Jewish refugees. The refugees were desperate to flee Nazi persecution in Germany, but could not leave without having permission to settle in other countries. The Evian Conference resulted in almost no change in the immigration policies of most of the attending nations. The major powers--the United States, Great Britain, and France--opposed unrestricted immigration, making it clear that they intended to take no official action to alleviate the German-Jewish refugee problem.
- The Kindertransport, December 1938
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EXHIBIT: The Boy Alone in Nazi Vienna, The Wiener Holocaust Library
During the Kindertransport, children left their home countries and families behind. Many would no longer see their parents again. But for some, the Kindertransport promised a reunion with a parent who had made the painful decision to leave first. A cache of 40 letters recently discovered in a UK loft documents this more unusual experience from a child's perspective. The letters were written by a boy in Vienna to his mother, who was already in the UK, over the course of an agonising four-month separation. During this time each worked frantically towards a reunion that they could not be certain would happen as war clouds gathered.
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Kindertransport Association Oral History Project, YouTube
Thirty personal testimonies.
- Kindertransport, BBC
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Kindertransport: 1938-1940, USHMM
Includes photos and personal histories.
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LESSON: Understanding the Kindertransport, IWitness/USC Shoah Foundation
This Information Quest activity introduces students to the Kindertransport, the transport of child refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe to England, and its effects on the children who experienced the journey. It provides important historical context for the book, "The Children of Willesden Lane," the story of one child's journey from Westbahnhof station to Willesden Lane and beyond. Students will engage in a close reading of a variety of texts, develop an appreciation for the historical context of the story and listen to first person accounts of the experience on the Kindertransport. The activity complements the Facing History and Ourselves teachers resource for The Children of Willesden Lane.
- PHOTO STORY: 6 Stories of the Kindertransport, The Imperial War Museum
- STUDY GUIDE: Into the Arms of Strangers, Stories of the Kindertransport
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Child Survivors of the Holocaust, BBC
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Esther Starobin-Fate of Family that Remained in Germany (6:57), USHMM
Esther Starobin and her three sisters left Germany for Great Britain in 1939 as part of a special rescue of Jewish children known as the Kindertransport, or children’s transport. In this episode, Esther discusses how she learned the fate of her parents and brother who remained in Germany after she and her sisters had left.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie Traum-Evacuated to England (9:05), USHMM
Freddie Traum discusses life as a refugee in Great Britain during World War II. Freddie and his sister were sent from their home in Austria to England as part of the Kindertransport, the special transport that brought thousands of refugee Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940. Freddie initially lived with a family in London but was evacuated to the countryside, along with other Londoners, when Great Britain declared war on Germany in September of 1939.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Friendship Before, During, and After the War (6:47), Facing History and Ourselves
Vera Gissing, who survived the Holocaust as part of the Kindertransport, describes the importance of her non-Jewish friends to her and her parents throughout World War II.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Preparing for the Kindertransport (7:04), Facing History and Ourselves
Vera Gissing, a Holocaust survivor from Czechoslovakia, recalls how her family prepared her for the Kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish refugee children to Great Britain.
- The Kindertransport Association
- The Kindertransport, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Kindertransport Premovie(11:57), Pomona College Theatre Department
A short video about the events leading up the Kindertransport... An educational supplement to Pomona College Theater Department's of Kindertransport by Diane Samuels.
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VIDEO: Ruth-A Little Girl’s Big Journey (16:04), USC Shoah Foundation/IWitness
This animated short film for primary school students follows Dr. Ruth Westheimer's survival of the Holocaust a s young girl. It explores universal themes of fear, loss, and loneliness, as well as resilience, bravery, and hope.
- The Kitchener Camp, December 1938
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How UK’s ‘Kitchener Camp’ rescue saved 4,000 Jewish men after Kristallnacht, Times of Israel, July 3, 2020
The camp was the concrete manifestation of a softening of the British government’s hardline approach to those fleeing Nazi persecution. Amid public and parliamentary revulsion at the terrible events of November 1938, and under heavy pressure from the Central British Fund (CBF) for German Jewry (now World Jewish Relief), the Home Office agreed to admit thousands of Jewish refugees, albeit under stringent conditions. As a result, the Kindertransport saw 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children brought to Britain. Less well-known or celebrated, however, is the equally remarkable story of the “Kitchener Camp” rescue that undoubtedly saved the lives of nearly 4,000 German and Austrian Jewish men.
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Kitchener Camp (UK)
This former army camp near Sandwich, Kent, was adapted by the Council of German Jewry to house mostly single Jewish men from Germany and Austria who had been released from concentration camps in the aftermath of the infamous Kristallnacht Pogrom on the proviso that they would leave Germany immediately, often without their families. This site includes a timeline, documents, photos, names, etc.
- The Kitchener Camp for Refugees, The Wiener Holocaust Library
- The St. Louis, May 1939
- ANIMATED MAP: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
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LESSON: MS St. Louis Crisis, Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies/Keene State College
This lesson explores the US decision-making process in rejecting the passengers from the St. Louis. Includes background information, questions to consider, and the personal story of a local survivor who was on the St. Louis.
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READING: The Voyage of the St. Louis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why countries including the US refused to accept Jewish refugees who sought to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe on the St. Louis.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Local Doctor Shares Chilling Story of Surviving Holocaust, The Buffalo News
The story of Dr. Sol Messinger.
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VIDEO: Refugee Ships at Sea (7:50), Americans and the Holocaust/USHMM
Includes details on the voyage of the St. Louis (May 1939) and the SS Quanza (August 1940) More than 1,200 ships carrying nearly 111,000 Jewish refugees arrived in New York between March 1938, when Germany annexed Austria, and October 1941, when Germany banned emigration. This seven-minute film shows the passage of ships carrying Jewish refugees from Europe to the United States between 1938 and 1941, as well as the atypical voyages of the MS St Louis in May 1939 and the SS Quanza in August 1940.
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VIDEO: Webinar – Remembering the MS St. Louis (1:09), Museum of Jewish Heritage
In May 1939, more than 930 Jews fled the Third Reich aboard the MS St. Louis. Their destination was Cuba and then most planned to immigrate to the United States, but they were turned away by both countries. Forced to return to Europe, ultimately more than 250 of the passengers died in the Holocaust. In this special commemorative program, award-winning journalist Armando Lucas Correa (The German Girl), who is an expert on the history of the St. Louis, is in conversation with Sirius XM radio host Jessica Shaw.
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Voyage of the St. Louis, USHMM
Includes one survivor testimony.
- The Wagner-Rogers Bill, February 1939
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LESSON: A Case Study on the Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Teaching Materials
By examining the Wagner-Rogers Bill of 1939, students learn how Americans debated the country’s role as a haven for refugees, identifying economic, social, and geopolitical factors that influenced Americans’ attitudes about the United States’ role in the world during the critical years 1938–1941. Using primary-source documents, students identify and evaluate arguments that Americans made for and against the acceptance of child refugees in 1939. The lesson concludes with reflection on questions that this history raises about America’s role in the world today.
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LESSON: The Wagner-Rogers Bill: Debate, American Immigration Law Foundation
This lesson allows students to develop and hear the arguments for and against the Wagner-Rogers bill, by taking part in a mock Congressional debate on the bill. Students are encouraged to develop and listen to persuasive testimony and speeches, and to come up with creative strategies to change the legislation in ways in which it might be more acceptable.
- POLITICAL CARTOON: Please Ring the Bell for Us, Francis Knott, July 1939
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Wagner-Rogers Refugee Bill Backed at Hearing, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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The Immigration of Refugee Children to the US, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Numerous organizations and individuals attempted to bring unaccompanied children, mostly German Jewish children, to the United States between 1933 and 1945. More than one thousand unaccompanied children escaped Nazi persecution by immigrating to the United States as part of these organized efforts. This article provides a summary of this work.
- The Wagner-Rogers Bill, Jewish Virtual Library
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Wagner-Rogers Bill, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The 1939 Wagner-Rogers Bill is the common name for two identical congressional bills (one in the US House of Representatives and one in the US Senate) that proposed admitting 20,000 German refugee children to the United States outside of immigration quotas. Despite congressional hearings and public debate in the spring of 1939, the bills never came to a vote.
- Europe After World War I
- A Look at German Inflation 1914-1924, “National Coin Week” Exhibit
- ANIMATED MAP: Europe After World War I, The Map as History
- Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, USHMM
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Fallen German-Jewish Soldiers in the First World War, Jewish Museum Berlin
Biographies of 12 German Jews who fell in the First World War and whose military service and deaths are documented in the museum’s archival holdings.
- German Railroad Notes of the 1923 Hyperinflation, John E. Sandrock
- Hyperinflation, John D. Clare, Educator
- IMAGE: Antisemitic Weimar Campaign Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
- IMAGE: National Socialism Election Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
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LESSON: Choices in Weimar Republic Elections
This lesson helps students investigate some of the choices available to Germans in elections in the early 1930s and understand the variety of reasons many Germans supported the Nazi Party. After analyzing the platforms of three Weimar political parties—the Social Democrats, the Communists, and the Nazis—students will read short biographies of several German citizens. Using details from the biographies, the party platforms, and any information they have learned before this lesson about the Weimar Republic, students will then determine which political party they believe each citizen would have supported.
- LESSON: Map Analysis, Europe Before & After World War I
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LESSON: The Weimar Republic-Historical Context and Decision Making, Facing History and Ourselves
Students consider how economic, political, and social conditions in the Weimar Republic impacted the Nazi party's appeal to some Germans.
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LESSON: The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making, Facing History and Ourselves
Adolf Hitler did not gain power by a military coup; he gained power primarily through lawful means. How did this happen? What factors may have influenced the choices made by regular people that led to the popularity of the Nazi Party? In this lesson, students will explore primary documents that will help them answer these questions. As they interpret how conditions during the Weimar Republic may have impacted the appeal of the Nazi Party to specific German citizens, students begin to recognize how economic, political, social, and cultural factors influence their own beliefs and choices.
- MAP: Europe 1914, Wikimedia
- MAP: Europe 1922, Jewish Virtual Library
- Nazi Germany Political Parties, Spartacus Educational (UK)
- Political Parties in the Reichstag, 1920-1933, Jewish Virtual Library
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Political Parties of the Weimar Republic, Deutscher Bundestag
Includes description of each.
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POSTCARD: “Treaty of Versailles,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Not all Germans were ready to accept defeat at the end of the war, much less the settlement which was imposed upon them at Versailles and signed on the twenty-eighth day of June 1919, the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo. The German army, many felt, had been "stabbed in the back," and never should have been forced to sign the armistice. As for the treaty which followed, its provisions exceeded Germany's worst expectations. A "Diktat,"as it was called (or a dictated treaty) which imposed, among so many crippling particulars, extensive territorial losses, excessive reparations, and, to justify the settlement's extremes, acceptance of a humiliating guilt. That the memory of the German people would soon be helped by a veteran of the Great War, Adolf Hitler, is seen on Card 171: As the sun rises with golden rays shining from the swastika at its center, Germany breaks its shackles to the viperous Treaty of Versailles.
- PRIMARY SOURCES: Weimar Economics, Facing History and Ourselves
- PRIMARY SOURCES: Weimar Politics, Facing History and Ourselves
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READING: A Decline in Public Enthusiasm, Facing History and Ourselves
Gain insight into a growing wariness of Hitler in the mid-1930s through a German police report and a letter from a US diplomat.
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READING: Hard Times Return, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the party platforms of the Communists, Nazis, and Social Democrats in Germany's 1932 presidential elections, a time of deep economic crisis.
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READING: When Money Had No Value, Facing History and Ourselves
Beginning in the fall of 1922, an extreme inflation, or hyperinflation, took hold of the German economy.
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READING: Who Is To Blame for the Inflation?, Facing History and Ourselves
During the year of hyperinflation, Germans looked for someone to blame for the crisis.
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The Early Years of the Weimar Republic, ThoughtCo.
Because Hitler and his Nazi Party rose to power in the final years of the Weimar Republic, the era has been seen as one of failure. But the history of Weimar, Germany's republican government from the end of World War 1 to 1933, is far more complicated and also crucial to understanding how Hitler came to power.
- The Effects of World War One on Germany, The Holocaust Explained
- The German Economy c. 1919-1929, The Holocaust Explained
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The Jews Who Stabbed Germany in the Back, Tablet Magazine 11.9.17
The stab-in-the-back story-"Dolchstoss" in German-happened when the German army returned home in defeat in November 1918. The reason for their surrender was obscure to many German: the enemy had never touched German soil, and both at the beginning and the end of the war-at least according to German newspapers-the Kaiser's forces appeared to be winning. So there was only one possible explanation: Germany had been betrayed by Socialists and Jews.
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The November Criminals, ThoughtCo.
The nickname "November Criminals" was given to the German politicians who negotiated and signed the armistice which ended World War One in November of 1918. The November Criminals were named so by German political opponents who thought the German army had enough strength to continue and that surrendering was a betrayal or crime, that the German army had not actually lost on the battlefront.
- The Weimar Republic, The Holocaust Explained
- The Weimar Republic, USHMM
- Treaty of Versailles, 1919, USHMM
- VIDEO ACTIVITY: Weimar, BBC
- VIDEO: Make Germany Pay-Versailles 1919 (19:56), BBC School Series
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Weimar Republic (1:46), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the interwar Weimar Republic, tracing its collapse into totalitarianism through its inception and popular perception. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
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VIDEO: The Weimar Republic (5:21), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, describes the “noble experiment” of democracy in the Weimar Republic.
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VIDEO: The Year of Crisis-1923, Hyperinflation in Germany (5:14), YouTube
NOTE: Although an effective teaching tool, this video has grammatical errors.
- VIDEO: Treaty of Versailles Documentary (19:14), BBC, YouTube
- Was the Economy Doomed to Fail, The Holocaust Explained
- Weimar Germany 1919-1933, Dr. Marjie Bloy, UK
- Weimar Republic, Yad Vashem
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World War I, USHMM
The trauma of World War I (1914–18) profoundly shaped the attitudes and actions of both leaders and ordinary people during the Holocaust. This Special Focus include historical film footage and photographs.
- World War I: Aftermath, USHMM
- World War I: Antisemitism in History, USHMM
- World War I: Treaties and Reparations, USHMM
- Stab in the Back Myth
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The Jews Who Stabbed Germany in the Back, Tablet Magazine 11.9.17
The stab-in-the-back story-"Dolchstoss" in German-happened when the German army returned home in defeat in November 1918. The reason for their surrender was obscure to many German: the enemy had never touched German soil, and both at the beginning and the end of the war-at least according to German newspapers-the Kaiser's forces appeared to be winning. So there was only one possible explanation: Germany had been betrayed by Socialists and Jews.
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The November Criminals, ThoughtCo.
The nickname "November Criminals" was given to the German politicians who negotiated and signed the armistice which ended World War One in November of 1918. The November Criminals were named so by German political opponents who thought the German army had enough strength to continue and that surrendering was a betrayal or crime, that the German army had not actually lost on the battlefront.
- World War I: Antisemitism in History, USHMM
- The Weimar Republic
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LESSON: The Weimar Republic: Historical Context and Decision Making, Facing History and Ourselves
Adolf Hitler did not gain power by a military coup; he gained power primarily through lawful means. How did this happen? What factors may have influenced the choices made by regular people that led to the popularity of the Nazi Party? In this lesson, students will explore primary documents that will help them answer these questions. As they interpret how conditions during the Weimar Republic may have impacted the appeal of the Nazi Party to specific German citizens, students begin to recognize how economic, political, social, and cultural factors influence their own beliefs and choices.
-
The Early Years of the Weimar Republic, ThoughtCo.
Because Hitler and his Nazi Party rose to power in the final years of the Weimar Republic, the era has been seen as one of failure. But the history of Weimar, Germany's republican government from the end of World War 1 to 1933, is far more complicated and also crucial to understanding how Hitler came to power.
- The Weimar Republic, The Holocaust Explained
- The Weimar Republic, USHMM
- VIDEO ACTIVITY: Weimar, BBC
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Weimar Republic (1:46), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the interwar Weimar Republic, tracing its collapse into totalitarianism through its inception and popular perception. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
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VIDEO: The Weimar Republic (5:21), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, describes the “noble experiment” of democracy in the Weimar Republic.
- Weimar Germany 1919-1933, Dr. Marjie Bloy, UK
- Weimar Republic, Yad Vashem
- Treaty of Versailles
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POSTCARD: “Treaty of Versailles,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Not all Germans were ready to accept defeat at the end of the war, much less the settlement which was imposed upon them at Versailles and signed on the twenty-eighth day of June 1919, the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo. The German army, many felt, had been "stabbed in the back," and never should have been forced to sign the armistice. As for the treaty which followed, its provisions exceeded Germany's worst expectations. A "Diktat,"as it was called (or a dictated treaty) which imposed, among so many crippling particulars, extensive territorial losses, excessive reparations, and, to justify the settlement's extremes, acceptance of a humiliating guilt. That the memory of the German people would soon be helped by a veteran of the Great War, Adolf Hitler, is seen on Card 171: As the sun rises with golden rays shining from the swastika at its center, Germany breaks its shackles to the viperous Treaty of Versailles.
- Treaty of Versailles, 1919, USHMM
- VIDEO: Make Germany Pay-Versailles 1919 (19:56), BBC School Series
- VIDEO: Treaty of Versailles Documentary (19:14), BBC, YouTube
- Weimar Republic Economics
- A Look at German Inflation 1914-1924, “National Coin Week” Exhibit
- German Railroad Notes of the 1923 Hyperinflation, John E. Sandrock
- Hyperinflation, John D. Clare, Educator
- PRIMARY SOURCES: Weimar Economics, Facing History and Ourselves
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READING: When Money Had No Value, Facing History and Ourselves
Beginning in the fall of 1922, an extreme inflation, or hyperinflation, took hold of the German economy.
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READING: Who Is To Blame for the Inflation?, Facing History and Ourselves
During the year of hyperinflation, Germans looked for someone to blame for the crisis.
- The German Economy c. 1919-1929, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: The Year of Crisis-1923, Hyperinflation in Germany (5:14), YouTube
NOTE: Although an effective teaching tool, this video has grammatical errors.
- Was the Economy Doomed to Fail, The Holocaust Explained
- Weimar Republic Politics
- Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, USHMM
- IMAGE: Antisemitic Weimar Campaign Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
- IMAGE: National Socialism Election Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
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LESSON: Choices in Weimar Republic Elections
This lesson helps students investigate some of the choices available to Germans in elections in the early 1930s and understand the variety of reasons many Germans supported the Nazi Party. After analyzing the platforms of three Weimar political parties—the Social Democrats, the Communists, and the Nazis—students will read short biographies of several German citizens. Using details from the biographies, the party platforms, and any information they have learned before this lesson about the Weimar Republic, students will then determine which political party they believe each citizen would have supported.
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LESSON: The Weimar Republic-Historical Context and Decision Making, Facing History and Ourselves
Students consider how economic, political, and social conditions in the Weimar Republic impacted the Nazi party's appeal to some Germans.
- Nazi Germany Political Parties, Spartacus Educational (UK)
- Political Parties in the Reichstag, 1920-1933, Jewish Virtual Library
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Political Parties of the Weimar Republic, Deutscher Bundestag
Includes description of each.
- PRIMARY SOURCES: Weimar Politics, Facing History and Ourselves
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READING: A Decline in Public Enthusiasm, Facing History and Ourselves
Gain insight into a growing wariness of Hitler in the mid-1930s through a German police report and a letter from a US diplomat.
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READING: Hard Times Return, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the party platforms of the Communists, Nazis, and Social Democrats in Germany's 1932 presidential elections, a time of deep economic crisis.
- Film
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Bibliography and Videography, USHMM
This bibliography provides examples for the secondary school level that meet the Museum’s rubric criteria. It includes diaries, memoirs, secondary sources, literature, graphic novels, and films.
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VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (39:04), USHMM
This 40-minute film tells Gerda Weissmann’s account of surviving the Holocaust, based off her book All but My Life. It was produced in 1995 by HBO and the Museum to commemorate the the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
- One Survivor Remembers
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VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (39:04), USHMM
This 40-minute film tells Gerda Weissmann’s account of surviving the Holocaust, based off her book All but My Life. It was produced in 1995 by HBO and the Museum to commemorate the the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
- Finish Your Unit
- LESSON: Considering the Role of Values in Public Policy, Choices for the 21st Century
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The Ten Stages of Genocide, Montreal Holocaust Museum
According to academic and activist Gregory H. Stanton, genocide is a process that develops in ten stages, described here. The stages do not necessarily follow a linear progression and may coexist. Prevention measures may be implemented at any stage.
- VIDEO: Elie Wiesel Dedication Speech at US Holocaust Memorial Museum, April 22, 1993, YouTube
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VIDEO: Teaching About the Holocaust-Bringing the Lesson of Closure (3:48), USHMM
Dr. Joyce Witt, AP European History teacher at Highland Park High School in Chicago, demonstrates in this sample lesson an exemplary method for teaching a class on the Holocaust. Joyce Witt was a 1997-1998 Teacher Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This program was a part of the museum's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Exemplary Lessons Initiative. Dr. Witt explains: Study of the Holocaust would not be complete without a discussion of implications for the future. How should the Holocaust be woven into the fabric of twentieth-century history? How can its study move us forward so that our children are not traumatized and fixated on its atrocities? Most important, what are the lessons that can be learned from this horrific event so that our children learn from the past to make a better world? These essential questions must be asked if the study of the Holocaust is to have meaning in the post-Holocaust world.
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VIDEO: The Holocaust as History and Warning (1:29), Timothy Snyder, Grimm Lecture 2017, University of Waterloo
Timothy Snyder, author of the widely successful book "Black Earth," believes we have misunderstood the Holocaust and the essential lessons it should have taught us. If the Holocaust was indeed, as Snyder’s carefully constructed argument will demonstrate, a result of ecological panic and state destruction, then our misunderstanding of it has endangered our own future.
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Why Did the Holocaust Happen?, USHMM
On January 17, 2017 historian Peter Hayes spoke at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to discuss his new book, "Why?"
- History of Antisemitism
- A Brief History of Antisemitism, ADL
- A Hoax of Hate – The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, ADL
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Anti-Semitism, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Written by Michael Berenbaum.
- Antisemitism in History: From the Early Church to 1400, USHMM
- Antisemitism in History: Racial Antisemitism, 1875-1945, USHMM
- Antisemitism in History: The Early Modern Era, 1300-1800, USHMM
- Antisemitism in History: The Era of Nationalism, 1800-1918, USHMM
- Antisemitism in History: World War I, USHMM
- Antisemitism, USHMM
- Antisemitism: A Historical Survey, Museum of Tolerance
- Classical and Christian Antisemitism, remember.org
- LESSON PLANS: Teaching Materials on Antisemitism and Racism, USHMM
- LESSON: Classical and Christian Antisemitism, remember.org
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LESSON: History of Antisemitism and the Holocaust, USHMM
This lesson will focus on the history of antisemitism and its role in the Holocaust to better understand how prejudice and hate speech can contribute to violence, mass atrocity, and genocide. Learning about the origins of hatred and prejudice encourages students to think critically about antisemitism today. Uses the USHMM Films "European Antisemitism from its Origins to the Present" and "The Path to Nazi Genocide: From Citizens to Outcasts." Grade Level: 7-12. Time Required: 1 class period.
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LESSON: The History of European Antisemitism (worksheet)
This lesson was created by Casey Piola for the BHEC, 2017. The worksheet accompanies the teaching PowerPoint by the same name.
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LESSON: What is Antisemitism, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet and images featuring antisemitic prejudices and some of the most common myths and accusations that were used in Nazi propaganda against the Jews. By the end of this activity you will have gained knowledge about antisemitism and racism then and now, and you will have developed your understanding of the consequences of stereotypes and prejudices.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Antisemitism Uncovered: A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era, ADL
This is a comprehensive resource with historical context, fact-based descriptions of prevalent antisemitic myths, contemporary examples and calls-to-action for addressing this hate.
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Sermon by Rabbi Lynne Goldsmith, AHC Yom HaShoah Commemoriation, 2017
In asking the question "How Could This Happen?", Rabbi Goldsmith (Dothan) explores her personal research into the massacre of Jewish citizens in York, England in the year 1190 and tries to shed some light on factors that might have led to the murder of 6 million Jews in Europe about 750 years later. This is her sermon as presented during the Alabama Holocaust Commission's Yom HaShoah Commemoration in 2017.
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Summary of Antisemitism, Echoes and Relflections
A 2-page handout for students on the History of Antisemitism.
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, USHMM
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VIDEO LESSON: Historic Antisemitism – Part I (17:09), Georgia Commission on the Holocaust
The Longest Hatred: A history of antisemitism from Roman times through the Middle Ages.
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VIDEO LESSON: Historic Antisemitism – Part II (22:58), Georgia Commission on the Holocaust
Covers from the Medieval period to the 17th century.
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VIDEO LESSON: Historic Antisemitism – Part III (25:22), Georgia Commission on the Holocaust
Antisemitism from the 19th century to World War 2.
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VIDEO: “Antisemitism from the Enlightenment to World War I” (11:55), Facing History & Ourselves
Scholars describe the persistence of antisemitism in Europe from the Enlightenment through World War I and explain how new social, political, and pseudo-scientific justifications were created to perpetuate old prejudices.
- VIDEO: “European Antisemitism From Its Origins to the Holocaust” (13:44), USHMM
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VIDEO: “Exploring Roots of Antisemitism” (12:01), The Imperial War Museum
NOTE: Scroll to bottom of page to find video.
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VIDEO: “The Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism” (11:26), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholars trace anti-Jewish myths, hatred, and violence back to the time of the Roman Empire in this historical overview of anti-Judaism’s roots.
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VIDEO: “The Power of a Lie-The History of the Blood Libel” (5:40), Facing History & Ourselves
Staff from Facing History and Ourselves discuss the history and ramifications of the blood libel.
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VIDEO: Anti-Jewish Perceptions in the Greco-Roman World (12:21), Yad Vashem
Prof. John G. Gager and Prof. Paula Fredriksen discuss anti-Jewish perceptions in the Greco-Roman world, asking whether these should be seen as antisemitism or another form of xenophobia.
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VIDEO: Anti-Judaism (5:21), Yad Vashem
Prof. David Nirenberg presents the concept of “anti-Judaism” and explores what separates it from “antisemitism”.
-
VIDEO: Anti-Judaism, Shakespeare and the Jews (10:32), Yad Vashem
Prof. David Nirenberg defines anti-Judaism and discusses its place in Western culture and tradition, examining the work of William Shakespeare, and particularly his play "The Merchant of Venice."
-
VIDEO: Antisemitism (14:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is antisemitism and what role did it play in Nazi Germany? How can we teach and explain to students the concept of antisemitism? Antisemitism did not begin when Adolf Hitler came to power in January 1933. Antisemitism had long been entrenched in Germany and other European countries, and Jews for many centuries had been victims of widespread hatred and suspicion. We present the different forms antisemitism has taken over the centuries and the innovations brought to antisemitism by the Nazis in order to better explain the historical context of the rise of racial antisemitic ideology.
-
VIDEO: France and the Dreyfus Affair (8:21), Yad Vashem
Prof. Pierre Birnbaum explores the development of antisemitism in 19th century France and the notorious Dreyfus Affair.
-
VIDEO: Martin Luther and Anti-Jewish Perceptions in Early Modern Europe (6:26), Yad Vashem
Dr. Judith Kalik explores the anti-Jewish attitudes that existed in the early modern period in Europe and examines the way Jews were perceived in Martin Luther's work.
-
VIDEO: Modern Antisemitism in Germany (7:54), Yad Vashem
Prof. Shulamit Volkov explores the way Jews were treated and perceived in 19th centry Germany.
-
VIDEO: Racism and Racial Antisemitism (8:52), Yad Vashem
Dr. David Silberklang and Prof. Anita Shapira discuss the rise of scientific racism in the 19th century and the development of racial antisemitism.
-
VIDEO: The Conspiracy Theory of World War II (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf explores the place antisemitism held in Nazi propaganda, addressing the question of why this phenomenon assumed genocidal proportions between 1941 and 1945.
-
VIDEO: The Danger of a Single Story, Chimamanda Adichie (9:06), TedTalk
“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Novelist
-
VIDEO: The Genocidal Aspect of Antisemitism (5:33), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf discusses the genocidal aspect of antisemitism, showing how this aspect of antisemitism differentiates it from other forms of hatred and racism and exploring how it led to the Nazi implementation of the "Final Solution" during the Holocaust.
-
VIDEO: The Impact of the Jewish Emancipation on Antisemitism (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Shulamit Volkov discusses Jewish Emancipation and examines how a European society, which was used to seeing the Jews as socially inferior and visibly different, handle their assimilation into civilian life.
-
VIDEO: The Nature of Antisemitism (2:14), Yad Vashem
Prof. Peter Hayes discusses whether antisemitism has unique characteristics that distinguish it from other prejudices and hostilities.
-
VIDEO: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (4:18), Yad Vashem
Prof. Elissa Bemporad and Prof. Yehuda Bauer discuss the origins and spread of the fabricated ""Protocols of the Elders of Zion"", exploring how they became one the most widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times.
-
What’s In a Hyphen, Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism
This same protocol is followed by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Alabama Holocaust Education Center.
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
- A Hoax of Hate – The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, ADL
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, USHMM
-
VIDEO: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (4:18), Yad Vashem
Prof. Elissa Bemporad and Prof. Yehuda Bauer discuss the origins and spread of the fabricated ""Protocols of the Elders of Zion"", exploring how they became one the most widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times.
- Holocaust Denial
- Combating Holocaust Denial: Origins of the Holocaust, USHMM
-
Denying the Holocaust by Deborah Lipstadt, BBC
Deborah Lipstadt discusses how misinformation and false claims are used to question the reality of the Nazis' attempt to exterminate Europe's Jews.
-
General Assembly Adopts Resolution Condemning Any Denial of Holocaust, United Nations, January 26, 2007
Primary document.
-
Holocaust Denial on Trial, Emory University
This website was created by Professor Deborah E. Lipstadt and colleagues and is a joint project of Emory University and Emory’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies. Its mission is to ensure perpetual access to the evidence, transcripts, judgment, and appeal documents that made the case in the David Irving v. Penguin Books U.K. and Deborah Lipstadt trial and to refute the misleading claims of Holocaust deniers with historical evidence. Alongside these goals, hdot.org strives to educate the public about the threat Holocaust denial poses to history, society, law, and identity.
- Holocaust Deniers and Public Misinformation, USHMM
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Robert Clary Speaks as a Holocaust Survivor (58:35)
1992 video of Robert Clary (from TV's Hogan's Heroes) speaking for one hour about his 3 years in the concentration camps. The opening focuses on the dangers of denial and forgetting.
-
VIDEO: Deborah Lipstadt – Behind the Lies of Holocaust Denial (15:30), TedTalks
“There are facts, there are opinions, and there are lies.” Watch Deborah E. Lipstadt deliver her TED Talk on Holocaust denial in the twentieth and twenty-first century.
- Jewish Life in Nazi Germany
-
“An Infamous Date” by Harry Reicher, National Law Journal, April 5, 2004
April 7, 1933, the day the Law for the Restoration of the Civil Service was promulgated, bears particular resonance for lawyers. It was the opening salvo in a systematic assault by the Nazi regime on the income-earning capacity of Jews.
-
“The Day Evil Became the Rule of Law” by Harry Reicher, The Forward, September 23, 2005
The "Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor," which later came to be known as the Nuremberg Laws, ruthlessly wrought fundamental changes to the place of Jews in German society and formed an important step on the way to the Holocaust.
- 1933 Book Burnings, USHMM
-
1938 Projekt: Posts from the Past, Leo Baeck Institute
Eighty years after the events of 1938, how does one grasp the mixture of horror and surprise felt by the victims of the Nazi regime? One significant way is to look at the letters, diaries, and photographs saved by German Jews and their families. Using documents from our archives and those of several partner institutions, the Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin will update this site with personal stories—one for each day in 1938. These materials illustrate the range of reactions and emotions that individuals and families had as they struggled to escape Germany and Austria in order to survive. In addition, significant world events are described alongside the calendar entries to provide a broad context for the individual stories.
- Anti-Jewish Legislation in Prewar Germany, USHMM
- ARTIFACT: Nuremberg Race Laws Chart, USHMM
- Bayerischer Platz: Photos of the Bavarian Quarter Memorial 1933-1938, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
-
DOCUMENT: Nuremberg Race Laws, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Includes: Reich Citizenship Law of September 15, 1935 and Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor of September 15, 1935.
- Examples of Antisemitic Legislation, 1933-1939, USHMM
- Exclusion of Jews from German Economic Life, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Fighting the Fires of Hate, America and the Nazi Book Burnings, USHMM
-
German Woman Writes Apology to US Man, Times of Israel, October 26, 2017
Discovering her house once belonged to a Jewish family who fled persecution, Doris Schott-Neuse took it upon herself to find the still living-son and implore him for forgiveness. Peter Hirschmann recalls his family home and how during the "Aryanization" process, his family home was seized.
-
Gross Breesen Project, Yad Vashem
Gross Breesen, located on the border of Germany and Poland, was created as a training farm by Jewish leadership in the mid 1930’s to help Jewish youth immigrate into countries that desired workers skilled in the agricultural sciences. Directing Gross Breesen's day-to-day activities was Dr. Curt Bondy, a charismatic and brilliant educator who developed an invigorating program that balanced hard physical farm labor with lessons on Jewish life, German history and social philosophy. Bondy also stressed taking responsibility for one's actions, the importance of teamwork, and giving back to the community. The stability of farm life at Gross Breesen was a welcome respite for a group of 130 Jewish youth who faced the escalating oppression of Nazism.
- How Did Educational Policy Affect German Jews?, The Holocaust Explained
- Jews in Prewar Germany, USHMM
-
LESSON: Learning from the Early Stages of the Holocaust, USHMM
In this lesson, students will develop visual literacy skills and refine their ability to analyze primary sources by examining photographs from the early years of the Holocaust. Students will be asked to describe the events of the Holocaust, assess whether these photos provided a warning about the genocide that was to come, and identify what the precursors to genocide are. Students will utilize higher-level critical thinking skills by reflecting on their own obligations as citizens of a democracy and by identifying effective methods for presenting information to enlighten and involve the public.
-
LESSON: Life Changes for the Jews in Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a list of laws and regulations implemented by the Nazis which demonstrate some of the key steps taken in their antisemitic agenda. By the end of this activity you will have gained a greater awareness of the necessity to protect and uphold democratic values and human rights. You will also have reflected on how subtle changes in society can lead to indifference to the suffering of others and horrific consequences.
-
LESSON: Persecution of the German-Jews, The Early Years, 1933-39, USC Shoah Foundation
This lesson uses Shoah Foundation testimony clips to highlight the increasingly severe discriminatory measures that led up to and culminated in genocide of the Jews in Europe.
-
LETTERS: Night Falls: German Jews React to Hitler’s Rise to Power, Tablet Magazine 11.8.17
Within months of the Nazis taking control in Germany, decrees and regulations effectively removed Jews from German economic life. German Jews reacted with shock and disbelief as seen in this primary source of private letters that German Jews sent to their relatives living abroad.
- Nazi Antisemitism 1933-1939, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- Nazi Germany and Anti-Jewish Policy, Echoes and Reflections
- Nuremberg Race Laws: Translation, USHMM
-
POSTCARD: “The Nuremberg Laws,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hitler's bitterest attacks were saved for Jews. "The Jews are our misfortune!" he raged repeatedly. And virulent antisemitism received the force of law in September 1935 when, "for the protection of German blood and honor," new statutes greatly restricting the civil rights and freedom of Jews were proclaimed at Nuremberg, the party-town of National Socialism. This card was printed for that 1935 Nuremberg party-gathering; the venue is shown.
-
POSTER: Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas, 1942, US Office of War Information
This US poster from World War II, by S. Broder, shows Nazis burning books in front of an oversized book emblazoned with "Books cannot be killed by fire" quite from Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Principal Acts of Anti-Jewish Legislation in Germany, 1933-1943, Professor David Luebke/University of Oregon
-
READING: “Restoring” Germany’s Civil Service, Facing History and Ourselves
Read a letter exchange between Adolf Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg regarding a law that suspended Jews from positions of civil service in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: A Wave of Discrimination, Facing History and Ourselves
Review a list of anti-Jewish Laws, policies, and decrees made in Nazi Germany in 1933.
-
READING: Can a National Socialist Have Jewish Friends?, Facing History and Ourselves
Melita Maschmann describes the contradictory way she viewed Jews, and particularly her Jewish classmates, while growing up in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: Controlling the Universities, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis pushed their ideology onto German universities, and how academics like Heidegger and Einstein responded.
-
READING: Discovering Jewish Blood, Facing History and Ourselves
Find out how one family's lives changed when Hitler passed the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: Isolated and Demonized, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the hundreds of anti-Jewish laws and measures passed in Germany during the first three years of World War II.
-
READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
-
READING: Targeting Jews, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' boycott of Jewish-owned businesses, including a firsthand account from a German Jew.
-
READING: The Empty Table, Facing History and Ourselves
Read a German Jew's firsthand account of being alienated by her friends during the Nazis' first year in power.
-
READING: The Nuremberg Laws, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the laws that redefined what it meant to be German in Nazi Germany, and that stripped Jews and others of citizenship.
-
READING: Where They Burn Books, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the significance of the public burning of books in Nazi Germany in 1933.
-
READING: Youth on the Margins, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider what it was like to grow up as an outsider in Nazi Germany with these firsthand accounts from a Jehovah's Witness and a Jew.
- Rise of the Nazis and Beginning of Persecution, Yad Vashem
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Frank Liebermann-Changes in Germany After Nazi Rise to Power (7:40), USHMM
Frank Liebermann discusses life in Germany after the Nazis came to power in 1933. Shortly after taking power, the Nazis began to eliminate individual rights and freedoms for Jews in Germany. This changed daily life for Frank and his family in many ways. Frank's father was a physician and it became increasingly difficult for him to practice medicine after 1933.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Friendship and Betrayal (2:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Ellen Kerry Davis, a Jewish woman originally from Hoof, Germany, describes how her family's friendships were impacted by Nazi rule.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Fritz Gluckstein (2:35), USHMM
When Fritz Gluckstein was a child, his father—a decorated World War I veteran—used to proudly display his German flag and taught him how to salute it. This all changed after Hitler came to power. Listen to Fritz describe the Nuremberg Race Laws, which essentially legalized antisemitism.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: From Democracy to Dictatorship (3:24) Facing History and Ourselves
Alfred Wolf, a Holocaust survivor from Eberbach, Germany, recalls the changes he noticed in Germany after the election of Adolf Hitler.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Jewish Life in Nazi Germany (3:42), Yad Vashem/YouTube
- The Boycott of Jewish Businesses, USHMM
- The Burning of the Books in Nazi Germany, 1933: The American Response, Museum of Tolerance
-
The Gathering Story, The Wiener Holocaust Library
To mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Wiener Library, they are introducing a new series of articles, selected from the writings of Dr, Alfred Wiener and his contemporaries, from the earliest days of his organization. This serialized edited set of articles selected from the monthly edition of the "Centralverein Zeitung" serves as an exceptionally rich contemporary primary source. The articles, meticulously edited and translated by Senior Archivist Howard Falksohn, are presented in chronological order so the reader is encouraged to suspend the benefit of hindsight and to engage with their content as if they were experiencing the era as it unfolded.
-
The Motorcycle Album, The Wiener Holocaust Library
This collection holds photographs taken of antisemitic signs outside German towns and villages during a motorcycle voyage in 1935 from the Dutch border to Berlin. It was then used by Dr Alfred Wiener and his colleagues at the Jewish Central Information Office in Amsterdam to educate the public about the on-going persecution in Nazi-Germany.
- The Nuremberg Laws, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Nuremberg Race Laws, USHMM
- TIMELINE EXHIBIT: Anti-Jewish Laws in Nazi Germany (1936-1939), Montreal Holocaust Museum
- VIDEO: Book Burning as Goebbels Speaks, Historical Film Footage (2:56), USHMM
- VIDEO: Boycott of Jewish Businesses in Halle (2:37), USHMM
-
VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Nuremberg Laws (1:43), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the Nuremberg Laws, illustrating a series of racist antisemitic legal decisions that radically downgraded the legal status of Jews in Nazi Germany before the war.
-
VIDEO: Monument Walk Berlin, Book Burning Memorial (5:36)
In January 2012 young people from 8 different countries visited 3 monuments in Berlin and made short documentary films. The films focused on the history of the monument and its societal relevance (or lack of it). People in the vicinity were asked whether they were aware that the monument existed and what they thought of the monument.
- VIDEO: Nazi Book Burning (9:41), USHMM
-
VIDEO: The Life of the Jews in Germany After the Nazi Rise to Power (5:18), Yad Vashem
A historical video describing the life of the Jews in Germany in the 1930s and the main events in these years such as – the Boycott of Jewish businesses, Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht, and more.
-
VIDEO: The Nazi Plan-Book Burning (2:59), USHMM
May 10, 1933, The Burning of Books." Several angles of the big bonfire in front of the university in Berlin, at Opernplatz, into which books are tossed by students, SA men, others.
-
VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (3/7): Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1:49), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- What Were the Nuremberg Laws? / World Jewish Congress
- Anti-Jewish Decrees
-
“An Infamous Date” by Harry Reicher, National Law Journal, April 5, 2004
April 7, 1933, the day the Law for the Restoration of the Civil Service was promulgated, bears particular resonance for lawyers. It was the opening salvo in a systematic assault by the Nazi regime on the income-earning capacity of Jews.
-
1938 Projekt: Posts from the Past, Leo Baeck Institute
Eighty years after the events of 1938, how does one grasp the mixture of horror and surprise felt by the victims of the Nazi regime? One significant way is to look at the letters, diaries, and photographs saved by German Jews and their families. Using documents from our archives and those of several partner institutions, the Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin will update this site with personal stories—one for each day in 1938. These materials illustrate the range of reactions and emotions that individuals and families had as they struggled to escape Germany and Austria in order to survive. In addition, significant world events are described alongside the calendar entries to provide a broad context for the individual stories.
- Anti-Jewish Legislation in Prewar Germany, USHMM
- Bayerischer Platz: Photos of the Bavarian Quarter Memorial 1933-1938, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Examples of Antisemitic Legislation, 1933-1939, USHMM
- Exclusion of Jews from German Economic Life, USHMM
-
German Woman Writes Apology to US Man, Times of Israel, October 26, 2017
Discovering her house once belonged to a Jewish family who fled persecution, Doris Schott-Neuse took it upon herself to find the still living-son and implore him for forgiveness. Peter Hirschmann recalls his family home and how during the "Aryanization" process, his family home was seized.
-
LESSON: Life Changes for the Jews in Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a list of laws and regulations implemented by the Nazis which demonstrate some of the key steps taken in their antisemitic agenda. By the end of this activity you will have gained a greater awareness of the necessity to protect and uphold democratic values and human rights. You will also have reflected on how subtle changes in society can lead to indifference to the suffering of others and horrific consequences.
-
LESSON: Persecution of the German-Jews, The Early Years, 1933-39, USC Shoah Foundation
This lesson uses Shoah Foundation testimony clips to highlight the increasingly severe discriminatory measures that led up to and culminated in genocide of the Jews in Europe.
- Nazi Germany and Anti-Jewish Policy, Echoes and Reflections
- Principal Acts of Anti-Jewish Legislation in Germany, 1933-1943, Professor David Luebke/University of Oregon
-
READING: “Restoring” Germany’s Civil Service, Facing History and Ourselves
Read a letter exchange between Adolf Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg regarding a law that suspended Jews from positions of civil service in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: A Wave of Discrimination, Facing History and Ourselves
Review a list of anti-Jewish Laws, policies, and decrees made in Nazi Germany in 1933.
-
READING: Can a National Socialist Have Jewish Friends?, Facing History and Ourselves
Melita Maschmann describes the contradictory way she viewed Jews, and particularly her Jewish classmates, while growing up in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: Controlling the Universities, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis pushed their ideology onto German universities, and how academics like Heidegger and Einstein responded.
-
READING: Isolated and Demonized, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the hundreds of anti-Jewish laws and measures passed in Germany during the first three years of World War II.
-
READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Frank Liebermann-Changes in Germany After Nazi Rise to Power (7:40), USHMM
Frank Liebermann discusses life in Germany after the Nazis came to power in 1933. Shortly after taking power, the Nazis began to eliminate individual rights and freedoms for Jews in Germany. This changed daily life for Frank and his family in many ways. Frank's father was a physician and it became increasingly difficult for him to practice medicine after 1933.
-
The Motorcycle Album, The Wiener Holocaust Library
This collection holds photographs taken of antisemitic signs outside German towns and villages during a motorcycle voyage in 1935 from the Dutch border to Berlin. It was then used by Dr Alfred Wiener and his colleagues at the Jewish Central Information Office in Amsterdam to educate the public about the on-going persecution in Nazi-Germany.
- TIMELINE EXHIBIT: Anti-Jewish Laws in Nazi Germany (1936-1939), Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Book Burnings, May 1933
- 1933 Book Burnings, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Fighting the Fires of Hate, America and the Nazi Book Burnings, USHMM
-
POSTER: Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas, 1942, US Office of War Information
This US poster from World War II, by S. Broder, shows Nazis burning books in front of an oversized book emblazoned with "Books cannot be killed by fire" quite from Franklin D. Roosevelt
-
READING: Where They Burn Books, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the significance of the public burning of books in Nazi Germany in 1933.
- The Burning of the Books in Nazi Germany, 1933: The American Response, Museum of Tolerance
- VIDEO: Book Burning as Goebbels Speaks, Historical Film Footage (2:56), USHMM
-
VIDEO: Monument Walk Berlin, Book Burning Memorial (5:36)
In January 2012 young people from 8 different countries visited 3 monuments in Berlin and made short documentary films. The films focused on the history of the monument and its societal relevance (or lack of it). People in the vicinity were asked whether they were aware that the monument existed and what they thought of the monument.
- VIDEO: Nazi Book Burning (9:41), USHMM
-
VIDEO: The Nazi Plan-Book Burning (2:59), USHMM
May 10, 1933, The Burning of Books." Several angles of the big bonfire in front of the university in Berlin, at Opernplatz, into which books are tossed by students, SA men, others.
- Boycott of Jewish Businesses, April 1933
-
READING: Targeting Jews, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' boycott of Jewish-owned businesses, including a firsthand account from a German Jew.
- The Boycott of Jewish Businesses, USHMM
- VIDEO: Boycott of Jewish Businesses in Halle (2:37), USHMM
- Gross Breesen
-
Gross Breesen Project, Yad Vashem
Gross Breesen, located on the border of Germany and Poland, was created as a training farm by Jewish leadership in the mid 1930’s to help Jewish youth immigrate into countries that desired workers skilled in the agricultural sciences. Directing Gross Breesen's day-to-day activities was Dr. Curt Bondy, a charismatic and brilliant educator who developed an invigorating program that balanced hard physical farm labor with lessons on Jewish life, German history and social philosophy. Bondy also stressed taking responsibility for one's actions, the importance of teamwork, and giving back to the community. The stability of farm life at Gross Breesen was a welcome respite for a group of 130 Jewish youth who faced the escalating oppression of Nazism.
- Nuremberg Laws
-
“The Day Evil Became the Rule of Law” by Harry Reicher, The Forward, September 23, 2005
The "Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor," which later came to be known as the Nuremberg Laws, ruthlessly wrought fundamental changes to the place of Jews in German society and formed an important step on the way to the Holocaust.
- ARTIFACT: Nuremberg Race Laws Chart, USHMM
-
DOCUMENT: Nuremberg Race Laws, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Includes: Reich Citizenship Law of September 15, 1935 and Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor of September 15, 1935.
- Nuremberg Race Laws: Translation, USHMM
-
POSTCARD: “The Nuremberg Laws,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hitler's bitterest attacks were saved for Jews. "The Jews are our misfortune!" he raged repeatedly. And virulent antisemitism received the force of law in September 1935 when, "for the protection of German blood and honor," new statutes greatly restricting the civil rights and freedom of Jews were proclaimed at Nuremberg, the party-town of National Socialism. This card was printed for that 1935 Nuremberg party-gathering; the venue is shown.
-
READING: Discovering Jewish Blood, Facing History and Ourselves
Find out how one family's lives changed when Hitler passed the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
-
READING: The Nuremberg Laws, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the laws that redefined what it meant to be German in Nazi Germany, and that stripped Jews and others of citizenship.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Fritz Gluckstein (2:35), USHMM
When Fritz Gluckstein was a child, his father—a decorated World War I veteran—used to proudly display his German flag and taught him how to salute it. This all changed after Hitler came to power. Listen to Fritz describe the Nuremberg Race Laws, which essentially legalized antisemitism.
- The Nuremberg Laws, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Nuremberg Race Laws, USHMM
-
VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Nuremberg Laws (1:43), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the Nuremberg Laws, illustrating a series of racist antisemitic legal decisions that radically downgraded the legal status of Jews in Nazi Germany before the war.
- What Were the Nuremberg Laws? / World Jewish Congress
- Judaism
- Judaism and Jewish Life, The Holocaust Explained
- LESSON: Who Are the Jews?, remember.org
-
VIDEO: The Rise of Chasidism (4:47), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews examines the circumstances under which the Jews of 18th century Russia embraced a new form of observance known as Chasidism. Living under the constant threat of brutal persecution, this ecstatic and joyful expression of Judaism was a welcome alternative to hopelessness. Informed by mystical texts, like the Kabbalah, that revealed profound truths about God and the universe, and an observance characterized by song and dance, life became a spiritual journey. Leaders were believed to have godlike powers, surrounded by tales of wonder, healing and resurrection.
-
VISUAL TIMELINE: Explore the Diaspora, PBS
Discover major events in the diaspora of the Jews through this visual timeline of the most notable related international events. The timeline spans from 600 B.C.E., visiting Judea and Babylonia, to modern day Israel. Explore the chronology and impact of these events, as they collectively tell much of the story of the Jewish people.
- Kristallnacht
-
1938 Projekt: Posts from the Past, Leo Baeck Institute
Eighty years after the events of 1938, how does one grasp the mixture of horror and surprise felt by the victims of the Nazi regime? One significant way is to look at the letters, diaries, and photographs saved by German Jews and their families. Using documents from our archives and those of several partner institutions, the Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin will update this site with personal stories—one for each day in 1938. These materials illustrate the range of reactions and emotions that individuals and families had as they struggled to escape Germany and Austria in order to survive. In addition, significant world events are described alongside the calendar entries to provide a broad context for the individual stories.
- EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: The November 1938 Pogrom – Kristallnacht, Yad Vashem
- FDR’s Response to Kristallnacht: Another Look, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
-
Kristallnacht, A Nationwide Pogrom, USHMM
Includes photos, artifacts, maps, and personal history.
-
Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, Jewish Virtual Library
Links to primary source material and personal accounts.
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LESSON: Kristallnacht: Decision Making in Times of Injustice, Facing History and Ourselves
Students explore decision making by reading a contemporary story about bullying and a historical story about a night of state-sanctioned violence against Jews.
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LESSON: Newspapers’ Report on the November Pogrom, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains articles from newspapers in Germany and the United Kingdom. By the end of this activity you will have developed your ability to critically examine information from historical source materials and understand how historical events can be seen from different perspectives.
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LESSON: Picturing Kristallnacht, Centropa
The goal of the lesson is to personalize for students what happened by starting with their own photographs as a way connect to young Jews in Jews in Germany and Austria before the Nazi rise to power. Then Centropa interview excerpts and photographs are used to learn first-hand memories of Kristallnacht.
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LESSON: Some Were Neighbors-Collaboration & Complicity in the Holocaust, USHMM/USC Shoah Foundation
This activity focuses on the actions of ordinary people during Kristallnacht -- a turning point in the Holocaust during which Nazis terrorized German and Austrian Jews in a very public way. First, you will select a photograph and reflect on what it reveals about the event. Then you will review a short film, article, and map to learn more. With this information, you will listen to eyewitness testimony and take notes on how Kristallnacht affected the Jewish community as well as the various roles played by neighbors. Finally, you will re-examine the image you started with -- and reflect on the following: How did the actions of ordinary people shape the events of Kristallnacht?
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LESSON: Understanding Kristallnacht, Facing History and Ourselves
Students analyze a variety of firsthand accounts of Kristallnacht in order to piece together a story of what happened on that night.
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MAP: Destruction of Synagogues on Kristallnacht, A Teacher’s Guide to The Holocaust
Shows cities where synagogues were destroyed.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Remembering Kristallnacht
This exhibit features a series of interviews with witnesses of the pogrom that occurred on November 9-10, 1938, known as Kristallnacht, "Night of Broken Glass." Organized in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Discussions by the Authorities Following Kristallnacht, Jewish Virtual Library
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Heydrich’s Instructions for Kristallnacht, Jewish Virtual Library
- Re-Examining the Tipping Point: 70 Years Since the Kristallnacht Pogrom, Yad Vashem
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READING: A Family Responds to Kristallnacht, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about a family who assisted their Jewish neighbors after Kristallnacht, and the consequences they faced for their decision to help.
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READING: A Visitor’s Perspective on Kristallnacht, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider a Swiss merchant's account of how his German colleagues responded to the events of Kristallnacht.
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READING: Opportunism During Kristallnacht, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine firsthand reports of the theft committed against Jews during the chaos and violence of Kristallnacht.
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READING: The Narrowing Circle, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how Nazi officials used laws and bureaucracy to exclude Jews from public German life in the aftermath of Kristallnacht.
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READING: The Night of the Pogrom, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn what incited Kristallnacht and get insight into the experiences of Jews in Germany on the night of horrendous violence in November 1938.
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READING: World Responses to Kristallnacht, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how leaders like FDR, clergy members, and ordinary people around the world responded to the news of Kristallnacht.
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SPECIAL FOCUS: Kristallnacht-The November 1938 Pogroms, USHMM
Includes 8 survivor testimonies and historical photos.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Inge (Berg) Katzenstein & Jill (Gesela Berg) Pauly (8:39), USHMM
Survivors remember Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Kristallnacht in Austria, Centropa
Excerpts (written) of 15 survivors who witnessed Kristallnacht in Austria.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Remembering Kristallnacht (21:38), USC Shoah Foundation
Six Holocaust survivors: Fred Katz, Esther Gever, Jacob Wiener, Eva Abraham-Podietz, Robert Behr, and Herbert Karliner, recount their personal experiences during the Kristallnacht Pogrom and the events that followed.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Fritz Gluckstein (5:23), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hedi (Politzer) Pope (5:11), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Interview with Miriam Ron, “This is Not the Story of Someone Else,” Yad Vashem
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Johanna (Gerechter) Neumann (5:18), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lotte Morley (1:15), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Holocaust survivor Lotte Morley on how some non-Jewish Germans reacted to Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rabbi Gerd Jacob (Zwienicki) Wiener (8:49), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Robert Behr (6:11), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Susan (Hilsenrath) Warsinger (8:33), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Susan (Strauss) Taube (6:05), USHMM
Survivor remembers Kristallnacht.
- The Significance of Kristallnacht, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Kristallnacht (22:31), GA Commission on the Holocaust (2020)
Eighty two years ago, on November 9 and 10, 1938, a coordinated campaign of terror was unleashed against the Jews of Germany and Austria. This 22-minute original video program is presented by GCH Executive Director Sally Levine.
- VIDEO: Holocaust Survivors Remember Kristallnacht (21:44), USC Shoah Foundation/USHMM
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VIDEO: Kristallnacht (1:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, describes Kristallnacht and explains what it meant for German Jews.
- VIDEO: Kristallnacht-Night of Broken Glass, Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo (4:51)
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VIDEO: Kristallnacht: The November 1938 Pogroms (9:40), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholars discuss the events of Kristallnacht, a series of violent attacks against Jews in Germany, Austria, and part of Czechoslovakia in November 1938.
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VIDEO: The Forgotten Life of Herschel Grynszpan (1:06:53), Museum of Jewish Heritage/NY
In November 1938, Herschel Grynszpan, a Jewish refugee living in Paris, walked into his city’s German Embassy and assassinated Nazi diplomat Ernst vom Rath. Grynszpan was just seventeen years old. His actions would later be used as justification for Kristallnacht, the violent antisemitic pogrom which took place on November 9 and 10, 1938. Now, 83 years later, Herschel Grynszpan has largely faded into history. This Museum program explores Grynszpan’s story, how it came to be used as propaganda, and why it was ultimately forgotten. The program includes a discussion between Jonathan Kirsch, author of "The Short, Strange Life of Herschel Grynszpan: A Boy Avenger, a Nazi Diplomat and a Murder in Paris," and Alan E. Steinweis, Professor of History and Raul Hilberg Distinguished Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Vermont.
- Liberation
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“Despite It All I Am Alive” – Liberation & Return to Life Through Photographs & Testimony, Yad Vashem
This site features suggested educational activities for teaching this topic. We juxtapose photos with pieces of testimony, diaries, etc. Through discussion suggestions, we hope to delve deeper into the various difficulties and choices facing survivors shortly after liberation.
- ANIMATED MAP: Liberation of Nazi Camps, USHMM
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ARTIFACT: A Surprising Discovery-“Kiki” the Monkey Puppet, USHMM
Curator Kyra Schuster recounts the serendipitous story of how the Museum came to acquire the puppet that US Army medic Eldon Nicholas used to entertain children after the liberation of the Vittel internment camp in France. Includes video (4:25).
- For Some Holocaust Survivors, Even Liberation Was Dehumanizing, New York Times, April 28, 2020
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IMAGE: Liberation of Buchenwald
Famous photo of the barracks of Buchenwald at liberation that includes Elie Wiesel. This interactive photo allows you to see the fate of many of the survivors pictured.
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LESSON: Liberation and Survival, Yad Vashem
Includes: What Was Liberation? What Did Liberation Mean for Jewish Survivors? What Did the Survivors Do Following Liberation? What were the “DP Camps”? What was the “Bericha”?
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LETTERS: The Wilsey Collection, Holocaust Center for Humanity
In 2016, Clarice Wilsey donated the remarkable letters of her father, Captain David B. Wilsey, M.D., an army anesthesiologist present at the liberation of Dachau concentration camp, to the Holocaust Center for Humanity. Although Dr. Wilsey rarely discussed his experiences at Dachau after the war, he wrote to his wife Emily in several letters in 1945 “to tell thousands so that millions will know what Dachau is and never forget the name of Dachau.” The Wilsey collection features 280+ letters, photographs, and more from Dr. Wilsey’s time in the U.S. Army, including the liberation of Dachau and experiences thereafter healing survivors. This browse-able collection allows the public to experience these letters for the first time and includes resources for educators.
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Liberation and Return to Life, Yad Vashem
The Holocaust would rupture a continuity of life in Europe. Here we offer a variety of entry points into this fascinating and moving chapter, following survivors from their first steps of liberation, the dawning realization of the extent of the tragedy that had befallen them and, for some, the first steps towards building a new life, often beginning in Displaced Persons' Camps in Europe.
- Liberation of the Concentration Camps, Imperial War Museums
- Liberation, USHMM
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: James A. Rose, Liberation of Dachau (1:20), USHMM
James A. Rose, of Toledo, Ohio, was with the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. In this clip, Rose describes his impressions of Dachau.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: Alan Moskin liberates Gunskirchen (subcamp of Mauthausen) (20:53), Holocaust Museum & Center for Tolerance & Education
This testimony, with archival film footage, illustrates the realities of Alan's experiences as a young American soldier in the 71st Division of Patton's 3rd Army who liberated Gunskirchen.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: George Mitnick’s Letter Home from Ordruf, April 13, 1945
J. George Mitnick of Jasper, AL served as a Captain in the US Army, 65th Infantry Division, in Europe where his unit liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp (a subcamp of Buchenwald) in Germany and assisted in the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. This artifact is part of collection at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, donated in 2006 by his daughter, by Ronne Mitnick Hess of Birmingham.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: The Holocaust (7:45), PBS
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE. Liberators Ray Leopold, Burnett Miller, Dwain Luce, and others discuss their encounters as American liberators of Nazi camps (Mauthausen, Hadamar, Ludwigslust).
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: U.S. Liberators Discuss their Experiences
Five U.S. veterans from Texas recount their experience liberating Nazi concentration camps.
- Mauthausen: Resistance, Liberation, and Postwar Trials, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Witnesses for Change-Stories of Liberation, USC Shoah Foundation
As the Allies retook control of lands that had been occupied by the Germans, they came across many Nazi camps. In some instances, the Nazis had tried to destroy all evidence of the camps, in order to conceal from the world what had happened there. In other cases, only the buildings remained as the Nazis had sent the prisoners elsewhere, often on death marches.
- PHOTOS: World War II Liberation Photograph, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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POSTER SET: Liberation 1945, USHMM
Ten printable posters.
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READING: As the War Ended, Facing History and Ourselves
Eisenhower, a general during World War II, describes his shock and horror at touring a Nazi concentration camp liberated by US troops.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Histories of Liberation, USHMM
Contains numerous survivor testimonies.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Anguish of Liberation (4:23), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Nachum Bandel, Rita Weiss, Miriam Akavia, Alisa-Lusia Avnon, Herta Goldman and Walter Zwi Bacharach describe the anguish of liberation. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Estelle Laughlin-Post Liberation Struggles (9:59), USHMM
Estelle Laughlin discusses her liberation by Soviet troops in January 1945 from the Czestochowa concentration camp in Poland. In the days immediately following liberation, she and her mother and sister encountered both hostile and helpful people as they traveled through Poland and struggled to rebuild their lives.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gerda and Kurt Klein Describe Liberation (3:44), YouTube
In this short video, Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein and her husband, Kurt Klein, share their experiences of liberation and meeting for the first time.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Martin Aaron (2:42), USC Shoah Foundation
Martin Aaron, from Birmingham, relates his experience of being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945.
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VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen After Liberation, Historical Film Footage (1:43), USHMM
As Allied forces approached Germany in late 1944 and early 1945, Bergen-Belsen became a collection camp for tens of thousands of prisoners evacuated from camps near the front. Thousands of these prisoners died due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of adequate food and shelter. On April 15, 1945, British soldiers entered Bergen-Belsen. They found 60,000 prisoners in the camp, most in a critical condition. This footage shows Allied cameramen filming the condition of the prisoners and the filthy conditions found in Bergen-Belsen after liberation.
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VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen Survivor Reunited with One of Camp Liberators (3:06), BBC
A woman who survived the Holocaust and was in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as World War Two ended, has finally met one of the British soldiers who liberated the camp. The BBC's Fiona Bruce reports on the emotional reunion between camp survivor Zdenka Fantlova and George Leonard.
- VIDEO: GI Jews- US Soldiers Liberate Nazi Concentration Camps (3:35), PBS
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VIDEO: Holocaust Survivors-Liberated But Not Free (7:27), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon presents the story of the survivors, from the moment of liberation to their experiences searching for family members and loved ones. Ms. Ochayon discusses the magnitude and complexity of liberation as a bittersweet moment for most survivors, their attempts returning home and locating relatives - often all gone - and the postwar anti-Jewish attacks, dilemmas and hardships.
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VIDEO: Howard Cwick, Liberator: Eyewitness to History, USC Shoah Foundation
Young American soldier Howard Cwick, son of Polish Jewish immigrants, unexpectedly arrived at the gates of Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945, armed with a rifle and his camera. In his testimony, Howard provides an eloquent, striking account of his experiences. The lesson’s theme, Eyewitness to History, explores Howard’s roles as eyewitness, liberator, and activist. Include video (30:18), background on Buchenwald, Lesson Packet
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VIDEO: Liberation and Return to Life (19:56), USHMM
View unique footage of liberation and its immediate aftermath through the eyes of the American soldiers who first entered Nazi concentration camps in the spring of 1945. Then witness the rebuilding of survivors' lives in displaced persons' camps, including films of vocational training, religious gatherings, and children at play.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Auschwitz (2:13), USHMM
Historical film footage.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (:57), USHMM
After British soldiers liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, they forced the remaining SS guards to help bury the dead. Here, survivors of the camp taunt their former tormentors, who prepare to bury victims in a mass grave.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (0:53), USHMM
British troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. They filmed statements from members of their own forces. In this British military footage, British army chaplain T.J. Stretch recounts his impressions of the camp.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:01), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945. This footage records examples of Nazi atrocities (shrunken head, pieces of tattooed human skin, preserved skull and organs) discovered by the liberating troops.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:24), USHMM
The Buchenwald camp was one of the largest concentration camps. The Nazis built it in 1937 in a wooded area northwest of Weimar in central Germany. US forces liberated the Buchenwald camp on April 11, 1945. When US troops entered the camp, they found more than 20,000 prisoners. This footage shows scenes that US cameramen filmed in the camp, survivors, and the arrival of Red Cross trucks.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (2:06), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. Here, US soldiers escort German civilians from the nearby town of Weimar through the Buchenwald camp. The American liberating troops had a policy of forcing German civilians to view the atrocities committed in the camps.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Concentration Camp (9:55), from “Why We Fight” (Episode 9) of Band of Brothers
Excellent re-enactment of the shock experiences by US liberators of camps.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Dachau, Historical Film Footage (0:49), USHMM
The Dachau concentration camp, northwest of Munich, Germany, was the first regular concentration camp the Nazis established in 1933. About twelve years later, on April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were about 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. Here, soldiers of the US Seventh Army document conditions in the camp. They also require German civilians to tour the camp and confront Nazi atrocities.
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VIDEO: Liberators and Survivors: The First Moments (15:26), Yad Vashem
The liberation of concentration camps by the US Army at the end of WWII is an excellent entry point for US history teachers into the study of the Holocaust. This video interweaves liberators’ and Jewish survivors’ testimonies and other primary sources, highlighting the experiences of US soldiers upon entering the Nazi camps. The video helps you present their story to your students, as the witnesses relate to the stark difference between conventional warfare and the Holocaust, an unprecedented genocide. Great care has been taken not to include visually graphic photographs, making the video particularly suitable for middle and high school students.
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VIDEO: Lt. Col. Jack Williams, An Alabama Liberator (25:15), University of Alabama Honors College/Lights Camera Alabama
When a boy finds a movie projector among the relics his father brought him from World War II, he wonders where it came from – and why. This movie tells that story and more – about the Holocaust in Germany and the full experience of liberation from the perspective of the liberators as well as townspeople. Lt. Col.Jack Williams liberated Dachau. WARNING: THIS MOVIE CONTAINS DIFFICULT IMAGES
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VIDEO: Nazi Murder Mills (06:24), USHMM
Documentary footage from liberation of Hadamar, Ohrdruf, Buchenwald, and Nordhausen. Ed Herlihy, commentator. NOTE: Disturbing footage.
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VIDEO: The Jewish Service Heard Round the World: Live from Germany (5:54), American Jewish Committee
Excerpts of the first Jewish broadcast that took place from occupied Germany in Aachen in 1944.
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VIDEO: The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Imperial War Museums
Includes narrative and various video pieces.
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VIDEO: U.S. Forces Liberate Buchenwald (1:24), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
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VIDEO: Witnesses to the Holocaust: Liberation 1945 (14.31), USHMM
The US soldiers who helped defeat Nazi Germany and liberate the concentration camps were among the first eyewitnesses to the Holocaust. Remembering their stories of freedom inspires us to promote human dignity and confront hatred whenever and wherever it occurs.
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VIDEOS: Liberator Testimony, The Holocaust Resource Center of Kean University
Appropriate for courses in: United States History II, World History, Holocaust Studies, Genocide Studies, European History, Civics, Sociology, Psychology, World Literature, American Literature Grade Levels 7-12
- What Happened to the Survivors?, The Holocaust Explained
- Life in Nazi Germany
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Dorothy Thompson Speaks Out on Freedom of the Press in Germany, USHMM/Experiencing History
Few journalists irritated Nazi authorities more than American columnist Dorothy Thompson. In the 1930s and 1940s, she used her voice to denounce Nazi policies, call attention to the plight of the regime’s many victims, and urge action by the US government to aid refugees from the Third Reich.
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EXHIBIT: Never Again, Heeding the Warning Signs (11:08), USHMM
In the pivotal year before Nazi Germany invaded Poland and launched World War II, intervention could have saved many lives. Citizens and countries responded in different ways to the events of 1938. What lessons do their actions hold for us today?
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Forced Labor 1939-1945: Memory and History, Freie Universitat Berlin
The website features a collection of audio and video interviews of 600 former forced labourers from 26 countries. It also provides background information, short films and talks about forced labour.
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Forced Labor Documentation Center, Berlin
An estimated 26 million people were abducted by the Nazi regime and exploited as forced laborers during the Second World War. The Nazi Forced Labor Documentation Centre has the task of providing information on the history and dimensions of Nazi forced labor and making the fate of these men, women and children visible.
- Forced Labor, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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Forced Labor: An Overview, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazis subjected millions of people (both Jews and other victim groups) to forced labor under brutal conditions. From the establishment of the first Nazi concentration camps and detention facilities in the winter of 1933, forced labor—often pointless and humiliating, and imposed without proper equipment, clothing, nourishment, or rest—formed a core part of the concentration camp regimen.
- German Business and the Third Reich, Jewish Virtual Library
- German Foreign Policy, 1933-1945, USHMM
- Hitler’s Foreign Policy, Dr. Marjie Bloy, UK
- Hitler’s Leadership Style, BBC
- Law and Justice in the Third Reich, USHMM
- Law and the Holocaust, USHMM
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LESSON: Learning from the Early Stages of the Holocaust, USHMM
In this lesson, students will develop visual literacy skills and refine their ability to analyze primary sources by examining photographs from the early years of the Holocaust. Students will be asked to describe the events of the Holocaust, assess whether these photos provided a warning about the genocide that was to come, and identify what the precursors to genocide are. Students will utilize higher-level critical thinking skills by reflecting on their own obligations as citizens of a democracy and by identifying effective methods for presenting information to enlighten and involve the public.
- Nazi Germany, Government Structure, Ministries, and Party Organizations, World Future Fund
- Nazi Terror Begins, USHMM
- PHOTOS: A Brutal Pageantry: The Third Reich’s Myth-Making Machinery, In Color, LIFE.com
- Political Prisoners, USHMM
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POSTER SET: Early Warning Signs, USHMM
Fourteen printable posters on the Early Warning Signs of the Holocaust.
- Principal Officials of the Third Reich, Jewish Virtual Library
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READING: Do You Take the Oath, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the choices and actions of two Germans who had to decide whether or not to pledge an oath of loyalty to Hitler,
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READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
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READING: Political Prisoners, Facing History and Ourselves
A member of the German Communist Party describes her experience in a Nazi Concentration camp for political prisoners.
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READING: Speaking in Whispers, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the role of cell and block wardens, Germans who collected information about their neighbors in Nazi German society.
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READING: Spying on Family and Friends, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover the effects of the "Malicious Attacks" law, which criminalized dissent to the Nazi party, had on one German family and on German society as a whole.
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READING: Storm Troopers, Elite Guards, and Secret Police, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the roles of the SA, the SS, and the Gestapo in Nazi Germany.
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READING: The Battle for Work, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' job creation program during their first year in power, which pursued both reemployment and military rearmament.
- SS Police State, USHMM
- Strength Through Joy, Spartacus Educational
- Strength Through Joy, The History Learning Site, UK
- Swastikas by the Seaside, History Today
- The “Robert Ley,” The Great Ocean Liners
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The Role of Academics and Teachers, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Teachers and university professors were actively involved or went along with the ouster of Jews from their fields and cooperated in other ways with the Nazi regime in the implementation of racial policies.
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The Role of Business Elites, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi leaders required the active help or cooperation of professionals working in diverse fields who in many instances were not convinced Nazis. Among these professionals were business leaders.
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The Role of Civil Servants, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Civil servants, from government officials to judges, helped draft, implement, and enforce laws aimed at depriving Jews of their rights, livelihoods, and assets.
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The Role of the Police, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
The police played a vital role in the consolidation of Nazi power and persecution and mass murder of Jews and other groups.
- VIDEO: Der Fuehrer’s Face (9:16), Disney Short Cartoon, 1934, YouTube
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VIDEO: Inside Nazi Germany (13:45), USHMM
Private amateur films capturing life under the Nazi regime from the inside include footage shot by Hitler's secret mistress of Nazi officials at leisure, Hitler greeting jubilant crowds in Vienna upon the German annexation of Austria in March 1938, and the violent backlash against Jews there, and the Nazi invasion of Poland.
- VIDEO: Life in Hitler’s Germany, Part II (12:27), SchoolHistory.co.uk
- VIDEO: Nazi Propaganda-Home Front (21:27), USHMM
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VIDEO: Witnessing Antisemitic Violence (2:13), Facing History and Ourselves
Edith Reiss, from Bolton, England, describes witnessing antisemitic violence on the streets of Göttingen, Germany, when she was a visitor there in 1939.
- Business
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The Role of Business Elites, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi leaders required the active help or cooperation of professionals working in diverse fields who in many instances were not convinced Nazis. Among these professionals were business leaders.
- Daily Life
- VIDEO: Der Fuehrer’s Face (9:16), Disney Short Cartoon, 1934, YouTube
- VIDEO: Life in Hitler’s Germany, Part II (12:27), SchoolHistory.co.uk
- Economics
- German Business and the Third Reich, Jewish Virtual Library
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READING: The Battle for Work, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' job creation program during their first year in power, which pursued both reemployment and military rearmament.
- Forced Labor
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Forced Labor 1939-1945: Memory and History, Freie Universitat Berlin
The website features a collection of audio and video interviews of 600 former forced labourers from 26 countries. It also provides background information, short films and talks about forced labour.
-
Forced Labor Documentation Center, Berlin
An estimated 26 million people were abducted by the Nazi regime and exploited as forced laborers during the Second World War. The Nazi Forced Labor Documentation Centre has the task of providing information on the history and dimensions of Nazi forced labor and making the fate of these men, women and children visible.
- Forced Labor, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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Forced Labor: An Overview, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazis subjected millions of people (both Jews and other victim groups) to forced labor under brutal conditions. From the establishment of the first Nazi concentration camps and detention facilities in the winter of 1933, forced labor—often pointless and humiliating, and imposed without proper equipment, clothing, nourishment, or rest—formed a core part of the concentration camp regimen.
- Foreign Policy
- Government
- Hitler’s Leadership Style, BBC
- Nazi Germany, Government Structure, Ministries, and Party Organizations, World Future Fund
- Principal Officials of the Third Reich, Jewish Virtual Library
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READING: Storm Troopers, Elite Guards, and Secret Police, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the roles of the SA, the SS, and the Gestapo in Nazi Germany.
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The Role of Academics and Teachers, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Teachers and university professors were actively involved or went along with the ouster of Jews from their fields and cooperated in other ways with the Nazi regime in the implementation of racial policies.
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The Role of Civil Servants, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Civil servants, from government officials to judges, helped draft, implement, and enforce laws aimed at depriving Jews of their rights, livelihoods, and assets.
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The Role of the Police, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
The police played a vital role in the consolidation of Nazi power and persecution and mass murder of Jews and other groups.
- Strength Through Joy Program
- Strength Through Joy, Spartacus Educational
- Strength Through Joy, The History Learning Site, UK
- Swastikas by the Seaside, History Today
- The “Robert Ley,” The Great Ocean Liners
- Terror
- Nazi Terror Begins, USHMM
- Political Prisoners, USHMM
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READING: Do You Take the Oath, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the choices and actions of two Germans who had to decide whether or not to pledge an oath of loyalty to Hitler,
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READING: Political Prisoners, Facing History and Ourselves
A member of the German Communist Party describes her experience in a Nazi Concentration camp for political prisoners.
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READING: Speaking in Whispers, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the role of cell and block wardens, Germans who collected information about their neighbors in Nazi German society.
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READING: Spying on Family and Friends, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover the effects of the "Malicious Attacks" law, which criminalized dissent to the Nazi party, had on one German family and on German society as a whole.
- SS Police State, USHMM
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VIDEO: Witnessing Antisemitic Violence (2:13), Facing History and Ourselves
Edith Reiss, from Bolton, England, describes witnessing antisemitic violence on the streets of Göttingen, Germany, when she was a visitor there in 1939.
- The Legal System
- Law and Justice in the Third Reich, USHMM
- Law and the Holocaust, USHMM
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READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
- Literature
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“The Inexorable Joyfulness of Elie Wisel”: Remarks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorail Museum Tribute, Samantha Power, Harvard Kennedy School-Belfer Center
This was also used as the introduction to 2017 version of "Night" by Elie Wiesel.
-
A Teacher’s Resource for “Night,” Facing History and Ourselves
PDF format
-
Alexandra Zapruder Website
Contains educational resources to accompany "Salvaged Pages."
- An Interview with Miep Gies, Scholastic
- An Unbroken Chain, Live Podcast of the Author Reading His Book, KVSC-FM
- Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, New York, NY
- Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Anne Frank Timeline, Anne Frank House
- Anti-Racism Activity, “The Sneetches,” Teaching Tolerance
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ANTICIPATION & REFLECTION GUIDE: Friedrich
Created by Casey Piola for the BHEC, 2017.
-
Becoming Anne Frank by Dara Horn, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Why did we turn an isolated teenage girl into the world's most famous Holocaust victim?
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Bibliography and Videography, USHMM
This bibliography provides examples for the secondary school level that meet the Museum’s rubric criteria. It includes diaries, memoirs, secondary sources, literature, graphic novels, and films.
- Citywide Reading Guide for The Children of Willesden Lane, Southern Poverty Law Center
- Discussion Questions, The Children of Willesden Lane, Facing History and Ourselves
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Dr. Robert Fisch, University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Robert 0. Fisch, is a native of Budapest, Hungary and a survivor of Nazi concentration camps including Mauthausen. He completed medical school in Hungary, and came to America in 1957. Dr. Fisch became a medical intern and eventually a professor in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he practiced and taught until his retirement. This site provide background into his life and video footage about his life.
-
Elie Weisel’s “Perils of Indifference” for Holocaust Units, ThoughtCo.
Elie Wiesel’s noteworthy speech titled "The Perils of Indifference" was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. The speech is 1818 words long and can be read at the average grade level 8.6. If you want to listen to the audio recording of the speech, it will take 20:50 minutes. This article explores the values of teaching this speech.
- Elie Wiesel, USHMM
-
Elie Wiesel: Acceptance Speech, Nobel Peace Prize, 1986
Elie Wiesel's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1986
-
EXHIBIT: “Don’t Forget Me” – Children’s Personal Albums from the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
This exhibition features the personal stories of 8 children during the Holocaust. Each child is a world entire. Details about their lives are revealed in the albums they left behind. These albums offer a window into the world of these children: children suffering cruel and relentless persecution under living conditions that defy the imagination. But the albums also show us that in spite of everything, children remain children: writing dedications to their friends and embellishing them with happy illustrations; writing of everlasting friendship, even though in many cases their lives were brutally cut short. The albums, which miraculously remained intact, were made in ghettos, concentration and labor camps, while on the run or in hiding, in different countries throughout Europe and in Asia.
-
EXHIBIT: Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story, USHMM
Between the ages of 13 and 15, Anne Frank wrote short stories, fairy tales, essays, and the beginnings of a novel. Five notebooks and more than 300 loose pages, meticulously handwritten during her two years in hiding, survived the war. This exhibit reveals these original writings - through sound and images - of a young woman who had great ambition to be a writer and was exploring her craft.
-
Guide for Anne Frank and the Second World War, Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank Guide will not only provide you with information about her life. You can also see the role the United States played in the Second World War and the Holocaust.
-
Hear, O Israel, Save Us by Renia Spiegel, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Translated from Polish for the first time, the diary of Renia Spiegel presents us with a striking first-person narrative of life as a young Jew during World War II. These are diary excerpts with added red type of contextual dates of the history of how World War II came to Poland, as the Nazis invaded from the west and the Soviets from the east, deporting, imprisoning and murdering Jews in cities like Przemsyl, where Spiegel lived and perished. See also "How An Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America."
- Holocaust Diaries, Yad Vashem
-
How an Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America by Robin Shulman, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Renia began her diary feeling alone. Her gregarious, saucy 8-year-old sister Ariana was an aspiring film star who had moved to Warsaw with their mother so she could pursue her acting career. Renia had been sent to live with her grandmother, who owned a stationery store, and her grandfather, a construction contractor, in sleepy Przemysl, a small city in southern Poland about 150 miles east of Krakow. Ariana was visiting her at the end of that summer when war broke out. Over the course of more than 700 pages, between the ages of 15 and 18, Renia wrote funny stories about her friends, charming descriptions of the natural world, lonely appeals to her absent parents, passionate confidences about her boyfriend, and chilling observations of the machinery of nations engaged in cataclysmic violence. Readers will naturally contrast Renia’s diary with Anne Frank’s. Renia was a little older and more sophisticated, writing frequently in poetry as well as in prose. She was also living out in the world instead of in seclusion.
-
LESSON: Beyond Anne Frank, Holocaust Museum Houston
This lesson plan uses Anne Frank’s diary and those edited in "Salvaged Pages" by Alexandra Zapruder. It offers ways to examine some of the central experiences of the diarists and helps to situate the lives of the young writers within the context of the Holocaust across Europe.
-
LESSON: Diaries as Historical Sources, USHMM
Students study examples of diaries written by young people during the Holocaust, particularly examining the ways in which Anne Frank, the most famous diarist of the Holocaust, thought about her audience while writing.
-
LESSON: Exploring Holocaust-Era Diaries, USHMM
Students will examine Holocaust-era diaries as both historical and as deliberately-created literary texts, and will understand how the Holocaust affected the lives of the individuals.
-
LESSON: Holocaust Literature Guide, USHMM
This guide works with all types of Holocaust literature and pairs with any book. A universal guide designed to support the reading of any genre of Holocaust literature, it complements existing English lesson plans for any book or functions as a stand-alone framework. The guide to Holocaust literature places texts in historical context, encouraging students to understand how and why the Holocaust happened. Grade level: Adaptable for grades 7-12 Subject: English/Language Arts Time required: Approximately 60 minutes to introduce Before the Reading. Student work continues while they read the text.
- LESSON: Teaching the Holocaust: Light from the Yellow Star Leads the Way, Holocaust Teacher Resource Center
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LESSON: The Diary of Anne Frank, PBS Learning Media
Using Masterpiece's 2010 version of "The Diary of Anne Frank," these lessons will assist in analysis of the film.
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LESSON: Understanding the Kindertransport, IWitness/USC Shoah Foundation
This Information Quest activity introduces students to the Kindertransport, the transport of child refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe to England, and its effects on the children who experienced the journey. It provides important historical context for the book, "The Children of Willesden Lane," the story of one child's journey from Westbahnhof station to Willesden Lane and beyond. Students will engage in a close reading of a variety of texts, develop an appreciation for the historical context of the story and listen to first person accounts of the experience on the Kindertransport. The activity complements the Facing History and Ourselves teachers resource for The Children of Willesden Lane.
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LESSON: You’re Probably Tired, Dear Diary – Children’s Diaries During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
This lesson plan highlights selected excerpts from the diaries of five Jewish children who lived and perished during the Holocaust. Through these diary entries, we will focus on the pre-war lives of the children and their encounters with Nazi occupation. In addition, their responses to anti-Jewish policies, including the “badge of shame”, aryanization and ghettoization. This lesson plan includes discussion questions as well as primary source materials, and is suitable for social studies and language arts.
- LESSONS: Exploring “Night,” Anne Frank’s Diary
- LESSONS: Exploring “Night”, USHMM
- LESSONS: Exploring “The World Must Know, USHMM
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Life in Sighet, Romania 1920-1939, PBS
Scroll through to view photos of Sighet.
-
Light From the Yellow Star, Dr. Robert O. Fisch, University of Minnesota
Dr. Robert O. Fisch is a retired pediatrician and visual artist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His art expresses issues of humanity that he hopes will heal the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust. "Light From The Yellow Star" offers a narrative of Dr. Fisch's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp through eloquent paintings and moving prose. the text exudes an optimism and hopefulness about life, even though it recounts a personal story of terrible suffering.
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Light from the Yellow Star, Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
From the collection at the University of Minnesota, this includes all of the images from the book as well as the artists statement for each.
- Literature, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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Peter Feigl’s Diary, USHMM Curator’s Corner
Born in Berlin in 1929, Peter Feigl moved with his parents to Prague and Brussels before they ended up in southern France in 1940. In 1942, Peter was at a Quaker summer camp when his parents were arrested. Learn about the diary Peter began after his parents’ arrest, how it disappeared, and how he recovered it decades later.
- PHOTOS: Anne Frank: Her Life and Legacy, LIFE.com
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PODCAST: Alexandra Zapruder (8:35), USHMM
In 1992, Alexandra Zapruder began to collect diaries written by children during the Holocaust. These diaries speak eloquently of both hope and despair. Hear Ms. Zapruder discuss these diaries.
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Reader’s Companion to “The Diary of Anne Frank,” The Anne Frank Center USA
This guide is organized to help readers understand Anne Frank’s diary. Background information, time lines, and the glossary provide historical context for the years of Anne’s life and are designed to place her diary within the framework of the events taking place during World War II and the Holocaust. Special details have been included to highlight the 25 month period during which Anne and her family hid in the Secret Annex, as well as the aftermath.
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READING GUIDE: Address Unknown
Created for the AHEC by Casey Piola, 2017.
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READING GUIDE: Friedrich
Created by Casey Piola for the BHEC, 2017.
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Resources for teaching “Night,” Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
Included are: primary source materials, secondary historical pieces, testimonies of survivors who shared elements of Wiesel’s experiences, maps, photographs, film footage, lesson plans, information about Wiesel’s life and philanthropic work.
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Resources for Teaching “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
Included are: primary source materials, secondary historical pieces, testimonies of survivors who shared elements of Frank’s experiences, maps, photographs, film footage, lesson plans.
-
Sighet, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Sighet (known today as Sighetu Marmatiei), a town in Transylvania, was part of Romania following World War I. The town was part of Hungary between 1940 and 1944. Sighet is well known as the birthplace of Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) noted Holocaust survivor and author of Night. Wiesel, his family, and the rest of the Jews of Sighet were deported from the town to Auschwitz in May 1944.
- STUDY GUIDE: All But My Life, Darryle Clott, USHMM Teacher Fellow
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STUDY GUIDE: Beyond Courage by Doreen Rappaport, Candlewick Press
In this stirring chronicle, Doreen Rappaport brings to light the courage of countless Jews who organized to sabotage the Nazis and help other Jews during the Holocaust.
-
STUDY GUIDE: I’m Still Here, Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust
70-page study guide to the film.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gerda and Kurt Klein Describe Liberation (3:44), YouTube
In this short video, Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein and her husband, Kurt Klein, share their experiences of liberation and meeting for the first time.
-
TEACHER’S GUIDE: Growing Up in Nazi Germany-Teaching “Friedrich”, Museum of Jewish Heritage
This curriculum focuses on the young adult book of historical fiction, Friedrich (first published in German in 1961; Puffin Books, 1987). Friedrich provides a starting point for developing an understanding of the events, issues, and personal crises faced by all those living in Germany in the years 1930 to 1942, particularly 1930 to 1939. It can be used by the teacher as part of a more extended study of Holocaust history or Holocaust literature, or stand on its own as literature. The curriculum is aimed at middle school students and high school students.
- TEACHER’S GUIDE: One Survivor Remembers
- Teaching the Holocaust Through Literature, Yad Vashem
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The Children of Willesden Lane, Facing History and Ourselves
"The Children of Willesden Lane" is the powerful true story of Lisa Jura, who fled Nazi-occupied Vienna on the Kindertransport as a child. This resource includes a Teacher's Guide, Music Tracks, and more.
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The Lost Diaries of War, New York Times, April 15, 2020
Anne Frank listened in an Amsterdam attic on March 28, 1944, as the voice of the Dutch minister of education came crackling over the radio from London. “Preserve your diaries and letters,” he said. Frank was not the only one listening. After the war, more than 2,000 diaries were collected, each a story of pain and loss, fear and hunger and, yes, moments of levity amid the misery. But unlike Frank’s diary, most of these accounts never surfaced again. Here are edited excerpts from several diaries that track the course of the war.
-
The Searing, Continued Relevance of Diaries From a Genocide by Alexandra Zapruder, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
More than 65 diaries written by young people during the Holocaust have surfaced. Nothing collapses the distance between the reader and the historical past quite like a diary. In the years since the Holocaust, there have been wars and genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, Iraq and Syria, among other places. Diaries written by young people have survived some of these conflicts. These writers report on the events of war; they reflect on the way massive forces shape their personal lives; they ask why they must suffer and struggle to survive; and they affirm their humanity while they protest the injustice all around them.
- The Sunflower Reader’s Guide, Penguin Random House
- The Sunflower Synopsis, Facing History and Ourselves
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The Words of a Young Jewish Poet Profoke Soul-Searching in Lithuania, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Lithuania’s role in the Holocaust was a long time in coming, not least because of the Soviet occupation, which made the self-examination undertaken elsewhere in Europe—the scholarship, the government-appointed commissions, the museums and memorials—more difficult. Even after independence, local historians acknowledged the atrocities but placed the blame mainly on the Nazi occupiers. Lithuanian collaborators were written off as drunks and criminals. The truth of these Lithuanian misdeeds is documented in this diary by Matilda Olkin, a 19-year-old Jewish Lithuanian who was killed, along with her family, by local Lithuanians collaborating with the Nazis in 1941. It includes several of Matilda's poems.
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TOUR: The Secret Annex Online, Anne Frank House
Offers a 3D tour of the Annex.
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TOUR: Virtual Reality Tour of the Anne Frank House, Anne Frank House
The tour gives a uniquely immersive experience of the hiding place of Anne Frank and the seven other people in the Secret Annex. In the tour all the rooms of the Secret Annex are furnished in the style of the time spent in hiding. The tour lasts for around 25 minutes, is available in seven languages. FREE but must access from Facebook, download Oculus, or sign in via email.
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VIDEO LESSON: Number the Stars, PBS Learning Media
In this episode of NJEA’s Classroom Close-up, fifth-grade students at Alan B. Shepard Elementary School learn about the holocaust by reading the book, Number the Stars, and creating paneled works of art.
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VIDEO: Address Unknown (4-parts), BBC
Introduction about the book as well as an audiocast of professional actors reading the text of "Address Unknown" by Kathrine Kressman Taylor. Four videos (9:58, 10:01, 10:01,9:59).
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VIDEO: Alexandra Zapruder, “Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust” (39:31), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Alexandra Zapruder lectures at the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Conference for Educators on April 23, 2015.
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VIDEO: Elie Weisel: “The Perils of Indifference” (21:07), American Rhetoric
"The Perils of Indifference" speech was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. Here is access to video of the speech as well as the transcript.
-
VIDEO: Lesson Plan-The Story of the Third Wave (1:14)
In this documentary, former students re-tell the story of what really happened.
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VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (41:30), Teaching Tolerance
This is the film adaptation of "All But My Life" and is age-appropriate for younger students. Includes teaching tools.
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VIDEO: The Sunflower Project (16:06), Memorial Library
In response to Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal’s poignant memoir, The Sunflower, which grapples with the limits of forgiveness, HEN teacher Diane Williams developed the Sunflower Project with her students at ANSER Charter School in Boise, Idaho. Beginning with book salons in her students’ homes, the project sparked debate among her seventh- and eighth-graders and their parents about the very definition of forgiveness. Then, working with the Idaho Human Rights Education Center and Boise artist Ward Hooper, Diane and her students created a public art mural that brought the dialogue to the community.
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VIDEO: The Terrible Things (6:53), Vimeo
An animated version of the children's storybook The Terrible Things written by Eve Bunting.
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VIDEO: The Wave (44:42), Israeli Educational Television
The Third Wave was the name given by history teacher Ron Jones to an experimental recreation of Nazi Germany which he conducted with high school students. The experiment took place at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, during one week in 1969. Jones, unable to explain to his students why the German citizens (particularly non-Nazis) allowed the Nazi Party to exterminate millions of Jews and other so-called 'undesirables', decided to show them instead. Jones writes that he started with simple things like classroom discipline, and managed to meld his history class into a group with a supreme sense of purpose and no small amount of cliquishness. Jones named the movement "The Third Wave," after the common wisdom that the third in a series of ocean waves is always the strongest, and claimed its members would revolutionize the world. The experiment allegedly took on a life of its own, with students from all over the school joining in.
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Yellow Star Foundation
The Yellow Star Foundation website builds on the great success of Dr. Robert Fisch's book, "Light from The Yellow Star: Lessons of Love From the Holocaust," to teach students about the Holocaust. The website includes lesson plans, video clips, a teachers’ forum, classroom ideas, links to resources, classroom dos and don’ts, information about the Holocaust, and profiles of projects successfully used in other parts of the country.
- Address Unknown by Katherine Kressman Taylor
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READING GUIDE: Address Unknown
Created for the AHEC by Casey Piola, 2017.
-
VIDEO: Address Unknown (4-parts), BBC
Introduction about the book as well as an audiocast of professional actors reading the text of "Address Unknown" by Kathrine Kressman Taylor. Four videos (9:58, 10:01, 10:01,9:59).
- All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein
- STUDY GUIDE: All But My Life, Darryle Clott, USHMM Teacher Fellow
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gerda and Kurt Klein Describe Liberation (3:44), YouTube
In this short video, Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein and her husband, Kurt Klein, share their experiences of liberation and meeting for the first time.
- TEACHER’S GUIDE: One Survivor Remembers
-
VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (41:30), Teaching Tolerance
This is the film adaptation of "All But My Life" and is age-appropriate for younger students. Includes teaching tools.
- An Unbroken Chain by Henry Oertelt
- Beyond Courage, The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocayst by Doreen Rappaport
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STUDY GUIDE: Beyond Courage by Doreen Rappaport, Candlewick Press
In this stirring chronicle, Doreen Rappaport brings to light the courage of countless Jews who organized to sabotage the Nazis and help other Jews during the Holocaust.
- Diaries - General
-
EXHIBIT: “Don’t Forget Me” – Children’s Personal Albums from the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
This exhibition features the personal stories of 8 children during the Holocaust. Each child is a world entire. Details about their lives are revealed in the albums they left behind. These albums offer a window into the world of these children: children suffering cruel and relentless persecution under living conditions that defy the imagination. But the albums also show us that in spite of everything, children remain children: writing dedications to their friends and embellishing them with happy illustrations; writing of everlasting friendship, even though in many cases their lives were brutally cut short. The albums, which miraculously remained intact, were made in ghettos, concentration and labor camps, while on the run or in hiding, in different countries throughout Europe and in Asia.
- Holocaust Diaries, Yad Vashem
-
LESSON: Diaries as Historical Sources, USHMM
Students study examples of diaries written by young people during the Holocaust, particularly examining the ways in which Anne Frank, the most famous diarist of the Holocaust, thought about her audience while writing.
-
LESSON: Exploring Holocaust-Era Diaries, USHMM
Students will examine Holocaust-era diaries as both historical and as deliberately-created literary texts, and will understand how the Holocaust affected the lives of the individuals.
-
LESSON: You’re Probably Tired, Dear Diary – Children’s Diaries During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
This lesson plan highlights selected excerpts from the diaries of five Jewish children who lived and perished during the Holocaust. Through these diary entries, we will focus on the pre-war lives of the children and their encounters with Nazi occupation. In addition, their responses to anti-Jewish policies, including the “badge of shame”, aryanization and ghettoization. This lesson plan includes discussion questions as well as primary source materials, and is suitable for social studies and language arts.
-
The Lost Diaries of War, New York Times, April 15, 2020
Anne Frank listened in an Amsterdam attic on March 28, 1944, as the voice of the Dutch minister of education came crackling over the radio from London. “Preserve your diaries and letters,” he said. Frank was not the only one listening. After the war, more than 2,000 diaries were collected, each a story of pain and loss, fear and hunger and, yes, moments of levity amid the misery. But unlike Frank’s diary, most of these accounts never surfaced again. Here are edited excerpts from several diaries that track the course of the war.
-
The Searing, Continued Relevance of Diaries From a Genocide by Alexandra Zapruder, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
More than 65 diaries written by young people during the Holocaust have surfaced. Nothing collapses the distance between the reader and the historical past quite like a diary. In the years since the Holocaust, there have been wars and genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, Iraq and Syria, among other places. Diaries written by young people have survived some of these conflicts. These writers report on the events of war; they reflect on the way massive forces shape their personal lives; they ask why they must suffer and struggle to survive; and they affirm their humanity while they protest the injustice all around them.
- Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter
-
ANTICIPATION & REFLECTION GUIDE: Friedrich
Created by Casey Piola for the BHEC, 2017.
-
READING GUIDE: Friedrich
Created by Casey Piola for the BHEC, 2017.
-
TEACHER’S GUIDE: Growing Up in Nazi Germany-Teaching “Friedrich”, Museum of Jewish Heritage
This curriculum focuses on the young adult book of historical fiction, Friedrich (first published in German in 1961; Puffin Books, 1987). Friedrich provides a starting point for developing an understanding of the events, issues, and personal crises faced by all those living in Germany in the years 1930 to 1942, particularly 1930 to 1939. It can be used by the teacher as part of a more extended study of Holocaust history or Holocaust literature, or stand on its own as literature. The curriculum is aimed at middle school students and high school students.
- Light from the Yellow Star by Robert O. Fisch
-
Dr. Robert Fisch, University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Robert 0. Fisch, is a native of Budapest, Hungary and a survivor of Nazi concentration camps including Mauthausen. He completed medical school in Hungary, and came to America in 1957. Dr. Fisch became a medical intern and eventually a professor in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, where he practiced and taught until his retirement. This site provide background into his life and video footage about his life.
- LESSON: Teaching the Holocaust: Light from the Yellow Star Leads the Way, Holocaust Teacher Resource Center
-
Light From the Yellow Star, Dr. Robert O. Fisch, University of Minnesota
Dr. Robert O. Fisch is a retired pediatrician and visual artist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His art expresses issues of humanity that he hopes will heal the world in the aftermath of the Holocaust. "Light From The Yellow Star" offers a narrative of Dr. Fisch's experiences in a Nazi concentration camp through eloquent paintings and moving prose. the text exudes an optimism and hopefulness about life, even though it recounts a personal story of terrible suffering.
-
Light from the Yellow Star, Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
From the collection at the University of Minnesota, this includes all of the images from the book as well as the artists statement for each.
-
Yellow Star Foundation
The Yellow Star Foundation website builds on the great success of Dr. Robert Fisch's book, "Light from The Yellow Star: Lessons of Love From the Holocaust," to teach students about the Holocaust. The website includes lesson plans, video clips, a teachers’ forum, classroom ideas, links to resources, classroom dos and don’ts, information about the Holocaust, and profiles of projects successfully used in other parts of the country.
- Night by Elie Wiesel
-
“The Inexorable Joyfulness of Elie Wisel”: Remarks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorail Museum Tribute, Samantha Power, Harvard Kennedy School-Belfer Center
This was also used as the introduction to 2017 version of "Night" by Elie Wiesel.
-
A Teacher’s Resource for “Night,” Facing History and Ourselves
PDF format
-
Elie Weisel’s “Perils of Indifference” for Holocaust Units, ThoughtCo.
Elie Wiesel’s noteworthy speech titled "The Perils of Indifference" was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. The speech is 1818 words long and can be read at the average grade level 8.6. If you want to listen to the audio recording of the speech, it will take 20:50 minutes. This article explores the values of teaching this speech.
- Elie Wiesel, USHMM
-
Elie Wiesel: Acceptance Speech, Nobel Peace Prize, 1986
Elie Wiesel's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1986
- LESSONS: Exploring “Night”, USHMM
-
Life in Sighet, Romania 1920-1939, PBS
Scroll through to view photos of Sighet.
-
Resources for teaching “Night,” Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
Included are: primary source materials, secondary historical pieces, testimonies of survivors who shared elements of Wiesel’s experiences, maps, photographs, film footage, lesson plans, information about Wiesel’s life and philanthropic work.
-
Sighet, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Sighet (known today as Sighetu Marmatiei), a town in Transylvania, was part of Romania following World War I. The town was part of Hungary between 1940 and 1944. Sighet is well known as the birthplace of Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) noted Holocaust survivor and author of Night. Wiesel, his family, and the rest of the Jews of Sighet were deported from the town to Auschwitz in May 1944.
-
VIDEO: Elie Weisel: “The Perils of Indifference” (21:07), American Rhetoric
"The Perils of Indifference" speech was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. Here is access to video of the speech as well as the transcript.
- Number the Stars by Lois Lowery
-
VIDEO LESSON: Number the Stars, PBS Learning Media
In this episode of NJEA’s Classroom Close-up, fifth-grade students at Alan B. Shepard Elementary School learn about the holocaust by reading the book, Number the Stars, and creating paneled works of art.
- Renia's Diary: A Holocaust Journal by Renia Spiegel
-
Hear, O Israel, Save Us by Renia Spiegel, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Translated from Polish for the first time, the diary of Renia Spiegel presents us with a striking first-person narrative of life as a young Jew during World War II. These are diary excerpts with added red type of contextual dates of the history of how World War II came to Poland, as the Nazis invaded from the west and the Soviets from the east, deporting, imprisoning and murdering Jews in cities like Przemsyl, where Spiegel lived and perished. See also "How An Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America."
-
How an Astonishing Holocaust Diary Resurfaced in America by Robin Shulman, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Renia began her diary feeling alone. Her gregarious, saucy 8-year-old sister Ariana was an aspiring film star who had moved to Warsaw with their mother so she could pursue her acting career. Renia had been sent to live with her grandmother, who owned a stationery store, and her grandfather, a construction contractor, in sleepy Przemysl, a small city in southern Poland about 150 miles east of Krakow. Ariana was visiting her at the end of that summer when war broke out. Over the course of more than 700 pages, between the ages of 15 and 18, Renia wrote funny stories about her friends, charming descriptions of the natural world, lonely appeals to her absent parents, passionate confidences about her boyfriend, and chilling observations of the machinery of nations engaged in cataclysmic violence. Readers will naturally contrast Renia’s diary with Anne Frank’s. Renia was a little older and more sophisticated, writing frequently in poetry as well as in prose. She was also living out in the world instead of in seclusion.
- Salvaged Pages by Alexandra Zapruder
-
Alexandra Zapruder Website
Contains educational resources to accompany "Salvaged Pages."
-
LESSON: Beyond Anne Frank, Holocaust Museum Houston
This lesson plan uses Anne Frank’s diary and those edited in "Salvaged Pages" by Alexandra Zapruder. It offers ways to examine some of the central experiences of the diarists and helps to situate the lives of the young writers within the context of the Holocaust across Europe.
-
Peter Feigl’s Diary, USHMM Curator’s Corner
Born in Berlin in 1929, Peter Feigl moved with his parents to Prague and Brussels before they ended up in southern France in 1940. In 1942, Peter was at a Quaker summer camp when his parents were arrested. Learn about the diary Peter began after his parents’ arrest, how it disappeared, and how he recovered it decades later.
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PODCAST: Alexandra Zapruder (8:35), USHMM
In 1992, Alexandra Zapruder began to collect diaries written by children during the Holocaust. These diaries speak eloquently of both hope and despair. Hear Ms. Zapruder discuss these diaries.
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STUDY GUIDE: I’m Still Here, Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust
70-page study guide to the film.
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VIDEO: Alexandra Zapruder, “Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust” (39:31), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Alexandra Zapruder lectures at the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Conference for Educators on April 23, 2015.
- The Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek
- Citywide Reading Guide for The Children of Willesden Lane, Southern Poverty Law Center
- Discussion Questions, The Children of Willesden Lane, Facing History and Ourselves
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LESSON: Understanding the Kindertransport, IWitness/USC Shoah Foundation
This Information Quest activity introduces students to the Kindertransport, the transport of child refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe to England, and its effects on the children who experienced the journey. It provides important historical context for the book, "The Children of Willesden Lane," the story of one child's journey from Westbahnhof station to Willesden Lane and beyond. Students will engage in a close reading of a variety of texts, develop an appreciation for the historical context of the story and listen to first person accounts of the experience on the Kindertransport. The activity complements the Facing History and Ourselves teachers resource for The Children of Willesden Lane.
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The Children of Willesden Lane, Facing History and Ourselves
"The Children of Willesden Lane" is the powerful true story of Lisa Jura, who fled Nazi-occupied Vienna on the Kindertransport as a child. This resource includes a Teacher's Guide, Music Tracks, and more.
- The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
- An Interview with Miep Gies, Scholastic
- Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, New York, NY
- Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Anne Frank Timeline, Anne Frank House
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Becoming Anne Frank by Dara Horn, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Why did we turn an isolated teenage girl into the world's most famous Holocaust victim?
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EXHIBIT: Anne Frank the Writer: An Unfinished Story, USHMM
Between the ages of 13 and 15, Anne Frank wrote short stories, fairy tales, essays, and the beginnings of a novel. Five notebooks and more than 300 loose pages, meticulously handwritten during her two years in hiding, survived the war. This exhibit reveals these original writings - through sound and images - of a young woman who had great ambition to be a writer and was exploring her craft.
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Guide for Anne Frank and the Second World War, Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank Guide will not only provide you with information about her life. You can also see the role the United States played in the Second World War and the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Beyond Anne Frank, Holocaust Museum Houston
This lesson plan uses Anne Frank’s diary and those edited in "Salvaged Pages" by Alexandra Zapruder. It offers ways to examine some of the central experiences of the diarists and helps to situate the lives of the young writers within the context of the Holocaust across Europe.
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LESSON: The Diary of Anne Frank, PBS Learning Media
Using Masterpiece's 2010 version of "The Diary of Anne Frank," these lessons will assist in analysis of the film.
- LESSONS: Exploring “Night,” Anne Frank’s Diary
- PHOTOS: Anne Frank: Her Life and Legacy, LIFE.com
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Reader’s Companion to “The Diary of Anne Frank,” The Anne Frank Center USA
This guide is organized to help readers understand Anne Frank’s diary. Background information, time lines, and the glossary provide historical context for the years of Anne’s life and are designed to place her diary within the framework of the events taking place during World War II and the Holocaust. Special details have been included to highlight the 25 month period during which Anne and her family hid in the Secret Annex, as well as the aftermath.
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Resources for Teaching “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
Included are: primary source materials, secondary historical pieces, testimonies of survivors who shared elements of Frank’s experiences, maps, photographs, film footage, lesson plans.
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TOUR: The Secret Annex Online, Anne Frank House
Offers a 3D tour of the Annex.
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TOUR: Virtual Reality Tour of the Anne Frank House, Anne Frank House
The tour gives a uniquely immersive experience of the hiding place of Anne Frank and the seven other people in the Secret Annex. In the tour all the rooms of the Secret Annex are furnished in the style of the time spent in hiding. The tour lasts for around 25 minutes, is available in seven languages. FREE but must access from Facebook, download Oculus, or sign in via email.
- The Diary of Matilda Olkin by Matilda Olkin
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The Words of a Young Jewish Poet Profoke Soul-Searching in Lithuania, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Lithuania’s role in the Holocaust was a long time in coming, not least because of the Soviet occupation, which made the self-examination undertaken elsewhere in Europe—the scholarship, the government-appointed commissions, the museums and memorials—more difficult. Even after independence, local historians acknowledged the atrocities but placed the blame mainly on the Nazi occupiers. Lithuanian collaborators were written off as drunks and criminals. The truth of these Lithuanian misdeeds is documented in this diary by Matilda Olkin, a 19-year-old Jewish Lithuanian who was killed, along with her family, by local Lithuanians collaborating with the Nazis in 1941. It includes several of Matilda's poems.
- The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
- The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal
- The Sunflower Reader’s Guide, Penguin Random House
- The Sunflower Synopsis, Facing History and Ourselves
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VIDEO: The Sunflower Project (16:06), Memorial Library
In response to Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal’s poignant memoir, The Sunflower, which grapples with the limits of forgiveness, HEN teacher Diane Williams developed the Sunflower Project with her students at ANSER Charter School in Boise, Idaho. Beginning with book salons in her students’ homes, the project sparked debate among her seventh- and eighth-graders and their parents about the very definition of forgiveness. Then, working with the Idaho Human Rights Education Center and Boise artist Ward Hooper, Diane and her students created a public art mural that brought the dialogue to the community.
- The Terrible Things by Eve Bunting
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VIDEO: The Terrible Things (6:53), Vimeo
An animated version of the children's storybook The Terrible Things written by Eve Bunting.
- The Wave by Todd Strasser
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VIDEO: Lesson Plan-The Story of the Third Wave (1:14)
In this documentary, former students re-tell the story of what really happened.
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VIDEO: The Wave (44:42), Israeli Educational Television
The Third Wave was the name given by history teacher Ron Jones to an experimental recreation of Nazi Germany which he conducted with high school students. The experiment took place at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, during one week in 1969. Jones, unable to explain to his students why the German citizens (particularly non-Nazis) allowed the Nazi Party to exterminate millions of Jews and other so-called 'undesirables', decided to show them instead. Jones writes that he started with simple things like classroom discipline, and managed to meld his history class into a group with a supreme sense of purpose and no small amount of cliquishness. Jones named the movement "The Third Wave," after the common wisdom that the third in a series of ocean waves is always the strongest, and claimed its members would revolutionize the world. The experiment allegedly took on a life of its own, with students from all over the school joining in.
- Music
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Forbidden Music Regained, Leo Smit Foundation
During the Second World War, many composers were persecuted by the Nazi’s, because they either had a Jewish background or refused to comply with Nazi rules. Their music was banned from all public performance. The Leo Smit Foundation, founded in 1996, is committed to regain this music.
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Hold On To Your Music Foundation
Inspired by the life of Lisa Jura, the Hold On To Your Music Foundation seeks to expand awareness and understanding of the ethical implications of world events such as the Holocaust, and the power of the arts, especially music, to embolden the human spirit in the face of adversity.
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Music and the Holocaust, ORT
From Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 until the liberation in 1945, music played an integral role in daily life under Nazism. On this website, you can learn about diverse composers and musicians, including those who supported the Nazis and those who became their victims. Visit our music page for a wide range of sound recordings of music and songs, or explore musical life in ghettos and camps across Europe using our interactive map. You can delve more deeply into the subject of music and the Holocaust by exploring the themes on the right. Our resources section provides educational and reference material for further reading and listening.
- Music and the Holocaust, YIVO
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Music Files, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
A dozen songs with description and words.
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Music in the Terezin Concentration Camp, Boosey & Hawkes
Some of Europe’s most gifted musicians were among those deported to Terezín.
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Music of the Holocaust, Highlights from the Collection, USHMM
This Web exhibition spotlights material in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Music Collection.
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Music of the Holocaust, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
Includes links to Concentration Camp Songs, Music in Theresienstadt, Partisan Songs, Songs of Displaced Persons, Ghetto Songs, Music of Protest, Music Written in Hiding, and Roma Songs.
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MUSIC: Where is the Village? (4:16), Jay Black
Popular singer Jay Black's recording of a popular Yiddish song, set to the visuals of Chagall paintings, offers a sentimental glimpse of the Jewish villages lost during the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Music of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
The songs that were created during the Holocaust in ghettos, camps, and partisan groups tell the stories of individuals, groups and communities in the Holocaust period and were a source of unity and comfort, and later, of documentation and remembrance. These compositions link the periods of Jewish cultural life before, during and after the war. They express the experience, ideology, and hope shared by their listeners, both individually and collectively. After the war, these compositions took on the further aspects of remembrance and commemoration.
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Orchestra of Exiles, PBS Learning Media
On the brink of World War II and the rise of Nazi-occupation, one man’s remarkable four-year odyssey helped rescue Europe’s premier Jewish musicians and their families from persecution, while preserving the musical heritage of Europe. Orchestra of Exiles, a 90-minute documentary film by Academy Award-nominated Josh Aronson, tells the dramatic story of celebrated Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman (1882-1947). With courage, resourcefulness, and an entourage of allies including Arturo Toscanini and Albert Einstein, Huberman bravely stood up to racial intolerance, ultimately saving almost 1,000 Jews from 1933–1936 while forming the Palestine Symphony Orchestra.
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Our Will to Live by Mark Ludwig
In Terezín, a Nazi camp where 33,000 people died, a remarkable community of musicians and artists answered despair with creativity. Here is their astonishing world. Includes musical selections from Terezin.
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Songs From Testimonies, Fortunoff Video Archive For Holocaust Testimonies
The Songs From Testimonies project collects and records songs and poems discovered in the Fortunoff Archive testimonies. Musician-in-residence, Zisl Slepovitch, took the songs, conducted research about their origins, then arranged and recorded versions with his ensemble, featuring Sashe Lurje. These songs and poems were sung or recounted in a number of testimonies and reflect the richness of these documents. They are songs from the interwar period and from the ghettos, and the camps. Originally, these songs were sung individually and collectively, but in survivors’ testimonies they are recounted or performed by individuals. They thus remind us that the survivor singing them represents all those who did not survive to sing again, and remind us of the absence of the original audience.
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Songs From Testimonies, Yale Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
In 2018, the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, along with musician-in-residence D. Zisl Slepovitch and former Hartman fellow Sarah Garibova, began production of an album of songs recalled in testimonies. This album, Where is Our Homeland? Songs from Testimonies in the Fortunoff Video Archive, reached fruition in Fall 2019, composed and arranged by musicologist and musician D. Zisl Slepovitch.
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Student Resources: Music and the Holocaust, Dr. Laurence Sherr, Kennesaw State University
These lists provide selected English-language resources for the music of oppressed groups during the Holocaust, and for Holocaust memorial works. Comprehensive multi-lingual resource lists are available at multiple locations. These include the ORT and USHMM websites for print, audio, and video sources, and the bibliographies of books such as "Forbidden Music: The Jewish Composers Banned by the Nazis," "Music in the Holocaust: Confronting Life in the Nazi Ghettos and Camps," and "Alma Rosé: Vienna to Auschwitz."
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Teaching the Holocaust Through Music, Ludmilla Leibman, Presented at Yad Vashem
Ludmilla Leibman's doctoral dissertation, “Teaching the Holocaust Through Music” (BU, 1999), became the basis for the first course in the history of American higher education on the Music of the Holocaust. She taught this course at Boston University from 2001 to 2009.
- VIDEO: “Never Again” (4:24), Wu Tang Clan
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VIDEO: Tehora (42:25), Liberation75/German Consulate General in Toronto
Composed and written exclusively by Jewish composers and lyricists, this concert is a musical voyage that starts with the thriving Jewish culture of 1920s Berlin during the Weimar Republic, and ends with music from the Promised Land - Israel. "Tehorah," which means "pure" in Hebrew, is a heartbreaking, promising musical story about war, loss, hope, love and forgiveness. Sung in German, Yiddish and Hebrew. Performed by Adrienne Haan, Heinz Walter Florin on piano, and the Diplomatic String Quartet Berlin. Filmed at the Chamber Music Hall at the Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany. First performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the concert commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and encourages peace among all nations.
- Nazi Propaganda
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ARTIFACT: The Poisonous Mushroom (Der Giftpilz), Calvin Propaganda Archive
Pictures from the book with translation of their captions. Includes links to translation of the story that accompanies the picture.
- Berlin 1936 Olympic Games, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Biology for the Middle School, Calvin Propaganda Archive
- Caricatures from Der Stürmer: 1933-1945, Calvin Propaganda Archive
- Deceiving the Public, USHMM
- Defining the Enemy, USHMM
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Der Stuermer: An Overview of the Nazi’s Antisemitic Newspaper, ThoughtCo.
Der Stuermer ("The Attacker") was the Nazi's antisemitic, weekly newspaper that was founded and created by Julius Streicher and was published from April 20, 1923, until February 1, 1945. Popular for its antisemitic cartoons, Der Stuermer was a useful propaganda tool that helped Adolf Hitler and the Nazis sway the German public's opinion against the Jewish people.
- Der Stürmer, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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Education in Nazi Germany, Spartacus Educational (UK)
Includes links to sections on: Changes in Curriculum, Teachers, Hitler Youth & Education, Textbooks, Elite Schools, Women's Education & Problems in Education.
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EXHIBIT: A is for Adolf-Teaching German Children Nazi Values, The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Wiener Library’s propaganda collection provides a rare insight into the complex relationship between the Nazi regime and those it sought to indoctrinate. The display has four themes: School, Experiences of Jewish Children, The Hitler Youth and Beyond School. Each theme displays images of original materials held by the Wiener Library in London, accompanied by explanatory texts. The aim is to show various ways that the Nazis tried to influence German children both at school and in other contexts. Nazi propaganda sought to shape every aspect of young people’s thoughts, especially their perception of the self and the ‘other,’ the ‘German’ and the ‘Jew.’
- EXHIBIT: Propaganda, USHMM
- Geography for Middle School: People and Living Space, Calvin Propaganda Archive
- German Propaganda Archive, Calvin College
- Hitler Youth, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Hitler Youth, Jewish Virtual Library
- Hitler Youth, Spartacus Educational
- Hitler Youth, The History Place
- IMAGE: 1934 Issue of the Fiercely Antisemitic Newspaper Der Stürmer, USHMM
- IMAGE: Nazi Propaganda Poster Depicting Martin Luther, Facing History and Ourselves
- IMAGE: Poster for Propaganda Film “Jud Süss”
- Indoctrinating Youth, USHMM
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Jud Süß (The Jew Süss), Calvin Propaganda Archive
An eight-page flyer for the film.
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Juden Raus! board Ggame, The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Wiener Holocaust Library holds two copies of what has been called “history’s most infamous board game.” Using crude antisemitic stereotypes and imagery, the game’s themes reflect racial hatred, forced deportations, and confiscation of Jewish property. The board shows a walled town, through which players move to round up Jews and deposit them outside the city walls, where a slogan reads “Auf nach Palästina!” (English: “Off to Palestine!”) The winner is the first to remove six people. Although the game was not endorsed by the Nazis (it was seen to trivialize Nazi policies) and contains no Nazi insignia, the casual, cheery tone used in the text accompanying the game reveals how socially acceptable bigotry and antisemitism was at the time.
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LECTURE: Teaching in Extraordinary Times (29:44), USHMM
As the nation honors today’s resilient educators during Teacher Appreciation Week, we invite you to learn about inspiring educators in history. Join Museum experts to discover teachers and students who resisted Nazi policies and some who went the extra mile to protect and even rescue Jews. Featuring Moderator Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, and Guest Lecturer, Kim Blevins-Relleva, Museum Educator.
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Leni Riefenstahl, USHMM
German filmmaker known for her propaganda films.
- LESSON PLAN: Teaching Materials on Propaganda, USHMM
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LESSON: Analyzing Memes, USHMM
Memes—attention-grabbing images with clever captions that pepper social media feeds—permeate our cultural discourse. While memes have the potential to replace thoughtful conversation and impede connections between different opinions, with proper scaffolding they can be the entry point for critical thinking.
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LESSON: Analyzing Nazi Propaganda, Facing History and Ourselves
Students define propaganda and practice an image-analysis activity on a piece of propaganda from Nazi Germany.
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LESSON: Exploring Nazi Propaganda and the Hitler Youth Movement, Facing History and Ourselves
Students build a definition of "propaganda" by exploring various forms and museums of Nazi propaganda.
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LESSON: Life for German Youth in the 1930’s: Education, Propaganda, Conformity, and Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Students read narratives from German youth in the 1930s and consider how pride, fear, obedience, and peer pressure influenced how young people responded to the Nazis' messages.
- LESSON: Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936, USHMM
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LESSON: Propaganda in Nazi Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains posters and images featuring Nazi propaganda. By the end of this activity you will have developed your ability to evaluate information and gained a more critical understanding of your sources. You will also have reflected on how propaganda affects us today.
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LESSON: Redefining How We Teach Propaganda, USHMM
This unit (containing 6 lessons) will increase your students’ abilities to critically analyze messages presented in both traditional and new forms of media. As students learn about the consequences of propaganda during the Holocaust, they will better value the importance of media literacy in a democracy.
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LESSON: The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity, Facing History and Ourselves
Students analyze several examples of Nazi propaganda and explore its impact on German society.
- Music Amongst the Hitler Youth, World ORT
- Nazi Propaganda and Censorship, USHMM
- Nazi Propaganda, USHMM
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Oath and Opposition: Education Under the Third Reich, USHMM
During Nazi rule, a struggle to control education policy emerged between the Ministry of Education, the National Socialist Teachers League (NSLB), and the Hitler Jugend. The content is organized into three components: I. Introductory Film (5 min.) that introduces the historical context of education under the authority of the Third Reich. II. Case Studies and Discussion Guide (includes PDFs) that feature the stories of individual teachers who responded in different ways during the Holocaust III. Survivor Testimony in form of a video gallery, in which survivors recount their classroom experiences as students during the Holocaust and reflect on both the teachers who helped them and those who did them harm.
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POSTCARD: “Public Image,” Greetings From the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hitler's "fatherly" affection for children - healthy German children - appears in the photograph.
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POSTCARD: “The Jewish Threat Among Us,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Among the crude and hateful public attacks against Jews was the exhibition, also organized by Goebbels' propaganda ministry, "The Eternal Jew." This official postcard from that exhibition was designed, like the exhibition it promoted, to reveal "the Jewish threat among us." It pictures a grotesquely caricatured Jew coveting the money which he holds in one hand while holding in the other the whip which produced it. The red hammer-and-sickle identifies the Jew with Communism. National Socialist propaganda was as unremitting as it was irrational and uncompromising.
- Propaganda, Culture and Education in the Third Reich, USHMM
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READING: “Heil Hitler!”: Lessons of Daily Life, Facing History and Ourselves
Get a glimpse into the daily lives of children in Nazi Germany, and consider how the Nazis "educated" Germany's youth.
- READING: “The Eternal Jew” Exhibition, USHMM
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READING: Disillusionment in the Hitler Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why some young people in Nazi Germany chose to drop out of Hitler Youth organizations with this story about a former Hitler Youth member.
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READING: Even If All Others Do-I Do Not!, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the true story of a father who dared to challenge the education his children received in Nazi Germany.
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READING: Joining the Hitler Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on these firsthand experiences of former members of the Nazi Youth.
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READING: Propaganda at the Movies, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis used film to create an image of the "national community" and to demonize those they viewed as the enemy, such as the Jews.
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READING: Schooling for the National Community, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis transformed German public education to advance their nationalist and racial ideologies.
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READING: Shaping Public Opinion, Facing History and Ourselves
Read about the far-reaching efforts of Joseph Goebbels and the Ministry of Propaganda to generate enthusiasm for the Nazi Party.
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READING: The “New Germany” on the Olympic Stage, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the 1936 Summer Olympics as an opportunity to showcase German society to the world.
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READING: The Birthday Party, Facing History and Ourselves
Gain insight into the pressures that compelled young people and their families to support Nazi youth organizations with this story about a member of the Hitler Youth.
- The Battle for Germany: A Textbook for German Youth, Calvin Propaganda Archive
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The Educational Principles of the New Germany, Calvin Propaganda Archive
What schools and parents need to know about the hoals of National Socialist education.
- The Nazi Olympics, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Nazi Party: The Nazi Olympics, Jewish Virtual Library
- Triumph of the Will, Teacher’s Guide, Social Studies School Service
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Trust No Fox on His Green Heath and No Jew on His Oath, Calvin Propaganda Archive
Antisemitic children's book, images and stories.
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VIDEO: “Jews Out” Board Game (1:57), BBC/Antiques Roadshow
Includes explanation of how the game is played.
- VIDEO: Alfons Heck-Hitler Youth HBO Special (28:42), YouTube
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VIDEO: Building the Racial State with Dr. William Meinecke (1:15:14), MCHE Kansas City
Dr. William Meinecke, Historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, examines how Nazi propaganda shaped German society and prepared the population to accept, support, or participate in persecution, war, and the mass murder of Europe’s Jews and others.
- VIDEO: Der Fuehrer’s Face (9:16), Disney Short Cartoon, 1934, YouTube
- VIDEO: Education for Death (10:08), Disney Short Cartoon, 1934, YouTube
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VIDEO: Goebbels Claims Jews Will Destroy Culture, Historical Film Footage (0:52), USHMM
This footage shows Joseph Goebbels, Nazi minister for propaganda and public education, speaking at the September 1935 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. In the speech, Goebbels--a fanatic antisemite--linked Bolshevism with international Jewry and warned Nazi party members of an alleged international Jewish conspiracy to destroy western civilization. Goebbels led the purge of Jewish and other so-called "un-German" influences from the cultural institutions of Nazi Germany.
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VIDEO: Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth (30:22), HBO/YouTube
In this in-depth interview, Alfons Heck recalls how he became a high-ranking member of the Hitler Youth. He talks about the importance of peer pressure and propaganda to Hitler's ability to recruit eight million German children to participate in the "war effort," some as young as twelve participating in murder. The interview is supplemented by archival footage.
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VIDEO: How the Nazis Manipulated the Masses (41:21), USHMM
The Nazis adapted age-old antisemitic lies and stereotypes to dehumanize Jewish people and blame them for Germany’s ills. Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and others shaped and deployed these messages everywhere, from film to radio, posters to press—even in children’s books. This steady drumbeat of antisemitic propaganda reinforced the myth that Jews were dirty, deceitful, and dangerous. Some became fervent believers in the Nazi solution to the “Jewish problem” while most remained silent as their Jewish neighbors were persecuted. Join us to discuss how the Nazis exploited preexisting hatred and how similar lies are being repackaged and spread around the world today with violent consequences.
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VIDEO: Inside the World’s Oldest Holocaust Museum (3:23), BBC
Includes footage of the children's board game "Jews Out" and describes how it is played.
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VIDEO: Jesse Owens (2 min), PBS / American Experience
Jesse Owens' victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics were an affront to Nazi beliefs.
- VIDEO: Jesse Owens’ Inspiring History (2:25), International Olympic Committee
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VIDEO: Student Jamarr R. Talks About Education in Nazi Germany (1:00), Facing History and Ourselves
Jamarr J. explains how propaganda and education became the same thing in Nazi Germany.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Sports (9:59), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Sports", ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon presents the story of Gretel (Margaret) Bergmann, an accomplished Jewish German athlete. Bergmann's remarkable story sheds light on the challenges and hardships Jewish athletes had to face under the Nazi regime. Being unable to pursue her athletic career in Germany, Bergmann decided to leave her country of birth in 1934. She was forced to return and represent the country in the 1936 Olympic Games, only to be excluded from the national team just weeks prior to the opening of the Games. Using sports in teaching about the Holocaust can be extremely useful. Students are generally familiar with sports, athletes, national and international tournaments, and so forth. The topic of sports is one which is relevant to the students' lives today. Furthermore, using sports makes the point that the Holocaust happened in the modern world – a world where there were sports teams, stars and cheering crowds. Sports can be used as a means to bridge the gulf between the Holocaust as a massive historical event and the Holocaust as a human story. Sheryl Silver-Ochayon is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936 Part 3: Gretel Bergmann - An Outcast Athlete
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VIDEO: The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 (4:46), USHMM
In this video introduction to the Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936, American Jewish athlete Marty Glickman, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield, exhibition curator Susan Bachrach, and German Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann reflect and remember the 1936 Olympic Games as more than history.
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VIDEO: The Opening Ceremony (1 min), PBS / American Experience
he 1936 Olympic Opening Ceremony was held on August 1 at the Reichssportsfeld in Berlin. Cheers echoed throughout the stadium as Adolf Hitler entered.
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VIDEO: Triumph of the Will (1:44:27), Facing History and Ourselves
A Nazi propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl.
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VIDEO: World War II: The Propaganda Battle (52:26)
Bill Moyers examines the role that propaganda played in the course of events during Word War II.
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VISUAL ESSAY: The Impact of Propaganda, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore a curated selection of primary source propaganda images from Nazi Germany.
- Writing the News, USHMM
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You and Your People (Volk), Calvin Propaganda Archive
Translation of a booklet given to children as they finished their required schooling at age 14.
- 1936 Olympics
- Berlin 1936 Olympic Games, Encyclopedia Britannica
- LESSON: Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936, USHMM
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READING: The “New Germany” on the Olympic Stage, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the 1936 Summer Olympics as an opportunity to showcase German society to the world.
- The Nazi Olympics, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Nazi Party: The Nazi Olympics, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Jesse Owens (2 min), PBS / American Experience
Jesse Owens' victories at the 1936 Berlin Olympics were an affront to Nazi beliefs.
- VIDEO: Jesse Owens’ Inspiring History (2:25), International Olympic Committee
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Sports (9:59), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Sports", ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon presents the story of Gretel (Margaret) Bergmann, an accomplished Jewish German athlete. Bergmann's remarkable story sheds light on the challenges and hardships Jewish athletes had to face under the Nazi regime. Being unable to pursue her athletic career in Germany, Bergmann decided to leave her country of birth in 1934. She was forced to return and represent the country in the 1936 Olympic Games, only to be excluded from the national team just weeks prior to the opening of the Games. Using sports in teaching about the Holocaust can be extremely useful. Students are generally familiar with sports, athletes, national and international tournaments, and so forth. The topic of sports is one which is relevant to the students' lives today. Furthermore, using sports makes the point that the Holocaust happened in the modern world – a world where there were sports teams, stars and cheering crowds. Sports can be used as a means to bridge the gulf between the Holocaust as a massive historical event and the Holocaust as a human story. Sheryl Silver-Ochayon is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936 Part 3: Gretel Bergmann - An Outcast Athlete
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VIDEO: The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 (4:46), USHMM
In this video introduction to the Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936, American Jewish athlete Marty Glickman, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield, exhibition curator Susan Bachrach, and German Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann reflect and remember the 1936 Olympic Games as more than history.
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VIDEO: The Opening Ceremony (1 min), PBS / American Experience
he 1936 Olympic Opening Ceremony was held on August 1 at the Reichssportsfeld in Berlin. Cheers echoed throughout the stadium as Adolf Hitler entered.
- Education
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ARTIFACT: The Poisonous Mushroom (Der Giftpilz), Calvin Propaganda Archive
Pictures from the book with translation of their captions. Includes links to translation of the story that accompanies the picture.
- Biology for the Middle School, Calvin Propaganda Archive
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Education in Nazi Germany, Spartacus Educational (UK)
Includes links to sections on: Changes in Curriculum, Teachers, Hitler Youth & Education, Textbooks, Elite Schools, Women's Education & Problems in Education.
- Geography for Middle School: People and Living Space, Calvin Propaganda Archive
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LECTURE: Teaching in Extraordinary Times (29:44), USHMM
As the nation honors today’s resilient educators during Teacher Appreciation Week, we invite you to learn about inspiring educators in history. Join Museum experts to discover teachers and students who resisted Nazi policies and some who went the extra mile to protect and even rescue Jews. Featuring Moderator Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, and Guest Lecturer, Kim Blevins-Relleva, Museum Educator.
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Oath and Opposition: Education Under the Third Reich, USHMM
During Nazi rule, a struggle to control education policy emerged between the Ministry of Education, the National Socialist Teachers League (NSLB), and the Hitler Jugend. The content is organized into three components: I. Introductory Film (5 min.) that introduces the historical context of education under the authority of the Third Reich. II. Case Studies and Discussion Guide (includes PDFs) that feature the stories of individual teachers who responded in different ways during the Holocaust III. Survivor Testimony in form of a video gallery, in which survivors recount their classroom experiences as students during the Holocaust and reflect on both the teachers who helped them and those who did them harm.
- Propaganda, Culture and Education in the Third Reich, USHMM
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READING: “Heil Hitler!”: Lessons of Daily Life, Facing History and Ourselves
Get a glimpse into the daily lives of children in Nazi Germany, and consider how the Nazis "educated" Germany's youth.
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READING: Even If All Others Do-I Do Not!, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the true story of a father who dared to challenge the education his children received in Nazi Germany.
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READING: Schooling for the National Community, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis transformed German public education to advance their nationalist and racial ideologies.
- The Battle for Germany: A Textbook for German Youth, Calvin Propaganda Archive
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The Educational Principles of the New Germany, Calvin Propaganda Archive
What schools and parents need to know about the hoals of National Socialist education.
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Trust No Fox on His Green Heath and No Jew on His Oath, Calvin Propaganda Archive
Antisemitic children's book, images and stories.
- VIDEO: Education for Death (10:08), Disney Short Cartoon, 1934, YouTube
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VIDEO: Inside the World’s Oldest Holocaust Museum (3:23), BBC
Includes footage of the children's board game "Jews Out" and describes how it is played.
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VIDEO: Student Jamarr R. Talks About Education in Nazi Germany (1:00), Facing History and Ourselves
Jamarr J. explains how propaganda and education became the same thing in Nazi Germany.
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You and Your People (Volk), Calvin Propaganda Archive
Translation of a booklet given to children as they finished their required schooling at age 14.
- Film
- IMAGE: Poster for Propaganda Film “Jud Süss”
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Jud Süß (The Jew Süss), Calvin Propaganda Archive
An eight-page flyer for the film.
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Leni Riefenstahl, USHMM
German filmmaker known for her propaganda films.
- READING: “The Eternal Jew” Exhibition, USHMM
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READING: Propaganda at the Movies, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis used film to create an image of the "national community" and to demonize those they viewed as the enemy, such as the Jews.
- Triumph of the Will, Teacher’s Guide, Social Studies School Service
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VIDEO: Triumph of the Will (1:44:27), Facing History and Ourselves
A Nazi propaganda film made by Leni Riefenstahl.
- Games
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Juden Raus! board Ggame, The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Wiener Holocaust Library holds two copies of what has been called “history’s most infamous board game.” Using crude antisemitic stereotypes and imagery, the game’s themes reflect racial hatred, forced deportations, and confiscation of Jewish property. The board shows a walled town, through which players move to round up Jews and deposit them outside the city walls, where a slogan reads “Auf nach Palästina!” (English: “Off to Palestine!”) The winner is the first to remove six people. Although the game was not endorsed by the Nazis (it was seen to trivialize Nazi policies) and contains no Nazi insignia, the casual, cheery tone used in the text accompanying the game reveals how socially acceptable bigotry and antisemitism was at the time.
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VIDEO: “Jews Out” Board Game (1:57), BBC/Antiques Roadshow
Includes explanation of how the game is played.
- Hitler Youth
- Hitler Youth, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Hitler Youth, Jewish Virtual Library
- Hitler Youth, Spartacus Educational
- Hitler Youth, The History Place
- Indoctrinating Youth, USHMM
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LESSON: Life for German Youth in the 1930’s: Education, Propaganda, Conformity, and Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Students read narratives from German youth in the 1930s and consider how pride, fear, obedience, and peer pressure influenced how young people responded to the Nazis' messages.
- Music Amongst the Hitler Youth, World ORT
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READING: Disillusionment in the Hitler Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why some young people in Nazi Germany chose to drop out of Hitler Youth organizations with this story about a former Hitler Youth member.
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READING: Joining the Hitler Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on these firsthand experiences of former members of the Nazi Youth.
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READING: The Birthday Party, Facing History and Ourselves
Gain insight into the pressures that compelled young people and their families to support Nazi youth organizations with this story about a member of the Hitler Youth.
- VIDEO: Alfons Heck-Hitler Youth HBO Special (28:42), YouTube
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VIDEO: Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth (30:22), HBO/YouTube
In this in-depth interview, Alfons Heck recalls how he became a high-ranking member of the Hitler Youth. He talks about the importance of peer pressure and propaganda to Hitler's ability to recruit eight million German children to participate in the "war effort," some as young as twelve participating in murder. The interview is supplemented by archival footage.
- Newspaper
- Caricatures from Der Stürmer: 1933-1945, Calvin Propaganda Archive
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Der Stuermer: An Overview of the Nazi’s Antisemitic Newspaper, ThoughtCo.
Der Stuermer ("The Attacker") was the Nazi's antisemitic, weekly newspaper that was founded and created by Julius Streicher and was published from April 20, 1923, until February 1, 1945. Popular for its antisemitic cartoons, Der Stuermer was a useful propaganda tool that helped Adolf Hitler and the Nazis sway the German public's opinion against the Jewish people.
- Der Stürmer, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- IMAGE: 1934 Issue of the Fiercely Antisemitic Newspaper Der Stürmer, USHMM
- Writing the News, USHMM
- Posters / Postcards
- IMAGE: Nazi Propaganda Poster Depicting Martin Luther, Facing History and Ourselves
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POSTCARD: “Public Image,” Greetings From the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hitler's "fatherly" affection for children - healthy German children - appears in the photograph.
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POSTCARD: “The Jewish Threat Among Us,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Among the crude and hateful public attacks against Jews was the exhibition, also organized by Goebbels' propaganda ministry, "The Eternal Jew." This official postcard from that exhibition was designed, like the exhibition it promoted, to reveal "the Jewish threat among us." It pictures a grotesquely caricatured Jew coveting the money which he holds in one hand while holding in the other the whip which produced it. The red hammer-and-sickle identifies the Jew with Communism. National Socialist propaganda was as unremitting as it was irrational and uncompromising.
- Nazi Racism
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“Against Nazi Euthanasia,” Sermon by Cardinal Clemons von Galen, The History Place
This is an excerpt of the sermon by Catholic Cardinal Clemens von Galen, delivered on Sunday, August 3, 1941, in Münster Cathedral, in which he risked his life by openly condemning the Nazi euthanasia program.
- 14f13, Holocaust Education & Research Team
- Blood Purity and Nazi Germany, The History Learning Site (UK)
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DOCUMENT: Birmingham’s Racial Segregation Ordinances, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
An excerpt from the original city ordinances for the city of Birmingham during the 1920s to 1950s.
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Eugenics, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Eugenics, or “racial hygiene,” was a scientific movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Eugenics provided the basis for the Nazi compulsory sterilization View This Term in the Glossary policy and underpinned the murder of the institutionalized disabled in the clandestine “euthanasia” (T4) program.
- Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States, University of Vermont
- Euthanasia Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Euthanasia Program, Yad Vashem
- Euthanasia, ARC
- EXHIBIT: Deadly Medicine-Creating the Master Race, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Science and Suffering, Victims and Perpetrators of Nazi Human Experimentation, The Wiener Holocaust Library
Under the Nazis, medical research supported a new vision for a 'racially pure' Europe. Nazi policy eroded the legal basis for the protection of individual rights, including control over one's own body to promote the body politic. Through portraits of victims and perpetrators, this online exhibit explores the legacy of medical research under Nazism, and its impact on bioethics today.
- Final Solutions: Murderous Racial Hygiene, 1939-1945, USHMM
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German Law Authorizes Sterilization for Prevention of Hereditary Diseases, USHMM History Unfolded
On July 14, 1933, the German government promulgated the “Law for the Prevention of Progeny with Hereditary Diseases” (Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses). This law mandated the forced sterilization of certain individuals with physical and mental disabilities or mental illness. Individuals who were subject to the law were those men and women who “suffered” from any of nine conditions: hereditary feeblemindedness, schizophrenia, manic-depressive (or bi-polar) disorder, hereditary epilepsy, Huntington’s chorea (a fatal form of dementia), genetic blindness, deafness, severe hereditary physical deformity, and chronic alcoholism. The law also allowed public health officials to apply the law to those, like Roma (Gypsies) and “asocial elements” who were seen to reject German social values.
- IMAGE: Nazi Eugenics Exhibition Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
- Introduction to Nazi Euthanasia, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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LESSON: Nazi Racism, USHMM
Racism fueled Nazi ideology and politics. To critically analyze actions taken by Nazi Germany and its collaborators requires an understanding of the concept of racism in general and Nazi racial antisemitism in particular. This lesson includes a modification for online instruction.
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LESSON: Racial “Science” and Law in Nazi Germany and the US – Timeline Extension, USHMM
Nazism emerged in Germany during the era of “Jim Crow” in the US. Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler, wrote admiringly of American racist practices. Racist ideas were treated as “scientific” during this time: biology linked to physical appearance supposedly determined what people were capable of and what limited them, while “selective breeding” was promoted as a way to eliminate physical and mental disabilities in the population The pseudoscience called eugenics emerged in the late 19th century and became a global movement, providing a veneer of respectability to ideas about “racial purity.” By the 1930s this pseudoscientific approach had found its way into laws in the US and Europe. While eugenics and racism were present in many countries, this lesson is a case study examining Nazi Germany and the US during the 1930s. While racism and racist laws existed in both societies, these histories are presented within their own national and historic contexts.
- LESSON: Teaching Materials on Nazism and Jim Crow, USHMM
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LESSON: The Roots of Nazi “Euthanasia” in Nazi Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet and images that will help you understand some of the key steps taken in the Nazi euthanasia project. By the end of this activity you will have gained a greater understanding of the importance of protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights. In addition you will have reflected on how subtle changes in society and how silence and indifference to the suffering of others can lead to horrific consequences.
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LESSON: Us and Them-Confronting Labels and Lies, Facing History and Ourselves
Students learn about the ways that people throughout history have created myths about race in order to justify discrimination and violence.
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LESSON: Witnessing Jim Crow, USC Shoah Foundation
Many survivors of the Holocaust left Europe after the end of World War II. Those who emigrated from Europe had to adjust to new languages, new customs, and new social expectations when they arrived. Some survivors who immigrated to the United States encountered racism and prejudice and grappled with its repercussions in a variety of ways. This module will examine the testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust who resettled to the United States and will examine the repercussions of racism and race-based prejudice.
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Nazi “Perfect Aryan” Poster Child Was Jewish, The Telegraph/UK
When Hessy Taft was six months old, she was a poster child for the Nazis. Her photograph was chosen as the image of the ideal Aryan baby, and distributed in party propaganda. But what the Nazis didn’t know was that their perfect baby was really Jewish.
- Nazi Racism, USHMM
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Origins of Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist Terms and Symbols, USHMM
Quick description of many facets of Nazi race ideology.
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POLITICAL CARTOON: An Aryan Is, Labor Front Magazine
Originally published in the American magazine, Labor Front, in 1936.
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READING: Breeding the New German Race, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the sterilization law in Nazi Germany and other measures taken by the Nazis to ensure the purity of the Aryan race.
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READING: Bystanders at Hartheim Castle, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why the residents of Hartheim kept silent about the evidence of mass murder they witnessed in their town through World War II.
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READING: Learning to be a Good German, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how Nazi ideology influenced the morality of a girl growing up in Nazi Germany.
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READING: Protesting Medical Killing, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore the stories of three German ministers who chose to speak out against the Nazis' "euthanasia" program.
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READING: Unworthy to Live, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' medical killing program which was responsible for the murder of mentally and physically disabled people during World War II.
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READING: Waging a Racial War, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how Nazi Germany's ideas about race determined how they treated soldiers, prisoners, and civilians during World War II.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Paul Eggert, Helga Gross, and Dorothea Buck Describe Forced Sterilization (5:01), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Paul Eggert was categorized as "feeble-minded." At age 11, he was institutionalized and sterilized without his knowledge. Helga Gross attended a school for the deaf in Hamburg, Germany. She was sterilized in 1939, aged 16. At age 19, Dorothea Buck was diagnosed as schizophrenic and sterilized without her knowledge.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Euthanasia Program (7:55), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Benno Müller-Hill, professor of genetics at the University of Cologne, describes the Nazi "Euthanasia" Program, with oral history excerpts from Antje Kosemund, Paul Eggert, and Elvira Manthey. Antje Kosemund had a disabled younger sister who was admitted to Alsterdorf Institute, Hamburg, December 1933, at the age of three and was subsequently killed in 1944. Paul Eggert was a resident of the orphanage section of the Dortmund-Applerbeck institution from 1942-43 where he witnessed the euthanasia of fellow orphans. Elvira Manthey was taken with her sister from a large, impoverished family and placed in a children’s home, 1938.
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T4 Medical Killing Program, remember.org
Includes information on Operation 14f13 (Special Treatment).
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T4 Program, Encyclopedia Britannica
Written by Michael Berenbaum.
- The “Lebensborn” Program (1935-1945), Jewish Virtual Library
- The Biological State: Nazi Racial Hygiene, 1933-1939
- The Forgotten Lessons of the American Eugenics Movement, The New Yorker, April 2016
- The Murder of the Handicapped, USHMM
- The Nazi Euthanasia (T-4) Program, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Nazi Racial State, BBC
- Unwanted Sterilization and Eugenics Programs in the U.S., PBS
- Victims of the Nazi Era: Nazi Racial Ideology, USHMM
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VIDEO: Bishop von Galen and the War Against the Disabled (7:04), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses Bishop von Galen and his opposition to the Nazi T4 euthanasia program.
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VIDEO: Caring Corrupted – The Killing Nurses of the Third Reich (56:07) YouTube
Cizik School of Nursing has created a REMI Platinum Award-winning documentary film that tells the grim cautionary tale of nurses who participated in the Holocaust and abandoned their professional ethics during the Nazi era. This film casts a harsh light on nurses who used their professional skills to murder the handicapped, mentally ill and infirm at the behest of the Third Reich and directly participated in genocide
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VIDEO: Exhumations at Hadamar, Historical Film Footage (0:42), USHMM
The Hadamar psychiatric hospital was used as a euthanasia killing center from January until August 1941. Nazi doctors gassed about 10,000 German patients there. Although systematic gassings ended in September 1941, the killing of patients continued through the end of the war. In this footage, American soldiers supervise the exhumation of the cemetery at Hadamar and begin the interrogation of Dr. Adolf Wahlmann and Karl Wilig, who participated in the killings.
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VIDEO: Keeping the Memory Alive-Personal Reflections on the Legacies of Racial Violence and Genocide (54:25), USHMM
On February 22-23, 2018, the USHMM's Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies partnered with the Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to host a two-day symposium entitled "Bystanders and Complicity in Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South." The event was co-sponsored by the Alabama Holocaust Education Center. In this video, watch as Riva Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor, and Josephine Bolling McCall, whose father was lynched in Alabama in 1947, offer their thoughts on the personal impact of violent antisemitism and racism in two historical contexts.
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Race Doctrine (1:39), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the Nazi race doctrine, a key component within Nazi Ideology. The division of races into hierarchical order, with Jews as the "anti-race", had catastrophic consequences for Europe and for the Jews. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- VIDEO: Propaganda Film on Eugenics/Nazi Racial Science (2:42), USHMM
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VIDEO: Race and Society in Nazi Germany and the US: From Swastika to Jim Crow (49:08), USHMM
"From Swastika to Jim Crow" is a film that examines the encounter between Jewish refugee professors who escaped Nazi Germany and their African American colleagues and students at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities where they taught in the American South. Here, this film is discussed with Joyce Ladner, sociologist, author and social activist; Hank Klibanoff, Pulitzer Prize winning Co-Author of the Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle and The Awakening of a Nation and Broderick Johnson, Producer of the March on Washington Film Festival. It is moderated by Jill Savitt, Acting Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide.
- VIDEO: The Uniqueness of Nazi Antisemitism (2:17), Yad Vashem/YouTube
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VIDEO: U.S. Soldiers Inspect Hadamar, Historical Film Footage (1:21), USHMM
In Nazi usage, "euthanasia" referred to the killing of those whom the Nazis deemed "unworthy of life." In 1941 the Hadamar psychiatric clinic served as one of the euthanasia killing centers in Germany. Patients selected by German doctors for euthanasia were transferred to Hadamar or one of the other facilities and were killed in gas chambers. Over 10,000 people were gassed at Hadamar before the Euthanasia Program officially ended in August 1941. Although the program had officially ended, killings continued at Hadamar by means of lethal injections. After the war, US personnel filmed the facility and cared for surviving patients
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What is Race? Is Race for Real?, PBS
An interactive site.
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What Was the Nazi Idea of Volksgemeinschaft? ThoughtCo.
The Volk was to be a one party state where the leader – currently Hitler – was accorded unquestioning obedience from his citizens, who handed over their freedoms in exchange for – in theory – their part in a smoothly functioning machine. ‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer’: one people, one empire, one leader.
- American Eugenics
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Eugenics, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Eugenics, or “racial hygiene,” was a scientific movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Eugenics provided the basis for the Nazi compulsory sterilization View This Term in the Glossary policy and underpinned the murder of the institutionalized disabled in the clandestine “euthanasia” (T4) program.
- Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States, University of Vermont
- The Forgotten Lessons of the American Eugenics Movement, The New Yorker, April 2016
- Unwanted Sterilization and Eugenics Programs in the U.S., PBS
- Euthanasia (T4) Program
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“Against Nazi Euthanasia,” Sermon by Cardinal Clemons von Galen, The History Place
This is an excerpt of the sermon by Catholic Cardinal Clemens von Galen, delivered on Sunday, August 3, 1941, in Münster Cathedral, in which he risked his life by openly condemning the Nazi euthanasia program.
- 14f13, Holocaust Education & Research Team
- Euthanasia Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Euthanasia Program, Yad Vashem
- Euthanasia, ARC
- IMAGE: Nazi Eugenics Exhibition Poster, Facing History and Ourselves
- Introduction to Nazi Euthanasia, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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LESSON: The Roots of Nazi “Euthanasia” in Nazi Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet and images that will help you understand some of the key steps taken in the Nazi euthanasia project. By the end of this activity you will have gained a greater understanding of the importance of protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights. In addition you will have reflected on how subtle changes in society and how silence and indifference to the suffering of others can lead to horrific consequences.
-
READING: Bystanders at Hartheim Castle, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why the residents of Hartheim kept silent about the evidence of mass murder they witnessed in their town through World War II.
-
READING: Protesting Medical Killing, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore the stories of three German ministers who chose to speak out against the Nazis' "euthanasia" program.
-
READING: Unworthy to Live, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' medical killing program which was responsible for the murder of mentally and physically disabled people during World War II.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Euthanasia Program (7:55), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Benno Müller-Hill, professor of genetics at the University of Cologne, describes the Nazi "Euthanasia" Program, with oral history excerpts from Antje Kosemund, Paul Eggert, and Elvira Manthey. Antje Kosemund had a disabled younger sister who was admitted to Alsterdorf Institute, Hamburg, December 1933, at the age of three and was subsequently killed in 1944. Paul Eggert was a resident of the orphanage section of the Dortmund-Applerbeck institution from 1942-43 where he witnessed the euthanasia of fellow orphans. Elvira Manthey was taken with her sister from a large, impoverished family and placed in a children’s home, 1938.
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T4 Medical Killing Program, remember.org
Includes information on Operation 14f13 (Special Treatment).
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T4 Program, Encyclopedia Britannica
Written by Michael Berenbaum.
- The Murder of the Handicapped, USHMM
- The Nazi Euthanasia (T-4) Program, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Bishop von Galen and the War Against the Disabled (7:04), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses Bishop von Galen and his opposition to the Nazi T4 euthanasia program.
-
VIDEO: Caring Corrupted – The Killing Nurses of the Third Reich (56:07) YouTube
Cizik School of Nursing has created a REMI Platinum Award-winning documentary film that tells the grim cautionary tale of nurses who participated in the Holocaust and abandoned their professional ethics during the Nazi era. This film casts a harsh light on nurses who used their professional skills to murder the handicapped, mentally ill and infirm at the behest of the Third Reich and directly participated in genocide
-
VIDEO: Exhumations at Hadamar, Historical Film Footage (0:42), USHMM
The Hadamar psychiatric hospital was used as a euthanasia killing center from January until August 1941. Nazi doctors gassed about 10,000 German patients there. Although systematic gassings ended in September 1941, the killing of patients continued through the end of the war. In this footage, American soldiers supervise the exhumation of the cemetery at Hadamar and begin the interrogation of Dr. Adolf Wahlmann and Karl Wilig, who participated in the killings.
-
VIDEO: U.S. Soldiers Inspect Hadamar, Historical Film Footage (1:21), USHMM
In Nazi usage, "euthanasia" referred to the killing of those whom the Nazis deemed "unworthy of life." In 1941 the Hadamar psychiatric clinic served as one of the euthanasia killing centers in Germany. Patients selected by German doctors for euthanasia were transferred to Hadamar or one of the other facilities and were killed in gas chambers. Over 10,000 people were gassed at Hadamar before the Euthanasia Program officially ended in August 1941. Although the program had officially ended, killings continued at Hadamar by means of lethal injections. After the war, US personnel filmed the facility and cared for surviving patients
- Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South
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DOCUMENT: Birmingham’s Racial Segregation Ordinances, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
An excerpt from the original city ordinances for the city of Birmingham during the 1920s to 1950s.
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LESSON: Racial “Science” and Law in Nazi Germany and the US – Timeline Extension, USHMM
Nazism emerged in Germany during the era of “Jim Crow” in the US. Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler, wrote admiringly of American racist practices. Racist ideas were treated as “scientific” during this time: biology linked to physical appearance supposedly determined what people were capable of and what limited them, while “selective breeding” was promoted as a way to eliminate physical and mental disabilities in the population The pseudoscience called eugenics emerged in the late 19th century and became a global movement, providing a veneer of respectability to ideas about “racial purity.” By the 1930s this pseudoscientific approach had found its way into laws in the US and Europe. While eugenics and racism were present in many countries, this lesson is a case study examining Nazi Germany and the US during the 1930s. While racism and racist laws existed in both societies, these histories are presented within their own national and historic contexts.
- LESSON: Teaching Materials on Nazism and Jim Crow, USHMM
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LESSON: Witnessing Jim Crow, USC Shoah Foundation
Many survivors of the Holocaust left Europe after the end of World War II. Those who emigrated from Europe had to adjust to new languages, new customs, and new social expectations when they arrived. Some survivors who immigrated to the United States encountered racism and prejudice and grappled with its repercussions in a variety of ways. This module will examine the testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust who resettled to the United States and will examine the repercussions of racism and race-based prejudice.
-
VIDEO: Keeping the Memory Alive-Personal Reflections on the Legacies of Racial Violence and Genocide (54:25), USHMM
On February 22-23, 2018, the USHMM's Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies partnered with the Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to host a two-day symposium entitled "Bystanders and Complicity in Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South." The event was co-sponsored by the Alabama Holocaust Education Center. In this video, watch as Riva Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor, and Josephine Bolling McCall, whose father was lynched in Alabama in 1947, offer their thoughts on the personal impact of violent antisemitism and racism in two historical contexts.
-
VIDEO: Race and Society in Nazi Germany and the US: From Swastika to Jim Crow (49:08), USHMM
"From Swastika to Jim Crow" is a film that examines the encounter between Jewish refugee professors who escaped Nazi Germany and their African American colleagues and students at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities where they taught in the American South. Here, this film is discussed with Joyce Ladner, sociologist, author and social activist; Hank Klibanoff, Pulitzer Prize winning Co-Author of the Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle and The Awakening of a Nation and Broderick Johnson, Producer of the March on Washington Film Festival. It is moderated by Jill Savitt, Acting Director, Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide.
- Sterilization
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Eugenics, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Eugenics, or “racial hygiene,” was a scientific movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Eugenics provided the basis for the Nazi compulsory sterilization View This Term in the Glossary policy and underpinned the murder of the institutionalized disabled in the clandestine “euthanasia” (T4) program.
-
German Law Authorizes Sterilization for Prevention of Hereditary Diseases, USHMM History Unfolded
On July 14, 1933, the German government promulgated the “Law for the Prevention of Progeny with Hereditary Diseases” (Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses). This law mandated the forced sterilization of certain individuals with physical and mental disabilities or mental illness. Individuals who were subject to the law were those men and women who “suffered” from any of nine conditions: hereditary feeblemindedness, schizophrenia, manic-depressive (or bi-polar) disorder, hereditary epilepsy, Huntington’s chorea (a fatal form of dementia), genetic blindness, deafness, severe hereditary physical deformity, and chronic alcoholism. The law also allowed public health officials to apply the law to those, like Roma (Gypsies) and “asocial elements” who were seen to reject German social values.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Paul Eggert, Helga Gross, and Dorothea Buck Describe Forced Sterilization (5:01), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Paul Eggert was categorized as "feeble-minded." At age 11, he was institutionalized and sterilized without his knowledge. Helga Gross attended a school for the deaf in Hamburg, Germany. She was sterilized in 1939, aged 16. At age 19, Dorothea Buck was diagnosed as schizophrenic and sterilized without her knowledge.
- Operation Reinhard Camps
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Aktion Reinhard, Profiting from the Holocaust, Holocaust Education Research Team
Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka established working commandos to sort and pack the possessions of the murdered Jews to the Reich, in accordance with August Frank’s orders. This research provide first person testimony to this fact.
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Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, USHMM
May 27, 1942, Czech Agents who had trained in Great Britain parachuted into German-occupied Czech territory to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich in Prague. The Operation Reinhard camps were named after him.
- Belzec, ID Cards, USHMM
- Belzec, The Holocaust Explained
- Belzec, USHMM
- Belzec: Chronology, USHMM
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Jewish Prisoner Uprisings in Treblinka and Sobibor, Jewish Virtual Library
This is a 4-part piece. Advance at the bottom of the page.
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
- Killing Centers: An Overview, USHMM
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Lidice, USHMM
Lidice was a small town in the former Czechoslovakia located about 12 miles (20 km) from Prague. German forces destroyed the town and murdered or deported its inhabitants in retaliation for the assassination in 1942 of Reinhard Heydrich, a prominent Nazi official.
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Operation Reinhard (Einsatz Reinhard), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Operation Reinhard (Einsatz Reinhard) became the code name for the German plan to murder the approximately two million Jews residing in the so-called Generalgouvernement (Government General). Though initiated in the autumn of 1941, the operation was later named after SS General Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), who died in June 1942 from injuries sustained during an assassination attempt by Czech partisans.
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Photos of Nazis at Sobibor Death Camp Are the First of Their Kind, Washington Post, January 29, 2020
Historians in Germany have unearthed hundreds of photos of the notorious Sobibor death camp and other key sites in the Nazi extermination machine, stashed for decades in albums belonging to the camp's deputy commandant and in the attic and cupboards of the family home. Previously, only two images of Sobibor existed in the archival record.
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Photos of Sobibor Death Camp May Include John Demjanjuk, Cleveland Jewish News, January 29, 2020
Two photo albums and about 50 loose photographs of Sobibor, “a handful” from the Belzec death camp and 14 loose photographs that show the funeral of Johann Niemann (Deputy Commandant of Sobibor), along with letters to his wife, Henriette, have been turned over to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum by Niemann's grandson. This piece also includes 3 survivor testimonies.
- PHOTOS: Treblinka Memorial, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Oh Nonsense, It Is Only the Gas, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The Holocaust was not an event which could be entirely hidden from the people of Europe. Wilhelm Cornides was a German army officer who was travelling by rail through Poland in August 1942. On the train, he got talking to a German policeman and the wife of another policeman. They promised to show him Bełżec extermination camp when the train passed it. Cornides recorded his experiences in his diary.
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READING: A Commandant’s View, Facing History and Ourselves
Get insight into how a commander at a Nazi death camp viewed his victims and coped with his actions.
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READING: A Commandant’s View
In 1971, journalist Gitta Sereny interviewed Franz Stangl, who had been the commandant of the death camp at Sobibór and, later, the camp at Treblinka.
- Sobibor, The Holocaust Explained
- Sobibor, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Sobibor: Chronology, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES & ID Cards: Treblinka, USHMM
Includes the testimonies of Abraham Bomba & Isadore Helfing.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Death Camp Treblinka Survivor Stories Documentary (58:55), BBC
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Sobibor, USHMM
Esther Raab describes the arrival of transports (1:57). Selma (Wijnberg) Engel describes deportation from the Netherlands (1:51). Esther Raab describes planning for the uprising (2:33). Chaim Engel describes plans for the uprising (2:14). Esther Raab describes the uprising (3:18). Chaim Engel describes his role in the uprising (1:41). Chaim Engel describes the uprising and his escape (1:29).
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Bomba (2:43), USHMM
Abraham Bomba, born 1913, Germany, describes cutting women's hair before they were gassed in Treblinka.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Holocaust Survivors Remember Sobibor Uprising (28:24), USC Shoah Foundation
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Jankiel Wiernik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jankiel Wiernik was deported from Warsaw to Treblinka extermination camp on 23 August 1942. On arrival, he was one of the very small number of prisoners selected to work in the camp, disposing of the bodies. He escaped in the Treblinka Uprising of 2 August 1943 and told his story in a pamphlet distributed by the Polish underground in 1944. This was the first detailed account of life in an extermination camp to be published.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rudolf Reder, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Although knowledge of the Holocaust was fairly widespread by mid-1942, many of the Jews sent to extermination camps still harboured the faint hope of survival. Rudolf Reder was deported to Bełżec from Lwów in August 1942. He later described what happened when his train arrived.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tomasz (Toivi) Blatt (1:44), USHMM
Tomasz Blatt, born 1927, Isbica, Poland, describes gassing operations in the Sobibor extermination camp.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Uprising in Treblinka by Samuel Rajzman
Samuel Rajzman was one of the very few survivors of the Treblinka death camp - he was lucky enough to escape. The testimony (in writing) he gave, more than 60 years ago, is still important to understand the enormity of the crimes committed in that death camp and in the Final Solution.
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TESTIMONY: Stefan Kucharek, Train Driver to Treblinka (2:32), USHMM
Stefan Kucharek was born in 1922 in Małkinia, Poland, the son of a train engineer. He attended school with Jewish neighbors and later worked in a saw mill. After the German invasion of Poland, Kucharek began working for the railroad doing track maintenance. Later, he drove trains full of Jews to the Treblinka killing center. Kucharek drove these transports regularly for almost a year.
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Treblinka Death Camp Revolt/August 1943, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
Jewish inmates organized a resistance group in Treblinka in early 1943. When camp operations neared completion, the prisoners feared they would be killed and the camp dismantled. During the late spring and summer of 1943, the resistance leaders decided to revolt.
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Treblinka Survivor Recalls Suffering and Resisitance, BBC News, August 4, 2013
Nothing remains of Treblinka extermination camp apart from the ashes of the estimated 870,000 mostly Jewish men, women and children that the Nazis gassed and buried underground. Samuel Willenberg is the last survivor of the Jewish prisoners' revolt in the camp and he had returned for the 70th anniversary.
- Treblinka, The Holocaust Explained
- Treblinka, USHMM
- Treblinka: Chronology, USHMM
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Treblinka: Testimonies of Nazi SS, Jewish Virtual Library
Transcribed testimonials from Nazi SS soldiers who were stationed at the camp and carried out the Nazi murderous actions. Included are those of Franz Stangl, Willi Mentz, Kurt Franz, and Heinrich Matthes.
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VIDEO: Excerpt from Treblinka: Hitler’s Killing Machine (4:48), Smithsonian Channel
Forensic archeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls has been granted unprecedented access to excavate one of history's greatest crime scenes: Hitler's secret extermination camp in the Polish village of Treblinka. Here, between 1942 and 1943, 900,000 Jews were sent to their deaths, but for 70 years, all evidence of the camp and its victims had vanished... until now. Follow the quest to unearth the processing rooms, gas chambers, and mass graves Hitler tried to erase from existence and journey into the dark heart of the Nazi's Final Solution. Includes animated recreation of the camp.
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VIDEO: The Treblinka Uprising (1:44), World Jewish Congres
On August 2nd, 1943, the underground Jewish resistance in Treblinka staged a revolt against the Nazi guards. The camp had been created with one sole purpose: To enable the mass murder of Jews. Between 870,000 and 925,000 people were killed in Treblinka; most were gassed upon arrival.
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VIDEO: Treblinka-Digital Reconstruction (8:21)
The video animation is an integral part of the permanent exhibition in the Treblinka Museum on site at the former location of the camp. The camp with all evidences of mass murder was completely destroyed by Germans in Autumn 1943 to hide the truth about this Nazi death factory. The animation recreates the appearance of the camp and informs the visitors about the conditions and methods of mass extermination used.
- Belzec
- Belzec, ID Cards, USHMM
- Belzec, The Holocaust Explained
- Belzec, USHMM
- Belzec: Chronology, USHMM
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Oh Nonsense, It Is Only the Gas, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The Holocaust was not an event which could be entirely hidden from the people of Europe. Wilhelm Cornides was a German army officer who was travelling by rail through Poland in August 1942. On the train, he got talking to a German policeman and the wife of another policeman. They promised to show him Bełżec extermination camp when the train passed it. Cornides recorded his experiences in his diary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rudolf Reder, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Although knowledge of the Holocaust was fairly widespread by mid-1942, many of the Jews sent to extermination camps still harboured the faint hope of survival. Rudolf Reder was deported to Bełżec from Lwów in August 1942. He later described what happened when his train arrived.
- Sobibor
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Jewish Prisoner Uprisings in Treblinka and Sobibor, Jewish Virtual Library
This is a 4-part piece. Advance at the bottom of the page.
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
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Photos of Nazis at Sobibor Death Camp Are the First of Their Kind, Washington Post, January 29, 2020
Historians in Germany have unearthed hundreds of photos of the notorious Sobibor death camp and other key sites in the Nazi extermination machine, stashed for decades in albums belonging to the camp's deputy commandant and in the attic and cupboards of the family home. Previously, only two images of Sobibor existed in the archival record.
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Photos of Sobibor Death Camp May Include John Demjanjuk, Cleveland Jewish News, January 29, 2020
Two photo albums and about 50 loose photographs of Sobibor, “a handful” from the Belzec death camp and 14 loose photographs that show the funeral of Johann Niemann (Deputy Commandant of Sobibor), along with letters to his wife, Henriette, have been turned over to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum by Niemann's grandson. This piece also includes 3 survivor testimonies.
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READING: A Commandant’s View
In 1971, journalist Gitta Sereny interviewed Franz Stangl, who had been the commandant of the death camp at Sobibór and, later, the camp at Treblinka.
- Sobibor, The Holocaust Explained
- Sobibor, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Sobibor: Chronology, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Sobibor, USHMM
Esther Raab describes the arrival of transports (1:57). Selma (Wijnberg) Engel describes deportation from the Netherlands (1:51). Esther Raab describes planning for the uprising (2:33). Chaim Engel describes plans for the uprising (2:14). Esther Raab describes the uprising (3:18). Chaim Engel describes his role in the uprising (1:41). Chaim Engel describes the uprising and his escape (1:29).
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Holocaust Survivors Remember Sobibor Uprising (28:24), USC Shoah Foundation
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tomasz (Toivi) Blatt (1:44), USHMM
Tomasz Blatt, born 1927, Isbica, Poland, describes gassing operations in the Sobibor extermination camp.
- Treblinka
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Jewish Prisoner Uprisings in Treblinka and Sobibor, Jewish Virtual Library
This is a 4-part piece. Advance at the bottom of the page.
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
- PHOTOS: Treblinka Memorial, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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READING: A Commandant’s View
In 1971, journalist Gitta Sereny interviewed Franz Stangl, who had been the commandant of the death camp at Sobibór and, later, the camp at Treblinka.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES & ID Cards: Treblinka, USHMM
Includes the testimonies of Abraham Bomba & Isadore Helfing.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Death Camp Treblinka Survivor Stories Documentary (58:55), BBC
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Bomba (2:43), USHMM
Abraham Bomba, born 1913, Germany, describes cutting women's hair before they were gassed in Treblinka.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Jankiel Wiernik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jankiel Wiernik was deported from Warsaw to Treblinka extermination camp on 23 August 1942. On arrival, he was one of the very small number of prisoners selected to work in the camp, disposing of the bodies. He escaped in the Treblinka Uprising of 2 August 1943 and told his story in a pamphlet distributed by the Polish underground in 1944. This was the first detailed account of life in an extermination camp to be published.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Uprising in Treblinka by Samuel Rajzman
Samuel Rajzman was one of the very few survivors of the Treblinka death camp - he was lucky enough to escape. The testimony (in writing) he gave, more than 60 years ago, is still important to understand the enormity of the crimes committed in that death camp and in the Final Solution.
-
TESTIMONY: Stefan Kucharek, Train Driver to Treblinka (2:32), USHMM
Stefan Kucharek was born in 1922 in Małkinia, Poland, the son of a train engineer. He attended school with Jewish neighbors and later worked in a saw mill. After the German invasion of Poland, Kucharek began working for the railroad doing track maintenance. Later, he drove trains full of Jews to the Treblinka killing center. Kucharek drove these transports regularly for almost a year.
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Treblinka Death Camp Revolt/August 1943, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
Jewish inmates organized a resistance group in Treblinka in early 1943. When camp operations neared completion, the prisoners feared they would be killed and the camp dismantled. During the late spring and summer of 1943, the resistance leaders decided to revolt.
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Treblinka Survivor Recalls Suffering and Resisitance, BBC News, August 4, 2013
Nothing remains of Treblinka extermination camp apart from the ashes of the estimated 870,000 mostly Jewish men, women and children that the Nazis gassed and buried underground. Samuel Willenberg is the last survivor of the Jewish prisoners' revolt in the camp and he had returned for the 70th anniversary.
- Treblinka, The Holocaust Explained
- Treblinka, USHMM
- Treblinka: Chronology, USHMM
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Treblinka: Testimonies of Nazi SS, Jewish Virtual Library
Transcribed testimonials from Nazi SS soldiers who were stationed at the camp and carried out the Nazi murderous actions. Included are those of Franz Stangl, Willi Mentz, Kurt Franz, and Heinrich Matthes.
-
VIDEO: Excerpt from Treblinka: Hitler’s Killing Machine (4:48), Smithsonian Channel
Forensic archeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls has been granted unprecedented access to excavate one of history's greatest crime scenes: Hitler's secret extermination camp in the Polish village of Treblinka. Here, between 1942 and 1943, 900,000 Jews were sent to their deaths, but for 70 years, all evidence of the camp and its victims had vanished... until now. Follow the quest to unearth the processing rooms, gas chambers, and mass graves Hitler tried to erase from existence and journey into the dark heart of the Nazi's Final Solution. Includes animated recreation of the camp.
-
VIDEO: The Treblinka Uprising (1:44), World Jewish Congres
On August 2nd, 1943, the underground Jewish resistance in Treblinka staged a revolt against the Nazi guards. The camp had been created with one sole purpose: To enable the mass murder of Jews. Between 870,000 and 925,000 people were killed in Treblinka; most were gassed upon arrival.
-
VIDEO: Treblinka-Digital Reconstruction (8:21)
The video animation is an integral part of the permanent exhibition in the Treblinka Museum on site at the former location of the camp. The camp with all evidences of mass murder was completely destroyed by Germans in Autumn 1943 to hide the truth about this Nazi death factory. The animation recreates the appearance of the camp and informs the visitors about the conditions and methods of mass extermination used.
- Other Camps (alphabetical)
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“Coping Through Art – Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Theresienstadt”, Yad Vashem
Conditions in Theresienstadt were appalling, and even more so for children who had to first cope with the enormous trauma and life-changing upheaval that deportation wreaked upon their young lives. Realizing that art could be a therapeutic tool to help children to deal with their feelings of loss, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty, Friedl set about teaching over 600 children with the enormous enthusiasm and energy that her friends, colleagues and students remember as being so typical for her.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO TEACHING GUIDE: Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Holocaust is a story of persecution, mass murder, and genocide. It is important that students understand that history is not inevitable. This lesson focuses on individual action, personal choice, and moral responsibility that resulted in saving the lives of 200 Jews, American GIs captured during the Battle of the Bulge.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: Following in the Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (14:23)
During the Battle of the Bulge, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds was captured by the Germans along with more than 20,000 GIs. The NCO's, 1,292 men, were taken to Stalag IXA in Ziegenhain. Edmonds was the highest ranking officer of the group. This is his story.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
- A Working Map of Buchenwald Comes To Light, Museum of Jewish Heritage, April 2021
- ANIMATED MAP: Dachau Concentration Camp, USHMM
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ART: “Couple with Czech Shield, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It depicts a couple leaning on a shield bearing the Czech coat of arms. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Jo Spier
Watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier and given to Moritz and Hildegard Henschel while they were imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people dancing through a stone gate, leaving behind a trail of Star of David badges. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after liberation. Moritz was an influential lawyer in Berlin when Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933. As government persecution of Jews intensified, Moritz and Hildegard sent their daughters Marianne, 15, to Palestine and Lilly, 13, to England in 1939. Moritz was on the board of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, created by the Nazi government in February 1939 to organize Jewish affairs. The Association was eventually forced to assist with deportations. In 1940, Moritz became president of the Berlin Jewish Community. In January 1943, Moritz became president of the Reich Association, when Leo Baeck was deported. On June 10, 1943, the Reich Association was shut down and Moritz and Hildegard were deported to Theresienstadt. Moritz was elected to the Jewish Council and put in charge of the Freizeitgestaltung, which produced cultural events and materials. On May 9, 1945, the camp was liberated by Soviet forces. Moritz and Hildegard went to Deggendorf displaced persons camp, then immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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ART: “Transport Arrival, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people walking along a city street, many disabled or crutches; others pull a wagons, one with a Star of David. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943. He was deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: My Nazi Death Camp Childhood Diary-in Pictures, by Helga Weiss
Helga Weiss, a Czech Jewish girl, was sent with her parents to the concentration camp at Terezin, a few days after her 12th birthday in 1941. She kept a diary, in words and pictures, and when she and her mother were sent on to Auschwitz in 1944, her uncle hid the diary in a brick wall for safekeeping. These are some of the pictures from her diary, which has only now been published.
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Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Jewish Museum Berlin
The exhibition "Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto" presents works by the graphic artist Bedřich Fritta (1906–1944), produced between 1942 and 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The majority of Bedrich Fritta's large ink drawings and sketches, numbering more than one hundred, survived in hiding. This survey exhibition focuses on the aesthetic techniques through which Fritta interpreted and commented on daily ghetto life. It reveals the diversity of his visual language and the extraordinary artistic quality of his drawings and sketches.
- Berga am Elster, Jewish Virtual Library
- Berga am Elster: American POWs at Berga, Jewish Virtual Library
- Bergen-Belsen in Depth: The Camp Complex, USHMM
- Bergen-Belsen, The Holocaust Explained
- Bergen-Belsen, USHMM
- Bergen-Belsen, Yad Vashem
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BROADCAST: Buchenwald (11:36),BBC
Reporter Edward Ward files his account of entering one of the earliest built and biggest of the Nazi concentration camps, sharing everything that he saw and heard. The details are distressing.
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BROADCAST: Richard Dimbleby Describes Belsen (11:52), BBC
Richard Dimbleby describes the scenes of almost unimaginable horror that greeted him as he toured Belsen concentration camp shortly after its liberation by the British in April 1945.
- Buchenwald and Dora Mittelbau Memorial Foundation
- Buchenwald, USHMM
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Butterflies in the Ghetto, Stories of the Artists of Terezin Concentration Camp
This blog is dedicated to sharing the stories of the many incredibly talented artists, writers and musicians who were imprisoned by the Nazis in the Terezin ghetto and concentration camp. It includes many of their drawings and writings.
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Camps in the Netherlands, Kamparchieven.NL
This site offers you a survey of the archives and collections of the German camps that existed in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Kamparchieven.nl is an initiative of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) in collaboration with several other institutions.
- Chelmno Concentration Camp: History and Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
- Chelmno, USHMM
- Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
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Dachau, International Archives
American report from 1945, shortly after liberation.
- Dachau, USHMM
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Documenting Ohrdruf: The 1945 Diary of US Solder John Beckett, Museum of Jewish Heritage, May 2021
John W. Beckett, who served in the Third Army’s 734th Field Artillery Battalion, helped to liberate the subcamp of Buchenwald known as Ohrdruf. In 1991, he donated to the Museum the photographs he took at Ohrdruf, as well as his war diaries, written in field transit books.
- Drancy, USHMM
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Eli Leskley’s Ghetto Diary, University of Minnesota
Born in 1911, Leskley painted 70 satiric watercolors while he was interned in Theresienstadt. The works are reflective of daily life in the ghetto. Fearing for his and his wife's life he cut up many of the originals into small fragments, which his wife smartly hid. They were retrieved after the war and Leskley recreated each one. All of the following images relate to life in Theresienstadt. They reflect the irony and the complexities that was life in Theresienstadt.
- How the Red Cross Failed Europe’s Jews and American POWs, Jewish Virtual Library
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IMAGE: Albert Levaton at Drancy
Albert Levaton was the brother of Birmingham's Debra Ghigna's sister's husband.
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IMAGE: Facades for the International Commission, Facing History and Ourselves
Illustration by Bedřich Fritta, a prisoner at Terezín, depicting the “beautification” of the ghetto-camp undertaken by the SS before the Red Cross visit in 1944.
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IMAGE: Liberation of Buchenwald
Famous photo of the barracks of Buchenwald at liberation that includes Elie Wiesel. This interactive photo allows you to see the fate of many of the survivors pictured.
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In Holland, the Nazis Built a Luxury Camp to Lull the Jews Before Murdering Them, July 7, 2017, The Times of Israel
While Jews in much of Europe were subjected to violence, torture, abuse and murder in camps, in Westerbork there was an eerie illusion of civility.
- Inside Majdanek, Jewish Virtual Library
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
- Killing Operations Begin at Chelmno, USHMM
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Drancy), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Mauthausen), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- LESSON: Between the Worlds: Social Circles in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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LETTERS: The Wilsey Collection, Holocaust Center for Humanity
In 2016, Clarice Wilsey donated the remarkable letters of her father, Captain David B. Wilsey, M.D., an army anesthesiologist present at the liberation of Dachau concentration camp, to the Holocaust Center for Humanity. Although Dr. Wilsey rarely discussed his experiences at Dachau after the war, he wrote to his wife Emily in several letters in 1945 “to tell thousands so that millions will know what Dachau is and never forget the name of Dachau.” The Wilsey collection features 280+ letters, photographs, and more from Dr. Wilsey’s time in the U.S. Army, including the liberation of Dachau and experiences thereafter healing survivors. This browse-able collection allows the public to experience these letters for the first time and includes resources for educators.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: James A. Rose, Liberation of Dachau (1:20), USHMM
James A. Rose, of Toledo, Ohio, was with the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. In this clip, Rose describes his impressions of Dachau.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: Eyewitness to Buchenwald (5:20), Facing History and Ourselves
Leon Bass, an African American soldier, describes his experiences entering the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: George Mitnick’s Letter Home from Ordruf, April 13, 1945
J. George Mitnick of Jasper, AL served as a Captain in the US Army, 65th Infantry Division, in Europe where his unit liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp (a subcamp of Buchenwald) in Germany and assisted in the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. This artifact is part of collection at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, donated in 2006 by his daughter, by Ronne Mitnick Hess of Birmingham.
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Liberator Testimony: The Granite of Mauthausen by Fred Friendly, Jewish Virtual Library
Based on a letter written home.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: The Red Army Enters Majdanek (3:30), Facing History and Ourselves
Bernhard Storch, a soldier in the Soviet Army during World War II, describes what he saw as he and his fellow soldiers liberated the Majdanek concentration camp in 1944.
- Lublin/Majdanek Concentration Camp: Conditions, USHMM
- MAP: Buchenwald Subcamps 1938-1945, USHMM
- MAP: Dachau Subcamps 1938-1945, USHMM
- Mauthausen Memorial
- Mauthausen, USHMM
- Mauthausen: Resistance, Liberation, and Postwar Trials, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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Music in the Terezin Concentration Camp, Boosey & Hawkes
Some of Europe’s most gifted musicians were among those deported to Terezín.
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Nazi POW Camps, Jewish Virtual Library
List of camps and locations.
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Our Will to Live by Mark Ludwig
In Terezín, a Nazi camp where 33,000 people died, a remarkable community of musicians and artists answered despair with creativity. Here is their astonishing world. Includes musical selections from Terezin.
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PERPETRATOR TESTIMONY: Franz Schalling, Chelmno Gas Vans (29:01), USHMM
A hidden camera interview with a member of Ordnungspolizei in Chelmno. Franz Schalling describes the process of execution by gas vans at Chelmno. From Claude Lanzmann's "Shoah." Film has no English, but transcript is below.
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PICTORIAL DIARY: Erich Lichtblau-Leskly, Theresienstadt 1942-1945
While imprisoned in Theresienstadt (Terezin) Ghetto, Erich Lichtblau-Leskly artistically depicted the daily lives of its residents, poignantly capturing the complications and ironies of ghetto life. His paintings are rendered in a cartoon style, and many are sarcastic commentary on the desperate conditions under which the Jewish prisoners existed, contradicting Nazi propaganda that promoted Theresienstadt as a model facility where Jews supposedly were well treated. It’s clear that he’s only showing them to his wife and not to other people, because he’s making fun of a lot of the other people, including people who could have punished him. In the spring of 1945, Lichtblau-Leskly cut most of his artwork into pieces. His wife, Elsa Lichtblau, hid the fragmented artwork under the floorboards of the barracks, and Lichtblau-Leskly was able to retrieve it after liberation. While living in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, he reworked these fragments into larger watercolor illustrations.
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PODCAST: Leon Merrick-Evacuation and Arrival at Buchenwald (8:59), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: In December 1944, as the Soviet army approached the slave labor camp in Poland where Leon Merrick was imprisoned, the Germans evacuated him to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. Leon shares his recollections of the evacuation and his first day in Buchenwald.
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POEM: “We Are the Last Witness” by Moses Schulstein, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The murder of millions of people in the camps was accompanied by plunder on an unprecedented scale. All of the possessions of victims were exploited, either for the personal enrichment of the perpetrators or for redistribution amongst the German population. When Majdanek concentration camp in Poland was liberated by the Red Army in 1944, thousands of pairs of shoes were discovered, prompting this reflection from the Yiddish poet Moses Schulstein.
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PRIMARY SOURCE: Alice Ehrmann’s Diary
By reading diary entries from a survivor of the Theresienstadt Ghetto, students consider the complex emotional state of survivors in the final days of the war.
- Ravensbrück, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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READING: A Basic Feeling of Human Dignity, Facing History and Ourselves
Diary entries from a Jewish woman imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen shed light on how prisoners in the camps and ghettos were deprived of dignity.
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READING: Terezin: A Site for Deception, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the ghetto-camp Terezin as a propaganda tool to hide what they were really doing to the Jews of Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Edith Sheldon, Judy Nachun, and Gerty Skalsky (3:35), Sydney Jewish Museum
Survivors shares her memories of Terezin (Theresienstadt) and the making of the propaganda film "Hitler Gives the Jews a City."
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Harold Osmond le Druillenec (:02), BBC
Belsen survivor Harold Osmond le Druillenec, a Channel Islander, recounts the appalling conditions inside the concentration camp during its final days, describing it as 'the foulest and vilest spot that ever soiled the surface of this Earth'.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Martin Aaron (2:42), USC Shoah Foundation
Martin Aaron, from Birmingham, relates his experience of being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Steinmetz, Birmingham, APT
Birmingham Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz tells his story via an interview with a high school student. Part I: 11:04 Part II: 10:01 Part III: 9:52
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Sandor (Shony) Alex Braun (2:09), USHMM
Born: 1930, Cristuru-Secuiesc, Romania. He describes playing the violin for SS guards in Dachau. The two prisoners before him had been killed.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Chelmno Death Camp-Shimon Srebrnik (4:17), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivor Shimon Srebrnik describes the Chelmno death camp. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: William (Bill) Lowenberg, USHMM
Born: 1926, Westphalia, Germany. Describes forced labor in Kaufering, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp, toward the end of World War II.
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Terezin (Theresienstadt), Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
- The Drancy Memorial
-
The Heroines of Ravensbrück, Daily Mail Online, May 17, 2019
How four fearless young women who survived a Nazi death camp exposed the horrific experiments they were subjected to in coded letters using urine as invisible ink.
-
The White Buses: The Swedish Red Cross Rescue Action in Germany During The Second World War, The Swedish Red Cross, January 2000
At the end of the Second World War, when Germany was heading for military and political breakdown, the large Swedish lead rescue action known as "the White Buses" was accomplished. It was initiated by the government and was carried out by the Swedish Red Cross, lead by its vice president Folke Bernadotte.
- Theresienstadt, USHMM
- Theresienstadt: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
- Timeline of Dachau, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: “Draw What You See” by Helga Weissova (3:54)
On an Auschwitz platform in 1944, Helga Weiss and her mother fooled one of the most reviled men in modern history, Josef Mengele, and managed to save their lives. Not long into her teens, Weiss lied about her age, claiming she was old enough to work for her keep. Her mother persuaded the Nazis that Helga was in fact her daughter's older sister, and she was sent to the forced labor barracks and not the gas chamber. Throughout her journey, Helga's father told her, "Draw what you see." And she did. This video tells her story through her drawings.
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VIDEO: Aerial View of Dachau Concentration Camp, Historical Film Footage (:52), USHMM
The Dachau concentration camp, northwest of Munich, Germany, was the first regular concentration camp the Nazis established in 1933. About twelve years later, on April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were some 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. This footage shows an aerial view of the camp and the entrance gate to the prisoner compound.
-
VIDEO: Allied Prisoner of War Describes Work Details, Historical Film Footage (0:57), USHMM
Most Allied prisoners of war (POWs) were treated well compared to inmates of concentration camps. But, as former Dutch POW Captain Boullard explains here at Dachau concentration camp, some were subject to severe beatings and forced to work in harsh labor assignments.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
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VIDEO: Berga, Soldiers of Another War
Story of a group of more than 300 American soldiers who were captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. Because the soldiers were either Jewish or, to the Germans, "looked" Jewish, they were sent to concentration camps instead of POW camps, where many of them subsequently died. Director Charles Guggenheim, who is Jewish, was himself a member of the unit that was captured, but an illness he contracted before the unit left for the front lines caused him to be left behind, and he was not with them when the Nazis captured them.
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VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen After Liberation, Historical Film Footage (1:43), USHMM
As Allied forces approached Germany in late 1944 and early 1945, Bergen-Belsen became a collection camp for tens of thousands of prisoners evacuated from camps near the front. Thousands of these prisoners died due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of adequate food and shelter. On April 15, 1945, British soldiers entered Bergen-Belsen. They found 60,000 prisoners in the camp, most in a critical condition. This footage shows Allied cameramen filming the condition of the prisoners and the filthy conditions found in Bergen-Belsen after liberation.
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VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen Survivor Reunited with One of Camp Liberators (3:06), BBC
A woman who survived the Holocaust and was in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as World War Two ended, has finally met one of the British soldiers who liberated the camp. The BBC's Fiona Bruce reports on the emotional reunion between camp survivor Zdenka Fantlova and George Leonard.
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VIDEO: Brundibar (1:19), Sydney Jewish Museum
Extract of actual performance of Brundibar at Terezin.
-
VIDEO: Dachau Concentration Camp (37:11), Chronohistory
Provides historical background leading up to the creation of Dachau as a the first Nazi concentration camp. Includes historical footage juxtaposed with current images.
-
VIDEO: Dachau, Historical Film Footage (:47), USHMM
On April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were about 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. Here, soldiers of the US Seventh Army document conditions in the camp. They also require German civilians to tour the camp and confront Nazi atrocities.
-
VIDEO: Howard Cwick, Liberator: Eyewitness to History, USC Shoah Foundation
Young American soldier Howard Cwick, son of Polish Jewish immigrants, unexpectedly arrived at the gates of Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945, armed with a rifle and his camera. In his testimony, Howard provides an eloquent, striking account of his experiences. The lesson’s theme, Eyewitness to History, explores Howard’s roles as eyewitness, liberator, and activist. Include video (30:18), background on Buchenwald, Lesson Packet
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VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (:57), USHMM
After British soldiers liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, they forced the remaining SS guards to help bury the dead. Here, survivors of the camp taunt their former tormentors, who prepare to bury victims in a mass grave.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (0:53), USHMM
British troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. They filmed statements from members of their own forces. In this British military footage, British army chaplain T.J. Stretch recounts his impressions of the camp.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:01), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945. This footage records examples of Nazi atrocities (shrunken head, pieces of tattooed human skin, preserved skull and organs) discovered by the liberating troops.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:24), USHMM
The Buchenwald camp was one of the largest concentration camps. The Nazis built it in 1937 in a wooded area northwest of Weimar in central Germany. US forces liberated the Buchenwald camp on April 11, 1945. When US troops entered the camp, they found more than 20,000 prisoners. This footage shows scenes that US cameramen filmed in the camp, survivors, and the arrival of Red Cross trucks.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (2:06), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. Here, US soldiers escort German civilians from the nearby town of Weimar through the Buchenwald camp. The American liberating troops had a policy of forcing German civilians to view the atrocities committed in the camps.
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VIDEO: Liberation of Dachau, Historical Film Footage (0:49), USHMM
The Dachau concentration camp, northwest of Munich, Germany, was the first regular concentration camp the Nazis established in 1933. About twelve years later, on April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were about 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. Here, soldiers of the US Seventh Army document conditions in the camp. They also require German civilians to tour the camp and confront Nazi atrocities.
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VIDEO: Lt. Col. Jack Williams, An Alabama Liberator (25:15), University of Alabama Honors College/Lights Camera Alabama
When a boy finds a movie projector among the relics his father brought him from World War II, he wonders where it came from – and why. This movie tells that story and more – about the Holocaust in Germany and the full experience of liberation from the perspective of the liberators as well as townspeople. Lt. Col.Jack Williams liberated Dachau. WARNING: THIS MOVIE CONTAINS DIFFICULT IMAGES
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VIDEO: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:21), Centropa
Includes written history of Peter Ginz' life and the story of Vedem, a boys magazine published in Terezin.
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VIDEO: Terezin Stories (1:16:53), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Yvonne Weisgrab shares her extensive knowledge of the Terezin camp-ghetto, focusing on Jewish inmates who became unlikely heroes in their struggle to maintain life, religion, and hope under the most infernal conditions.
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VIDEO: The Fuhrer Gives the Jews a City
Nazi propaganda film about Terezin. (Part I - 7:48, Part II - 8:12)
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VIDEO: The Gift of a Town/Terezin (9:48), You Tube
On June 23, 1944, the Nazis permitted the visit by representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross in order to dispel rumors about the extermination camps. [...] To minimize the appearance of overcrowding in Theresienstadt, the Nazis deported many Jews to Auschwitz. [...] The hoax against the Red Cross was apparently so successful for the Nazis that they went on to make a propaganda film at Theresienstadt. Production of the film began on February 26, 1944. Directed by Jewish prisoner Kurt Gerron (a director, cabaret performer, and actor who appeared with Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel), it was meant to show how well the Jews lived under the "benevolent" protection of the Third Reich. [...] After the shooting of the film, most of the cast and even the filmmaker himself were eventually deported to Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Imperial War Museums
Includes narrative and various video pieces.
-
VIDEO: U.S. Forces Liberate Buchenwald (1:24), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- Westerbork Transit Camp: History & Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
- Westerbork, The Holocaust Explained
- Westerbork, USHMM
- What Was Life Like in Westerbork?, The Holocaust Explained
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What Were Transit Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
The Nazis set up a number of transit camps in occupied lands. After being rounded up, Jews were imprisoned in transit camps before being deported to a concentration camp, labour camp or one of the six Nazi extermination camps in Poland. Examples of transit camps include Pithiers and Drancy in France, Mechelen in Belgium and Vught and Westerbork in the Netherlands.
- Bergen-Belsen
- Bergen-Belsen in Depth: The Camp Complex, USHMM
- Bergen-Belsen, The Holocaust Explained
- Bergen-Belsen, USHMM
- Bergen-Belsen, Yad Vashem
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BROADCAST: Richard Dimbleby Describes Belsen (11:52), BBC
Richard Dimbleby describes the scenes of almost unimaginable horror that greeted him as he toured Belsen concentration camp shortly after its liberation by the British in April 1945.
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READING: A Basic Feeling of Human Dignity, Facing History and Ourselves
Diary entries from a Jewish woman imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen shed light on how prisoners in the camps and ghettos were deprived of dignity.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Harold Osmond le Druillenec (:02), BBC
Belsen survivor Harold Osmond le Druillenec, a Channel Islander, recounts the appalling conditions inside the concentration camp during its final days, describing it as 'the foulest and vilest spot that ever soiled the surface of this Earth'.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Martin Aaron (2:42), USC Shoah Foundation
Martin Aaron, from Birmingham, relates his experience of being liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945.
-
VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen After Liberation, Historical Film Footage (1:43), USHMM
As Allied forces approached Germany in late 1944 and early 1945, Bergen-Belsen became a collection camp for tens of thousands of prisoners evacuated from camps near the front. Thousands of these prisoners died due to overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of adequate food and shelter. On April 15, 1945, British soldiers entered Bergen-Belsen. They found 60,000 prisoners in the camp, most in a critical condition. This footage shows Allied cameramen filming the condition of the prisoners and the filthy conditions found in Bergen-Belsen after liberation.
-
VIDEO: Bergen-Belsen Survivor Reunited with One of Camp Liberators (3:06), BBC
A woman who survived the Holocaust and was in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as World War Two ended, has finally met one of the British soldiers who liberated the camp. The BBC's Fiona Bruce reports on the emotional reunion between camp survivor Zdenka Fantlova and George Leonard.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (:57), USHMM
After British soldiers liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, they forced the remaining SS guards to help bury the dead. Here, survivors of the camp taunt their former tormentors, who prepare to bury victims in a mass grave.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Historical Film Footage (0:53), USHMM
British troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. They filmed statements from members of their own forces. In this British military footage, British army chaplain T.J. Stretch recounts his impressions of the camp.
-
VIDEO: The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, Imperial War Museums
Includes narrative and various video pieces.
- Buchenwald
- A Working Map of Buchenwald Comes To Light, Museum of Jewish Heritage, April 2021
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BROADCAST: Buchenwald (11:36),BBC
Reporter Edward Ward files his account of entering one of the earliest built and biggest of the Nazi concentration camps, sharing everything that he saw and heard. The details are distressing.
- Buchenwald and Dora Mittelbau Memorial Foundation
- Buchenwald, USHMM
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Documenting Ohrdruf: The 1945 Diary of US Solder John Beckett, Museum of Jewish Heritage, May 2021
John W. Beckett, who served in the Third Army’s 734th Field Artillery Battalion, helped to liberate the subcamp of Buchenwald known as Ohrdruf. In 1991, he donated to the Museum the photographs he took at Ohrdruf, as well as his war diaries, written in field transit books.
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IMAGE: Liberation of Buchenwald
Famous photo of the barracks of Buchenwald at liberation that includes Elie Wiesel. This interactive photo allows you to see the fate of many of the survivors pictured.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: Eyewitness to Buchenwald (5:20), Facing History and Ourselves
Leon Bass, an African American soldier, describes his experiences entering the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: George Mitnick’s Letter Home from Ordruf, April 13, 1945
J. George Mitnick of Jasper, AL served as a Captain in the US Army, 65th Infantry Division, in Europe where his unit liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp (a subcamp of Buchenwald) in Germany and assisted in the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. This artifact is part of collection at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, donated in 2006 by his daughter, by Ronne Mitnick Hess of Birmingham.
- MAP: Buchenwald Subcamps 1938-1945, USHMM
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PODCAST: Leon Merrick-Evacuation and Arrival at Buchenwald (8:59), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: In December 1944, as the Soviet army approached the slave labor camp in Poland where Leon Merrick was imprisoned, the Germans evacuated him to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. Leon shares his recollections of the evacuation and his first day in Buchenwald.
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VIDEO: Howard Cwick, Liberator: Eyewitness to History, USC Shoah Foundation
Young American soldier Howard Cwick, son of Polish Jewish immigrants, unexpectedly arrived at the gates of Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945, armed with a rifle and his camera. In his testimony, Howard provides an eloquent, striking account of his experiences. The lesson’s theme, Eyewitness to History, explores Howard’s roles as eyewitness, liberator, and activist. Include video (30:18), background on Buchenwald, Lesson Packet
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VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:01), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945. This footage records examples of Nazi atrocities (shrunken head, pieces of tattooed human skin, preserved skull and organs) discovered by the liberating troops.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (1:24), USHMM
The Buchenwald camp was one of the largest concentration camps. The Nazis built it in 1937 in a wooded area northwest of Weimar in central Germany. US forces liberated the Buchenwald camp on April 11, 1945. When US troops entered the camp, they found more than 20,000 prisoners. This footage shows scenes that US cameramen filmed in the camp, survivors, and the arrival of Red Cross trucks.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Buchenwald, Historical Film Footage (2:06), USHMM
US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany in April 1945. Here, US soldiers escort German civilians from the nearby town of Weimar through the Buchenwald camp. The American liberating troops had a policy of forcing German civilians to view the atrocities committed in the camps.
-
VIDEO: U.S. Forces Liberate Buchenwald (1:24), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- Chelmno
- Chelmno Concentration Camp: History and Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
- Chelmno, USHMM
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
- Killing Operations Begin at Chelmno, USHMM
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PERPETRATOR TESTIMONY: Franz Schalling, Chelmno Gas Vans (29:01), USHMM
A hidden camera interview with a member of Ordnungspolizei in Chelmno. Franz Schalling describes the process of execution by gas vans at Chelmno. From Claude Lanzmann's "Shoah." Film has no English, but transcript is below.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Chelmno Death Camp-Shimon Srebrnik (4:17), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivor Shimon Srebrnik describes the Chelmno death camp. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
- Dachau
- ANIMATED MAP: Dachau Concentration Camp, USHMM
- Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
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Dachau, International Archives
American report from 1945, shortly after liberation.
- Dachau, USHMM
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LETTERS: The Wilsey Collection, Holocaust Center for Humanity
In 2016, Clarice Wilsey donated the remarkable letters of her father, Captain David B. Wilsey, M.D., an army anesthesiologist present at the liberation of Dachau concentration camp, to the Holocaust Center for Humanity. Although Dr. Wilsey rarely discussed his experiences at Dachau after the war, he wrote to his wife Emily in several letters in 1945 “to tell thousands so that millions will know what Dachau is and never forget the name of Dachau.” The Wilsey collection features 280+ letters, photographs, and more from Dr. Wilsey’s time in the U.S. Army, including the liberation of Dachau and experiences thereafter healing survivors. This browse-able collection allows the public to experience these letters for the first time and includes resources for educators.
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: James A. Rose, Liberation of Dachau (1:20), USHMM
James A. Rose, of Toledo, Ohio, was with the 42nd (Rainbow) Division. In this clip, Rose describes his impressions of Dachau.
- MAP: Dachau Subcamps 1938-1945, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Steinmetz, Birmingham, APT
Birmingham Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz tells his story via an interview with a high school student. Part I: 11:04 Part II: 10:01 Part III: 9:52
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Sandor (Shony) Alex Braun (2:09), USHMM
Born: 1930, Cristuru-Secuiesc, Romania. He describes playing the violin for SS guards in Dachau. The two prisoners before him had been killed.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: William (Bill) Lowenberg, USHMM
Born: 1926, Westphalia, Germany. Describes forced labor in Kaufering, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp, toward the end of World War II.
- Timeline of Dachau, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Aerial View of Dachau Concentration Camp, Historical Film Footage (:52), USHMM
The Dachau concentration camp, northwest of Munich, Germany, was the first regular concentration camp the Nazis established in 1933. About twelve years later, on April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were some 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. This footage shows an aerial view of the camp and the entrance gate to the prisoner compound.
-
VIDEO: Dachau Concentration Camp (37:11), Chronohistory
Provides historical background leading up to the creation of Dachau as a the first Nazi concentration camp. Includes historical footage juxtaposed with current images.
-
VIDEO: Dachau, Historical Film Footage (:47), USHMM
On April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were about 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. Here, soldiers of the US Seventh Army document conditions in the camp. They also require German civilians to tour the camp and confront Nazi atrocities.
-
VIDEO: Liberation of Dachau, Historical Film Footage (0:49), USHMM
The Dachau concentration camp, northwest of Munich, Germany, was the first regular concentration camp the Nazis established in 1933. About twelve years later, on April 29, 1945, US armed forces liberated the camp. There were about 30,000 starving prisoners in the camp at the time. Here, soldiers of the US Seventh Army document conditions in the camp. They also require German civilians to tour the camp and confront Nazi atrocities.
-
VIDEO: Lt. Col. Jack Williams, An Alabama Liberator (25:15), University of Alabama Honors College/Lights Camera Alabama
When a boy finds a movie projector among the relics his father brought him from World War II, he wonders where it came from – and why. This movie tells that story and more – about the Holocaust in Germany and the full experience of liberation from the perspective of the liberators as well as townspeople. Lt. Col.Jack Williams liberated Dachau. WARNING: THIS MOVIE CONTAINS DIFFICULT IMAGES
- Drancy
- Drancy, USHMM
-
IMAGE: Albert Levaton at Drancy
Albert Levaton was the brother of Birmingham's Debra Ghigna's sister's husband.
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Drancy), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- The Drancy Memorial
-
What Were Transit Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
The Nazis set up a number of transit camps in occupied lands. After being rounded up, Jews were imprisoned in transit camps before being deported to a concentration camp, labour camp or one of the six Nazi extermination camps in Poland. Examples of transit camps include Pithiers and Drancy in France, Mechelen in Belgium and Vught and Westerbork in the Netherlands.
- Majdanek
- Inside Majdanek, Jewish Virtual Library
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LIBERATOR TESTIMONY: The Red Army Enters Majdanek (3:30), Facing History and Ourselves
Bernhard Storch, a soldier in the Soviet Army during World War II, describes what he saw as he and his fellow soldiers liberated the Majdanek concentration camp in 1944.
- Lublin/Majdanek Concentration Camp: Conditions, USHMM
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POEM: “We Are the Last Witness” by Moses Schulstein, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The murder of millions of people in the camps was accompanied by plunder on an unprecedented scale. All of the possessions of victims were exploited, either for the personal enrichment of the perpetrators or for redistribution amongst the German population. When Majdanek concentration camp in Poland was liberated by the Red Army in 1944, thousands of pairs of shoes were discovered, prompting this reflection from the Yiddish poet Moses Schulstein.
- Mauthausen
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Mauthausen), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Liberator Testimony: The Granite of Mauthausen by Fred Friendly, Jewish Virtual Library
Based on a letter written home.
- Mauthausen Memorial
- Mauthausen, USHMM
- Mauthausen: Resistance, Liberation, and Postwar Trials, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
- POW Camps
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO TEACHING GUIDE: Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Holocaust is a story of persecution, mass murder, and genocide. It is important that students understand that history is not inevitable. This lesson focuses on individual action, personal choice, and moral responsibility that resulted in saving the lives of 200 Jews, American GIs captured during the Battle of the Bulge.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: Following in the Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (14:23)
During the Battle of the Bulge, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds was captured by the Germans along with more than 20,000 GIs. The NCO's, 1,292 men, were taken to Stalag IXA in Ziegenhain. Edmonds was the highest ranking officer of the group. This is his story.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
- Berga am Elster, Jewish Virtual Library
- Berga am Elster: American POWs at Berga, Jewish Virtual Library
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Nazi POW Camps, Jewish Virtual Library
List of camps and locations.
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VIDEO: Allied Prisoner of War Describes Work Details, Historical Film Footage (0:57), USHMM
Most Allied prisoners of war (POWs) were treated well compared to inmates of concentration camps. But, as former Dutch POW Captain Boullard explains here at Dachau concentration camp, some were subject to severe beatings and forced to work in harsh labor assignments.
-
VIDEO: Berga, Soldiers of Another War
Story of a group of more than 300 American soldiers who were captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. Because the soldiers were either Jewish or, to the Germans, "looked" Jewish, they were sent to concentration camps instead of POW camps, where many of them subsequently died. Director Charles Guggenheim, who is Jewish, was himself a member of the unit that was captured, but an illness he contracted before the unit left for the front lines caused him to be left behind, and he was not with them when the Nazis captured them.
- Ravensbrück
- Ravensbrück, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
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The Heroines of Ravensbrück, Daily Mail Online, May 17, 2019
How four fearless young women who survived a Nazi death camp exposed the horrific experiments they were subjected to in coded letters using urine as invisible ink.
-
The White Buses: The Swedish Red Cross Rescue Action in Germany During The Second World War, The Swedish Red Cross, January 2000
At the end of the Second World War, when Germany was heading for military and political breakdown, the large Swedish lead rescue action known as "the White Buses" was accomplished. It was initiated by the government and was carried out by the Swedish Red Cross, lead by its vice president Folke Bernadotte.
- Terezin
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“Coping Through Art – Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Theresienstadt”, Yad Vashem
Conditions in Theresienstadt were appalling, and even more so for children who had to first cope with the enormous trauma and life-changing upheaval that deportation wreaked upon their young lives. Realizing that art could be a therapeutic tool to help children to deal with their feelings of loss, sorrow, fear, and uncertainty, Friedl set about teaching over 600 children with the enormous enthusiasm and energy that her friends, colleagues and students remember as being so typical for her.
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ART: “Couple with Czech Shield, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It depicts a couple leaning on a shield bearing the Czech coat of arms. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Jo Spier
Watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier and given to Moritz and Hildegard Henschel while they were imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people dancing through a stone gate, leaving behind a trail of Star of David badges. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943 and deported to Theresienstadt with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after liberation. Moritz was an influential lawyer in Berlin when Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933. As government persecution of Jews intensified, Moritz and Hildegard sent their daughters Marianne, 15, to Palestine and Lilly, 13, to England in 1939. Moritz was on the board of the Reich Association of Jews in Germany, created by the Nazi government in February 1939 to organize Jewish affairs. The Association was eventually forced to assist with deportations. In 1940, Moritz became president of the Berlin Jewish Community. In January 1943, Moritz became president of the Reich Association, when Leo Baeck was deported. On June 10, 1943, the Reich Association was shut down and Moritz and Hildegard were deported to Theresienstadt. Moritz was elected to the Jewish Council and put in charge of the Freizeitgestaltung, which produced cultural events and materials. On May 9, 1945, the camp was liberated by Soviet forces. Moritz and Hildegard went to Deggendorf displaced persons camp, then immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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ART: “Transport Arrival, Theresienstadt 1943,” by Jo Spier
Ink and watercolor drawing created by Jo Spier while imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto-labor camp from June 1943-May 1945. It shows people walking along a city street, many disabled or crutches; others pull a wagons, one with a Star of David. Spier, a Jewish artist from the Netherlands, was arrested for creating a satirical cartoon of Hitler in 1943. He was deported to Theresienstadt in German occupied Czechoslovakia with his wife and three children. They returned to Amsterdam after May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Soviet forces.
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ART: My Nazi Death Camp Childhood Diary-in Pictures, by Helga Weiss
Helga Weiss, a Czech Jewish girl, was sent with her parents to the concentration camp at Terezin, a few days after her 12th birthday in 1941. She kept a diary, in words and pictures, and when she and her mother were sent on to Auschwitz in 1944, her uncle hid the diary in a brick wall for safekeeping. These are some of the pictures from her diary, which has only now been published.
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Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Jewish Museum Berlin
The exhibition "Bedřich Fritta. Drawings from the Theresienstadt Ghetto" presents works by the graphic artist Bedřich Fritta (1906–1944), produced between 1942 and 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto. The majority of Bedrich Fritta's large ink drawings and sketches, numbering more than one hundred, survived in hiding. This survey exhibition focuses on the aesthetic techniques through which Fritta interpreted and commented on daily ghetto life. It reveals the diversity of his visual language and the extraordinary artistic quality of his drawings and sketches.
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Butterflies in the Ghetto, Stories of the Artists of Terezin Concentration Camp
This blog is dedicated to sharing the stories of the many incredibly talented artists, writers and musicians who were imprisoned by the Nazis in the Terezin ghetto and concentration camp. It includes many of their drawings and writings.
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Eli Leskley’s Ghetto Diary, University of Minnesota
Born in 1911, Leskley painted 70 satiric watercolors while he was interned in Theresienstadt. The works are reflective of daily life in the ghetto. Fearing for his and his wife's life he cut up many of the originals into small fragments, which his wife smartly hid. They were retrieved after the war and Leskley recreated each one. All of the following images relate to life in Theresienstadt. They reflect the irony and the complexities that was life in Theresienstadt.
- How the Red Cross Failed Europe’s Jews and American POWs, Jewish Virtual Library
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IMAGE: Facades for the International Commission, Facing History and Ourselves
Illustration by Bedřich Fritta, a prisoner at Terezín, depicting the “beautification” of the ghetto-camp undertaken by the SS before the Red Cross visit in 1944.
- LESSON: Between the Worlds: Social Circles in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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Music in the Terezin Concentration Camp, Boosey & Hawkes
Some of Europe’s most gifted musicians were among those deported to Terezín.
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Our Will to Live by Mark Ludwig
In Terezín, a Nazi camp where 33,000 people died, a remarkable community of musicians and artists answered despair with creativity. Here is their astonishing world. Includes musical selections from Terezin.
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PICTORIAL DIARY: Erich Lichtblau-Leskly, Theresienstadt 1942-1945
While imprisoned in Theresienstadt (Terezin) Ghetto, Erich Lichtblau-Leskly artistically depicted the daily lives of its residents, poignantly capturing the complications and ironies of ghetto life. His paintings are rendered in a cartoon style, and many are sarcastic commentary on the desperate conditions under which the Jewish prisoners existed, contradicting Nazi propaganda that promoted Theresienstadt as a model facility where Jews supposedly were well treated. It’s clear that he’s only showing them to his wife and not to other people, because he’s making fun of a lot of the other people, including people who could have punished him. In the spring of 1945, Lichtblau-Leskly cut most of his artwork into pieces. His wife, Elsa Lichtblau, hid the fragmented artwork under the floorboards of the barracks, and Lichtblau-Leskly was able to retrieve it after liberation. While living in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s, he reworked these fragments into larger watercolor illustrations.
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PRIMARY SOURCE: Alice Ehrmann’s Diary
By reading diary entries from a survivor of the Theresienstadt Ghetto, students consider the complex emotional state of survivors in the final days of the war.
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READING: Terezin: A Site for Deception, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the ghetto-camp Terezin as a propaganda tool to hide what they were really doing to the Jews of Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Edith Sheldon, Judy Nachun, and Gerty Skalsky (3:35), Sydney Jewish Museum
Survivors shares her memories of Terezin (Theresienstadt) and the making of the propaganda film "Hitler Gives the Jews a City."
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
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Terezin (Theresienstadt), Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
- Theresienstadt, USHMM
- Theresienstadt: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: “Draw What You See” by Helga Weissova (3:54)
On an Auschwitz platform in 1944, Helga Weiss and her mother fooled one of the most reviled men in modern history, Josef Mengele, and managed to save their lives. Not long into her teens, Weiss lied about her age, claiming she was old enough to work for her keep. Her mother persuaded the Nazis that Helga was in fact her daughter's older sister, and she was sent to the forced labor barracks and not the gas chamber. Throughout her journey, Helga's father told her, "Draw what you see." And she did. This video tells her story through her drawings.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
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VIDEO: Brundibar (1:19), Sydney Jewish Museum
Extract of actual performance of Brundibar at Terezin.
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VIDEO: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:21), Centropa
Includes written history of Peter Ginz' life and the story of Vedem, a boys magazine published in Terezin.
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VIDEO: Terezin Stories (1:16:53), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Yvonne Weisgrab shares her extensive knowledge of the Terezin camp-ghetto, focusing on Jewish inmates who became unlikely heroes in their struggle to maintain life, religion, and hope under the most infernal conditions.
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VIDEO: The Fuhrer Gives the Jews a City
Nazi propaganda film about Terezin. (Part I - 7:48, Part II - 8:12)
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VIDEO: The Gift of a Town/Terezin (9:48), You Tube
On June 23, 1944, the Nazis permitted the visit by representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross in order to dispel rumors about the extermination camps. [...] To minimize the appearance of overcrowding in Theresienstadt, the Nazis deported many Jews to Auschwitz. [...] The hoax against the Red Cross was apparently so successful for the Nazis that they went on to make a propaganda film at Theresienstadt. Production of the film began on February 26, 1944. Directed by Jewish prisoner Kurt Gerron (a director, cabaret performer, and actor who appeared with Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel), it was meant to show how well the Jews lived under the "benevolent" protection of the Third Reich. [...] After the shooting of the film, most of the cast and even the filmmaker himself were eventually deported to Auschwitz.
- Westerbork
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Camps in the Netherlands, Kamparchieven.NL
This site offers you a survey of the archives and collections of the German camps that existed in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Kamparchieven.nl is an initiative of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) in collaboration with several other institutions.
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In Holland, the Nazis Built a Luxury Camp to Lull the Jews Before Murdering Them, July 7, 2017, The Times of Israel
While Jews in much of Europe were subjected to violence, torture, abuse and murder in camps, in Westerbork there was an eerie illusion of civility.
- Westerbork Transit Camp: History & Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
- Westerbork, The Holocaust Explained
- Westerbork, USHMM
- What Was Life Like in Westerbork?, The Holocaust Explained
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What Were Transit Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
The Nazis set up a number of transit camps in occupied lands. After being rounded up, Jews were imprisoned in transit camps before being deported to a concentration camp, labour camp or one of the six Nazi extermination camps in Poland. Examples of transit camps include Pithiers and Drancy in France, Mechelen in Belgium and Vught and Westerbork in the Netherlands.
- Plays
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[Irena Sendler] Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project
A play created by students in Kansas and the website that developed from that experience.
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Holocaust Theater Catalog, National Jewish Theater Foundation
Includes index of plays.
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Plays (Middle & High School), A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
List of plays and resources.
- Poetry
- “Hunger Camp at Jaslo,” Waslawa Szymborska
- “Still,” Wislawa Szymborska
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Campo dei Fiori
A reflective philosophical poem with a subtle moralizing message in which the Christian martyr of 16th century Rome is juxtaposed with the contemporary Jewish victims of the Nazi terror.
- Czeslaw Milosz Interview, Nobel Prize in Literature 1980
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Five Poems by Dan Pagis (1930-1986), Yad Vashem
Five poems of Dan Pagis are presented in this selection, focusing on various aspects of the Holocaust. Included are: Testimony, The Roll Call, Written in Pencil in the Sealed Railway Car, Instructions for Crossing the Border, Draft of a Reparations Agreement.
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Hannah Szenes (Senesh) (1921-1944), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Hannah Szenes (Senesh) was one of 32 Jewish volunteer parachutists from Palestine that the British Army sent behind German lines for resistance and rescue efforts. On June 7, 1944, Szenes infiltrated German-occupied Hungary. The Germans captured her and, after several months of torture, they executed Szenes by firing squad. She was 23 years old.
- Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM
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LESSON: Teaching the Holocaust Through Poetry, Yad Vashem
The students will confront the question of man’s inhumanity to man through the insights of the artist who works with words, the poet. Toward the end of the lesson-plan, we will also ask the pupil to consider other art forms such as painting and photography in an attempt to expose the students to the possibilities offered by these various disciplines in conveying the inside human experience of difficult historical periods. Can the art forms add to our historical knowledge? Do they deepen the impact? We hope that the student who experiences this lesson plan in his/her class and is exposed to class discussion on the subject will also increase his/her awareness not only of the plight of refugees during the war but also of the relevance of the subject in today’s world.
- Martin Niemoller, “First They Came for the Socialists…”, USHMM
- Martin Niemoller, Biography, USHMM
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POEM: “But She Was” by Władysław Szlengel, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
In this poem, written in August 1942 in response to deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp, Władysław Szlengel encouraged readers to remember the humanity of the victims by focusing on the fate of an apparently unremarkable Jewish mother.
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POEM: “That’s How You’ll End Too” by Miklós Radnóti
As Germany and its allies retreated in 1944, Jews were forcibly marched from the camps towards those areas of central Europe still under Axis control. Miklós Radnóti was a Hungarian Jewish poet who had been forced to serve in a slave labor battalion in Ukraine and Yugoslavia. As his battalion was driven back to Hungary, he scribbled poems in a notebook. This was his final entry.
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POEM: “The Dice Rolled” by Hannah Szenes, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
For Jews living beyond Nazi-occupied Europe, the Holocaust often created a sense of impotence, especially as they generally did not wish to criticize the Allied governments who represented the only hope of ending the Holocaust by defeating Germany. However, some took action by enlisting in the armed forces. Hannah Szenes was a Hungarian-born paratrooper from British Mandate Palestine who was dropped into Yugoslavia in an attempt to help the Jews of Hungary. However, she was arrested when she tried to enter Hungary. Hannah was a talented poet; this verse was later found in her prison cell.
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POEM: “We Are the Last Witness” by Moses Schulstein, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The murder of millions of people in the camps was accompanied by plunder on an unprecedented scale. All of the possessions of victims were exploited, either for the personal enrichment of the perpetrators or for redistribution amongst the German population. When Majdanek concentration camp in Poland was liberated by the Red Army in 1944, thousands of pairs of shoes were discovered, prompting this reflection from the Yiddish poet Moses Schulstein.
- POEM: “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar,” by Dan Pagis, Yad Vashem
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POEM: Never Say This is the Final Road for You by Hirsh Glik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
From late 1942 onwards, increasing numbers of young Jews escaped from ghettos and formed partisan groups which fought the Nazis. The largest groups of Jewish partisans were based in the forests of eastern Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The following song became the anthem of these partisan groups. It was written in Yiddish by Hirsh Glik, a young poet in the Vilna Ghetto, after he heard news of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
- Poetry & Literature, USHMM
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Poetry in Hell: Yiddish Poetry in the Ringelblum Archives
Poetry in Hell is a web site dedicated to the poets, both in the Warsaw Ghetto and elsewhere whose poetry, under the leadership of Emanuel Ringelblum, was secretly collected by the members of the “Oneg Shabbat Society“, preserved and buried in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation.
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Prism Journal, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education & Administration, Yeshiva University
Azrieli Graduate School publishes "PRISM: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Holocaust Educators." "Prism" offers educators a practical, scholarly resource on teaching the Holocaust at the high school, college and graduate school levels. Each issue examines a specific topic through a variety of lenses, including education, history, literature, poetry, psychology and art. Experts from high schools, colleges, universities, museums and resource centers in the United States and Israel bring diverse perspectives highlighting particular facets of the issue at hand.
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Riddle by William Heyen
This poem is part of the AP literature curriculum.
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
- Sonia Weitz, Facing History and Ourselves
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The Value of Holocaust Poetry in Education, Yad Vashem
This article explores how poetry can be used by educators to teach and commemorate the Holocaust.
- VIDEO: “Could Have” by Wislawa Szymborska
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VIDEO: “Testimony” by Dan Pagis (7:23), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Dan Pagis was a Romanian-born Holocaust survivor who wrote about the Holocaust some 25 years after the events. The poem "Testimony" deals with complex ethical, philosophical and theological issues that troubled Pagis, such as man's inhumanity to man, the question of God during the Holocaust, the essence and role of testimony, and other issues pertaining to guilt and to forgiveness. The poem "Testimony" allows a glympse into these complex questions and is fertile ground for classroom discussion.
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 1/4: Introduction (1:30), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 2/4: “Shema” by Primo Levi (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 3/4: “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Railway Car” by Dan Pagis (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 4/4: “Heritage” by Haim Gouri (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
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We the Six Million [AUDIO RECORDING] (3:22), Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander.
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We the Six Million People Speak, Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
This poem was written by the late Rabbi Davin Schoenberger, a native of Germany and Chief Rabbi in Aachen Germany. He was the rabbi who married Anne Frank's parents. Davin and Ilse Schoenberger and their daughter, Elaine (Katz), fled Europe after their synagogue in Aachen was burned to the ground during the events of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. In the U.S., Rabbi Schoenberger had pulpits in Chicago, IL and Selma, AL. Upon his retirement in 1960, Rabbi Schoenberger resided in Birmingham until his death in 1989. A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander is available in the Curriculum Links under “Remembrance.”
- Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel-Winning Polish Poet, Dies at 88, New York Times
- Writers and Poets in the Ghetto, USHMM
- Czeslaw Milosz
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Campo dei Fiori
A reflective philosophical poem with a subtle moralizing message in which the Christian martyr of 16th century Rome is juxtaposed with the contemporary Jewish victims of the Nazi terror.
- Czeslaw Milosz Interview, Nobel Prize in Literature 1980
- Dan Pagis
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Five Poems by Dan Pagis (1930-1986), Yad Vashem
Five poems of Dan Pagis are presented in this selection, focusing on various aspects of the Holocaust. Included are: Testimony, The Roll Call, Written in Pencil in the Sealed Railway Car, Instructions for Crossing the Border, Draft of a Reparations Agreement.
- POEM: “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar,” by Dan Pagis, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: “Testimony” by Dan Pagis (7:23), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Dan Pagis was a Romanian-born Holocaust survivor who wrote about the Holocaust some 25 years after the events. The poem "Testimony" deals with complex ethical, philosophical and theological issues that troubled Pagis, such as man's inhumanity to man, the question of God during the Holocaust, the essence and role of testimony, and other issues pertaining to guilt and to forgiveness. The poem "Testimony" allows a glympse into these complex questions and is fertile ground for classroom discussion.
-
VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 3/4: “Written in Pencil in the Sealed Railway Car” by Dan Pagis (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
- Haim Gouri
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 4/4: “Heritage” by Haim Gouri (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
- Hannah Szenes
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Hannah Szenes (Senesh) (1921-1944), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Hannah Szenes (Senesh) was one of 32 Jewish volunteer parachutists from Palestine that the British Army sent behind German lines for resistance and rescue efforts. On June 7, 1944, Szenes infiltrated German-occupied Hungary. The Germans captured her and, after several months of torture, they executed Szenes by firing squad. She was 23 years old.
- Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM
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POEM: “The Dice Rolled” by Hannah Szenes, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
For Jews living beyond Nazi-occupied Europe, the Holocaust often created a sense of impotence, especially as they generally did not wish to criticize the Allied governments who represented the only hope of ending the Holocaust by defeating Germany. However, some took action by enlisting in the armed forces. Hannah Szenes was a Hungarian-born paratrooper from British Mandate Palestine who was dropped into Yugoslavia in an attempt to help the Jews of Hungary. However, she was arrested when she tried to enter Hungary. Hannah was a talented poet; this verse was later found in her prison cell.
- Hirsh Glik
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POEM: Never Say This is the Final Road for You by Hirsh Glik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
From late 1942 onwards, increasing numbers of young Jews escaped from ghettos and formed partisan groups which fought the Nazis. The largest groups of Jewish partisans were based in the forests of eastern Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The following song became the anthem of these partisan groups. It was written in Yiddish by Hirsh Glik, a young poet in the Vilna Ghetto, after he heard news of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
- Martin Niemoller
- Martin Niemoller, “First They Came for the Socialists…”, USHMM
- Martin Niemoller, Biography, USHMM
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
- Miklos Radnoti
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POEM: “That’s How You’ll End Too” by Miklós Radnóti
As Germany and its allies retreated in 1944, Jews were forcibly marched from the camps towards those areas of central Europe still under Axis control. Miklós Radnóti was a Hungarian Jewish poet who had been forced to serve in a slave labor battalion in Ukraine and Yugoslavia. As his battalion was driven back to Hungary, he scribbled poems in a notebook. This was his final entry.
- Moses Schulstein
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POEM: “We Are the Last Witness” by Moses Schulstein, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The murder of millions of people in the camps was accompanied by plunder on an unprecedented scale. All of the possessions of victims were exploited, either for the personal enrichment of the perpetrators or for redistribution amongst the German population. When Majdanek concentration camp in Poland was liberated by the Red Army in 1944, thousands of pairs of shoes were discovered, prompting this reflection from the Yiddish poet Moses Schulstein.
- Paul Celan
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
- Pavel Friedman
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
- Primo Levi
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
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VIDEO: Poetry in Holocaust Education Part 2/4: “Shema” by Primo Levi (3:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
How do we teach the Holocaust using interdisciplinary methods? How can poetry, art, film, and literature contribute to the study of this complex subject? In this video Jackie Metzger, of the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, presents three poems by Primo Levi, Dan Pagis, and Haim Gouri, outlining possible uses in the classroom for ages 16 and above. The ideas, imagery, dilemmas and contemplation inherent in such poems allow for a deeper study of the subject.
- Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
-
We the Six Million [AUDIO RECORDING] (3:22), Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander.
-
We the Six Million People Speak, Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
This poem was written by the late Rabbi Davin Schoenberger, a native of Germany and Chief Rabbi in Aachen Germany. He was the rabbi who married Anne Frank's parents. Davin and Ilse Schoenberger and their daughter, Elaine (Katz), fled Europe after their synagogue in Aachen was burned to the ground during the events of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. In the U.S., Rabbi Schoenberger had pulpits in Chicago, IL and Selma, AL. Upon his retirement in 1960, Rabbi Schoenberger resided in Birmingham until his death in 1989. A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander is available in the Curriculum Links under “Remembrance.”
- Sonia Weitz
- William Heyen
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Riddle by William Heyen
This poem is part of the AP literature curriculum.
- Wislawa Szymborska
- “Hunger Camp at Jaslo,” Waslawa Szymborska
- “Still,” Wislawa Szymborska
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Seven Poems, Seven Paintings: A teacher’s Guide to Selected Holocaust Poetry, Yad Vashem
This unit is a new interdisciplinary resource to assist educators in teaching the Holocaust. It consists of seven poems, presented together with original artwork especially created for the unit. Included are the following poems: Shema / Primo Levi; Heritage / Hayim Gouri; Psalm / Paul Celan; The Butterfly / Pavel Friedman; Could Have / Wisława Szymborska; Written in Pencil in the Sealed Freightcar / Dan Pagis; First They Came For The Jews / Martin Niemöller
- VIDEO: “Could Have” by Wislawa Szymborska
- Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel-Winning Polish Poet, Dies at 88, New York Times
- Wladyslaw Szlengel
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POEM: “But She Was” by Władysław Szlengel, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
In this poem, written in August 1942 in response to deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp, Władysław Szlengel encouraged readers to remember the humanity of the victims by focusing on the fate of an apparently unremarkable Jewish mother.
- Pre-War Jewish Life
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“Behold All That Was Painted My Hand Has Wrought,” The Wooden Synagogue of Chodorow, Yad Vashem
The Chodorow synagogue, along with most of the wooden synagogues of Eastern Europe, was completely destroyed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, robbing the modern viewer of it’s rich cultural and artistic heritage. All that exists of these synagogues today are black and white photos taken in the early part of the 20th century, some carefully reconstructed models, and the recollections of the few people alive today who remember them. In this article we hope to offer a glimpse of what those vanished synagogues meant to the Jews who built them and prayed in them. In their absence, it falls to us to perpetuate the memory of the vibrant Jewish world they inhabited which exists no more.
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Digital Archive on Jewish Life in Poland, YIVO
Includes photos, video, audio recordings, and maps.
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ID Cards (printable) Used at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
The sheer number of victims in the Holocaust challenges easy comprehension. When visitors enter the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, they receive an ID card telling the true story of a person who lived during the Holocaust. Using these individual profiles, show your students that behind the massive statistics are real people—children and parents, neighbors and friends—and a diversity of personal experience. The collection is browsable by gender and age.
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IMAGES: Photographs of Jews Before the War, Centropa
The resources is divided by country, each revealing old family photos of Jewish families before the war.
- Impressions of Prewar Jewish Life, The Holocaust Explained
- Jewish Life in Europe Before the Holocaust, USHMM
- Jewish Population of Europe in 1933, Data by Country, USHMM
- Jews in Pre-War Germany, USHMM
- Judaism and Jewish Life, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
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LESSON: Belfer Exemplary Lesson: Pre-World War II European Jewish Life Photo Project, USHMM
In order to better understand what Jewish cultural and communal life was like in Europe before World War II, students search the USHMM digital archive collections, select photographs depicting pre-war Jewish life in Europe, analyze them, and research the town(s) where the photos were taken. This promotes understanding of the individuality of Jewish lives affected by or lost in the Holocaust and the cumulative effects of the Holocaust on their communities.
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LESSON: German Jews and the Holocaust, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Using rare home movie footage taken by the Gumprich and Voos families from Munster, Germany, students engage with some of the challenges faced by German-Jewish families in the months before the Second World War. Students are also introduced to some approaches towards Holocaust memorialization, and encouraged to reflect on the efficacy of these. Includes pre-war home video (2:24) of the Gumprich family.
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LESSON: Jewish Life in Europe Before WWII, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet and videos that will introduce you to the diversity of Jewish life in Europe before the Holocaust. By the end of this activity you will have developed your understanding of its local, regional and national history and memory. You will also have gained deeper knowledge about the vibrant variety of Jewish communities in Europe by comparing stories and aspects of personal and cultural life.
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LESSON: Three Minutes in Poland (1 class period), USHMM
This lesson is designed to engage students in understanding both the individuality of Jewish lives affected by or lost in the Holocaust and the cumulative effects of the Holocaust on communities. After viewing archival film footage documenting Jewish life in Nasielsk, a small town in Poland, before the German invasion in September 1939, students explore how the community changed during the Nazi occupation that followed.
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LESSON: To Be a Jewish Teenager in Poland, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
What did it mean to be a Jewish teenager in Poland in the 1930s? Despite the stereotypical view that all Jews in Eastern Europe looked like characters out of "Fiddler on the Roof," there was a much wider variety of experience. Polish Jewish society included Hasidic Jews, non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews, Hebrew-speaking Zionists, Yiddish-speaking Jewish socialists, and Polish-speaking "acculturated" Jews, as well as many other shades of lifestyle and viewpoint. There were newspapers, schools, and youth groups associated with each of these sectors of society. What was it like to be a teenager growing up in that world? Lesson includes Plan, PowerPoint, and Handout.
- MAP: European Jewish Population Distribution 1933, USHMM
- Memories of Prewar Jewish Life, The Holocaust Explained
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” Marking the Holiday of Passover Before, During and After the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
The imperative to remember is a significant element of the Passover holiday, and part of its tradition and rituals. In “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” through the photos, the artifacts and the personal testimonies, we explore and remember some of the ways Passover was observed throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust, during the Holocaust years, and in the displaced persons camps and children’s homes following the war.
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People of a Thousand Towns, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
The online catalog of photographs of Jewish life in pre-war Eastern Europe.
- Pre-War Jewish Memories, The Holocaust Explained
- The Way We Lived: Exploring Jewish Life and Culture, The Imperial War Museum
- To Remember Their Faces: Teacher’s Guide Using Prewar Holocaust Photographs, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: A World Gone-Jewish Lodz Before the Nazis (10:48), YouTube
Original pre-1939 archive films and stills portraying Jewish life in Lodz prior to the ghettoization by the Nazis. Hebrew narration with English subtitles.
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VIDEO: Berlin-Symphony of a Great City (1:01:53), YouTube
Documentary following a day in the life of the city of Berlin, 1927.
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VIDEO: Glimpses of Jewish Life Before the Holocaust (4:37), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
On the eve of WWII, the interwar Jewish world was creative and complex, a rich mosaic, full of change and hope for the future. Within a decade, most of Europe would be conquered by Nazi Germany. By 1945 two out of every three of these Jews were silenced forever. The sights and sounds of this video are those of the Jews of Europe before the Holocaust. In their own words, through their diaries, letters and notebooks, and through their family films. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Glimpses of Jewish Life before the Holocaust
- VIDEO: Jews Before the War, Sam Kassow, Symposium, Part I (26.47), Facing History and Ourselves
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts-The Shtetl (2:14), Yad Vashem
An animated historical video briefly explaining what a shtetl is.
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VIDEO: Projections of Life: Jewish Life Before World War II (28:35), USHMM
Rare, intimate home movies—depicting family life, birthday parties, vacations, and more—provide a glimpse into the lives of Jewish individuals who were soon swept into the destruction of the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: Shtetl Life (7:57), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews explores Jewish life under Russian rule at the turn of the 20th Century by analyzing photographs of shtetl life taken by a group of Jewish ethnographers. When Jews in the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom came under Russian rule, they were expelled to the Pale of Settlement that stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. These photographs revealed the diverse occupations of the Jews and the ways in which shtetl life preserved a sense of community even for a community in exile.
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Virtual Shtetl, Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Includes sections with towns, galleries, biographies,etc. exploring pre-war Jewish life in Poland.
- Germany
- Jews in Pre-War Germany, USHMM
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LESSON: German Jews and the Holocaust, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Using rare home movie footage taken by the Gumprich and Voos families from Munster, Germany, students engage with some of the challenges faced by German-Jewish families in the months before the Second World War. Students are also introduced to some approaches towards Holocaust memorialization, and encouraged to reflect on the efficacy of these. Includes pre-war home video (2:24) of the Gumprich family.
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VIDEO: Berlin-Symphony of a Great City (1:01:53), YouTube
Documentary following a day in the life of the city of Berlin, 1927.
- Poland
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Digital Archive on Jewish Life in Poland, YIVO
Includes photos, video, audio recordings, and maps.
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LESSON: Three Minutes in Poland (1 class period), USHMM
This lesson is designed to engage students in understanding both the individuality of Jewish lives affected by or lost in the Holocaust and the cumulative effects of the Holocaust on communities. After viewing archival film footage documenting Jewish life in Nasielsk, a small town in Poland, before the German invasion in September 1939, students explore how the community changed during the Nazi occupation that followed.
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LESSON: To Be a Jewish Teenager in Poland, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
What did it mean to be a Jewish teenager in Poland in the 1930s? Despite the stereotypical view that all Jews in Eastern Europe looked like characters out of "Fiddler on the Roof," there was a much wider variety of experience. Polish Jewish society included Hasidic Jews, non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews, Hebrew-speaking Zionists, Yiddish-speaking Jewish socialists, and Polish-speaking "acculturated" Jews, as well as many other shades of lifestyle and viewpoint. There were newspapers, schools, and youth groups associated with each of these sectors of society. What was it like to be a teenager growing up in that world? Lesson includes Plan, PowerPoint, and Handout.
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VIDEO: A World Gone-Jewish Lodz Before the Nazis (10:48), YouTube
Original pre-1939 archive films and stills portraying Jewish life in Lodz prior to the ghettoization by the Nazis. Hebrew narration with English subtitles.
-
VIDEO: Shtetl Life (7:57), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews explores Jewish life under Russian rule at the turn of the 20th Century by analyzing photographs of shtetl life taken by a group of Jewish ethnographers. When Jews in the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom came under Russian rule, they were expelled to the Pale of Settlement that stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. These photographs revealed the diverse occupations of the Jews and the ways in which shtetl life preserved a sense of community even for a community in exile.
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Virtual Shtetl, Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Includes sections with towns, galleries, biographies,etc. exploring pre-war Jewish life in Poland.
- Religious Institutions and the Third Reich
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Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
- Quakers, USHMM
- READING: An Agreement with the Catholic Church, Facing History and Ourselves
- READING: Protestant Churches and the Nazi State, Facing History and Ourselves
- READING: Vatican Response to the Holocaust NPR
- The German Churches and the Nazi State, the USHMM
- The German Churches and the Nazi State, USHMM
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The Role of Clergy and Church Leaders, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Church leaders and other members of the conservative elite who were in a position to influence public opinion were all but silent regarding the persecution of Jews.
- The Role of the Churches: Compliance and Confrontation, Yad Vashem
- The Vatican and the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Acting on Faith: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Protest Against National Socialism – Victoria Barnett (8:47), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who took a stand against the Nazis.
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VIDEO: Awakening Conscience: The Pastor Martin Niemöller Story – Victory Barnett (6:54), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German pastor and Nazi opponent Martin Niemöller.
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VIDEO: The Confessing Church: Early German Protestant Responses to National Socialism (6:42), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German Protestant churches during the rise of the Nazis.
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VIDEO: What Did Faith Communities Stand For? (1:09:30), USHMM
This video examines how different faith communities, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestants, and Catholics, reacted in the face of the changes during the Holocauast - and the questions this history poses today.
- The Catholic Church
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Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
- READING: An Agreement with the Catholic Church, Facing History and Ourselves
- READING: Vatican Response to the Holocaust NPR
- The German Churches and the Nazi State, USHMM
- The Role of the Churches: Compliance and Confrontation, Yad Vashem
- The Vatican and the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Protestant Church
- READING: Protestant Churches and the Nazi State, Facing History and Ourselves
- The German Churches and the Nazi State, the USHMM
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VIDEO: Acting on Faith: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Protest Against National Socialism – Victoria Barnett (8:47), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who took a stand against the Nazis.
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VIDEO: Awakening Conscience: The Pastor Martin Niemöller Story – Victory Barnett (6:54), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German pastor and Nazi opponent Martin Niemöller.
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VIDEO: The Confessing Church: Early German Protestant Responses to National Socialism (6:42), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Victoria Barnett speaks about German Protestant churches during the rise of the Nazis.
- The Quakers
- Remembering the Holocaust
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] Block Der Frauen (Block of Women), Berlin, University of Minnesota
etween February 27 and March 6, 1943, a group of up to 200 non-Jewish Germans demonstrated outside the local Jewish community building at Rosenstraße 2-4, in Berlin. There, German police had incarcerated around 2,000 Jews—mostly Jewish males married to non-Jewish partners and the male children of these so-called mixed marriages. The non-Jewish family members of those incarcerated in the Rosenstraße believed that the Germans would deport their loved ones to killing centers. They based their belief on recent experiences of deportation operations and the fact that the German police rounded up and deported over 10,000 Jews from Berlin to Auschwitz. Their non-violent demonstration in the freezing cold outside the Rosenstraße community center aimed to prevent this deportation.
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Browsing Holocaust and Genocide Memorials, Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Photos and descriptions of Holocaust memorials from around the world.
- Camp Memorials, A-M, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Camp Memorials, N-Z, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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Documenting Numbers of Victims of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution, USHMM
The Holocaust is the best documented case of genocide. Despite this, calculating the exact numbers of individuals who were killed as the result of Nazi policies is an impossible task. There is no single wartime document that spells out how many people were killed.
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Elie Weisel’s “Perils of Indifference” for Holocaust Units, ThoughtCo.
Elie Wiesel’s noteworthy speech titled "The Perils of Indifference" was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. The speech is 1818 words long and can be read at the average grade level 8.6. If you want to listen to the audio recording of the speech, it will take 20:50 minutes. This article explores the values of teaching this speech.
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EXHIBIT: Never Again, Heeding the Warning Signs (11:08), USHMM
In the pivotal year before Nazi Germany invaded Poland and launched World War II, intervention could have saved many lives. Citizens and countries responded in different ways to the events of 1938. What lessons do their actions hold for us today?
- EXHIBIT: The Valley of the Communities at Yad Vashem
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First Person Podcast: Holocaust Survivors’ Reflections and Hopes for the Future (15:01), September 29, 2010, USHMM
Holocaust survivors share their thoughts on the importance of speaking about their experiences. It is our tradition at First Person that each guest speaker ends the program with their "final words." In our final podcast of the series, we close with those thoughts, reflections, and hopes for the future.
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Krakow Ghetto Memorial, University of Minnesota
Thousands of Jews from the Krakow ghetto were deported to Belzec, where they were murdered during Operation Reinhard actions in 1942. The Germans liquidated the ghetto in March 1943, shooting about 2,000 Jews in the ghetto, transferring another 2,000 to Plaszow forced labor camp, and deporting the remaining 3,000 to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 2,450 of those deported to Auschwitz were gassed upon arrival. The majority of the Jews transferred to Plaszow were later killed in mass shooting operations carried out by the SS between September and December 1943. The survivors were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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LESSON: Analyzing and Creating Memorials, Facing History and Ourselves
Students learn about several Holocaust memorials around the world in preparation to design their own memorial.
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LESSON: Remembrance, Participation, and Reflection, Facing History and Ourselves
Students investigate the purpose of monuments and craft their own monuments to commemorate their learning experiences.
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LESSON: The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm, iWitness
When ten-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz and finding a new life in America.
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MUSIC: Where is the Village? (4:16), Jay Black
Popular singer Jay Black's recording of a popular Yiddish song, set to the visuals of Chagall paintings, offers a sentimental glimpse of the Jewish villages lost during the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Memories/Motifs, Rachel Deblinger, UCLA
Memories/Motifs explores "How American Jews came to know stories about Holocaust survivors through American Jewish philanthropic activities in the immediate postwar period." The website was created by historian Rachel Deblinger and is based on her dissertation at the University of California-Los Angeles. This website centers on the stories of three individuals who survived the Holocaust: Kurt Maier, Irene Gutmann, and "Hannah." Each of these stories illustrates different aspects of how Americans learned about the horrors of the Holocaust. Maier was a pianist who came to the attention of Americans in two different ways: first, through an April 1947 performance broadcast by WNYC and sponsored by the United Service for New Americans, and then when "The New Yorker" penned a profile about him in August 1947. Gutmann, meanwhile, survived the Holocaust as a child and was featured in a 1947 issue of "Life" magazine as a "war orphan." The third story is about "Hannah," the pseudonym of a girl who emigrated to Palestine after surviving the Holocaust with help from the organization Young Aliyah; "Hannah" was featured in brochures to raise money for the group. This powerful online exhibit embeds a number of primary sources into each individual's story, enabling visitors to examine materials that were crucial to raising American awareness about the Holocaust.
- Other Memorials, A-B, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Other Memorials, C-Z, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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PERPETRATOR TESTIMONY: Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger (24:45), Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County
Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, author of the book "A German Life: Against All Odds Change is Possible" describes his struggle growing up in Germany in the shadow of his father, a highly-decorated WWII tank commander and Nazi officer. He eventually converted to Judaism, emigrated to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a Medical Officer. Dr. Wollschlarger was the Guest Speaker at our 21st Annual Tribute Dinner, held on November 19, 2013 at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation.
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Places of Remembrance, Bayerisches Platz, Berlin, University of Minnesota
"Places of Remembrance" is made up of 80 signs in public space. On one side of each sign there is a text that reflect upon the anti-Jewish regulations and laws, the letters and the eyewitness reports. The original texts of the laws and regulations are very different in format from the "created texts" of the artists. All, however, are from the Nazi period that reduced the rights and privileges of "non-Aryans," meaning Jews. Other signs indicate historical events or individual cases of oppression, such as the 1943 report of the murder of a German Jew who refused to give up his pet bird. The reverse of each sign has an artistic image, created by the artists. The signs are scattered in the Bayerisches Platz area and while a map is available, a walk to see all the signs takesat least two hours. The exhibition has unique pedagogical value, establishing an understanding of the "legal basis" for the ostracism of the Jews from German society beginning in 1933 and ending in 1945.
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READING: Remembering the Names, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about German artist Gunter Demnig and his work installing plaques that honor Holocaust victims across Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Messages to the Future, USC Shoah Foundation
At the end of each interview the Institute recorded for the Archive, the interviewer would ask the interviewee if he or she had a special message for future generations watching the interview. The survivors and other witnesses often spoken about such themes as forgiveness, the importance of individual action, and the need to teach children tolerance. Here are a few messages from the Institute's Archive.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Francine Christophe (4:55), #HUMAN
Born in 1933, Francine Christophe was deported with her mother at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. Released the following year, she continues to share her experience and memories, particularly with the younger generations.
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VIDEO: “Why Did the Holocaust Happen?” Lecture by Peter Hayes (1:22), USHMM
On January 17, 2017 historian Peter Hayes spoke at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to discuss his new book, "Why? Explaining the Holocaust."
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VIDEO: A Jew Among the Germans (57:00), Frontline
For years, Marian Marzynski lived with a fear of the people who had invaded his country and wiped out his family. When the German government announced it was planning a memorial to the Holocaust, he decided that it was finally time to visit "the land of the enemy" and to find out - how does a new generation of Germans live with the crimes of the past?
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VIDEO: Danger in Forgetting-Eyewitnesses to the Holocaust, Sonia Weitz (26:28), Facing History and Ourselves
This documentary looks at the struggles of Holocaust victims through their own eyes.
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VIDEO: Defying Genocide (18:59), USHMM
Whenever genocide has occurred, individuals have risked their own lives to save others. How can their courage inspire us to defy genocide? The story of how Simone Weil Lipman was able to save thousands of Jewish children during the Holocaust is a starting point for an exploration of what it takes to defy genocide. This film focuses on Damas Gisimba, director of a small orphanage in Rwanda that was besieged by militias during the 1994 genocide. Learn how Gisimba, with the help of American aid worker Carl Wilkens, managed to protect, care for, and save some 400 people.
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VIDEO: Elie Weisel: “The Perils of Indifference” (21:07), American Rhetoric
"The Perils of Indifference" speech was delivered to Congress on April 12, 1999. Here is access to video of the speech as well as the transcript.
- VIDEO: Elie Wiesel Talks About Fighting Indifference (1:00), Facing History and Ourselves
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VIDEO: Holocaust Memorial Day 2017-How Can Life Go On? (2:42), Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
This film challenges us to think about how we can support those who face hostility today and create a safer society together.
- VIDEO: Holocaust Memorial for the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia (4:10), Sand Art by Ilana Yahav
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VIDEO: Never Forget-The Power Behind Institutions of Memory (1:40:45), USHMM
Museum directors from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum discuss the creation, location and design of these living memorials and their impact.
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VIDEO: The Fallen of World War II
The relevant portion about the victims of World War II is at 7:34-9:33. Come of the other material may be dated.
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VIDEO: Why We Remember the Holocaust (9:00), USHMM
This nine-minute video provides an overview of the Holocaust, Days of Remembrance, and why we as a nation remember this history.
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VIDEO: Yom HaShoah in Israel (3:06), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews highlights Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah, in Israel. In the video, host Simon Schama visits Israel and stands, along with the rest of the country, in silent reflection during the morning siren that rings every year on Yom HaShoah.
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VISUAL ESSAY: Holocaust Memorials and Monuments, Facing History and Ourselves
Study various memorials and monuments and reflect on the ways in which we choose to remember history.
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Warsaw Will Return 1,000 Gravestones to Jewish Cemetery, Tablet Magazine, August 15, 2014
The practice of removing Jewish gravestones from cemeteries and using them for other purposes was common in Poland since the 1940s. The city of Warsaw has announced plans to recover 1,000 gravestones, or matzevot, that were taken from the city’s Jewish cemetery and used to build a structure in a city park. Includes a 14 minute video.
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We the Six Million [AUDIO RECORDING] (3:22), Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander.
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We the Six Million People Speak, Poem by Rabbi Davin Schoenberger
This poem was written by the late Rabbi Davin Schoenberger, a native of Germany and Chief Rabbi in Aachen Germany. He was the rabbi who married Anne Frank's parents. Davin and Ilse Schoenberger and their daughter, Elaine (Katz), fled Europe after their synagogue in Aachen was burned to the ground during the events of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. In the U.S., Rabbi Schoenberger had pulpits in Chicago, IL and Selma, AL. Upon his retirement in 1960, Rabbi Schoenberger resided in Birmingham until his death in 1989. A dramatic reading by Brian Kurlander is available in the Curriculum Links under “Remembrance.”
- Memorials
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] Block Der Frauen (Block of Women), Berlin, University of Minnesota
etween February 27 and March 6, 1943, a group of up to 200 non-Jewish Germans demonstrated outside the local Jewish community building at Rosenstraße 2-4, in Berlin. There, German police had incarcerated around 2,000 Jews—mostly Jewish males married to non-Jewish partners and the male children of these so-called mixed marriages. The non-Jewish family members of those incarcerated in the Rosenstraße believed that the Germans would deport their loved ones to killing centers. They based their belief on recent experiences of deportation operations and the fact that the German police rounded up and deported over 10,000 Jews from Berlin to Auschwitz. Their non-violent demonstration in the freezing cold outside the Rosenstraße community center aimed to prevent this deportation.
-
Browsing Holocaust and Genocide Memorials, Minnesota Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies
Photos and descriptions of Holocaust memorials from around the world.
- Camp Memorials, A-M, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Camp Memorials, N-Z, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- EXHIBIT: The Valley of the Communities at Yad Vashem
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Krakow Ghetto Memorial, University of Minnesota
Thousands of Jews from the Krakow ghetto were deported to Belzec, where they were murdered during Operation Reinhard actions in 1942. The Germans liquidated the ghetto in March 1943, shooting about 2,000 Jews in the ghetto, transferring another 2,000 to Plaszow forced labor camp, and deporting the remaining 3,000 to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 2,450 of those deported to Auschwitz were gassed upon arrival. The majority of the Jews transferred to Plaszow were later killed in mass shooting operations carried out by the SS between September and December 1943. The survivors were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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LESSON: Analyzing and Creating Memorials, Facing History and Ourselves
Students learn about several Holocaust memorials around the world in preparation to design their own memorial.
-
LESSON: Remembrance, Participation, and Reflection, Facing History and Ourselves
Students investigate the purpose of monuments and craft their own monuments to commemorate their learning experiences.
- Other Memorials, A-B, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Other Memorials, C-Z, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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Places of Remembrance, Bayerisches Platz, Berlin, University of Minnesota
"Places of Remembrance" is made up of 80 signs in public space. On one side of each sign there is a text that reflect upon the anti-Jewish regulations and laws, the letters and the eyewitness reports. The original texts of the laws and regulations are very different in format from the "created texts" of the artists. All, however, are from the Nazi period that reduced the rights and privileges of "non-Aryans," meaning Jews. Other signs indicate historical events or individual cases of oppression, such as the 1943 report of the murder of a German Jew who refused to give up his pet bird. The reverse of each sign has an artistic image, created by the artists. The signs are scattered in the Bayerisches Platz area and while a map is available, a walk to see all the signs takesat least two hours. The exhibition has unique pedagogical value, establishing an understanding of the "legal basis" for the ostracism of the Jews from German society beginning in 1933 and ending in 1945.
-
READING: Remembering the Names, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about German artist Gunter Demnig and his work installing plaques that honor Holocaust victims across Europe.
-
VIDEO: A Jew Among the Germans (57:00), Frontline
For years, Marian Marzynski lived with a fear of the people who had invaded his country and wiped out his family. When the German government announced it was planning a memorial to the Holocaust, he decided that it was finally time to visit "the land of the enemy" and to find out - how does a new generation of Germans live with the crimes of the past?
-
VIDEO: Never Forget-The Power Behind Institutions of Memory (1:40:45), USHMM
Museum directors from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum discuss the creation, location and design of these living memorials and their impact.
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VISUAL ESSAY: Holocaust Memorials and Monuments, Facing History and Ourselves
Study various memorials and monuments and reflect on the ways in which we choose to remember history.
- Rescue
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“To Save One Life, The Story of Righteous Gentiles,” Holocaust Resource Center & Archives, Queensborough Community College
PDF of a full printed piece on rescue. Includes pieces on Le Chambon, Denmark, Italy and Eastern Europe.
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[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Aristides de Sousa Mendes-Portugal, Yad Vashem
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was Portugal’s consul-general in Bordeaux, France. When Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, the Government of Portugal prohibited further crossings by refugees, especially Jewish refugees. Sousa Mendes, a devout and good-hearted Christian, seeing the terrible plight of the refugees, decided to disobey his government’s explicit instruction.
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[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Museu Virtual Aristides de Sousa Mendes
This virtual exhibition provides an interactive experience of the story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes with audio-visual features.
- [Aristides de Sousa Mendes] The Insubordinate Portuguese Consul Who Saved Thousands of Lives, Invisible Bordeaux
- [Besa] A Code of Honor, Muslim Albanians who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
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[Besa] BROADCAST: The Muslims Who Saved the Jews (6:10), NPR
Host Liane Hansen speaks with photographer Norman Gershman about his book Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II, which is also the subject of a documentary called God's House. Greshman spent five years collecting stories of Albanian Muslims who harbored Jewish refugees during World War II.
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[Besa] Missing Pages, Exploring Islam Foundation/UK
To give "besa" in Albanian culture means to fulfill a promise no matter how difficult it is. The film "Besa: The Promise" is a documentary that explores several different stories of Muslim Albanians that saved Jews. This website is a resource for teachers to support that film. It includes stories of some of the individuals featured in the film
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[Chiune Sugihara & Jan Zwartendijk] EXHIBIT: Flight and Rescue, USHMM
Just months before the mass killings of the Holocaust began, some 2,100 Jewish refugees fled war-torn Europe. With the help of Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch businessman, and Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, the refugees escaped and ultimately found safety in an unlikely destination.
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[Chiune Sugihara] Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara, NPO Chiune Sugihara. Visas for Life
The remarkable story of Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara and the rescue of thousands of Jews.
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[Chiune Sugihara] VIDEO: An Evening With Nobuki Sugihara (1:25), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who risked his family’s lives and his career to issue transit visas granting Jews safe passage through Japanese territory. On May 22, 2019, his son Nobuki Sugihara was interviewed by journalist Ann Curry about his father's bravery, for which he was named by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
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[Denmark] Commemorating the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Danish people, during three weeks, ferried their Jewish neighbors to safety in neutral Sweden. Almost the entire Jewish community of Denmark was saved. Learn about some of the men and women who risked their lives to save the Jews of Denmark.
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[Denmark] EXHIBIT: Rescue of the Jews of Denmark, USHMM
The Danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 Jews to safety in nearby neutral Sweden. Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at war's end Denmark had one of the highest Jewish survival rates for any European country. Use the links on this page to learn more about the rescue of Danish Jewry and the special circumstances that made it possible.
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[Denmark] LESSON: Rescue in October…the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righeous
The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is an inspiring story. When the Danes learned that a major aktion against their Jewish citizens was planned for the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ordinary citizens went into action. Strangers helped their fellow Jews – to cross dangerous waters in the dark of night to freedom in neutral Sweden. The lesson is designed to be covered in one or two classroom periods.
-
[Denmark] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Our Will to Help the Persecuted, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Perhaps the most spectacular example of the rescue of Jews occurred in Denmark in October 1943. When the country’s resistance movement learned that the Nazis intended to deport Danish Jews, it organised their passage to neutral Sweden in an improvised flotilla of fishing boats, rowing boats and even canoes. Aage Bertelsen was one of the organizers of the rescue effort.
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[Denmark] The Rescue of Denmark’s Jews, Yad Vashem
Historical background.
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[Denmark] VIDEO: The Rescue of Jews in Denmark During the Holocaust (3:37), Yad Vashem
From a film about the rescue of Jews from Denmark. The village of Snekkersten was one of the ports where the boats taking Danish Jews to safety in Sweden sailed from, and the Thomsen's family inn played a major role in the rescue operation.
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[France] EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved.
- [Georg Duckwitz] READING: A Rescuer in Copenhagen, Facing History and Ourselves
- [Hiram Bingham] READING: A Rescuer in France, USHMM
- [Irena Sendler] Irena Sendler-Poland, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Irena Sendler] Irena’s Children, aish.com
Mrs. Sendler, code name "Jolanta," smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation. She found a home for each child. Each was given a new name and a new identity as a Christian. Others were saving Jewish children, too, but many of those children were saved only in body; tragically, they disappeared from the Jewish people. Irena did all she could to ensure that "her children" would have a future as part of their own people.
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[Irena Sendler] Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project
A play created by students in Kansas and the website that developed from that experience.
- [Le Chambon] Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, Jewish Virtual Library
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[Le Chambon] Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, USHMM
Includes photos, personal histories, artifacts, and maps.
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[Le Chambon] READING: Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
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[Le Chambon] VIDEO: Weapons of the Spirit (35:07), Facing History and Ourselves
Film by Pierre Sauvage that details the story of the people of Le Chambon, France, who saved 5,000 Jews during WWII.
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[Lois Gunden] Women of Valor, Yad Vashem
Stories of women who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Included in these is the story of American, Lois Gunden.
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[Marion Pritchard] VIDEO: Life or Death in the Netherlands (5:12), Facing History and Ourselves
Marion Pritchard, a member of the Dutch resistance who hid a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Holland, describes what happened when a Dutch Nazi policeman investigated her house.
- [Martha & Waitstill Sharp] LESSON: The Sharps’ Dilemma, Facing History and Ourselves
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[Martha & Waitstill Sharp] READING: Two Who Dared, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Sharps’ rescue work began with a phone call from the American Unitarian community asking for their leadership in the refugee crisis in Prague, 1939.
- [Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Deeds Earn Place Among the Righteous, Boston Globe
- [Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Martha and Waitstill Sharp, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Martha and Waitstill Sharp, USHMM
Martha and Waitstill Sharp, American Unitarian aide workers, helped thousands of Jews, intellectuals, and children in Prague, Lisbon, and southern France in 1939–1940.
- [Nicholas Winton] VIDEO: Sir Nicholas Winton “Saving the Children” (15:14), 60 Minutes
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[OSE] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved. This is a story of courage and determination, a story of sacrifice, loyalty and dedication. This exhibition tells the story of three children's homes: the home in Chamonix, the home in Izieu, and the home in Chabannes.
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[OSE] Society for Assistance to Children, Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Founded in Russia in 1912 by Jewish doctors and intellectuals, the Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants (Society for Assistance to Children; OSE) had a history of providing aid to Jewish families in need. During World War II, it operated fourteen children's homes throughout France to save Jewish children from internment and deportation to killing centers.
- [Oskar Schindler] A Guide to “Schindler’s List,” Facing History and Ourselves
- [Oskar Schindler] Oskar Schindler, Jewish Virtual Library
- [Oskar Schindler] Oskar Schindler, USHMM
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[Palestine] Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Between 1943 and 1945, a group of Jewish men and women from Palestine who had volunteered to join the British army parachuted into German-occupied Europe. Their mission was to organize resistance to the Germans and aid in the rescue of Allied personnel.
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[Palestine] VIDEO: The Heroism of Hannah Senesh
Sophie Milman sings "Eli, Eli (A Walk to Caesarea)" which was a poem written by the Holocaust era heroine and martyr, Hannah Senseh (1921-1944), when she lived in Palestine before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. The melody was composed by Israeli composer David Zahavi (1910 - 1977).
- [Palestine] VIDEO: The Legacy of Hannah Senesh (8:02), Museum of Jewish Heritage
- [Raoul Wallenberg] Raoul Wallenberg-Hungary, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
- [Raoul Wallenberg] VIDEO: 100,000 Souls-The Legacy of Raoul Wallenberg (4:10), YouTube
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO TEACHING GUIDE: Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Holocaust is a story of persecution, mass murder, and genocide. It is important that students understand that history is not inevitable. This lesson focuses on individual action, personal choice, and moral responsibility that resulted in saving the lives of 200 Jews, American GIs captured during the Battle of the Bulge.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: Following in the Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (14:23)
During the Battle of the Bulge, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds was captured by the Germans along with more than 20,000 GIs. The NCO's, 1,292 men, were taken to Stalag IXA in Ziegenhain. Edmonds was the highest ranking officer of the group. This is his story.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
- [Varian Fry] The Rescue of Marc Chagall, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- [Varian Fry] Varian Fry-France, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Varian Fry] Varian Fry, USHMM
Varian Fry (1907–1967) was an American journalist who helped anti-Nazi refugees escape from France.
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[Zegota] LESSON: Council for the Aid to Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
This unit of study focuses on one network of rescuers in Poland, Zegota, the Council for the Aid to Jews.
- [Zegota] Zegota, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- ANIMATED MAP: Rescue (4:49), USHMM
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EXHIBIT: The Stories of Six Righteous Among the Nations in Auschwitz, Yad Vashem
Even within the horror that was Auschwitz, there were flickers of light. Despite the total dehumanization that was part of the camp system, there were remarkable acts of solidarity and humanity by camp inmates. Among them were non-Jews, who at risk to their own lives, sought to ease the pain, to give aid and to rescue Jews. Features the stories of Ludwig Wörl, Dr. Adelaide Hautval, Lorenzo Perrone, Jerzy Bielecki, Dr. Ella Lingens, and Jerzy Pozimski.
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EXHIBIT: Women of Valor, Yad Vashem
A little over half of the Righteous Among the Nations recognized by Yad Vashem are women. While many of them acted in cooperation with other family members, some of these courageous women were the initiators of the rescue and acted independently to save Jews. Here are some of their stories.
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Honoring the Righteous, Yad Vashem
Explains how persons are recognized by Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations."
- Jewish Victims of the Holocaust: Hidden Children, Jewish Virtual Library
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LESSON: Righteous Among the Nations-Rescuers of the Holocaust, PBS
During the Holocaust both Jews, as well as non-Jews were put to death as part of the final plan of the Nazis, but many Jews and non-Jews fought back. Use this PBS NewsHour Extra lesson plan to help students explore their courageous stories.
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LESSON: Teaching About the Righteous Among the Nations in the Classroom, Yad Vashem
By introducing examples of some of the Righteous Among the Nations, the teacher can introduce historical content, and religious and moral values, while personalizing events of the Holocaust. This important historical lesson can be taught through various disciplines such as history, religion, civics, and literature.
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Nicholas Winton The Rescue of Children from Czechoslovakia 1938-39, USHMM
Nicholas Winton organized a rescue operation that brought approximately 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia to safety in Great Britain before the outbreak of World War II.
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Non-Jewish Rescuers in the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to full list of individuals who rescued as well as other related topics.
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Non-Jewish Rescuers in the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes list of individuals who rescued, with links to further information.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Rescue-Preserving Humanity During the Holocaust, USC Shoah Foundation
Rescue is a crucial topic in understanding genocide survival and appreciating the difficult choices that people make in extreme circumstances. Although many stories of survival during the Holocaust are due to unexplained and unexplainable circumstances, there are also numerous accounts of individual and group acts of aid and rescue that contributed to the survival of thousands of Jewish people.
- Polish Righteous, Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
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POSTER SET: Stories of Rescue, USHMM
Twelve printable posters.
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Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
These short, one-page pieces detail the story of individual rescuers that are recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. The stories can be selected by individual's name or by country.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Histories of Rescue, USHMM
Features several stories of Rescue with video oral histories.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Each year the JFR reunites a rescuer with the survivor he or she saved and honors the rescuer and survivor at its Annual Dinner. Often the rescuer and survivor had not seen each other for decades – sometimes not since the end of the war. In the months leading up to the reunion, the JFR visits with the rescuer and the survivor and produces a short documentary for the dinner that tells their special story. Each of the videos runs approximately 15 minutes and will surely inspire students.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent (10:54), Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Roman Kent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1925. He spent the war years in the Lodz ghetto and in the Auschwitz, Mertzbachtal, Dornau, and Flossenburg concentration camps. In 1946, he came to the United States with his brother. Once in America, he made a life for himself. He championed the needs of Holocaust survivors and of Righteous Gentiles. Roman was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, he became president of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Whose Child Are You? The Story of Tswi Josef Herschel (16:21), Yad Vashem
Tswi Herschel was born 29 December 1942 in Zwolle, a small town in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. In January 1943, the family had to leave Zwolle and moved to Amsterdam, where Tswi's father contacted non-Jewish Dutch friends and asked for help for his newborn son. In March 1943, a Protestant Dutch family took in baby Tswi, caring for him and raising him as their own child until the end of World War II. Tswi’s parents were transported to the transit camp of Westerbork in the Netherlands in June 1943. One month later, they were deported to the extermination camp of Sobibór, where they were murdered shortly after arrival. Tswi's grandmother, his only surviving relative, took him from his foster family after the war in order to give him a Jewish education. Tswi grew up, got married and had two daughters. In 1986, Tswi and his family immigrated to Israel. Since 1991, Tswi Herschel has told his story to young people and adults in Israel and Europe.
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Teachers Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
During the Holocaust most people abandoned their Jewish neighbors, turned a blind eye or even participated in the persecution of the Jews. Among them were teachers, who watched as their students were marked, harassed, discriminated against and finally murdered. Only some felt that it was their duty not only to educate and instill values in the classroom, but to live by those ideals, even at the risk of their lives. Yad Vashem has recognized those teachers as Righteous Among the Nations.
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The Game of Their Lives, Yad Vashem
The stories of Righteous Among the Nations who devoted their lives to Sport.
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The Leica Freedom Train, aish.com
The Leica is the pioneer 35mm camera. It is a German product -- precise, minimalist, and utterly efficient. Behind its worldwide acceptance as a creative tool was a family-owned, socially oriented firm that during the Nazi era acted with uncommon grace, generosity and modesty. E. Leitz, Inc., designer and manufacturer of Germany's most famous photographic product, saved the company's Jews.
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The Righteous Among the Nations, USHMM
Includes a Database of those recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, Featured Stories, and Names of the Righteous by Country.
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Traits That Transcend [LESSON], Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
A study of individuals, non-Jews, who risked their lives to save Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe and the lessons we learn from their actions. To be used with the JFR poster set, "Traits That Transcend."
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Traits that Transcend, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Set of 8 posters available from the JFR on the qualities of rescuers. Other resources on this page: handout that accompanies the posters, links to the rescuer stories featured on each poster
- U.S Christians Who Rescued Jews from Hitler-Until the State Department Stopped Them, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
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VIDEO: Pigeon (10:50), Facing History and Ourselves
Set during World War II and based on a true story, Pigeon recounts a rare act of kindness.
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VIDEO: Johtje Vos, Rescuer: Choices of Courage, USC Shoah Foundation
Through her testimony, Johtje Vos conveys the reasons why she and her husband, Aart, became rescuers and vividly describes daily life with people hidden in their home. The lesson’s theme, Choices of Courage, explores the implications of decision-making in dangerous and difficult times. Include Video (29:28), Background on Rescue in The Netherlands, and Lesson Packet.
- VIDEO: Nicholas Winton The Power of Good
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VIDEO: Porcelain Unicorn (2:59), Keegan Wilcox
Grand prize winner of the Philips Parallel Lines 'Tell It Your Way' international competition. About a German youth who befriends a Jewish girl in hiding during World War II.
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VIDEO: Testimonies About Rescue, Resistance, and Survival (1:17:42), USHMM
This 78-minute film weaves together excerpts from testimonies of Holocaust survivors recorded in 1993. These Jewish men and women are from countries of both eastern and western Europe and secular and religious backgrounds. They share how they struggled to live, cope, and maintain their humanity under extreme conditions of deprivation, terror, and mass murder. Some survived in hiding, others in Nazi camps. Some evaded deportations to death camps to join the anti-Nazi resistance or engaged in acts of sabotage as forced laborers. Some benefited from that all too rare assistance offered by non-Jews to help hunted Jews. Three of them lived to tell an extraordinary escape story. Regardless of their situation, everyone required not only physical strength but also, as some would say, luck, in order to survive. They also exhibited remarkable resilience and relied on inner courage, even after many of their family members had been killed.
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VIDEO: The Search for Humanity in the Holocaust, Karen Pollock (14:24), Holocaust Education Trust, TEDxDurham University
During the Holocaust there were examples of the best of humanity – men and women who, against desperate odds, in the face of the gravest danger, risked their own lives to save others, often complete strangers. While others chose to participate, collaborate, or stand-by as the Nazis exterminated Jews across the continent, they chose to act to make a difference.
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VIDEO: Voices of Rescue from the Holocaust (12:28), USHMM
The stories of ordinary people who chose to intervene and help rescue Jews, despite the risks, demonstrate that individuals have the power to make a difference. What we do—or choose not to do—matters.
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VIDEOS: Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Each year the JFR reunites a rescuer with the survivor he or she saved and honors the rescuer and survivor at its Annual Dinner. Often the rescuer and survivor have not seen each other for decades - sometimes not since the end of the war. These are short documentaries (15-20 min) that tell their special stories.
- Americans Who Rescued
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[Lois Gunden] Women of Valor, Yad Vashem
Stories of women who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Included in these is the story of American, Lois Gunden.
- [Martha & Waitstill Sharp] LESSON: The Sharps’ Dilemma, Facing History and Ourselves
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[Martha & Waitstill Sharp] READING: Two Who Dared, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Sharps’ rescue work began with a phone call from the American Unitarian community asking for their leadership in the refugee crisis in Prague, 1939.
- [Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Deeds Earn Place Among the Righteous, Boston Globe
- [Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Martha and Waitstill Sharp, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Martha and Waitstill Sharp] Martha and Waitstill Sharp, USHMM
Martha and Waitstill Sharp, American Unitarian aide workers, helped thousands of Jews, intellectuals, and children in Prague, Lisbon, and southern France in 1939–1940.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO TEACHING GUIDE: Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Holocaust is a story of persecution, mass murder, and genocide. It is important that students understand that history is not inevitable. This lesson focuses on individual action, personal choice, and moral responsibility that resulted in saving the lives of 200 Jews, American GIs captured during the Battle of the Bulge.
-
[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: Following in the Footsteps of My Father, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (14:23)
During the Battle of the Bulge, Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds was captured by the Germans along with more than 20,000 GIs. The NCO's, 1,292 men, were taken to Stalag IXA in Ziegenhain. Edmonds was the highest ranking officer of the group. This is his story.
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
- [Varian Fry] The Rescue of Marc Chagall, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- [Varian Fry] Varian Fry-France, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Varian Fry] Varian Fry, USHMM
Varian Fry (1907–1967) was an American journalist who helped anti-Nazi refugees escape from France.
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Non-Jewish Rescuers in the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to full list of individuals who rescued as well as other related topics.
- U.S Christians Who Rescued Jews from Hitler-Until the State Department Stopped Them, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- Diplomats Who Rescued
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[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Aristides de Sousa Mendes-Portugal, Yad Vashem
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was Portugal’s consul-general in Bordeaux, France. When Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, the Government of Portugal prohibited further crossings by refugees, especially Jewish refugees. Sousa Mendes, a devout and good-hearted Christian, seeing the terrible plight of the refugees, decided to disobey his government’s explicit instruction.
-
[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Museu Virtual Aristides de Sousa Mendes
This virtual exhibition provides an interactive experience of the story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes with audio-visual features.
- [Aristides de Sousa Mendes] The Insubordinate Portuguese Consul Who Saved Thousands of Lives, Invisible Bordeaux
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[Chiune Sugihara & Jan Zwartendijk] EXHIBIT: Flight and Rescue, USHMM
Just months before the mass killings of the Holocaust began, some 2,100 Jewish refugees fled war-torn Europe. With the help of Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch businessman, and Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, the refugees escaped and ultimately found safety in an unlikely destination.
-
[Chiune Sugihara] Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara, NPO Chiune Sugihara. Visas for Life
The remarkable story of Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara and the rescue of thousands of Jews.
-
[Chiune Sugihara] VIDEO: An Evening With Nobuki Sugihara (1:25), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who risked his family’s lives and his career to issue transit visas granting Jews safe passage through Japanese territory. On May 22, 2019, his son Nobuki Sugihara was interviewed by journalist Ann Curry about his father's bravery, for which he was named by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
- [Georg Duckwitz] READING: A Rescuer in Copenhagen, Facing History and Ourselves
- [Hiram Bingham] READING: A Rescuer in France, USHMM
- [Raoul Wallenberg] Raoul Wallenberg-Hungary, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
- [Raoul Wallenberg] VIDEO: 100,000 Souls-The Legacy of Raoul Wallenberg (4:10), YouTube
- Groups/Countries Who Rescued
- [Besa] A Code of Honor, Muslim Albanians who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
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[Besa] BROADCAST: The Muslims Who Saved the Jews (6:10), NPR
Host Liane Hansen speaks with photographer Norman Gershman about his book Besa: Muslims Who Saved Jews in World War II, which is also the subject of a documentary called God's House. Greshman spent five years collecting stories of Albanian Muslims who harbored Jewish refugees during World War II.
-
[Besa] Missing Pages, Exploring Islam Foundation/UK
To give "besa" in Albanian culture means to fulfill a promise no matter how difficult it is. The film "Besa: The Promise" is a documentary that explores several different stories of Muslim Albanians that saved Jews. This website is a resource for teachers to support that film. It includes stories of some of the individuals featured in the film
-
[Denmark] Commemorating the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Danish people, during three weeks, ferried their Jewish neighbors to safety in neutral Sweden. Almost the entire Jewish community of Denmark was saved. Learn about some of the men and women who risked their lives to save the Jews of Denmark.
-
[Denmark] EXHIBIT: Rescue of the Jews of Denmark, USHMM
The Danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 Jews to safety in nearby neutral Sweden. Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at war's end Denmark had one of the highest Jewish survival rates for any European country. Use the links on this page to learn more about the rescue of Danish Jewry and the special circumstances that made it possible.
-
[Denmark] LESSON: Rescue in October…the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righeous
The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is an inspiring story. When the Danes learned that a major aktion against their Jewish citizens was planned for the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ordinary citizens went into action. Strangers helped their fellow Jews – to cross dangerous waters in the dark of night to freedom in neutral Sweden. The lesson is designed to be covered in one or two classroom periods.
-
[Denmark] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Our Will to Help the Persecuted, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Perhaps the most spectacular example of the rescue of Jews occurred in Denmark in October 1943. When the country’s resistance movement learned that the Nazis intended to deport Danish Jews, it organised their passage to neutral Sweden in an improvised flotilla of fishing boats, rowing boats and even canoes. Aage Bertelsen was one of the organizers of the rescue effort.
-
[Denmark] The Rescue of Denmark’s Jews, Yad Vashem
Historical background.
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[Denmark] VIDEO: The Rescue of Jews in Denmark During the Holocaust (3:37), Yad Vashem
From a film about the rescue of Jews from Denmark. The village of Snekkersten was one of the ports where the boats taking Danish Jews to safety in Sweden sailed from, and the Thomsen's family inn played a major role in the rescue operation.
-
[France] EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved.
- [Le Chambon] Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, Jewish Virtual Library
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[Le Chambon] Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, USHMM
Includes photos, personal histories, artifacts, and maps.
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[Le Chambon] READING: Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
-
[Le Chambon] VIDEO: Weapons of the Spirit (35:07), Facing History and Ourselves
Film by Pierre Sauvage that details the story of the people of Le Chambon, France, who saved 5,000 Jews during WWII.
-
[OSE] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved. This is a story of courage and determination, a story of sacrifice, loyalty and dedication. This exhibition tells the story of three children's homes: the home in Chamonix, the home in Izieu, and the home in Chabannes.
-
[OSE] Society for Assistance to Children, Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Founded in Russia in 1912 by Jewish doctors and intellectuals, the Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants (Society for Assistance to Children; OSE) had a history of providing aid to Jewish families in need. During World War II, it operated fourteen children's homes throughout France to save Jewish children from internment and deportation to killing centers.
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[Palestine] Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Between 1943 and 1945, a group of Jewish men and women from Palestine who had volunteered to join the British army parachuted into German-occupied Europe. Their mission was to organize resistance to the Germans and aid in the rescue of Allied personnel.
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[Palestine] VIDEO: The Heroism of Hannah Senesh
Sophie Milman sings "Eli, Eli (A Walk to Caesarea)" which was a poem written by the Holocaust era heroine and martyr, Hannah Senseh (1921-1944), when she lived in Palestine before the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. The melody was composed by Israeli composer David Zahavi (1910 - 1977).
- [Palestine] VIDEO: The Legacy of Hannah Senesh (8:02), Museum of Jewish Heritage
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[Zegota] LESSON: Council for the Aid to Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
This unit of study focuses on one network of rescuers in Poland, Zegota, the Council for the Aid to Jews.
- [Zegota] Zegota, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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The Leica Freedom Train, aish.com
The Leica is the pioneer 35mm camera. It is a German product -- precise, minimalist, and utterly efficient. Behind its worldwide acceptance as a creative tool was a family-owned, socially oriented firm that during the Nazi era acted with uncommon grace, generosity and modesty. E. Leitz, Inc., designer and manufacturer of Germany's most famous photographic product, saved the company's Jews.
- Individuals Who Rescued
- [Irena Sendler] Irena Sendler-Poland, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Irena Sendler] Irena’s Children, aish.com
Mrs. Sendler, code name "Jolanta," smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation. She found a home for each child. Each was given a new name and a new identity as a Christian. Others were saving Jewish children, too, but many of those children were saved only in body; tragically, they disappeared from the Jewish people. Irena did all she could to ensure that "her children" would have a future as part of their own people.
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[Irena Sendler] Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project
A play created by students in Kansas and the website that developed from that experience.
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[Marion Pritchard] VIDEO: Life or Death in the Netherlands (5:12), Facing History and Ourselves
Marion Pritchard, a member of the Dutch resistance who hid a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation of Holland, describes what happened when a Dutch Nazi policeman investigated her house.
- [Nicholas Winton] VIDEO: Sir Nicholas Winton “Saving the Children” (15:14), 60 Minutes
- [Oskar Schindler] A Guide to “Schindler’s List,” Facing History and Ourselves
- [Oskar Schindler] Oskar Schindler, Jewish Virtual Library
- [Oskar Schindler] Oskar Schindler, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: The Stories of Six Righteous Among the Nations in Auschwitz, Yad Vashem
Even within the horror that was Auschwitz, there were flickers of light. Despite the total dehumanization that was part of the camp system, there were remarkable acts of solidarity and humanity by camp inmates. Among them were non-Jews, who at risk to their own lives, sought to ease the pain, to give aid and to rescue Jews. Features the stories of Ludwig Wörl, Dr. Adelaide Hautval, Lorenzo Perrone, Jerzy Bielecki, Dr. Ella Lingens, and Jerzy Pozimski.
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EXHIBIT: Women of Valor, Yad Vashem
A little over half of the Righteous Among the Nations recognized by Yad Vashem are women. While many of them acted in cooperation with other family members, some of these courageous women were the initiators of the rescue and acted independently to save Jews. Here are some of their stories.
- Jewish Victims of the Holocaust: Hidden Children, Jewish Virtual Library
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Nicholas Winton The Rescue of Children from Czechoslovakia 1938-39, USHMM
Nicholas Winton organized a rescue operation that brought approximately 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia to safety in Great Britain before the outbreak of World War II.
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Non-Jewish Rescuers in the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to full list of individuals who rescued as well as other related topics.
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Non-Jewish Rescuers in the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes list of individuals who rescued, with links to further information.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Rescue-Preserving Humanity During the Holocaust, USC Shoah Foundation
Rescue is a crucial topic in understanding genocide survival and appreciating the difficult choices that people make in extreme circumstances. Although many stories of survival during the Holocaust are due to unexplained and unexplainable circumstances, there are also numerous accounts of individual and group acts of aid and rescue that contributed to the survival of thousands of Jewish people.
- Polish Righteous, Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
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Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
These short, one-page pieces detail the story of individual rescuers that are recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. The stories can be selected by individual's name or by country.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Histories of Rescue, USHMM
Features several stories of Rescue with video oral histories.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Each year the JFR reunites a rescuer with the survivor he or she saved and honors the rescuer and survivor at its Annual Dinner. Often the rescuer and survivor had not seen each other for decades – sometimes not since the end of the war. In the months leading up to the reunion, the JFR visits with the rescuer and the survivor and produces a short documentary for the dinner that tells their special story. Each of the videos runs approximately 15 minutes and will surely inspire students.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Whose Child Are You? The Story of Tswi Josef Herschel (16:21), Yad Vashem
Tswi Herschel was born 29 December 1942 in Zwolle, a small town in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. In January 1943, the family had to leave Zwolle and moved to Amsterdam, where Tswi's father contacted non-Jewish Dutch friends and asked for help for his newborn son. In March 1943, a Protestant Dutch family took in baby Tswi, caring for him and raising him as their own child until the end of World War II. Tswi’s parents were transported to the transit camp of Westerbork in the Netherlands in June 1943. One month later, they were deported to the extermination camp of Sobibór, where they were murdered shortly after arrival. Tswi's grandmother, his only surviving relative, took him from his foster family after the war in order to give him a Jewish education. Tswi grew up, got married and had two daughters. In 1986, Tswi and his family immigrated to Israel. Since 1991, Tswi Herschel has told his story to young people and adults in Israel and Europe.
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Teachers Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
During the Holocaust most people abandoned their Jewish neighbors, turned a blind eye or even participated in the persecution of the Jews. Among them were teachers, who watched as their students were marked, harassed, discriminated against and finally murdered. Only some felt that it was their duty not only to educate and instill values in the classroom, but to live by those ideals, even at the risk of their lives. Yad Vashem has recognized those teachers as Righteous Among the Nations.
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VIDEO: Johtje Vos, Rescuer: Choices of Courage, USC Shoah Foundation
Through her testimony, Johtje Vos conveys the reasons why she and her husband, Aart, became rescuers and vividly describes daily life with people hidden in their home. The lesson’s theme, Choices of Courage, explores the implications of decision-making in dangerous and difficult times. Include Video (29:28), Background on Rescue in The Netherlands, and Lesson Packet.
- VIDEO: Nicholas Winton The Power of Good
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VIDEO: Porcelain Unicorn (2:59), Keegan Wilcox
Grand prize winner of the Philips Parallel Lines 'Tell It Your Way' international competition. About a German youth who befriends a Jewish girl in hiding during World War II.
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VIDEOS: Stories of Rescue, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Each year the JFR reunites a rescuer with the survivor he or she saved and honors the rescuer and survivor at its Annual Dinner. Often the rescuer and survivor have not seen each other for decades - sometimes not since the end of the war. These are short documentaries (15-20 min) that tell their special stories.
- Resistance
- [Bonhoeffer] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, USHMM
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[Otto & Elise Hampel] Elise Hampel, Gedenkstatte Deutscher Widerstand
Otto and Elise Hampel were a working-class couple who created a simple method of protest while living in Berlin during the early years of World War II. They composed postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public places around the city. They were eventually caught, tried, and beheaded in Berlin's Plötzensee Prison in April 1943. Shortly after the end of the war, their Gestapo file was given to German novelist Hans Fallada, and their story inspired his 1947 novel translated into English and published in 2009 as "Every Man Dies Alone."
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] Block Der Frauen (Block of Women), Berlin, University of Minnesota
etween February 27 and March 6, 1943, a group of up to 200 non-Jewish Germans demonstrated outside the local Jewish community building at Rosenstraße 2-4, in Berlin. There, German police had incarcerated around 2,000 Jews—mostly Jewish males married to non-Jewish partners and the male children of these so-called mixed marriages. The non-Jewish family members of those incarcerated in the Rosenstraße believed that the Germans would deport their loved ones to killing centers. They based their belief on recent experiences of deportation operations and the fact that the German police rounded up and deported over 10,000 Jews from Berlin to Auschwitz. Their non-violent demonstration in the freezing cold outside the Rosenstraße community center aimed to prevent this deportation.
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Fritz Gluckstein-Protest at Rosenstrasse (8:25), USHMM
Fritz Gluckstein discusses multiple close calls with the Nazis in Berlin, his detainment at a Gestapo holding site at Rosenstrasse 2-4, and the subsequent public demonstration that brought about his release.
- [Rosenstrasse Protest] The Loewenstein Family: A Story of Survival, University of Denver Online Exhibit
- [Rosenstrasse Protest] The Rosenstrasse Demonstration, 1943, USHMM
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[The White Rose] LESSON: The White Rose-Resistance in Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains examples of people who disagreed with or even resisted the Nazi regime. By doing these exercises, you will be able to develop your understanding of empathy and the importance of making decisions and acting upon them, necessary qualities in protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights.
- [The White Rose] Memories of the White Rose, The History Place
- [The White Rose] Protest of Youth by Anton Gill, University of Pennsylvania
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[The White Rose] The Leaflets, Center for White Rose Studies
If you are unfamiliar with the story of the White Rose, get a feel for their heroism by simply reading what they wrote. Links to all 7 leaflets.
- [The White Rose] The Secret Student Group That Stood Up to the Nazis, Smithsonian/February 2017
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[The White Rose] The White Rose, Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand
In the early summer of 1942, a group of Munich University students sought to evade co-optation by National Socialism and to preserve their intellectual independence. Their numbers included Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst, and Willi Graf. They were influenced by their professor, Kurt Huber, with whom they discussed fundamental issues of the new political order. In the summer of 1942, the first White Rose leaflets called for resistance against the criminal dictatorship.
- [The White Rose] Their Story, Center for the White Rose Studies
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[The White Rose] VIDEO: The Search for the White Rose (25:15), from Peter Logue
In 1942, amidst inexplicable evil and destruction, a small group of University of Munich students and one professor found themselves morally incapable of remaining complicit. Through the publication and distribution of six anti-Nazi leaflets, the members of the White Rose implored their countrymen to rise against the government by asking them to consider the “dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes- crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure- reach the light of day.”
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[The White Rose] VIDEO: Who Determines What Becomes History? A Witness’ Reflections (59:24), UC Santa Barbara/YouTube
George J. Wittenstein, a surviving member of the White Rose, a Hitler resistance organization, discusses how history is created and defined depending on the author. He also recounts his experiences during WWII.
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[The White Rose] White Rose, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
In 1942 Hans Scholl, a medical student at the University of Munich, his sister Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell founded the “White Rose” movement, one of the few German groups that spoke out against Nazi genocidal policies.
- [Vilna] Abba Kovner and Resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, ThoughtCo.
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[Vilna] READING: FPO Calls for Revolt in Vilna, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the United Partisan Organization’s call for the Jews of Vilna to take armed resistance against the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] Emanuel Ringelblum and the Creation of the Oneg Shabbat Archive, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the Warsaw Ghetto, Emanuel Ringelblum founded a clandestine organization that aimed to provide an accurate record of events taking place in German-occupied Poland while the ghetto existed. This archive came to be known as the “Oneg Shabbat” (literally “Joy of the Sabbath,” also known as the Ringelblum Archive).
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[Warsaw] EXHIBIT: “Let the World Read and Know” – The Oneg Shabbat Archives, Yad Vashem
The Oneg Shabbat Archives is the most significant collection of sources in the world documenting the Holocaust - sources that were created, gathered, and written by the victims themselves, in real time, at the moment when they were experiencing the horrors. The Archives is comprised of diaries and notes, memoirs, photographs, clandestine newspapers, monographs, letters and more - all of which are of inestimable value in the study of the living conditions, the creativity, the struggle and the murder of Polish Jewry.
- [Warsaw] Graphic Novel About Marke Edleman, Polin Museum/Warsaw
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[Warsaw] LEARNING GUIDE: Time Capsule in a Milk Can, USHMM
Emanuel Ringelblum and the milk can archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] LESSON: Spiritual, Educational & Physical Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
A six-day lesson plan for middle school created by Sol A. Factor, Cleveland Heights High School.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Emanuel Ringelblum, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using a graphic novel format, explore the life of Emanuel Ringelblum.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Oyneg Shabbes Archive Collections (5:36), Yad Vashem
With the beginning of the Great Deportation of Warsaw Jewry to the Treblinka extermination camp, members of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive sought shelter for the Archive and decided that it was to be buried, despite the risks involved. Their hope was that it would one day be retrieved and serve as a testament to the murder of Polish Jewry. The archival collections included original research, testimonies and documents, newspapers, diaries, photographs, and artworks. Among those entrusted with the task of burying the Archive were two educators, Israel Lichtenstein and his wife, painter Gele Sekstein. Shortly before burying the Archives, they added their own wills, describing their lives and lamenting the fate of Europe’s Jews.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Stroop Report, Jewish Virtual Library
Official report prepared by General Jürgen Stroop for the SS chief Heinrich Himmler, recounting the German suppression of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the liquidation of the ghetto in the spring of 1943.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: May History Attest For Us, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jewish resistance to the Holocaust did not just involve fighting. Oneg Shabbat was a project organised by the historian Emanuel Ringelblum which attempted to record Jewish life in occupied Warsaw by collecting items such as diaries, newspapers, poems and even sweet wrappers. When deportations to Treblinka began in the summer of 1942, a section of the Oneg Shabbat archive was buried in metal boxes in the ghetto; two later caches were buried in 1943. One of the three men who buried the archives was David Graber, who was 19. He added this last letter.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Suicide Note of Szmul Zygielbojm, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Szmul Zygielbojm was a Jewish socialist politician who was a member of the Polish government-in-exile, which was based in London. He had played a leading role in trying to make western governments and the public opinion aware of the Holocaust when detailed reports emerged from Poland in 1942. However, he grew frustrated with what he saw as the indifference of the Allies. On 12 May 1943, during the last days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, he committed suicide in London, leaving this note.
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[Warsaw] READING: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the largest act of resistance by Jews against the Nazis, mounted by prisoners of the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Ringelblum Archive, Jewish Historical Institute
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (29:01), USC Shoah Foundation/YouTube
Seven interviewees describe their roles in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Transcript available. English.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Benjamin Meed (3:18), USHMM
Benjamin Meed describes the burning of the Warsaw ghetto during the 1943 ghetto uprising [Interview: 1990].
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Estelle Laughlin – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (9:30), USHMM Podcast
Estelle Laughlin discusses the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when German forces, intending to liquidate the ghetto on April 19, 1943, were stunned by an armed uprising from Jewish fighters. Estelle and her family hid in an underground bunker during the uprising but were eventually captured and deported.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yisrael Gutman (2:15), Yad Vashem/YouTube
His parents and older sister perished in the ghetto, and his younger sister was a member of Janusz Korczak's orphanage. As a member of the Jewish Underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, Israel Gutman was wounded in the uprising. From Warsaw he was taken to Majdanek, and from there to Auschwitz. In May 1945 he was sent on the death march to Mauthausen. In total, he spent two years in the camps. After the war he helped in the rehabilitation of survivors, was active in the Bericha movement, and immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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[Warsaw] The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, zwoje-scrolls
Photos of the uprising.
- [Warsaw] Timeline of Events of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Polin Museum
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (2/5): Rachel Auerbach and the Public Kitchen in the Warsaw Ghetto (9:18), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In Nazi-occupied Poland, historian Emanuel Ringelblum, who headed the Jewish Self-Help Society (Jewish relief organization) in Warsaw, asked Rachel Auerbach to organize a public kitchen. Once Jews were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, public kitchens supplied the hungry masses with a daily meal. Auerbach heeded Ringelblum's request. She also became a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive. In this capacity she documented the sights she encountered in her everyday work and the starvation of the Ghetto's inhabitants (approx. 450,000 people). Auerbach was one of three of the Archive's members to survive the war. She dedicated her life to the documentation of and research into the Holocaust.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (3/5): The Jewish Letter Carrier in the Warsaw Ghetto (6:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Peretz Opoczynski was a journalist, writer, and educator. During World War II Opoczynski was a member of the underground archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”). Opoczynski documented the sights he saw and his experiences as a mailman in the ghetto.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (5/5): The Great Deportation in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:22), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Abraham Lewin, an educator and a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive maintained a diary depicting the wartime events in the Warsaw ghetto. It is rare in that it covers in real time the Great Deportation of the summer 1942, during which some 265,000 Jews were deported to their deaths in Treblinka, and some 10,000 were murdered within the ghetto. Abraham Lewin survived the Great Deportation and continued documenting the tragic events of the ghetto until his capture by the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (3:43), Yad Vashem
A brief animated overview of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the events leading up to it. The first widespread civil uprising to take place during World War 2, the uprising has become a symbol of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- [Warsaw] VIDEO: Oneg Shabbat-Emanuel Ringelblum’s Underground Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:47), Yad Vashem/YouTube
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: There Was No Hope. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 19th April 1943 (29:40), Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
An educational film about Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It begins with Jewish life in Warsaw and progresses through ghetto life and the ultimate uprising.
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[Warsaw] Video: Who Will Write Our History (classroom version, 37:39), Facing History and Ourselves
This educational version of the documentary tells the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive, created by a clandestine group in the Warsaw Ghetto who vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda by detailing life in the ghetto from the Jewish perspective.
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[Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Includes a downloadable Study Guide to the film "Uprising."
- [Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, USHMM
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[Warsaw] Yizkor, 1943 by Rachel Auerbach, from Tablet Magazine, May 4, 2016
Reflections on life in the Warsaw ghetto written by Rachel Auerbach from the Aryan side of Warsaw, November 1943.
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A Remembrance of WWII Resistance Fighter Reidar Dittman, MPR News
The story of Reidar Dittmann, a member of the Norwegian Resistance. Includes a 15-minute video interview.
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ANIMATED MAP: Jewish Resistance (2:22), USHMM
In the face of Nazi terror, many Jews resisted the Germans and their collaborators. Underground resistance movements developed in over 100 ghettos in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. Further, under the most adverse conditions, Jewish prisoners succeeded in initiating uprisings in some of the Nazi camps. Jewish partisan units operated in France, Belgium, the Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, and Poland. Jews also fought in general French, Italian, Yugoslav, Greek, and Soviet resistance organizations. While organized armed resistance was the most direct form of opposition to the Nazis, resistance also included escape, hiding, cultural activity, and other acts of spiritual preservation.
- Armed Jewish Resistance: Partisans, USHMM
- German Resistance to Hitler, USHMM
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German Resistance to Nazism, Spartacus Educational
List of names with links to full bios.
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How Artist Beat “Foolproof” Nazi System to Forge Dutch ID Papers, Times of Israel, January 3, 2018
As an expert forger of identity papers, Alice Cohn worked with a Utrecht-based resistance group (The Utrecht Children's Committee) while in hiding. Their production of so-called “wild papers,” including ID and ration cards, saved up to 350 Jewish children from the Nazis. During the war’s final year, Cohn’s handiwork helped prevent young Dutch men from being sent to Germany as forced laborers.
- Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM
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Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Extensive website on Jewish Partisans, including e-learning opportunities, videos, and lessons.
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Jewish Prisoner Uprisings in Treblinka and Sobibor, Jewish Virtual Library
This is a 4-part piece. Advance at the bottom of the page.
- Jewish Resistance, USHMM
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
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LESSON: Armed, Civil and Spiritual Resistance in the Ghettos During the Holocaust, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains examples of people who disagreed with, or even resisted, the Nazi regime. By the end of this activity you will have developed your understanding of empathy and the importance of making decisions and acting upon them; all necessary attributes in protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights.
- LESSON: Individual Responsibility and Resistance During the Holocaust, USHMM
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LESSON: Resistance During the Holocaust, USHMM
Students learn the various forms of resistance during the Holocaust and explore examples from 1933–45.
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LESSON: The Holocaust: Bystanders and Upstanders, Facing History and Ourselves
Students explore the stories of individuals, groups, and nations who made choices to resist the Nazis, as well as the bystanders who decided to remain silent.
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LESSON: Vera Laska, Political Prisoner: Power of Resistance, USC Shoah Foundation
Three years after Vera Laska joined the Czechoslovak underground railroad, she was arrested at the age of fifteen and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau as a political prisoner. Throughout her testimony, Vera engagingly describes her refusal to feel powerless despite overwhelming adversity. The lesson’s theme, Power of Resistance, examines the relationship between Vera’s beliefs and actions in her experiences during the Holocaust. Includes video (30:52), Background on Non-Jewish Resistance, and Lesson Packet.
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MAP: Jewish Armed Resistance in Ghettos and Camps 1941-1944, USHMM
Between 1941 and 1943, underground resistance movements developed in about 100 Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. Their main goals were to organize uprisings, break out of the ghettos, and join partisan units in the fight against the Germans. The Jews knew that uprisings would not stop the Germans and that only a handful of fighters would succeed in escaping to join with partisans. Still, Jews made the decision to resist. Further, under the most adverse conditions, Jewish prisoners succeeded in initiating resistance and uprisings in some Nazi concentration camps, and even in the killing centers of Treblinka, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. Other camp uprisings took place in camps such as Kruszyna (1942), Minsk Mazowiecki (1943), and Janowska (1943). In several dozen camps prisoners organized escapes to join partisan units.
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MAP: Jewish Partisan Activity in Eastern Europe 1942-1944, USHMM
Despite enormous obstacles, many Jews throughout German-occupied Europe attempted armed resistance against the Germans. Individual Jews or groups of Jews engaged in planned or spontaneous opposition to the Germans and their allies. Jewish partisans were especially active in the east, where they fought the Germans from bases established behind the front lines in forests and ghettos. Because antisemitism was widespread there, they found little support among the surrounding population. Even so, as many as 20,000 Jews fought the Germans in the forests of eastern Europe.
- MAP: Jewish Partisan Activity in Western Europe, 1942-1944, USHMM
- Moral and Spiritual Resistance, Sydney Jewish Museum
- Non-Jewish Resistance, USHMM
- Non-Jewish Resistance: Overview, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Jewish Resistance to the Holocaust, The Wiener Holocaust Library
A look at resistance by Jews to the persecution and genocide committed by the Nazis and their collaborators across Europe between 1941 and 1945.
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Opposition and Resistance in Nazi Germany by Frank McDonough
This 24-page piece addresses: Youth Protests, the White Rose, Resistance from the Christian Churches, and Military Resistance Against Hitler.
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Partisans, Sydney Jewish Museum
Includes list of Jewish Resistance Groups, their area of activity, the name of the organization, and their leadership.
- Partisans, Yad Vashem
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Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
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PHOTOS: The Wartime Photography of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Faye Shulman was born in Poland in 1924. She received her first camera from her brother when she was 13, and it was that camera which ultimately saved her life, and allowed her to later document Jewish partisan activity. She is one of the only known Jewish partisan photographers. Schulman's rare collection of images captures the camaraderie, horror and loss, bravery and triumph of the rag-tag, tough partisan—some Jewish, some not—who fought the Germans and their collaborators.
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POEM: Never Say This is the Final Road for You by Hirsh Glik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
From late 1942 onwards, increasing numbers of young Jews escaped from ghettos and formed partisan groups which fought the Nazis. The largest groups of Jewish partisans were based in the forests of eastern Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The following song became the anthem of these partisan groups. It was written in Yiddish by Hirsh Glik, a young poet in the Vilna Ghetto, after he heard news of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Whoever Does Not Condemn, Consents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
While many non-Jews exploited the Holocaust for personal gain or reacted with indifference, a courageous minority took action. One of them was Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, a writer and a member of the Polish resistance movement. Kossak-Szczucka was a strong Polish nationalist and was widely regarded as an antisemite. When the deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp began, she published a pamphlet entitled ‘Protest!’ in which she condemned the passivity of the world in the face of mass murder. These are some extracts from ‘Protest!’.
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Prisoner Revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, USHMM
On October 7, 1944, prisoners assigned to Crematorium IV at the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center rebel after learning that they were going to be killed. Members of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium IV rose in revolt.
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READING: Protests in Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate different examples of protest and resistance by Germans against the Nazi regime in the 1940;s, including the White Rose resistance group.
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READING: Rejecting Nazism, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Kids, two German youth groups that questioned Nazism.
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READING: Speaking out “In the Face of Murder,” Facing History and Ourselves
Read a secretly-published 1942 pamphlet entitled “Protest” that condemned the deportation and murder of Jews.
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Resistance During the Holocaust, a USHMM Publication
This pamphlet explores examples of armed and unarmed resistance by Jews and other Holocaust victims.
- Resistance During the Holocaust, ADL
- Resistance in the Camps, Sydney Jewish Museum
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Resistance, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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Resistance, Jewish Virtual Library
Links to myriads of topics on the JVL site.
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Resisters, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
Links to many other specific topics.
- Solidarity in the Forest – The Bielski Brothers, Yad Vashem
- Sonderkommando Revolt, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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Spiritual Resistance in the Ghettos, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Spiritual resistance during the Holocaust refers to attempts by individuals to maintain their humanity, personal integrity, dignity, and sense of civilization in the face of Nazi attempts to dehumanize and degrade them.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Life of a Partisan (1:14), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Vitka Kovner, Joseph (Julik) Harmatz and Baruch Shub describe partisan activities. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Heilman, “Resistance in Auschwitz” (4:54), Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Anna Heilman recalls her part in a revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was a prisoner, and describes the aftermath of the revolt.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Baruch Shub (2:57), Yad Vashem
Baruch Shub was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1924, the second child in a Hassidic family of six. In 1939 the Soviets conquered Vilnius, and in June 1940 the city was annexed and Communist rule instituted. Consequently, the universities were opened to Jews, and Baruch went to study mechanical engineering. In June 1941, the Germans conquered Vilnius and began murdering Jews in Ponary. Baruch found work at a German garage repairing military vehicles. In September the Jews of Vilnius were confined to a ghetto. Baruch and his older sister, Zipporah, hid in a truck travelling to Radoszkovice, where Baruch found work again in a German garage. On 11 March 1942, the Jews were ordered to gather in the town square. From his hiding place in the garage, Baruch saw a huge line of people, including children, moving slowly towards a barn. The sound of shooting could be heard. At night, the barn caught fire and a thick stench filled the skies. Zipporah was among the 840 Jews murdered there that day. After the ghetto was set up, the Jewish youth established an underground movement in the ghetto, bought weapons and prepared to escape to the forests to join the partisans. However, the Germans threatened death should anyone be found missing from the ghetto, and their activities ceased. After hearing from his mother in Vilnius, Baruch returned to his hometown, where he worked in German manufacturing plants. He established an underground movement with his friend Yaakov (Kuba) Koshkin, and later joined the FPO (United Partisans Organization). In September 1943, the Germans carried out a number of aktionen (roundups of Jews in preparation for their deportation to concentration, forced labor or death camps). Following an armed clash with the Germans, Baruch and some friends joined a group of partisans in the Rudnicki Forest. Two weeks later, the Vilnius ghetto was liquidated. Baruch enlisted in a Russian paratrooper unit, participating in various military operations. In July 1944, the Red Army conquered Vilnius, and Baruch discovered that his entire family had been murdered. After his army discharge, he decided to emigrate to Eretz Israel, finally arriving in October 1945. He was recruited to the Haganah, serving as an airplane technician during the War of Independence. Two years later he transferred to El Al, rising through company ranks to Chief Flight Engineer. After 33 years, he retired. Hebrew with English subtitles.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Holocaust Survivors Remember Sobibor Uprising (28:24), USC Shoah Foundation
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Joining the Resistance (6:34), Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Vera Laska describes her teenage experience as part of the resistance against the Nazis in Czechoslovakia.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Joseph Cooper (1:09), Musee de l’Holocaust Montreal
Joseph Cooper, a Holocaust Survivor, talks about how he risked his life by singing Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur at Sosnowiec concentration camp. Joseph was born in Kielce, Poland, to orthodox Jewish parents. He spent three years in the confines of the Kielce ghetto and in 1943 was deported to Pionki labour camp to do forced labour. In 1944, he was taken to Auschwitz concentration camp where he endured brutal treatment. Even in the most deplorable of conditions, he maintained his faith through song. After surviving a death march, Joseph was liberated at Ebensee concentration camp by the American Army in 1945. In 1948, he immigrated to Canada, serving for 49 years as cantor for the largest conservative synagogue in Canada.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ruth Brand (3:21), USC Shoah Foundation
Ruth Brand talks about the decision to fast on Yom Kippur—also known as the Day of Atonement—in Auschwitz II-Birkenau as a form of resistance.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Saul Reichert (3:15), Musee de l’Holocauste Montreal
Saul Reichert was born in 1930 in Zgierz, Poland but he grew up in Pabianice. Soon after the occupying German forces established the ghetto, Saul’s family was forced to move in. In 1942 they were transferred to the Lodz ghetto and in 1944 they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In this excerpt, Saul recalls how they celebrated Rosh Hashanah in the camp.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Uprising in Treblinka by Samuel Rajzman
Samuel Rajzman was one of the very few survivors of the Treblinka death camp - he was lucky enough to escape. The testimony (in writing) he gave, more than 60 years ago, is still important to understand the enormity of the crimes committed in that death camp and in the Final Solution.
- The Revolt at Auschwitz (October 7, 1944), Jewish Virtual Library
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Treblinka Death Camp Revolt/August 1943, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
Jewish inmates organized a resistance group in Treblinka in early 1943. When camp operations neared completion, the prisoners feared they would be killed and the camp dismantled. During the late spring and summer of 1943, the resistance leaders decided to revolt.
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Treblinka Survivor Recalls Suffering and Resisitance, BBC News, August 4, 2013
Nothing remains of Treblinka extermination camp apart from the ashes of the estimated 870,000 mostly Jewish men, women and children that the Nazis gassed and buried underground. Samuel Willenberg is the last survivor of the Jewish prisoners' revolt in the camp and he had returned for the 70th anniversary.
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VIDEO: Bystanders and Resisters (5:11), Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, discusses the roles of bystanders and resisters during the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: Films about Jewish Partisans, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Short documentary films made from a collection of 50 original interviews with surviving Jewish Partisans.
- VIDEO: How Did People Resist the Nazis? (02:52), Brown University/Choices Program
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VIDEO: Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust (15:29), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
A common question when we’re studying about the Holocaust is, “Why didn’t the Jews resist?” But they did. In this video we discuss different forms and types of resistance, both spiritual and armed. In the unprecedented inhumanity of the Holocaust there were Jews who found the strength and the courage, both physical and spiritual, to retain their humanity and resist hopelessness and dehumanization. The story of their resistance is a human story that shows the heights that human beings can reach even in the depths of despair.
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VIDEO: Judy Batalion Event, June 16, 2021 (1:01), USC Shoah Foundation
In this event hosted by USC Shoah Foundation, in partnership with Writer's Bloc and Holocaust Museum LA, Nancy Spielberg and author Judy Batalion engage in a riveting conversation about the untold tales of determination, cunning, and courage of women who fought the Nazis. Batalion unveils countless stories of ingenuity, ferocity, and daring by girls and young women who fought the Nazis in Hitler’s ghettos in Poland. They blew up trains. They smuggled food and guns. They distributed false papers. They built bombs from a recipe unearthed in an old Russian pamphlet. They bought munitions. They spied. They sabotaged Hitler’s supply lines. They killed Nazis. These “ghetto girls” used their brilliance, their bravery, and often their beauty, to fight their captors.
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VIDEO: Testimonies About Rescue, Resistance, and Survival (1:17:42), USHMM
This 78-minute film weaves together excerpts from testimonies of Holocaust survivors recorded in 1993. These Jewish men and women are from countries of both eastern and western Europe and secular and religious backgrounds. They share how they struggled to live, cope, and maintain their humanity under extreme conditions of deprivation, terror, and mass murder. Some survived in hiding, others in Nazi camps. Some evaded deportations to death camps to join the anti-Nazi resistance or engaged in acts of sabotage as forced laborers. Some benefited from that all too rare assistance offered by non-Jews to help hunted Jews. Three of them lived to tell an extraordinary escape story. Regardless of their situation, everyone required not only physical strength but also, as some would say, luck, in order to survive. They also exhibited remarkable resilience and relied on inner courage, even after many of their family members had been killed.
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VIDEO: The Bielski Brothers (52:50), Facing History and Ourselves
This film tells the story of the Bielski brothers’ resistance against the Nazis and rescue of 1200 Jews during World War II.
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VIDEO: The Bielski Brothers: An Introducation (6:44), Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
The Bielskis saved over 1,200 people in their all Jewish partisan unit in wartime Poland, and is the single largest rescue of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust. This film is part of JPEF's on-line course on teaching with the motion picture "Defiance".
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VIDEO: The Lives and Legacies of Jewish Women Who Resisted the Nazis (1:06), Museum of Jewish Heritage
During the Holocaust, more than 3,000 women fought back against the Nazis in ghettos, forced labor camps, concentration camps, and partisan units. In this program, Dr. Lori Weintrob, Director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center, explores the heroic lives and legacies of these female resistance fighters in conversation with Rokhl Kafrissen, Yiddish culture writer and Tablet Magazine contributor, and Rachel Roth, a survivor of Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: The Treblinka Uprising (1:44), World Jewish Congres
On August 2nd, 1943, the underground Jewish resistance in Treblinka staged a revolt against the Nazi guards. The camp had been created with one sole purpose: To enable the mass murder of Jews. Between 870,000 and 925,000 people were killed in Treblinka; most were gassed upon arrival.
- Jewish Resistance
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ANIMATED MAP: Jewish Resistance (2:22), USHMM
In the face of Nazi terror, many Jews resisted the Germans and their collaborators. Underground resistance movements developed in over 100 ghettos in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. Further, under the most adverse conditions, Jewish prisoners succeeded in initiating uprisings in some of the Nazi camps. Jewish partisan units operated in France, Belgium, the Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, and Poland. Jews also fought in general French, Italian, Yugoslav, Greek, and Soviet resistance organizations. While organized armed resistance was the most direct form of opposition to the Nazis, resistance also included escape, hiding, cultural activity, and other acts of spiritual preservation.
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How Artist Beat “Foolproof” Nazi System to Forge Dutch ID Papers, Times of Israel, January 3, 2018
As an expert forger of identity papers, Alice Cohn worked with a Utrecht-based resistance group (The Utrecht Children's Committee) while in hiding. Their production of so-called “wild papers,” including ID and ration cards, saved up to 350 Jewish children from the Nazis. During the war’s final year, Cohn’s handiwork helped prevent young Dutch men from being sent to Germany as forced laborers.
- Jewish Parachutists From Palestine, USHMM
- Jewish Resistance, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
- Vedem Underground Newespaper, the Breman Museum
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VIDEO: Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust (15:29), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
A common question when we’re studying about the Holocaust is, “Why didn’t the Jews resist?” But they did. In this video we discuss different forms and types of resistance, both spiritual and armed. In the unprecedented inhumanity of the Holocaust there were Jews who found the strength and the courage, both physical and spiritual, to retain their humanity and resist hopelessness and dehumanization. The story of their resistance is a human story that shows the heights that human beings can reach even in the depths of despair.
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VIDEO: The Lives and Legacies of Jewish Women Who Resisted the Nazis (1:06), Museum of Jewish Heritage
During the Holocaust, more than 3,000 women fought back against the Nazis in ghettos, forced labor camps, concentration camps, and partisan units. In this program, Dr. Lori Weintrob, Director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center, explores the heroic lives and legacies of these female resistance fighters in conversation with Rokhl Kafrissen, Yiddish culture writer and Tablet Magazine contributor, and Rachel Roth, a survivor of Auschwitz.
- Non-Jewish Resistance
- [Bonhoeffer] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, USHMM
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[Otto & Elise Hampel] Elise Hampel, Gedenkstatte Deutscher Widerstand
Otto and Elise Hampel were a working-class couple who created a simple method of protest while living in Berlin during the early years of World War II. They composed postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public places around the city. They were eventually caught, tried, and beheaded in Berlin's Plötzensee Prison in April 1943. Shortly after the end of the war, their Gestapo file was given to German novelist Hans Fallada, and their story inspired his 1947 novel translated into English and published in 2009 as "Every Man Dies Alone."
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] Block Der Frauen (Block of Women), Berlin, University of Minnesota
etween February 27 and March 6, 1943, a group of up to 200 non-Jewish Germans demonstrated outside the local Jewish community building at Rosenstraße 2-4, in Berlin. There, German police had incarcerated around 2,000 Jews—mostly Jewish males married to non-Jewish partners and the male children of these so-called mixed marriages. The non-Jewish family members of those incarcerated in the Rosenstraße believed that the Germans would deport their loved ones to killing centers. They based their belief on recent experiences of deportation operations and the fact that the German police rounded up and deported over 10,000 Jews from Berlin to Auschwitz. Their non-violent demonstration in the freezing cold outside the Rosenstraße community center aimed to prevent this deportation.
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[Rosenstrasse Protest] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Fritz Gluckstein-Protest at Rosenstrasse (8:25), USHMM
Fritz Gluckstein discusses multiple close calls with the Nazis in Berlin, his detainment at a Gestapo holding site at Rosenstrasse 2-4, and the subsequent public demonstration that brought about his release.
- [Rosenstrasse Protest] The Loewenstein Family: A Story of Survival, University of Denver Online Exhibit
- [Rosenstrasse Protest] The Rosenstrasse Demonstration, 1943, USHMM
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[The White Rose] LESSON: The White Rose-Resistance in Germany, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains examples of people who disagreed with or even resisted the Nazi regime. By doing these exercises, you will be able to develop your understanding of empathy and the importance of making decisions and acting upon them, necessary qualities in protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights.
- [The White Rose] Memories of the White Rose, The History Place
- [The White Rose] Protest of Youth by Anton Gill, University of Pennsylvania
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[The White Rose] The Leaflets, Center for White Rose Studies
If you are unfamiliar with the story of the White Rose, get a feel for their heroism by simply reading what they wrote. Links to all 7 leaflets.
- [The White Rose] The Secret Student Group That Stood Up to the Nazis, Smithsonian/February 2017
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[The White Rose] The White Rose, Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand
In the early summer of 1942, a group of Munich University students sought to evade co-optation by National Socialism and to preserve their intellectual independence. Their numbers included Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst, and Willi Graf. They were influenced by their professor, Kurt Huber, with whom they discussed fundamental issues of the new political order. In the summer of 1942, the first White Rose leaflets called for resistance against the criminal dictatorship.
- [The White Rose] Their Story, Center for the White Rose Studies
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[The White Rose] VIDEO: The Search for the White Rose (25:15), from Peter Logue
In 1942, amidst inexplicable evil and destruction, a small group of University of Munich students and one professor found themselves morally incapable of remaining complicit. Through the publication and distribution of six anti-Nazi leaflets, the members of the White Rose implored their countrymen to rise against the government by asking them to consider the “dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes- crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure- reach the light of day.”
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[The White Rose] VIDEO: Who Determines What Becomes History? A Witness’ Reflections (59:24), UC Santa Barbara/YouTube
George J. Wittenstein, a surviving member of the White Rose, a Hitler resistance organization, discusses how history is created and defined depending on the author. He also recounts his experiences during WWII.
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[The White Rose] White Rose, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
In 1942 Hans Scholl, a medical student at the University of Munich, his sister Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell founded the “White Rose” movement, one of the few German groups that spoke out against Nazi genocidal policies.
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A Remembrance of WWII Resistance Fighter Reidar Dittman, MPR News
The story of Reidar Dittmann, a member of the Norwegian Resistance. Includes a 15-minute video interview.
- German Resistance to Hitler, USHMM
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German Resistance to Nazism, Spartacus Educational
List of names with links to full bios.
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LESSON: Vera Laska, Political Prisoner: Power of Resistance, USC Shoah Foundation
Three years after Vera Laska joined the Czechoslovak underground railroad, she was arrested at the age of fifteen and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau as a political prisoner. Throughout her testimony, Vera engagingly describes her refusal to feel powerless despite overwhelming adversity. The lesson’s theme, Power of Resistance, examines the relationship between Vera’s beliefs and actions in her experiences during the Holocaust. Includes video (30:52), Background on Non-Jewish Resistance, and Lesson Packet.
- Non-Jewish Resistance, USHMM
- Non-Jewish Resistance: Overview, USHMM
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Opposition and Resistance in Nazi Germany by Frank McDonough
This 24-page piece addresses: Youth Protests, the White Rose, Resistance from the Christian Churches, and Military Resistance Against Hitler.
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Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
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READING: Protests in Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate different examples of protest and resistance by Germans against the Nazi regime in the 1940;s, including the White Rose resistance group.
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READING: Rejecting Nazism, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Kids, two German youth groups that questioned Nazism.
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READING: Speaking out “In the Face of Murder,” Facing History and Ourselves
Read a secretly-published 1942 pamphlet entitled “Protest” that condemned the deportation and murder of Jews.
- Resistance in the Camps
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Jewish Prisoner Uprisings in Treblinka and Sobibor, Jewish Virtual Library
This is a 4-part piece. Advance at the bottom of the page.
- Killing Center Revolts, USHMM
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MAP: Jewish Armed Resistance in Ghettos and Camps 1941-1944, USHMM
Between 1941 and 1943, underground resistance movements developed in about 100 Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. Their main goals were to organize uprisings, break out of the ghettos, and join partisan units in the fight against the Germans. The Jews knew that uprisings would not stop the Germans and that only a handful of fighters would succeed in escaping to join with partisans. Still, Jews made the decision to resist. Further, under the most adverse conditions, Jewish prisoners succeeded in initiating resistance and uprisings in some Nazi concentration camps, and even in the killing centers of Treblinka, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. Other camp uprisings took place in camps such as Kruszyna (1942), Minsk Mazowiecki (1943), and Janowska (1943). In several dozen camps prisoners organized escapes to join partisan units.
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Prisoner Revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, USHMM
On October 7, 1944, prisoners assigned to Crematorium IV at the Auschwitz-Birkenau killing center rebel after learning that they were going to be killed. Members of the Sonderkommando at Crematorium IV rose in revolt.
- Resistance in the Camps, Sydney Jewish Museum
- Sonderkommando Revolt, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Heilman, “Resistance in Auschwitz” (4:54), Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Anna Heilman recalls her part in a revolt at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was a prisoner, and describes the aftermath of the revolt.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Holocaust Survivors Remember Sobibor Uprising (28:24), USC Shoah Foundation
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Joseph Cooper (1:09), Musee de l’Holocaust Montreal
Joseph Cooper, a Holocaust Survivor, talks about how he risked his life by singing Kol Nidre on Yom Kippur at Sosnowiec concentration camp. Joseph was born in Kielce, Poland, to orthodox Jewish parents. He spent three years in the confines of the Kielce ghetto and in 1943 was deported to Pionki labour camp to do forced labour. In 1944, he was taken to Auschwitz concentration camp where he endured brutal treatment. Even in the most deplorable of conditions, he maintained his faith through song. After surviving a death march, Joseph was liberated at Ebensee concentration camp by the American Army in 1945. In 1948, he immigrated to Canada, serving for 49 years as cantor for the largest conservative synagogue in Canada.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ruth Brand (3:21), USC Shoah Foundation
Ruth Brand talks about the decision to fast on Yom Kippur—also known as the Day of Atonement—in Auschwitz II-Birkenau as a form of resistance.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Saul Reichert (3:15), Musee de l’Holocauste Montreal
Saul Reichert was born in 1930 in Zgierz, Poland but he grew up in Pabianice. Soon after the occupying German forces established the ghetto, Saul’s family was forced to move in. In 1942 they were transferred to the Lodz ghetto and in 1944 they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In this excerpt, Saul recalls how they celebrated Rosh Hashanah in the camp.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Uprising in Treblinka by Samuel Rajzman
Samuel Rajzman was one of the very few survivors of the Treblinka death camp - he was lucky enough to escape. The testimony (in writing) he gave, more than 60 years ago, is still important to understand the enormity of the crimes committed in that death camp and in the Final Solution.
- The Revolt at Auschwitz (October 7, 1944), Jewish Virtual Library
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Treblinka Death Camp Revolt/August 1943, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
Jewish inmates organized a resistance group in Treblinka in early 1943. When camp operations neared completion, the prisoners feared they would be killed and the camp dismantled. During the late spring and summer of 1943, the resistance leaders decided to revolt.
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Treblinka Survivor Recalls Suffering and Resisitance, BBC News, August 4, 2013
Nothing remains of Treblinka extermination camp apart from the ashes of the estimated 870,000 mostly Jewish men, women and children that the Nazis gassed and buried underground. Samuel Willenberg is the last survivor of the Jewish prisoners' revolt in the camp and he had returned for the 70th anniversary.
- Vedem Underground Newespaper, the Breman Museum
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VIDEO: The Treblinka Uprising (1:44), World Jewish Congres
On August 2nd, 1943, the underground Jewish resistance in Treblinka staged a revolt against the Nazi guards. The camp had been created with one sole purpose: To enable the mass murder of Jews. Between 870,000 and 925,000 people were killed in Treblinka; most were gassed upon arrival.
- Resistance in the Ghettos
- [Vilna] Abba Kovner and Resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, ThoughtCo.
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[Vilna] READING: FPO Calls for Revolt in Vilna, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the United Partisan Organization’s call for the Jews of Vilna to take armed resistance against the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] Emanuel Ringelblum and the Creation of the Oneg Shabbat Archive, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the Warsaw Ghetto, Emanuel Ringelblum founded a clandestine organization that aimed to provide an accurate record of events taking place in German-occupied Poland while the ghetto existed. This archive came to be known as the “Oneg Shabbat” (literally “Joy of the Sabbath,” also known as the Ringelblum Archive).
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[Warsaw] EXHIBIT: “Let the World Read and Know” – The Oneg Shabbat Archives, Yad Vashem
The Oneg Shabbat Archives is the most significant collection of sources in the world documenting the Holocaust - sources that were created, gathered, and written by the victims themselves, in real time, at the moment when they were experiencing the horrors. The Archives is comprised of diaries and notes, memoirs, photographs, clandestine newspapers, monographs, letters and more - all of which are of inestimable value in the study of the living conditions, the creativity, the struggle and the murder of Polish Jewry.
- [Warsaw] Graphic Novel About Marke Edleman, Polin Museum/Warsaw
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[Warsaw] LEARNING GUIDE: Time Capsule in a Milk Can, USHMM
Emanuel Ringelblum and the milk can archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] LESSON: Spiritual, Educational & Physical Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
A six-day lesson plan for middle school created by Sol A. Factor, Cleveland Heights High School.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Emanuel Ringelblum, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using a graphic novel format, explore the life of Emanuel Ringelblum.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Oyneg Shabbes Archive Collections (5:36), Yad Vashem
With the beginning of the Great Deportation of Warsaw Jewry to the Treblinka extermination camp, members of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive sought shelter for the Archive and decided that it was to be buried, despite the risks involved. Their hope was that it would one day be retrieved and serve as a testament to the murder of Polish Jewry. The archival collections included original research, testimonies and documents, newspapers, diaries, photographs, and artworks. Among those entrusted with the task of burying the Archive were two educators, Israel Lichtenstein and his wife, painter Gele Sekstein. Shortly before burying the Archives, they added their own wills, describing their lives and lamenting the fate of Europe’s Jews.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Stroop Report, Jewish Virtual Library
Official report prepared by General Jürgen Stroop for the SS chief Heinrich Himmler, recounting the German suppression of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the liquidation of the ghetto in the spring of 1943.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: May History Attest For Us, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jewish resistance to the Holocaust did not just involve fighting. Oneg Shabbat was a project organised by the historian Emanuel Ringelblum which attempted to record Jewish life in occupied Warsaw by collecting items such as diaries, newspapers, poems and even sweet wrappers. When deportations to Treblinka began in the summer of 1942, a section of the Oneg Shabbat archive was buried in metal boxes in the ghetto; two later caches were buried in 1943. One of the three men who buried the archives was David Graber, who was 19. He added this last letter.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Suicide Note of Szmul Zygielbojm, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Szmul Zygielbojm was a Jewish socialist politician who was a member of the Polish government-in-exile, which was based in London. He had played a leading role in trying to make western governments and the public opinion aware of the Holocaust when detailed reports emerged from Poland in 1942. However, he grew frustrated with what he saw as the indifference of the Allies. On 12 May 1943, during the last days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, he committed suicide in London, leaving this note.
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[Warsaw] READING: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the largest act of resistance by Jews against the Nazis, mounted by prisoners of the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Ringelblum Archive, Jewish Historical Institute
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (29:01), USC Shoah Foundation/YouTube
Seven interviewees describe their roles in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Transcript available. English.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Benjamin Meed (3:18), USHMM
Benjamin Meed describes the burning of the Warsaw ghetto during the 1943 ghetto uprising [Interview: 1990].
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Estelle Laughlin – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (9:30), USHMM Podcast
Estelle Laughlin discusses the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when German forces, intending to liquidate the ghetto on April 19, 1943, were stunned by an armed uprising from Jewish fighters. Estelle and her family hid in an underground bunker during the uprising but were eventually captured and deported.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yisrael Gutman (2:15), Yad Vashem/YouTube
His parents and older sister perished in the ghetto, and his younger sister was a member of Janusz Korczak's orphanage. As a member of the Jewish Underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, Israel Gutman was wounded in the uprising. From Warsaw he was taken to Majdanek, and from there to Auschwitz. In May 1945 he was sent on the death march to Mauthausen. In total, he spent two years in the camps. After the war he helped in the rehabilitation of survivors, was active in the Bericha movement, and immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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[Warsaw] The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, zwoje-scrolls
Photos of the uprising.
- [Warsaw] Timeline of Events of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Polin Museum
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (2/5): Rachel Auerbach and the Public Kitchen in the Warsaw Ghetto (9:18), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In Nazi-occupied Poland, historian Emanuel Ringelblum, who headed the Jewish Self-Help Society (Jewish relief organization) in Warsaw, asked Rachel Auerbach to organize a public kitchen. Once Jews were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, public kitchens supplied the hungry masses with a daily meal. Auerbach heeded Ringelblum's request. She also became a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive. In this capacity she documented the sights she encountered in her everyday work and the starvation of the Ghetto's inhabitants (approx. 450,000 people). Auerbach was one of three of the Archive's members to survive the war. She dedicated her life to the documentation of and research into the Holocaust.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (3/5): The Jewish Letter Carrier in the Warsaw Ghetto (6:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Peretz Opoczynski was a journalist, writer, and educator. During World War II Opoczynski was a member of the underground archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”). Opoczynski documented the sights he saw and his experiences as a mailman in the ghetto.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (5/5): The Great Deportation in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:22), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Abraham Lewin, an educator and a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive maintained a diary depicting the wartime events in the Warsaw ghetto. It is rare in that it covers in real time the Great Deportation of the summer 1942, during which some 265,000 Jews were deported to their deaths in Treblinka, and some 10,000 were murdered within the ghetto. Abraham Lewin survived the Great Deportation and continued documenting the tragic events of the ghetto until his capture by the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (3:43), Yad Vashem
A brief animated overview of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the events leading up to it. The first widespread civil uprising to take place during World War 2, the uprising has become a symbol of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- [Warsaw] VIDEO: Oneg Shabbat-Emanuel Ringelblum’s Underground Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:47), Yad Vashem/YouTube
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: There Was No Hope. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 19th April 1943 (29:40), Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
An educational film about Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It begins with Jewish life in Warsaw and progresses through ghetto life and the ultimate uprising.
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[Warsaw] Video: Who Will Write Our History (classroom version, 37:39), Facing History and Ourselves
This educational version of the documentary tells the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive, created by a clandestine group in the Warsaw Ghetto who vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda by detailing life in the ghetto from the Jewish perspective.
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[Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Includes a downloadable Study Guide to the film "Uprising."
- [Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, USHMM
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[Warsaw] Yizkor, 1943 by Rachel Auerbach, from Tablet Magazine, May 4, 2016
Reflections on life in the Warsaw ghetto written by Rachel Auerbach from the Aryan side of Warsaw, November 1943.
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MAP: Jewish Armed Resistance in Ghettos and Camps 1941-1944, USHMM
Between 1941 and 1943, underground resistance movements developed in about 100 Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied eastern Europe. Their main goals were to organize uprisings, break out of the ghettos, and join partisan units in the fight against the Germans. The Jews knew that uprisings would not stop the Germans and that only a handful of fighters would succeed in escaping to join with partisans. Still, Jews made the decision to resist. Further, under the most adverse conditions, Jewish prisoners succeeded in initiating resistance and uprisings in some Nazi concentration camps, and even in the killing centers of Treblinka, Sobibor, and Auschwitz. Other camp uprisings took place in camps such as Kruszyna (1942), Minsk Mazowiecki (1943), and Janowska (1943). In several dozen camps prisoners organized escapes to join partisan units.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Whoever Does Not Condemn, Consents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
While many non-Jews exploited the Holocaust for personal gain or reacted with indifference, a courageous minority took action. One of them was Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, a writer and a member of the Polish resistance movement. Kossak-Szczucka was a strong Polish nationalist and was widely regarded as an antisemite. When the deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp began, she published a pamphlet entitled ‘Protest!’ in which she condemned the passivity of the world in the face of mass murder. These are some extracts from ‘Protest!’.
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Spiritual Resistance in the Ghettos, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Spiritual resistance during the Holocaust refers to attempts by individuals to maintain their humanity, personal integrity, dignity, and sense of civilization in the face of Nazi attempts to dehumanize and degrade them.
- The Partisans
- Armed Jewish Resistance: Partisans, USHMM
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Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Extensive website on Jewish Partisans, including e-learning opportunities, videos, and lessons.
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MAP: Jewish Partisan Activity in Eastern Europe 1942-1944, USHMM
Despite enormous obstacles, many Jews throughout German-occupied Europe attempted armed resistance against the Germans. Individual Jews or groups of Jews engaged in planned or spontaneous opposition to the Germans and their allies. Jewish partisans were especially active in the east, where they fought the Germans from bases established behind the front lines in forests and ghettos. Because antisemitism was widespread there, they found little support among the surrounding population. Even so, as many as 20,000 Jews fought the Germans in the forests of eastern Europe.
- MAP: Jewish Partisan Activity in Western Europe, 1942-1944, USHMM
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Partisans, Sydney Jewish Museum
Includes list of Jewish Resistance Groups, their area of activity, the name of the organization, and their leadership.
- Partisans, Yad Vashem
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PHOTOS: The Wartime Photography of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Faye Shulman was born in Poland in 1924. She received her first camera from her brother when she was 13, and it was that camera which ultimately saved her life, and allowed her to later document Jewish partisan activity. She is one of the only known Jewish partisan photographers. Schulman's rare collection of images captures the camaraderie, horror and loss, bravery and triumph of the rag-tag, tough partisan—some Jewish, some not—who fought the Germans and their collaborators.
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POEM: Never Say This is the Final Road for You by Hirsh Glik, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
From late 1942 onwards, increasing numbers of young Jews escaped from ghettos and formed partisan groups which fought the Nazis. The largest groups of Jewish partisans were based in the forests of eastern Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The following song became the anthem of these partisan groups. It was written in Yiddish by Hirsh Glik, a young poet in the Vilna Ghetto, after he heard news of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
- Solidarity in the Forest – The Bielski Brothers, Yad Vashem
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Life of a Partisan (1:14), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Vitka Kovner, Joseph (Julik) Harmatz and Baruch Shub describe partisan activities. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Baruch Shub (2:57), Yad Vashem
Baruch Shub was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1924, the second child in a Hassidic family of six. In 1939 the Soviets conquered Vilnius, and in June 1940 the city was annexed and Communist rule instituted. Consequently, the universities were opened to Jews, and Baruch went to study mechanical engineering. In June 1941, the Germans conquered Vilnius and began murdering Jews in Ponary. Baruch found work at a German garage repairing military vehicles. In September the Jews of Vilnius were confined to a ghetto. Baruch and his older sister, Zipporah, hid in a truck travelling to Radoszkovice, where Baruch found work again in a German garage. On 11 March 1942, the Jews were ordered to gather in the town square. From his hiding place in the garage, Baruch saw a huge line of people, including children, moving slowly towards a barn. The sound of shooting could be heard. At night, the barn caught fire and a thick stench filled the skies. Zipporah was among the 840 Jews murdered there that day. After the ghetto was set up, the Jewish youth established an underground movement in the ghetto, bought weapons and prepared to escape to the forests to join the partisans. However, the Germans threatened death should anyone be found missing from the ghetto, and their activities ceased. After hearing from his mother in Vilnius, Baruch returned to his hometown, where he worked in German manufacturing plants. He established an underground movement with his friend Yaakov (Kuba) Koshkin, and later joined the FPO (United Partisans Organization). In September 1943, the Germans carried out a number of aktionen (roundups of Jews in preparation for their deportation to concentration, forced labor or death camps). Following an armed clash with the Germans, Baruch and some friends joined a group of partisans in the Rudnicki Forest. Two weeks later, the Vilnius ghetto was liquidated. Baruch enlisted in a Russian paratrooper unit, participating in various military operations. In July 1944, the Red Army conquered Vilnius, and Baruch discovered that his entire family had been murdered. After his army discharge, he decided to emigrate to Eretz Israel, finally arriving in October 1945. He was recruited to the Haganah, serving as an airplane technician during the War of Independence. Two years later he transferred to El Al, rising through company ranks to Chief Flight Engineer. After 33 years, he retired. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Joining the Resistance (6:34), Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Vera Laska describes her teenage experience as part of the resistance against the Nazis in Czechoslovakia.
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VIDEO: Films about Jewish Partisans, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Short documentary films made from a collection of 50 original interviews with surviving Jewish Partisans.
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VIDEO: The Bielski Brothers (52:50), Facing History and Ourselves
This film tells the story of the Bielski brothers’ resistance against the Nazis and rescue of 1200 Jews during World War II.
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VIDEO: The Bielski Brothers: An Introducation (6:44), Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
The Bielskis saved over 1,200 people in their all Jewish partisan unit in wartime Poland, and is the single largest rescue of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust. This film is part of JPEF's on-line course on teaching with the motion picture "Defiance".
- Restoring Justice
- Adolf Eichmann, The Nizkor Project
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ARTIFACT: Poster – Poster: Nuremberg / Guilty!, USHMM
After the end of the war and the defeat of Nazi Germany, Allied occupation authorities in Germany used posters such as this one to emphasize the criminal nature of the Nazi regime.
- Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt, 1936, the New Yorker
- Evidence from the Holocaust, USHMM
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Fifty Years Since the Eichmann Trial, Yad Vashem
Based on a Lecture Given by Professor Chana Yablonka at Yad Vashem on January 25, 2011.
- Frankfurt Trial, USHMM
- International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, USHMM
- Jack Meets a Perpetrator, The Holocaust Explained
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LESSON: Alfred Steer, War Crimes Trials Participant: Responsibility and Justice, USC Shoah Foundation
In his testimony, Alfred Steer, the head of the language division at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, describes his unique role in both the court proceedings and in creation of the historical record. The lesson’s theme probes the fundamental concepts of responsibility and justice as they relate to the trials, the Holocaust, and contemporary events. Include Video (25:18), Background on War Crimes Trials, and Lesson Packet.
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LESSON: Evidence of a War Crime: Jackson, Nuremberg & Holocaust Denial, Robert H. Jackson Center
This two-day learning module is designed to help your students understand Justice Jackson's role in uncovering the truth of crimes that became known as the Holocaust and in refuting the claims of Holocaust deniers. Jackson hoped that this evidence would once and forever shine a light on the atrocities committed by the Nazi's during the Second World War, and hold them accountable for what they had done.
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LESSON: Justice After the Holocaust, Facing History and Ourselves
Students study the Nuremberg Trials and imagine what justice after a horrible event like the Holocaust looks like.
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Nuremberg Trials Project, Harvard Law School Library
The Harvard Law School Library's Nuremberg Trials Project is an open-access initiative to create and present digitized images or full-text versions of the Library's Nuremberg documents, descriptions of each document, and general information about the trials.
- Nuremberg Trials, Library of Congress
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PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: Nuremberg Trials Project, Harvard Law School Library
The Harvard Law School Library's Nuremberg Trials Project is an open-access initiative to create and present digitized images or full-text versions of the Library's Nuremberg documents, descriptions of each document, and general information about the trials.
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READING: Betraying the Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Former Nazi youth member Alfons Heck reflects on coming to terms with Germany’s role and his own part in the Holocaust.
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READING: Establishing the Nuremberg Tribunal, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about how the Allies sought to bring German leaders to justice after World War II and the Holocaust.
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READING: How to Bring Nazi Leaders to Justice, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about how the Allies sought to bring German leaders to justice after World War II and the Holocaust.
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READING: Justice and Accountability After the Holocaust (10:14), USHMM
The trials at Nuremberg and the trial of Adolf Eichmann set important precedents and raised questions about the nature of justice in the face of such enormous crimes. Ensuring accountability in the wake of genocide remains an ongoing challenge.
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READING: Moral Luck and Dilemmas of Judgment, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the challenges posed by making moral judgements about the actions of people in the past.
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READING: Obeying Orders, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nuremberg defendants’ argued that German leaders were following orders when committing atrocities during the Holocaust.
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READING: The Business of Slave Labor, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the use of slave labor by German companies and manufacturers during World War II.
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READING: The First Trial at Nuremberg, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the international tribunal that tried and sentenced German leaders at the end of World War II.
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Rudolf Hoess, Commandant of Auschwitz, Testimony at Nuremberg, 1946, Modern History Sourcebook
Rudolf Hoess born in 1900, , joined the SS in 1933, and eventually commanded the massive extermination center of Auschwitz. This is his signed testimony at the Post-War trials of Major War Criminals held at Nuremburg.
- Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, Case #9, The Einsatzgruppen Case
- Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, USHMM
- The Auschwitz Trials, Historical Focus, Yad Vashem
- The Auschwitz Trials: Background & Overview (1947-1968), Jewish Virtual Library
- The Doctors Trial: The Medical Case of the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, USHMM
- The Eichmann Trial: Introduction and Suggestions for Classroom Use, Yad Vashem
- The Einsatzgruppen Trials, Holocaust Research Project
- The Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials 1963-1967, The Holocaust Explained
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The Hadamar Trial, USHMM
The 1945 Hadamar Trial (October 8–15, 1945) was the first mass atrocity trial in the US zone of Germany following World War II.
- The Judiciary and Nazi Crimes in Postwar Germany by Henry Friedlander, Museum of Tolerance
- The Nuremberg Trials and Their Legacy, USHMM
- The Nuremberg Trials Collection, Avalon Project, Yale Law School
- The Nuremberg Trials, USHMM
- The Search for Perpetrators, USHMM
- The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, The Holocaust Explained
- TIMELINE EXHIBIT: War Crimes Trials, Montreal Holocaust Museum
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VIDEO: Nuremberg Remembered (13:04), Facing History and Ourselves
This film explores the Nuremberg Trials using both archival footage and recent interviews.
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VIDEO: A Plea for Humanity: The Einsatzgruppen Trial (12:19), Facing History and Ourselves
Benjamin Ferencz, International Law Scholar and Former Nuremberg Prosecutor, shares his experience as Chief Prosecutor at the trial of the Einsatzgruppen commanders.
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VIDEO: Auschwitz at the Nuremberg Trials, The Early Evidence, the Start of Holocaust Comprehension (1:13:23), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Professor John Q. Barrett (Professor of Law at St. John’s University, biographer of Nuremberg chief prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson) discusses how the Nuremberg trials began to uncover and prove the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews, especially at Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: Einsatzgruppen Trial-Justice Jackson Details Use of Gas Vans, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
After the trial of major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, the United States held a series of other war crimes trials at Nuremberg during the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings.The ninth trial of these proceedings, before an American military tribunal, focused on members of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) who had been assigned to kill Jews and other people behind the eastern front. This footage shows US Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, chief prosecutor for the United States in the Nuremberg trials, opening the case by describing the Einsatzgruppen's use of gas vans to kill Jews and others during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
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VIDEO: Ethics, Justice, and the Holocaust (1:28:45), United Nations
The panelists discussed educational initiatives that drew on the history of the Holocaust to develop ethical leadership in the contemporary context. The event marked the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Doctors Trial (9 December 1946), and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December) and Human Rights Day (10 December). Speakers included Herwig Czech, Professor of History of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Department of Ethics, Collections and History of Medicine; Stacy Gallin, Founder and Director, Maimonides Institute for Medicine, Ethics and the Holocaust; Avi Omer, Founder, Social Excellence Forum; Stephen D. Smith, Finci-Viterbi Endowed Executive Director, USC Shoah Foundation; Hedy S. Wald, Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The event was moderated by Dr. Patricia Heberer Rice, Senior Historian, Division of the Senior Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 12.06.2021
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VIDEO: Medical Case-US Prosecutor Details Illegal Experiments, Historical Film Footage (1:43), USHMM
The Medical Case was one of 12 war crimes trials held before an American tribunal as part of the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings. The trial dealt with doctors and nurses who had participated in the killing of physically and mentally impaired Germans and who had performed medical experiments on people imprisoned in concentration camps. Here, chief prosecutor Brigadier General Telford Taylor reads into evidence a July 1942 report detailing Nazi high-altitude experiments and outlines the prosecution's goals for the trial.
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VIDEO: Nazi Concentration Camps (58:03), YouTube
This film was shown at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.
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VIDEO: Nuremberg Trial-Goering Testifies, Historical Film Footage (1:56), USHMM
Hermann Goering was head of the German air force. He was one of 22 major war criminals tried by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Here, Goering testifies about his order of July 31, 1941, authorizing Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reich Security Main Office, to plan a so-called "solution to the Jewish question in Europe." The Tribunal found Goering guilty on all counts and sentenced him to death. Goering committed suicide shortly before his execution was to take place.
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VIDEO: Nuremberg-Denazification and Nazi Trials (2:29), Robert H. Jackson Center
From 1945-49, Nuremberg Germany was the scene of various denazification trials and trials against the principal perpetrators from the Nazi regime. The first trial was the International Military Tribunal headed by Robert H. Jackson. Telford Taylor was the chief american counsel for 12 subsequent trials. This is in addition to many denazification hearings.
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VIDEO: The Trial of Adolf Eichmann (excerpt, 28:44), PBS
This is the opening portion of the 1997 Emmy-nominated PBS program "The Trial of Adolf Eichmann." This excerpt is 28 minutes long but touches on many of the legal issues to which objections were made at the time and continue to be made 50 years later.
- VIDEO: U.S. Prosecutor Jackson Delivers Opening Statement to International Military Tribunal (1:13), USHMM
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VIDEO: Verdict on Auschwitz (8:24), First Run Features
Approximately 8 minutes of part 3 of "Verdict on Auschwitz", a German documentary about the 1963-65 trial conducted in Frankfurt of Nazi war criminals that helped carry out Hitler's & Himmler's orders to destroy European Jews. Footage composed solely of historical footage, including speeches by Hitler, Goering, and Goebbels. A quick summary of events leading up to Auschwitz.
- War Crime Trials, USHMM
- Were the Perpetrators Caught?, The Holocaust Explained
- What Became of the Perpetrators?, The Holocaust Explained
- What Were the Nuremberg Trials?, The Holocaust Explained
- Auschwitz Trial, November 24, 1947
- Frankfurt Trial, USHMM
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Rudolf Hoess, Commandant of Auschwitz, Testimony at Nuremberg, 1946, Modern History Sourcebook
Rudolf Hoess born in 1900, , joined the SS in 1933, and eventually commanded the massive extermination center of Auschwitz. This is his signed testimony at the Post-War trials of Major War Criminals held at Nuremburg.
- The Auschwitz Trials, Historical Focus, Yad Vashem
- The Auschwitz Trials: Background & Overview (1947-1968), Jewish Virtual Library
- The Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials 1963-1967, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Verdict on Auschwitz (8:24), First Run Features
Approximately 8 minutes of part 3 of "Verdict on Auschwitz", a German documentary about the 1963-65 trial conducted in Frankfurt of Nazi war criminals that helped carry out Hitler's & Himmler's orders to destroy European Jews. Footage composed solely of historical footage, including speeches by Hitler, Goering, and Goebbels. A quick summary of events leading up to Auschwitz.
- Doctors Trial, December 9, 1946
- The Doctors Trial: The Medical Case of the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, USHMM
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VIDEO: Medical Case-US Prosecutor Details Illegal Experiments, Historical Film Footage (1:43), USHMM
The Medical Case was one of 12 war crimes trials held before an American tribunal as part of the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings. The trial dealt with doctors and nurses who had participated in the killing of physically and mentally impaired Germans and who had performed medical experiments on people imprisoned in concentration camps. Here, chief prosecutor Brigadier General Telford Taylor reads into evidence a July 1942 report detailing Nazi high-altitude experiments and outlines the prosecution's goals for the trial.
- Eichmann Trial, April 11, 1961
- Adolf Eichmann, The Nizkor Project
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Fifty Years Since the Eichmann Trial, Yad Vashem
Based on a Lecture Given by Professor Chana Yablonka at Yad Vashem on January 25, 2011.
- The Eichmann Trial: Introduction and Suggestions for Classroom Use, Yad Vashem
- The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: The Trial of Adolf Eichmann (excerpt, 28:44), PBS
This is the opening portion of the 1997 Emmy-nominated PBS program "The Trial of Adolf Eichmann." This excerpt is 28 minutes long but touches on many of the legal issues to which objections were made at the time and continue to be made 50 years later.
- Einsatzgruppen Trial, September 19, 1947
- Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, Case #9, The Einsatzgruppen Case
- The Einsatzgruppen Trials, Holocaust Research Project
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VIDEO: A Plea for Humanity: The Einsatzgruppen Trial (12:19), Facing History and Ourselves
Benjamin Ferencz, International Law Scholar and Former Nuremberg Prosecutor, shares his experience as Chief Prosecutor at the trial of the Einsatzgruppen commanders.
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VIDEO: Einsatzgruppen Trial-Justice Jackson Details Use of Gas Vans, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
After the trial of major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, the United States held a series of other war crimes trials at Nuremberg during the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings.The ninth trial of these proceedings, before an American military tribunal, focused on members of the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) who had been assigned to kill Jews and other people behind the eastern front. This footage shows US Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, chief prosecutor for the United States in the Nuremberg trials, opening the case by describing the Einsatzgruppen's use of gas vans to kill Jews and others during the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
- Hadamar Trial, October 8, 1945
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The Hadamar Trial, USHMM
The 1945 Hadamar Trial (October 8–15, 1945) was the first mass atrocity trial in the US zone of Germany following World War II.
- Nuremberg Trials, November 20, 1945
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LESSON: Alfred Steer, War Crimes Trials Participant: Responsibility and Justice, USC Shoah Foundation
In his testimony, Alfred Steer, the head of the language division at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, describes his unique role in both the court proceedings and in creation of the historical record. The lesson’s theme probes the fundamental concepts of responsibility and justice as they relate to the trials, the Holocaust, and contemporary events. Include Video (25:18), Background on War Crimes Trials, and Lesson Packet.
-
LESSON: Evidence of a War Crime: Jackson, Nuremberg & Holocaust Denial, Robert H. Jackson Center
This two-day learning module is designed to help your students understand Justice Jackson's role in uncovering the truth of crimes that became known as the Holocaust and in refuting the claims of Holocaust deniers. Jackson hoped that this evidence would once and forever shine a light on the atrocities committed by the Nazi's during the Second World War, and hold them accountable for what they had done.
-
LESSON: Justice After the Holocaust, Facing History and Ourselves
Students study the Nuremberg Trials and imagine what justice after a horrible event like the Holocaust looks like.
-
Nuremberg Trials Project, Harvard Law School Library
The Harvard Law School Library's Nuremberg Trials Project is an open-access initiative to create and present digitized images or full-text versions of the Library's Nuremberg documents, descriptions of each document, and general information about the trials.
- Nuremberg Trials, Library of Congress
-
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: Nuremberg Trials Project, Harvard Law School Library
The Harvard Law School Library's Nuremberg Trials Project is an open-access initiative to create and present digitized images or full-text versions of the Library's Nuremberg documents, descriptions of each document, and general information about the trials.
-
READING: Betraying the Youth, Facing History and Ourselves
Former Nazi youth member Alfons Heck reflects on coming to terms with Germany’s role and his own part in the Holocaust.
-
READING: Establishing the Nuremberg Tribunal, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about how the Allies sought to bring German leaders to justice after World War II and the Holocaust.
-
READING: Obeying Orders, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nuremberg defendants’ argued that German leaders were following orders when committing atrocities during the Holocaust.
-
READING: The First Trial at Nuremberg, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the international tribunal that tried and sentenced German leaders at the end of World War II.
- The Nuremberg Trials and Their Legacy, USHMM
- The Nuremberg Trials Collection, Avalon Project, Yale Law School
- The Nuremberg Trials, USHMM
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VIDEO: Nuremberg Remembered (13:04), Facing History and Ourselves
This film explores the Nuremberg Trials using both archival footage and recent interviews.
-
VIDEO: Auschwitz at the Nuremberg Trials, The Early Evidence, the Start of Holocaust Comprehension (1:13:23), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Professor John Q. Barrett (Professor of Law at St. John’s University, biographer of Nuremberg chief prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson) discusses how the Nuremberg trials began to uncover and prove the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews, especially at Auschwitz.
-
VIDEO: Nazi Concentration Camps (58:03), YouTube
This film was shown at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.
-
VIDEO: Nuremberg Trial-Goering Testifies, Historical Film Footage (1:56), USHMM
Hermann Goering was head of the German air force. He was one of 22 major war criminals tried by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Here, Goering testifies about his order of July 31, 1941, authorizing Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reich Security Main Office, to plan a so-called "solution to the Jewish question in Europe." The Tribunal found Goering guilty on all counts and sentenced him to death. Goering committed suicide shortly before his execution was to take place.
- VIDEO: U.S. Prosecutor Jackson Delivers Opening Statement to International Military Tribunal (1:13), USHMM
- What Were the Nuremberg Trials?, The Holocaust Explained
- Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings
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READING: The Business of Slave Labor, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the use of slave labor by German companies and manufacturers during World War II.
- Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings, USHMM
- Specific Ghettos (alphabetical)
- “The Cultural Life in the Vilna Ghetto,” by Solon Beinfeld, Museum of Tolerance
- [Irena Sendler] Irena Sendler-Poland, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Irena Sendler] Irena’s Children, aish.com
Mrs. Sendler, code name "Jolanta," smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation. She found a home for each child. Each was given a new name and a new identity as a Christian. Others were saving Jewish children, too, but many of those children were saved only in body; tragically, they disappeared from the Jewish people. Irena did all she could to ensure that "her children" would have a future as part of their own people.
- [Vilna] Abba Kovner and Resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, ThoughtCo.
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[Vilna] READING: FPO Calls for Revolt in Vilna, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the United Partisan Organization’s call for the Jews of Vilna to take armed resistance against the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] Emanuel Ringelblum and the Creation of the Oneg Shabbat Archive, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the Warsaw Ghetto, Emanuel Ringelblum founded a clandestine organization that aimed to provide an accurate record of events taking place in German-occupied Poland while the ghetto existed. This archive came to be known as the “Oneg Shabbat” (literally “Joy of the Sabbath,” also known as the Ringelblum Archive).
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[Warsaw] EXHIBIT: “Let the World Read and Know” – The Oneg Shabbat Archives, Yad Vashem
The Oneg Shabbat Archives is the most significant collection of sources in the world documenting the Holocaust - sources that were created, gathered, and written by the victims themselves, in real time, at the moment when they were experiencing the horrors. The Archives is comprised of diaries and notes, memoirs, photographs, clandestine newspapers, monographs, letters and more - all of which are of inestimable value in the study of the living conditions, the creativity, the struggle and the murder of Polish Jewry.
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[Warsaw] LEARNING GUIDE: Time Capsule in a Milk Can, USHMM
Emanuel Ringelblum and the milk can archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] LESSON: Spiritual, Educational & Physical Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
A six-day lesson plan for middle school created by Sol A. Factor, Cleveland Heights High School.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Emanuel Ringelblum, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using a graphic novel format, explore the life of Emanuel Ringelblum.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Oyneg Shabbes Archive Collections (5:36), Yad Vashem
With the beginning of the Great Deportation of Warsaw Jewry to the Treblinka extermination camp, members of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive sought shelter for the Archive and decided that it was to be buried, despite the risks involved. Their hope was that it would one day be retrieved and serve as a testament to the murder of Polish Jewry. The archival collections included original research, testimonies and documents, newspapers, diaries, photographs, and artworks. Among those entrusted with the task of burying the Archive were two educators, Israel Lichtenstein and his wife, painter Gele Sekstein. Shortly before burying the Archives, they added their own wills, describing their lives and lamenting the fate of Europe’s Jews.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Stroop Report, Jewish Virtual Library
Official report prepared by General Jürgen Stroop for the SS chief Heinrich Himmler, recounting the German suppression of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the liquidation of the ghetto in the spring of 1943.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: May History Attest For Us, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jewish resistance to the Holocaust did not just involve fighting. Oneg Shabbat was a project organised by the historian Emanuel Ringelblum which attempted to record Jewish life in occupied Warsaw by collecting items such as diaries, newspapers, poems and even sweet wrappers. When deportations to Treblinka began in the summer of 1942, a section of the Oneg Shabbat archive was buried in metal boxes in the ghetto; two later caches were buried in 1943. One of the three men who buried the archives was David Graber, who was 19. He added this last letter.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Suicide Note of Szmul Zygielbojm, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Szmul Zygielbojm was a Jewish socialist politician who was a member of the Polish government-in-exile, which was based in London. He had played a leading role in trying to make western governments and the public opinion aware of the Holocaust when detailed reports emerged from Poland in 1942. However, he grew frustrated with what he saw as the indifference of the Allies. On 12 May 1943, during the last days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, he committed suicide in London, leaving this note.
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[Warsaw] READING: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the largest act of resistance by Jews against the Nazis, mounted by prisoners of the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Ringelblum Archive, Jewish Historical Institute
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (29:01), USC Shoah Foundation/YouTube
Seven interviewees describe their roles in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Transcript available. English.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Benjamin Meed (3:18), USHMM
Benjamin Meed describes the burning of the Warsaw ghetto during the 1943 ghetto uprising [Interview: 1990].
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Estelle Laughlin – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (9:30), USHMM Podcast
Estelle Laughlin discusses the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when German forces, intending to liquidate the ghetto on April 19, 1943, were stunned by an armed uprising from Jewish fighters. Estelle and her family hid in an underground bunker during the uprising but were eventually captured and deported.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yisrael Gutman (2:15), Yad Vashem/YouTube
His parents and older sister perished in the ghetto, and his younger sister was a member of Janusz Korczak's orphanage. As a member of the Jewish Underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, Israel Gutman was wounded in the uprising. From Warsaw he was taken to Majdanek, and from there to Auschwitz. In May 1945 he was sent on the death march to Mauthausen. In total, he spent two years in the camps. After the war he helped in the rehabilitation of survivors, was active in the Bericha movement, and immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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[Warsaw] The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, zwoje-scrolls
Photos of the uprising.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (2/5): Rachel Auerbach and the Public Kitchen in the Warsaw Ghetto (9:18), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In Nazi-occupied Poland, historian Emanuel Ringelblum, who headed the Jewish Self-Help Society (Jewish relief organization) in Warsaw, asked Rachel Auerbach to organize a public kitchen. Once Jews were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, public kitchens supplied the hungry masses with a daily meal. Auerbach heeded Ringelblum's request. She also became a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive. In this capacity she documented the sights she encountered in her everyday work and the starvation of the Ghetto's inhabitants (approx. 450,000 people). Auerbach was one of three of the Archive's members to survive the war. She dedicated her life to the documentation of and research into the Holocaust.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (3/5): The Jewish Letter Carrier in the Warsaw Ghetto (6:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Peretz Opoczynski was a journalist, writer, and educator. During World War II Opoczynski was a member of the underground archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”). Opoczynski documented the sights he saw and his experiences as a mailman in the ghetto.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (5/5): The Great Deportation in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:22), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Abraham Lewin, an educator and a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive maintained a diary depicting the wartime events in the Warsaw ghetto. It is rare in that it covers in real time the Great Deportation of the summer 1942, during which some 265,000 Jews were deported to their deaths in Treblinka, and some 10,000 were murdered within the ghetto. Abraham Lewin survived the Great Deportation and continued documenting the tragic events of the ghetto until his capture by the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (3:43), Yad Vashem
A brief animated overview of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the events leading up to it. The first widespread civil uprising to take place during World War 2, the uprising has become a symbol of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- [Warsaw] VIDEO: Oneg Shabbat-Emanuel Ringelblum’s Underground Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:47), Yad Vashem/YouTube
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: There Was No Hope. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 19th April 1943 (29:40), Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
An educational film about Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It begins with Jewish life in Warsaw and progresses through ghetto life and the ultimate uprising.
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[Warsaw] Video: Who Will Write Our History (classroom version, 37:39), Facing History and Ourselves
This educational version of the documentary tells the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive, created by a clandestine group in the Warsaw Ghetto who vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda by detailing life in the ghetto from the Jewish perspective.
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[Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Includes a downloadable Study Guide to the film "Uprising."
- [Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, USHMM
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[Warsaw] Yizkor, 1943 by Rachel Auerbach, from Tablet Magazine, May 4, 2016
Reflections on life in the Warsaw ghetto written by Rachel Auerbach from the Aryan side of Warsaw, November 1943.
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[Zegota] LESSON: Council for the Aid to Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
This unit of study focuses on one network of rescuers in Poland, Zegota, the Council for the Aid to Jews.
- [Zegota] Zegota, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- ANIMATED MAP: Lodz (4:00), USHMM
- ANIMATED MAP: The Warsaw Ghetto (2:37), USHMM
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ART: The Warsaw Ghetto by Israel Bernbaum, University of Minnesota
Israel Bernbaum was a Jew born in Warsaw, Poland in 1920,escaping Warsaw before the ghetto was sealed. He survived the war living in the Soviet Union, coming to the United States in 1957 after being repatriated to Poland from the USSR as a Polish national. While working as a dental technician, Bernbaum studied art at Queens College, graduating with a B.A. in 1973. This was the period when he produced his first large works dealing with the Holocaust experiences. In particular, Bernbaum aimed his images at young people in the hope that simplicity of image, color, and almost a cartoon-like form would help tell the story of Jewish suffering. Familiar images appear in his works such as portraits of Anne Frank, the child from the Stroop Report photos of the Warsaw Ghetto, and especially images of destruction with street names in the field of debris around Warsaw. Other images deal with the deportation of the children of the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka and the heroism of Janusz Korczak.
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ARTIFACT: The Stroop Report, Institute of National Remembrance
The Stroop Report, originally entitled The Jewish Quarter of Warsaw is No More!, which was prepared for Heinrich Himmler after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto in 1943, is a unique document in human history. The uniqueness of the report is not tarnished by the fact that, as by Professor Andrzej Zbikowski writes in the introduction to the release of the Report in 2009, it does not differ from hundreds of other German reports on the destruction of European Jews. It describes the liquidation of Jewish communities in a language of statistics, officially and in a neutral and purely technical tone. However, it reveals in an exceptional way the attitude of Germans towards the Jews as the main ideological enemy of the Third Reich. The report also shows their views on the genocide of the Jews planned in cold blood. Contrary to Stroop's intentions the Report became a posthumous tribute for the Jewish people. It shows their moral and ethical superiority. Everyone knows the picture of a little Jewish boy in a large cap standing with raised hands among terrified people at whom German soldiers point their barrels - it comes from the Report. Dozens of photographs form an integral part of the document. They are terrifying and unforgettable. The Stroop Report was meant to show the courage of the author and emphasize his contribution to the Thousand-Year Reich. For the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto,and other crimes in Europe, he was promoted and awarded by Hitler. At the end, however, the Report became a proof in lawsuits before the courts and tribunals in Nuremberg and Warsaw.
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ARTIFACT: The Stroop Report’s Photograph Section, NARA
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) copy of the Stroop Report's photograph Section.
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Beit Lohamei Haghetaot-The Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum
The first Holocaust museum in the world but also the first of its kind to be founded by Holocaust survivors. Since its establishment in 1949, the museum tells the story of the Holocaust during World War II, emphasizing the bravery, spiritual triumph and the incredible ability of Holocaust survivors and the fighters of the revolt to rebuild their lives in a new country about which they had dreamed – the State of Israel.
- Bialystok, USHMM
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Chess in the Art of Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
Samuel Bak was born on August 12, 1933 in Vilna, Poland at a crucial moment in modern history. From 1940 to 1944, Vilna was under first Soviet, then German occupation. Bak's artistic talent was first recognized during an exhibition of his work in the Ghetto of Vilna when he was nine. While both he and his mother survived, his father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis.
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Esther Lurie, Scenes from the Kovno Ghetto, University of Minnesota
Esther Lurie(1913-1998) was born in Liepaja, Latvia, emigrated to Palestine in 1934 and returned to the Baltic States several times for exhibitions. She was caught in Lithuania when the war between Germany and the USSR broke out in 1941 and survived the Kovno Ghetto and Stutthoff concentration camp. Many of her works survived in hidden spaces of the Ghetto.
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EXHIBIT: “Give Me Your Children”: Voices from the Lodz Ghetto, USHMM
Includes a 20-minute video about the Lodz Ghetto, interviews with survivors, and a discussion about photographs of Walter Genewein and Mendel Grosman.
- EXHIBIT: Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto, USHMM
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George Kadish, USHMM
George Kadish secretly documented life in the Kovno Ghetto. Learn more about him and view a few of his many photos.
- How Did Itzik Wittenberg, Hero of the Vilna Ghetto, Die?, Tablet Magazine
- How the Red Cross Failed Europe’s Jews and American POWs, Jewish Virtual Library
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IMAGE: Facades for the International Commission, Facing History and Ourselves
Illustration by Bedřich Fritta, a prisoner at Terezín, depicting the “beautification” of the ghetto-camp undertaken by the SS before the Red Cross visit in 1944.
- IMAGE: Jews in the Lodz Ghetto, Facing History and Ourselves
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Kaunas Ghetto (1941-1944), VilNews
Includes photos by George Kadish.
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Kaunas, Lithuania, Gutstein.net
Includes images from before, during, and after the Holocaust as well as Holocaust testimonies and maps.
- Krakow (Cracow), USHMM
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Krakow Ghetto Memorial, University of Minnesota
Thousands of Jews from the Krakow ghetto were deported to Belzec, where they were murdered during Operation Reinhard actions in 1942. The Germans liquidated the ghetto in March 1943, shooting about 2,000 Jews in the ghetto, transferring another 2,000 to Plaszow forced labor camp, and deporting the remaining 3,000 to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 2,450 of those deported to Auschwitz were gassed upon arrival. The majority of the Jews transferred to Plaszow were later killed in mass shooting operations carried out by the SS between September and December 1943. The survivors were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Kishinev Ghetto, Romania), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Riga, Lativia), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Warsaw Ghetto), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- LESSON: Between the Worlds: Social Circles in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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LESSON: Nechama Shneorson, Jewish Survivor: Survival and Loss, USC Shoah Foundation
While acknowledging events that led to her own survival in her testimony, Nechama Shneorson offers a forthright perspective of the devastating loss of family in the Holocaust. The lesson’s theme, Survival and Loss, offers a glimpse of the complexity of emotions experienced by Nechama and many other Holocaust survivors. Include Video (31:27), Background on Ghetto (Nechama was in the Kovno Ghetto), and Lesson Packet.
- Lodz Ghetto, USHMM
- Lodz Ghetto: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
- Lodz, USHMM
- Lvov, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- MAP: Kovno Ghetto, 1941-1944, USHMM
- MAP: Lvov Ghetto, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: In the Footsteps of Janusz Korczak, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using interactive maps, the visitor is taken on a tour of Warsaw before and during the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Jerusalem of Lithuania, The Story of the Jewish Community of Vilna, Yad Vashem
Also includes video testimonies.
- ONLINE EXHIBIT: Warsaw 1939-1945, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- PHOTOS: Photographs from the Warsaw Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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PHOTOS: The Jews of Krakow and its Surrounding Towns, Kehilalinks
Images only, rotating.
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PHOTOS: The Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross
Ross's photography enabled him to make a single moment into a poignant narrative, allowing us to reflect on this difficult history. This website contains over 4,000 images from the Henryk Ross collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It contains lesson plans and the ability to create your own collection.
- PHOTOS: The Lodz Ghetto Photos of Mendel Grossman (1939-44), USHMM Archives
- PHOTOS: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising II, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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PHOTOS: Who Took the Pictures, Yad Vashem
The Lodz Ghetto photography of Mendel Grossman in Lodz, as compared with the ghetto photography of German "ghetto tourists."
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POEM: “But She Was” by Władysław Szlengel, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
In this poem, written in August 1942 in response to deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp, Władysław Szlengel encouraged readers to remember the humanity of the victims by focusing on the fate of an apparently unremarkable Jewish mother.
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Poetry in Hell: Yiddish Poetry in the Ringelblum Archives
Poetry in Hell is a web site dedicated to the poets, both in the Warsaw Ghetto and elsewhere whose poetry, under the leadership of Emanuel Ringelblum, was secretly collected by the members of the “Oneg Shabbat Society“, preserved and buried in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Chaim Rumkowski’s Speech to Lodz Ghetto Residents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Rumkowski's famous "Give Me Your Children" speech.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Full Text of Chaim Rumkowski’s Speech to Lodz Ghetto Residents, Holocaust Research Project
Scroll to middle of page to find the speech.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: These 200 Children Did Not Cry, 70 Voices/ Holocaust Education Trust
On August 5, 1942, Janusz Korczak and the children of the Warsaw Ghetto Orphanage were marched through the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto to a waiting train, as witnessed by the writer Yehoshua Perle.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Whoever Does Not Condemn, Consents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
While many non-Jews exploited the Holocaust for personal gain or reacted with indifference, a courageous minority took action. One of them was Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, a writer and a member of the Polish resistance movement. Kossak-Szczucka was a strong Polish nationalist and was widely regarded as an antisemite. When the deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp began, she published a pamphlet entitled ‘Protest!’ in which she condemned the passivity of the world in the face of mass murder. These are some extracts from ‘Protest!’.
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PRIMARY SOURCE: Alice Ehrmann’s Diary
By reading diary entries from a survivor of the Theresienstadt Ghetto, students consider the complex emotional state of survivors in the final days of the war.
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READING: Terezin: A Site for Deception, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the ghetto-camp Terezin as a propaganda tool to hide what they were really doing to the Jews of Europe.
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READING: The Jewish Councils, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the minutes of a Jewish Council's meeting held in the Vilna Ghetto in 1942 and consider the unthinkable choice faced by its members.
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READING: The Jewish Ghettos: Separated from the World, Facing History and Ourselves
Read diary entries from a girl who lived in the Lodz Ghetto and learn the history of Jewish ghettos in Poland.
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READING: Voices from the Warsaw Ghetto, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Oyneg Shabbes, a group in the Warsaw Ghetto that documented Nazi crimes and the daily lives of the ghetto's residents.
- Riga Ghetto Museum
- Riga, USHMM
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STUDY GUIDE: Light One Candle – A Child’s Diary of the Holocaust, Vancouver Holocaust Education Center
Study Guide for the book "Light One Candle: A Survivor's Tale from Lithuania to Jerusalem." This is the story of Solly Ganor, beginning in prewar Lithuania, through the ominous changes that took place once Hitler came to power, the brutal conditions in the Kovno Ghetto, and of the rescue efforts of Chiune Sugihara. The Study Guide includes photos by George Kadish.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Daily Life in the Lodz Ghetto (4:41), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Holocaust survivors Shimon Srebrnik and Tola Walach Melzer describe their experiences in the Lodz ghetto. The video is an excerpt from the film "Life in the Lodz Ghetto" from the Holocaust History Museum in Yad Vashem.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Halina Birenbaum, Masha Putermilch, and Yosef Charny (4:14), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivors describe the mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto in the summer of 1942. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent (10:54), Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Roman Kent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1925. He spent the war years in the Lodz ghetto and in the Auschwitz, Mertzbachtal, Dornau, and Flossenburg concentration camps. In 1946, he came to the United States with his brother. Once in America, he made a life for himself. He championed the needs of Holocaust survivors and of Righteous Gentiles. Roman was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, he became president of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Lewent (:51), USHMM
Survivor describes conditions in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Baruch Shub (2:57), Yad Vashem
Baruch Shub was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1924, the second child in a Hassidic family of six. In 1939 the Soviets conquered Vilnius, and in June 1940 the city was annexed and Communist rule instituted. Consequently, the universities were opened to Jews, and Baruch went to study mechanical engineering. In June 1941, the Germans conquered Vilnius and began murdering Jews in Ponary. Baruch found work at a German garage repairing military vehicles. In September the Jews of Vilnius were confined to a ghetto. Baruch and his older sister, Zipporah, hid in a truck travelling to Radoszkovice, where Baruch found work again in a German garage. On 11 March 1942, the Jews were ordered to gather in the town square. From his hiding place in the garage, Baruch saw a huge line of people, including children, moving slowly towards a barn. The sound of shooting could be heard. At night, the barn caught fire and a thick stench filled the skies. Zipporah was among the 840 Jews murdered there that day. After the ghetto was set up, the Jewish youth established an underground movement in the ghetto, bought weapons and prepared to escape to the forests to join the partisans. However, the Germans threatened death should anyone be found missing from the ghetto, and their activities ceased. After hearing from his mother in Vilnius, Baruch returned to his hometown, where he worked in German manufacturing plants. He established an underground movement with his friend Yaakov (Kuba) Koshkin, and later joined the FPO (United Partisans Organization). In September 1943, the Germans carried out a number of aktionen (roundups of Jews in preparation for their deportation to concentration, forced labor or death camps). Following an armed clash with the Germans, Baruch and some friends joined a group of partisans in the Rudnicki Forest. Two weeks later, the Vilnius ghetto was liquidated. Baruch enlisted in a Russian paratrooper unit, participating in various military operations. In July 1944, the Red Army conquered Vilnius, and Baruch discovered that his entire family had been murdered. After his army discharge, he decided to emigrate to Eretz Israel, finally arriving in October 1945. He was recruited to the Haganah, serving as an airplane technician during the War of Independence. Two years later he transferred to El Al, rising through company ranks to Chief Flight Engineer. After 33 years, he retired. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Blanka Rothschild (1:47), USHMM
Survivor describes deportation from the Lodz Ghetto.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Chaim Kaplan, Jewish Geneology
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Dr. Leon Weliczker Wells, USC Shoah Foundation
Leon Weliczker Wells (born March 10, 1925 in Stojaniw near Radziechów , then Poland , now Ukraine , died December 19, 2009 in Fort Lee , New Jersey) was an American engineer. Between 1942 and 1944 he was imprisoned in the labor camp Lemberg-Janowska. In a Sonderkommando 1005 he had to burn the bodies of Nazi victims; He escaped the Holocaust by escaping .
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Elik Rivosh, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
On November 1941, a few thousand Jewish men of working age were ordered into a fenced-off section of the Riga Ghetto, leaving behind the other 25,000 inhabitants. One of the men was Elik Rivosh who recalled spending a last night with his wife Alya and his young children Dima and Lida.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Leo Melamed, USHMM
Several different clips about his experiences in Bialystok.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Leon Merrick-Importance of Work in the Lodz Ghetto (6:39), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: Leon Merrick's job delivering mail in the Lodz ghetto became all the more difficult over time as Nazi deportations to the extermination camps increased and he was often given the task of delivering notices for deportation.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Marcel Reich-Ranicki (3:02), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the cultural life in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Politische Pole-Jude, The Story of Pinchas Gutter (1:10:08), Hebrew University/YouTube
Pinchas Gutter was born in Lodz and was 7 years old when the war broke out. After his father was brutally beaten by Nazis in Lodz, he fled with his family to what they thought was safety in Warsaw. From there, Pinchas and his family were incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto for three and a half years – until April 1943, the time of the ghetto uprising. The family was then deported to the Majdanek concentration camp. Pinchas was imprisoned in numerous slave labor camps and, towards the end of the war he was forced on a death march which he barely survived. He was liberated by the Russians from Theresiensdat on May 8, 1945 and was later taken to Britain with other children for rehabilitation. Sixty years later, Pinchas returns to the sites of his childhood where he tells the story of his past.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rochelle Blackman Slivka (2:09), USHMM
Survivor describes the formation of the Vilna Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Susan Taube-Deportation to the Riga Ghetto (7:08), USHMM
Susan Taube discusses her deportation from Berlin to the ghetto in Riga, Latvia, and the days immediately following. She was deported in January, 1942, along with her mother, sister, and grandmother.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Chaim Kaplan Diary (selected extracts), Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yosef Charny (1:27), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes starvation in the Warsaw Ghetto
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Terezin (Theresienstadt), Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The BBC Broadcast About the Situation of Jews in Poland, Jewish Historical Institute
On June 26, 1942, at 5 PM, British BBC Radio broadcast a program dedicated to the situation of Polish Jews under German occupation. It was an important day for members of the Oneg Shabbat group of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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The Bialystok Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The Hidden History of Holocaust Money, Santi Elijah Holley, February 2019
The Third Reich confiscated the money of Jews under their control and replaced it with currencies meant to manipulate the population - and eliminate any means of escape. This article explores "currencies" in camps like Auschwitz and Dachau and in ghettos like Lodz and Theresienstadt.
- The Killings at Riga, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- The Kovno Ghetto, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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The Kovno Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The Lodz Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The Vilna Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The Warsaw Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
- The Warsaw Ghetto: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
- Theresienstadt, USHMM
- Theresienstadt: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Lodz Ghetto (1:33), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
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VIDEO: Warschau (18:54), USHMM
German propaganda film. Excellent image.
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VIDEO: “SS Dog” by Leon Haas (3:41), Yad Vashem / Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: “Vedem” by Petr Ginz (3:52)
In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: Adam Czerniakow, Chairman of the Jewish Council in Warsaw (:47), USHMM
Historical film footage from a German propaganda newsreel. Notice the staging.
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VIDEO: All That Was Left Was A Baby Jacket (7:06), USHMM
In this episode of Curators Corner, Teresa Pollin of the Museum's Art and Artifacts Branch shares the story behind a baby jacket that a Holocaust survivor kept for almost sixty-five years until her death in 2007. Her two daughters found the jacket among their mother's belongings after she passed away. Part of the Radzinowicz Family Collection.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Guidelines for Educators (3:52), Yad Vashem Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
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VIDEO: Daily Life in the Warsaw Ghetto (1:24), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- VIDEO: Documentation of Atrocities-The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross (4:47), Yad Vashem
- VIDEO: Everyday Life in the Warsaw Ghetto (2:37)
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VIDEO: Henryk Ross: Photographs from a Nazi Ghetto (4:01), History Channel
During the Holocaust, Jewish photographer Henryk Ross used his camera as a tool of resistance against the Nazi regime by documenting the harsh realities inside the ghetto of Lodz, Poland.
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VIDEO: Holocaust Escape Tunnel (54:14), Nova
For centuries, the Lithuanian city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the title “Jerusalem of the North” until World War II, when the Nazis murdered about 95% of its Jewish population and reduced its synagogues and cultural institutions to ruins. The Soviets finished the job, paving over the remnants of Vilna’s famous Great Synagogue so thoroughly that few today know it ever existed. Now, an international team of archaeologists is trying to rediscover this forgotten world, excavating the remains of its Great Synagogue and searching for proof of one of Vilna’s greatest secrets: a lost escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners inside a horrific Nazi execution site.
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VIDEO: In the Warsaw Ghetto (9:48), USHMM
Color propaganda film from May 1942 (?). Silent. Courtesy of Bundesarchiv.
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VIDEO: Jewish Cultural Resistance in Vilna (3:01:30), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Professors David Fishman and Justin Cammy explore the heritage of prewar Vilna. Learn about the heroic efforts to save the original manuscripts and books that were the physical expressions of the heritage of the Jewish people. Delve into the fascinating attempt of one poet, Avrom Sutzkever, to eternalize the legacy of the Vilna ghetto almost immediately after the war.
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VIDEO: Jewish Deportees from Magdeburg in the Warsaw Ghetto, Historical Film Footage (2:05), USHMM
Warsaw, Poland, 1942: Beginning in 1941, the Germans deported Jews in Germany to the occupied eastern territories. At first, they deported thousands of Jews to ghettos in Poland and the Baltic states. Those deported would share the fate of local Jews. Later, many deportation transports from Germany went directly to the killing centers in occupied Poland. In this footage, a German propaganda unit films recent arrivals from Magdeburg, Germany, in a collection center run by the Jewish council in the Warsaw ghetto. In July 1942, the Nazis began mass deportations of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to the nearby Treblinka killing center.
- VIDEO: Jewish Life in Lvov (10:07), Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
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VIDEO: Lala (6:00), USC Shoah Foundation
In this 360° VR blend of animation and live-action video, Holocaust survivor Roman Kent shares his story of a dog in Nazi-occupied Poland who taught him a timeless lesson: that love is stronger than hate.
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VIDEO: Moving Into the Krakow Ghetto (1:29), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
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VIDEO: Never Forget to Lie (53:41), A Film by Marian Marzynski, Frontline
Marzynski tells the extraordinary story of how he as a Jewish boy escaped the Holocaust, hiding from the Nazis, and surviving the war as an altar boy in a Catholic monastery. In a deeply moving and personal film he shares the poignant, painful recollections of other child survivors, many of whom are visiting scenes of their childhood for the last time, where survival began with the directive “never forget to lie.”
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VIDEO: Shtetl (2:55), Frontline
FRONTLINE producer Marian Marzynski travels back in time to a family shtetl, a small village in Bransk, Poland. As a child, Marzynski escaped the Warsaw Ghetto and was raised by Christians. The remarkable film tells the homecoming story of two elderly Polish-American Jews who return to their families’ shtetl, Bransk, where 2,500 Jews lived before most were sent to Treblinka’s gas chambers. These two Americans are aided in their journey by a Polish Gentile who has restored Bransk’s Jewish cemetery and researched the lives of the Jews who once lived there. The film captures these pilgrims as they face old neighbors, some who were betrayers, others who were saviors to the Jews of Bransk.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs (3:06), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs", ISHS staff member Franziska Reiniger discusses how you can explore Holocaust photography with your students. Introducing some general points to keep in mind when teaching using any photograph from the Holocaust, Ms. Reiniger then proceeds with two examples, demonstrating the remarkable differences we find in photographs taken from different points of view. The graphical elements within a photograph sometimes hint at the external circumstances surrounding the time and place when the photograph was taken, and be studying both we deepen our understanding of the Holocaust. The photographs discussed in this video are available for viewing and for downloading from our website. Franziska Reiniger is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs Part 2: Photographs as Propaganda Part 3: Documentation of Atrocities: The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross
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VIDEO: The Daily Struggle for Existence in the Lodz Ghetto (1:08:48), Yad Vashem
What was daily life like in the ghetto? How were the harsh living conditions endured? The Lodz ghetto was established on April 30, 1940 in Poland’s second largest city and a major industrial center. Living conditions were grim with overcrowding, no electricity and no water. Disease and starvation were rampant. Intended to be a temporary facility, the ghetto existed for more than four years -- enabling local Nazis to exploit the Jewish labor force. In this lecture, Yad Vashem expert Orit Margaliot uses archival photos and art from the Holocaust to explore the daily struggle for existence in the ghetto.
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VIDEO: The Gift of a Town/Terezin (9:48), You Tube
On June 23, 1944, the Nazis permitted the visit by representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross in order to dispel rumors about the extermination camps. [...] To minimize the appearance of overcrowding in Theresienstadt, the Nazis deported many Jews to Auschwitz. [...] The hoax against the Red Cross was apparently so successful for the Nazis that they went on to make a propaganda film at Theresienstadt. Production of the film began on February 26, 1944. Directed by Jewish prisoner Kurt Gerron (a director, cabaret performer, and actor who appeared with Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel), it was meant to show how well the Jews lived under the "benevolent" protection of the Third Reich. [...] After the shooting of the film, most of the cast and even the filmmaker himself were eventually deported to Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: The Lodz Ghetto (6:04), Yad Vashem
The video provides a short overview of the Lodz Ghetto: Its foundation, similarities to and differences from other ghettos; daily life, hunger and disease; the deportations; and final liquidation of the ghetto.
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VIDEO: The Teddy Bear, The True Story of Michael Gruenbaum (11:48), The Lappin Foundation
This short film is narrated by survivor Michael Gruenbaum, who spent two-and-a-half years in Terezin as a child. The film is appropriate for middle school age children and older. A teacher’s guide is available: https://www.lappinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Teachers-Guide-1.pdf
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VIDEO: Using the Study Unit “Everyday Life in the Warsaw Ghetto-1941” in the Classroom, Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Consists of 7 video chapters: Introduction, Historical Background, Overcrowding, Everyday Life & Survival, Welfare & Mutual Aid, The "Badge of Shame" and Cultural Life, Conclusion
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VIDEO: Voices from the Lodz Ghetto (4:09), USHMM
In this interview Judith Cohen, the Chief Photo Archivist for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum discusses two contemporary photographers of the Lodz ghetto. One was Walter Gennewein, the Nazi second-in-command of the ghetto, while the other was Mendel Grossmann, a Jew imprisoned in the ghetto. The disparity between their two styles of photography, their subject matter, and the mood of their photographs reveal how photography can shift how one sees the world depending on who is taking the picture.
- Vilna, USHMM
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Warsaw Will Return 1,000 Gravestones to Jewish Cemetery, Tablet Magazine, August 15, 2014
The practice of removing Jewish gravestones from cemeteries and using them for other purposes was common in Poland since the 1940s. The city of Warsaw has announced plans to recover 1,000 gravestones, or matzevot, that were taken from the city’s Jewish cemetery and used to build a structure in a city park. Includes a 14 minute video.
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Warsaw, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the fall of 1940, German authorities established a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland’s largest city with the largest Jewish population. Almost 30 percent of Warsaw’s population was packed into 2.4 percent of the city's area.
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Wolfgang Hergeth, the “Janusz Korczak Cycle,” University of Minnesota
Wolfgang Hergeth was born on January 21, 1946 in Silberbach, Czechoslovakia. The "Janusz Korczak Cycle" was introduced in 1998 at the Uhlberghalle in Filderstadt, Germany. Janusz Korczak, born Henryk Goldsmit in Warsaw on July 22, 1878, was a prominent, Polish Jewish pediatrician, professor, and founder of an internationally respected children's home. His personal sacrifice is beyond measure. After the fall of Poland, when the Germans proceeded to transport to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews from all over Warsaw and beyond, the orphanage was overwhelmed. Yet from beginning to end Korczak was the shield that protected all who were under his care -- his children. He resolved to go with them wherever they might be taken. As it turned out, this meant to Treblinka and to death. In the decades since the Holocaust, tales of this martyred Jewish doctor have taken on a legendary quality, especially the spectacular drama that unfolded on his last journey with the children. With the cycle, Hergeth creates eleven paintings dedicated to Korczak giving expression to Korczak's own views of the calamity unfolding in his midst, including the expected fate that awaited his condemned children.
- Bialystok, Poland
- Bialystok, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Leo Melamed, USHMM
Several different clips about his experiences in Bialystok.
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The Bialystok Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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VIDEO: All That Was Left Was A Baby Jacket (7:06), USHMM
In this episode of Curators Corner, Teresa Pollin of the Museum's Art and Artifacts Branch shares the story behind a baby jacket that a Holocaust survivor kept for almost sixty-five years until her death in 2007. Her two daughters found the jacket among their mother's belongings after she passed away. Part of the Radzinowicz Family Collection.
- Kishinev, Romania
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Kishinev Ghetto, Romania), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- Kovno, Lithuania
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Esther Lurie, Scenes from the Kovno Ghetto, University of Minnesota
Esther Lurie(1913-1998) was born in Liepaja, Latvia, emigrated to Palestine in 1934 and returned to the Baltic States several times for exhibitions. She was caught in Lithuania when the war between Germany and the USSR broke out in 1941 and survived the Kovno Ghetto and Stutthoff concentration camp. Many of her works survived in hidden spaces of the Ghetto.
- EXHIBIT: Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto, USHMM
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George Kadish, USHMM
George Kadish secretly documented life in the Kovno Ghetto. Learn more about him and view a few of his many photos.
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Kaunas Ghetto (1941-1944), VilNews
Includes photos by George Kadish.
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Kaunas, Lithuania, Gutstein.net
Includes images from before, during, and after the Holocaust as well as Holocaust testimonies and maps.
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LESSON: Nechama Shneorson, Jewish Survivor: Survival and Loss, USC Shoah Foundation
While acknowledging events that led to her own survival in her testimony, Nechama Shneorson offers a forthright perspective of the devastating loss of family in the Holocaust. The lesson’s theme, Survival and Loss, offers a glimpse of the complexity of emotions experienced by Nechama and many other Holocaust survivors. Include Video (31:27), Background on Ghetto (Nechama was in the Kovno Ghetto), and Lesson Packet.
- MAP: Kovno Ghetto, 1941-1944, USHMM
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STUDY GUIDE: Light One Candle – A Child’s Diary of the Holocaust, Vancouver Holocaust Education Center
Study Guide for the book "Light One Candle: A Survivor's Tale from Lithuania to Jerusalem." This is the story of Solly Ganor, beginning in prewar Lithuania, through the ominous changes that took place once Hitler came to power, the brutal conditions in the Kovno Ghetto, and of the rescue efforts of Chiune Sugihara. The Study Guide includes photos by George Kadish.
- The Kovno Ghetto, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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The Kovno Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
- Krakow, Poland
- Krakow (Cracow), USHMM
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Krakow Ghetto Memorial, University of Minnesota
Thousands of Jews from the Krakow ghetto were deported to Belzec, where they were murdered during Operation Reinhard actions in 1942. The Germans liquidated the ghetto in March 1943, shooting about 2,000 Jews in the ghetto, transferring another 2,000 to Plaszow forced labor camp, and deporting the remaining 3,000 to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 2,450 of those deported to Auschwitz were gassed upon arrival. The majority of the Jews transferred to Plaszow were later killed in mass shooting operations carried out by the SS between September and December 1943. The survivors were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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PHOTOS: The Jews of Krakow and its Surrounding Towns, Kehilalinks
Images only, rotating.
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VIDEO: Moving Into the Krakow Ghetto (1:29), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- Lodz, Poland
- ANIMATED MAP: Lodz (4:00), USHMM
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EXHIBIT: “Give Me Your Children”: Voices from the Lodz Ghetto, USHMM
Includes a 20-minute video about the Lodz Ghetto, interviews with survivors, and a discussion about photographs of Walter Genewein and Mendel Grosman.
- IMAGE: Jews in the Lodz Ghetto, Facing History and Ourselves
- Lodz Ghetto, USHMM
- Lodz Ghetto: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
- Lodz, USHMM
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PHOTOS: The Lodz Ghetto Photographs of Henryk Ross
Ross's photography enabled him to make a single moment into a poignant narrative, allowing us to reflect on this difficult history. This website contains over 4,000 images from the Henryk Ross collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It contains lesson plans and the ability to create your own collection.
- PHOTOS: The Lodz Ghetto Photos of Mendel Grossman (1939-44), USHMM Archives
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PHOTOS: Who Took the Pictures, Yad Vashem
The Lodz Ghetto photography of Mendel Grossman in Lodz, as compared with the ghetto photography of German "ghetto tourists."
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Chaim Rumkowski’s Speech to Lodz Ghetto Residents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Rumkowski's famous "Give Me Your Children" speech.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Full Text of Chaim Rumkowski’s Speech to Lodz Ghetto Residents, Holocaust Research Project
Scroll to middle of page to find the speech.
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READING: The Jewish Ghettos: Separated from the World, Facing History and Ourselves
Read diary entries from a girl who lived in the Lodz Ghetto and learn the history of Jewish ghettos in Poland.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Daily Life in the Lodz Ghetto (4:41), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Holocaust survivors Shimon Srebrnik and Tola Walach Melzer describe their experiences in the Lodz ghetto. The video is an excerpt from the film "Life in the Lodz Ghetto" from the Holocaust History Museum in Yad Vashem.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent (10:54), Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Roman Kent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1925. He spent the war years in the Lodz ghetto and in the Auschwitz, Mertzbachtal, Dornau, and Flossenburg concentration camps. In 1946, he came to the United States with his brother. Once in America, he made a life for himself. He championed the needs of Holocaust survivors and of Righteous Gentiles. Roman was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, he became president of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Blanka Rothschild (1:47), USHMM
Survivor describes deportation from the Lodz Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Leon Merrick-Importance of Work in the Lodz Ghetto (6:39), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: Leon Merrick's job delivering mail in the Lodz ghetto became all the more difficult over time as Nazi deportations to the extermination camps increased and he was often given the task of delivering notices for deportation.
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The Hidden History of Holocaust Money, Santi Elijah Holley, February 2019
The Third Reich confiscated the money of Jews under their control and replaced it with currencies meant to manipulate the population - and eliminate any means of escape. This article explores "currencies" in camps like Auschwitz and Dachau and in ghettos like Lodz and Theresienstadt.
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The Lodz Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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VIDEO: Lodz Ghetto (1:33), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- VIDEO: Documentation of Atrocities-The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross (4:47), Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Henryk Ross: Photographs from a Nazi Ghetto (4:01), History Channel
During the Holocaust, Jewish photographer Henryk Ross used his camera as a tool of resistance against the Nazi regime by documenting the harsh realities inside the ghetto of Lodz, Poland.
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VIDEO: Lala (6:00), USC Shoah Foundation
In this 360° VR blend of animation and live-action video, Holocaust survivor Roman Kent shares his story of a dog in Nazi-occupied Poland who taught him a timeless lesson: that love is stronger than hate.
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VIDEO: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs (3:06), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs", ISHS staff member Franziska Reiniger discusses how you can explore Holocaust photography with your students. Introducing some general points to keep in mind when teaching using any photograph from the Holocaust, Ms. Reiniger then proceeds with two examples, demonstrating the remarkable differences we find in photographs taken from different points of view. The graphical elements within a photograph sometimes hint at the external circumstances surrounding the time and place when the photograph was taken, and be studying both we deepen our understanding of the Holocaust. The photographs discussed in this video are available for viewing and for downloading from our website. Franziska Reiniger is a staff member at the International School for Holocaust Studies, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Teaching the Holocaust Using Photographs Part 2: Photographs as Propaganda Part 3: Documentation of Atrocities: The Jewish Photographer Henryk Ross
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VIDEO: The Daily Struggle for Existence in the Lodz Ghetto (1:08:48), Yad Vashem
What was daily life like in the ghetto? How were the harsh living conditions endured? The Lodz ghetto was established on April 30, 1940 in Poland’s second largest city and a major industrial center. Living conditions were grim with overcrowding, no electricity and no water. Disease and starvation were rampant. Intended to be a temporary facility, the ghetto existed for more than four years -- enabling local Nazis to exploit the Jewish labor force. In this lecture, Yad Vashem expert Orit Margaliot uses archival photos and art from the Holocaust to explore the daily struggle for existence in the ghetto.
-
VIDEO: The Lodz Ghetto (6:04), Yad Vashem
The video provides a short overview of the Lodz Ghetto: Its foundation, similarities to and differences from other ghettos; daily life, hunger and disease; the deportations; and final liquidation of the ghetto.
-
VIDEO: Voices from the Lodz Ghetto (4:09), USHMM
In this interview Judith Cohen, the Chief Photo Archivist for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum discusses two contemporary photographers of the Lodz ghetto. One was Walter Gennewein, the Nazi second-in-command of the ghetto, while the other was Mendel Grossmann, a Jew imprisoned in the ghetto. The disparity between their two styles of photography, their subject matter, and the mood of their photographs reveal how photography can shift how one sees the world depending on who is taking the picture.
- Lvov, Poland
- Lvov, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- MAP: Lvov Ghetto, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Dr. Leon Weliczker Wells, USC Shoah Foundation
Leon Weliczker Wells (born March 10, 1925 in Stojaniw near Radziechów , then Poland , now Ukraine , died December 19, 2009 in Fort Lee , New Jersey) was an American engineer. Between 1942 and 1944 he was imprisoned in the labor camp Lemberg-Janowska. In a Sonderkommando 1005 he had to burn the bodies of Nazi victims; He escaped the Holocaust by escaping .
- VIDEO: Jewish Life in Lvov (10:07), Spielberg Jewish Film Archive
- Riga, Latvia
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Riga, Lativia), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- Riga Ghetto Museum
- Riga, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Elik Rivosh, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
On November 1941, a few thousand Jewish men of working age were ordered into a fenced-off section of the Riga Ghetto, leaving behind the other 25,000 inhabitants. One of the men was Elik Rivosh who recalled spending a last night with his wife Alya and his young children Dima and Lida.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Susan Taube-Deportation to the Riga Ghetto (7:08), USHMM
Susan Taube discusses her deportation from Berlin to the ghetto in Riga, Latvia, and the days immediately following. She was deported in January, 1942, along with her mother, sister, and grandmother.
- The Killings at Riga, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- Terezin, Czechoslovakia
- How the Red Cross Failed Europe’s Jews and American POWs, Jewish Virtual Library
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IMAGE: Facades for the International Commission, Facing History and Ourselves
Illustration by Bedřich Fritta, a prisoner at Terezín, depicting the “beautification” of the ghetto-camp undertaken by the SS before the Red Cross visit in 1944.
- LESSON: Between the Worlds: Social Circles in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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PRIMARY SOURCE: Alice Ehrmann’s Diary
By reading diary entries from a survivor of the Theresienstadt Ghetto, students consider the complex emotional state of survivors in the final days of the war.
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READING: Terezin: A Site for Deception, Facing History and Ourselves
Discover how the Nazis used the ghetto-camp Terezin as a propaganda tool to hide what they were really doing to the Jews of Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
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Terezin (Theresienstadt), Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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The Hidden History of Holocaust Money, Santi Elijah Holley, February 2019
The Third Reich confiscated the money of Jews under their control and replaced it with currencies meant to manipulate the population - and eliminate any means of escape. This article explores "currencies" in camps like Auschwitz and Dachau and in ghettos like Lodz and Theresienstadt.
- Theresienstadt, USHMM
- Theresienstadt: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: “SS Dog” by Leon Haas (3:41), Yad Vashem / Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
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VIDEO: “Vedem” by Petr Ginz (3:52)
In the video, ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust.
-
VIDEO: Artists of Terezin – Leo Haas (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the work "SS Dog", created in the camp by Leo Hass, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction "SS Dog" by Leo Hass
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VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Guidelines for Educators (3:52), Yad Vashem Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem.
-
VIDEO: Artists of Terezin-Petr Ginz (3:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
More than 150,000 Jews passed through Terezin until its liberation in 1945. Of these, over 80% were murdered, either in Terezin or after deportation to the east. One of the fascinating aspects of Terezin is that many of the Jews sent there were prominent in the fields of culture: painters, artists, musicians, educators, philosophers and others. In the video, "Artists of Terezin: Guidelines for Educators", ISHS staff member Liz Elsby presents the children's newspaper "Vedem", created in the camp by Petr Ginz and his friends, and demonstrates how we may use it teach about the Holocaust. Liz Elsby is an artist, graphic designer, and guide at Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Petr Ginz - "Vedem"
-
VIDEO: The Gift of a Town/Terezin (9:48), You Tube
On June 23, 1944, the Nazis permitted the visit by representatives from the Danish Red Cross and the International Red Cross in order to dispel rumors about the extermination camps. [...] To minimize the appearance of overcrowding in Theresienstadt, the Nazis deported many Jews to Auschwitz. [...] The hoax against the Red Cross was apparently so successful for the Nazis that they went on to make a propaganda film at Theresienstadt. Production of the film began on February 26, 1944. Directed by Jewish prisoner Kurt Gerron (a director, cabaret performer, and actor who appeared with Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel), it was meant to show how well the Jews lived under the "benevolent" protection of the Third Reich. [...] After the shooting of the film, most of the cast and even the filmmaker himself were eventually deported to Auschwitz.
-
VIDEO: The Teddy Bear, The True Story of Michael Gruenbaum (11:48), The Lappin Foundation
This short film is narrated by survivor Michael Gruenbaum, who spent two-and-a-half years in Terezin as a child. The film is appropriate for middle school age children and older. A teacher’s guide is available: https://www.lappinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Teachers-Guide-1.pdf
- Vilna, Lithuania
- “The Cultural Life in the Vilna Ghetto,” by Solon Beinfeld, Museum of Tolerance
- [Vilna] Abba Kovner and Resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, ThoughtCo.
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[Vilna] READING: FPO Calls for Revolt in Vilna, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the United Partisan Organization’s call for the Jews of Vilna to take armed resistance against the Nazis.
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Chess in the Art of Samuel Bak, University of Minnesota
Samuel Bak was born on August 12, 1933 in Vilna, Poland at a crucial moment in modern history. From 1940 to 1944, Vilna was under first Soviet, then German occupation. Bak's artistic talent was first recognized during an exhibition of his work in the Ghetto of Vilna when he was nine. While both he and his mother survived, his father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis.
- How Did Itzik Wittenberg, Hero of the Vilna Ghetto, Die?, Tablet Magazine
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Jerusalem of Lithuania, The Story of the Jewish Community of Vilna, Yad Vashem
Also includes video testimonies.
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READING: The Jewish Councils, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the minutes of a Jewish Council's meeting held in the Vilna Ghetto in 1942 and consider the unthinkable choice faced by its members.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Baruch Shub (2:57), Yad Vashem
Baruch Shub was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1924, the second child in a Hassidic family of six. In 1939 the Soviets conquered Vilnius, and in June 1940 the city was annexed and Communist rule instituted. Consequently, the universities were opened to Jews, and Baruch went to study mechanical engineering. In June 1941, the Germans conquered Vilnius and began murdering Jews in Ponary. Baruch found work at a German garage repairing military vehicles. In September the Jews of Vilnius were confined to a ghetto. Baruch and his older sister, Zipporah, hid in a truck travelling to Radoszkovice, where Baruch found work again in a German garage. On 11 March 1942, the Jews were ordered to gather in the town square. From his hiding place in the garage, Baruch saw a huge line of people, including children, moving slowly towards a barn. The sound of shooting could be heard. At night, the barn caught fire and a thick stench filled the skies. Zipporah was among the 840 Jews murdered there that day. After the ghetto was set up, the Jewish youth established an underground movement in the ghetto, bought weapons and prepared to escape to the forests to join the partisans. However, the Germans threatened death should anyone be found missing from the ghetto, and their activities ceased. After hearing from his mother in Vilnius, Baruch returned to his hometown, where he worked in German manufacturing plants. He established an underground movement with his friend Yaakov (Kuba) Koshkin, and later joined the FPO (United Partisans Organization). In September 1943, the Germans carried out a number of aktionen (roundups of Jews in preparation for their deportation to concentration, forced labor or death camps). Following an armed clash with the Germans, Baruch and some friends joined a group of partisans in the Rudnicki Forest. Two weeks later, the Vilnius ghetto was liquidated. Baruch enlisted in a Russian paratrooper unit, participating in various military operations. In July 1944, the Red Army conquered Vilnius, and Baruch discovered that his entire family had been murdered. After his army discharge, he decided to emigrate to Eretz Israel, finally arriving in October 1945. He was recruited to the Haganah, serving as an airplane technician during the War of Independence. Two years later he transferred to El Al, rising through company ranks to Chief Flight Engineer. After 33 years, he retired. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rochelle Blackman Slivka (2:09), USHMM
Survivor describes the formation of the Vilna Ghetto.
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The Vilna Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
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VIDEO: Holocaust Escape Tunnel (54:14), Nova
For centuries, the Lithuanian city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the title “Jerusalem of the North” until World War II, when the Nazis murdered about 95% of its Jewish population and reduced its synagogues and cultural institutions to ruins. The Soviets finished the job, paving over the remnants of Vilna’s famous Great Synagogue so thoroughly that few today know it ever existed. Now, an international team of archaeologists is trying to rediscover this forgotten world, excavating the remains of its Great Synagogue and searching for proof of one of Vilna’s greatest secrets: a lost escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners inside a horrific Nazi execution site.
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VIDEO: Jewish Cultural Resistance in Vilna (3:01:30), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Professors David Fishman and Justin Cammy explore the heritage of prewar Vilna. Learn about the heroic efforts to save the original manuscripts and books that were the physical expressions of the heritage of the Jewish people. Delve into the fascinating attempt of one poet, Avrom Sutzkever, to eternalize the legacy of the Vilna ghetto almost immediately after the war.
- Vilna, USHMM
- Warsaw, Poland
- [Irena Sendler] Irena Sendler-Poland, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
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[Irena Sendler] Irena’s Children, aish.com
Mrs. Sendler, code name "Jolanta," smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation. She found a home for each child. Each was given a new name and a new identity as a Christian. Others were saving Jewish children, too, but many of those children were saved only in body; tragically, they disappeared from the Jewish people. Irena did all she could to ensure that "her children" would have a future as part of their own people.
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[Warsaw] Emanuel Ringelblum and the Creation of the Oneg Shabbat Archive, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the Warsaw Ghetto, Emanuel Ringelblum founded a clandestine organization that aimed to provide an accurate record of events taking place in German-occupied Poland while the ghetto existed. This archive came to be known as the “Oneg Shabbat” (literally “Joy of the Sabbath,” also known as the Ringelblum Archive).
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[Warsaw] EXHIBIT: “Let the World Read and Know” – The Oneg Shabbat Archives, Yad Vashem
The Oneg Shabbat Archives is the most significant collection of sources in the world documenting the Holocaust - sources that were created, gathered, and written by the victims themselves, in real time, at the moment when they were experiencing the horrors. The Archives is comprised of diaries and notes, memoirs, photographs, clandestine newspapers, monographs, letters and more - all of which are of inestimable value in the study of the living conditions, the creativity, the struggle and the murder of Polish Jewry.
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[Warsaw] LEARNING GUIDE: Time Capsule in a Milk Can, USHMM
Emanuel Ringelblum and the milk can archives of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] LESSON: Spiritual, Educational & Physical Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
A six-day lesson plan for middle school created by Sol A. Factor, Cleveland Heights High School.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: Emanuel Ringelblum, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using a graphic novel format, explore the life of Emanuel Ringelblum.
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[Warsaw] ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Oyneg Shabbes Archive Collections (5:36), Yad Vashem
With the beginning of the Great Deportation of Warsaw Jewry to the Treblinka extermination camp, members of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive sought shelter for the Archive and decided that it was to be buried, despite the risks involved. Their hope was that it would one day be retrieved and serve as a testament to the murder of Polish Jewry. The archival collections included original research, testimonies and documents, newspapers, diaries, photographs, and artworks. Among those entrusted with the task of burying the Archive were two educators, Israel Lichtenstein and his wife, painter Gele Sekstein. Shortly before burying the Archives, they added their own wills, describing their lives and lamenting the fate of Europe’s Jews.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Stroop Report, Jewish Virtual Library
Official report prepared by General Jürgen Stroop for the SS chief Heinrich Himmler, recounting the German suppression of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the liquidation of the ghetto in the spring of 1943.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: May History Attest For Us, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Jewish resistance to the Holocaust did not just involve fighting. Oneg Shabbat was a project organised by the historian Emanuel Ringelblum which attempted to record Jewish life in occupied Warsaw by collecting items such as diaries, newspapers, poems and even sweet wrappers. When deportations to Treblinka began in the summer of 1942, a section of the Oneg Shabbat archive was buried in metal boxes in the ghetto; two later caches were buried in 1943. One of the three men who buried the archives was David Graber, who was 19. He added this last letter.
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[Warsaw] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Suicide Note of Szmul Zygielbojm, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Szmul Zygielbojm was a Jewish socialist politician who was a member of the Polish government-in-exile, which was based in London. He had played a leading role in trying to make western governments and the public opinion aware of the Holocaust when detailed reports emerged from Poland in 1942. However, he grew frustrated with what he saw as the indifference of the Allies. On 12 May 1943, during the last days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, he committed suicide in London, leaving this note.
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[Warsaw] READING: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the largest act of resistance by Jews against the Nazis, mounted by prisoners of the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Ringelblum Archive, Jewish Historical Institute
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (29:01), USC Shoah Foundation/YouTube
Seven interviewees describe their roles in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Transcript available. English.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Benjamin Meed (3:18), USHMM
Benjamin Meed describes the burning of the Warsaw ghetto during the 1943 ghetto uprising [Interview: 1990].
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Estelle Laughlin – The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (9:30), USHMM Podcast
Estelle Laughlin discusses the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, when German forces, intending to liquidate the ghetto on April 19, 1943, were stunned by an armed uprising from Jewish fighters. Estelle and her family hid in an underground bunker during the uprising but were eventually captured and deported.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yisrael Gutman (2:15), Yad Vashem/YouTube
His parents and older sister perished in the ghetto, and his younger sister was a member of Janusz Korczak's orphanage. As a member of the Jewish Underground in the Warsaw Ghetto, Israel Gutman was wounded in the uprising. From Warsaw he was taken to Majdanek, and from there to Auschwitz. In May 1945 he was sent on the death march to Mauthausen. In total, he spent two years in the camps. After the war he helped in the rehabilitation of survivors, was active in the Bericha movement, and immigrated to Palestine in 1946.
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[Warsaw] The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, zwoje-scrolls
Photos of the uprising.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (2/5): Rachel Auerbach and the Public Kitchen in the Warsaw Ghetto (9:18), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In Nazi-occupied Poland, historian Emanuel Ringelblum, who headed the Jewish Self-Help Society (Jewish relief organization) in Warsaw, asked Rachel Auerbach to organize a public kitchen. Once Jews were forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, public kitchens supplied the hungry masses with a daily meal. Auerbach heeded Ringelblum's request. She also became a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive. In this capacity she documented the sights she encountered in her everyday work and the starvation of the Ghetto's inhabitants (approx. 450,000 people). Auerbach was one of three of the Archive's members to survive the war. She dedicated her life to the documentation of and research into the Holocaust.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (3/5): The Jewish Letter Carrier in the Warsaw Ghetto (6:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Peretz Opoczynski was a journalist, writer, and educator. During World War II Opoczynski was a member of the underground archive in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”). Opoczynski documented the sights he saw and his experiences as a mailman in the ghetto.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO (5/5): The Great Deportation in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:22), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Abraham Lewin, an educator and a member of the clandestine Oneg Shabbat (“Joy of the Sabbath”) Archive maintained a diary depicting the wartime events in the Warsaw ghetto. It is rare in that it covers in real time the Great Deportation of the summer 1942, during which some 265,000 Jews were deported to their deaths in Treblinka, and some 10,000 were murdered within the ghetto. Abraham Lewin survived the Great Deportation and continued documenting the tragic events of the ghetto until his capture by the Nazis.
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (3:43), Yad Vashem
A brief animated overview of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the events leading up to it. The first widespread civil uprising to take place during World War 2, the uprising has become a symbol of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- [Warsaw] VIDEO: Oneg Shabbat-Emanuel Ringelblum’s Underground Archive in the Warsaw Ghetto (8:47), Yad Vashem/YouTube
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[Warsaw] VIDEO: There Was No Hope. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 19th April 1943 (29:40), Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews
An educational film about Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It begins with Jewish life in Warsaw and progresses through ghetto life and the ultimate uprising.
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[Warsaw] Video: Who Will Write Our History (classroom version, 37:39), Facing History and Ourselves
This educational version of the documentary tells the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive, created by a clandestine group in the Warsaw Ghetto who vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda by detailing life in the ghetto from the Jewish perspective.
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[Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation
Includes a downloadable Study Guide to the film "Uprising."
- [Warsaw] Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, USHMM
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[Warsaw] Yizkor, 1943 by Rachel Auerbach, from Tablet Magazine, May 4, 2016
Reflections on life in the Warsaw ghetto written by Rachel Auerbach from the Aryan side of Warsaw, November 1943.
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[Zegota] LESSON: Council for the Aid to Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
This unit of study focuses on one network of rescuers in Poland, Zegota, the Council for the Aid to Jews.
- [Zegota] Zegota, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
- ANIMATED MAP: The Warsaw Ghetto (2:37), USHMM
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ART: The Warsaw Ghetto by Israel Bernbaum, University of Minnesota
Israel Bernbaum was a Jew born in Warsaw, Poland in 1920,escaping Warsaw before the ghetto was sealed. He survived the war living in the Soviet Union, coming to the United States in 1957 after being repatriated to Poland from the USSR as a Polish national. While working as a dental technician, Bernbaum studied art at Queens College, graduating with a B.A. in 1973. This was the period when he produced his first large works dealing with the Holocaust experiences. In particular, Bernbaum aimed his images at young people in the hope that simplicity of image, color, and almost a cartoon-like form would help tell the story of Jewish suffering. Familiar images appear in his works such as portraits of Anne Frank, the child from the Stroop Report photos of the Warsaw Ghetto, and especially images of destruction with street names in the field of debris around Warsaw. Other images deal with the deportation of the children of the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka and the heroism of Janusz Korczak.
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ARTIFACT: The Stroop Report, Institute of National Remembrance
The Stroop Report, originally entitled The Jewish Quarter of Warsaw is No More!, which was prepared for Heinrich Himmler after the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto in 1943, is a unique document in human history. The uniqueness of the report is not tarnished by the fact that, as by Professor Andrzej Zbikowski writes in the introduction to the release of the Report in 2009, it does not differ from hundreds of other German reports on the destruction of European Jews. It describes the liquidation of Jewish communities in a language of statistics, officially and in a neutral and purely technical tone. However, it reveals in an exceptional way the attitude of Germans towards the Jews as the main ideological enemy of the Third Reich. The report also shows their views on the genocide of the Jews planned in cold blood. Contrary to Stroop's intentions the Report became a posthumous tribute for the Jewish people. It shows their moral and ethical superiority. Everyone knows the picture of a little Jewish boy in a large cap standing with raised hands among terrified people at whom German soldiers point their barrels - it comes from the Report. Dozens of photographs form an integral part of the document. They are terrifying and unforgettable. The Stroop Report was meant to show the courage of the author and emphasize his contribution to the Thousand-Year Reich. For the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto,and other crimes in Europe, he was promoted and awarded by Hitler. At the end, however, the Report became a proof in lawsuits before the courts and tribunals in Nuremberg and Warsaw.
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ARTIFACT: The Stroop Report’s Photograph Section, NARA
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) copy of the Stroop Report's photograph Section.
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Beit Lohamei Haghetaot-The Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum
The first Holocaust museum in the world but also the first of its kind to be founded by Holocaust survivors. Since its establishment in 1949, the museum tells the story of the Holocaust during World War II, emphasizing the bravery, spiritual triumph and the incredible ability of Holocaust survivors and the fighters of the revolt to rebuild their lives in a new country about which they had dreamed – the State of Israel.
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Warsaw Ghetto), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: In the Footsteps of Janusz Korczak, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Using interactive maps, the visitor is taken on a tour of Warsaw before and during the Holocaust.
- ONLINE EXHIBIT: Warsaw 1939-1945, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- PHOTOS: Photographs from the Warsaw Ghetto, Yad Vashem
- PHOTOS: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising II, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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POEM: “But She Was” by Władysław Szlengel, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
In this poem, written in August 1942 in response to deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp, Władysław Szlengel encouraged readers to remember the humanity of the victims by focusing on the fate of an apparently unremarkable Jewish mother.
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Poetry in Hell: Yiddish Poetry in the Ringelblum Archives
Poetry in Hell is a web site dedicated to the poets, both in the Warsaw Ghetto and elsewhere whose poetry, under the leadership of Emanuel Ringelblum, was secretly collected by the members of the “Oneg Shabbat Society“, preserved and buried in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: These 200 Children Did Not Cry, 70 Voices/ Holocaust Education Trust
On August 5, 1942, Janusz Korczak and the children of the Warsaw Ghetto Orphanage were marched through the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto to a waiting train, as witnessed by the writer Yehoshua Perle.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: Whoever Does Not Condemn, Consents, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
While many non-Jews exploited the Holocaust for personal gain or reacted with indifference, a courageous minority took action. One of them was Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, a writer and a member of the Polish resistance movement. Kossak-Szczucka was a strong Polish nationalist and was widely regarded as an antisemite. When the deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp began, she published a pamphlet entitled ‘Protest!’ in which she condemned the passivity of the world in the face of mass murder. These are some extracts from ‘Protest!’.
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READING: Voices from the Warsaw Ghetto, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Oyneg Shabbes, a group in the Warsaw Ghetto that documented Nazi crimes and the daily lives of the ghetto's residents.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Halina Birenbaum, Masha Putermilch, and Yosef Charny (4:14), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivors describe the mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto in the summer of 1942. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Lewent (:51), USHMM
Survivor describes conditions in the Warsaw Ghetto.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Chaim Kaplan, Jewish Geneology
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Marcel Reich-Ranicki (3:02), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the cultural life in the Warsaw Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Politische Pole-Jude, The Story of Pinchas Gutter (1:10:08), Hebrew University/YouTube
Pinchas Gutter was born in Lodz and was 7 years old when the war broke out. After his father was brutally beaten by Nazis in Lodz, he fled with his family to what they thought was safety in Warsaw. From there, Pinchas and his family were incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto for three and a half years – until April 1943, the time of the ghetto uprising. The family was then deported to the Majdanek concentration camp. Pinchas was imprisoned in numerous slave labor camps and, towards the end of the war he was forced on a death march which he barely survived. He was liberated by the Russians from Theresiensdat on May 8, 1945 and was later taken to Britain with other children for rehabilitation. Sixty years later, Pinchas returns to the sites of his childhood where he tells the story of his past.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Chaim Kaplan Diary (selected extracts), Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yosef Charny (1:27), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes starvation in the Warsaw Ghetto
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The BBC Broadcast About the Situation of Jews in Poland, Jewish Historical Institute
On June 26, 1942, at 5 PM, British BBC Radio broadcast a program dedicated to the situation of Polish Jews under German occupation. It was an important day for members of the Oneg Shabbat group of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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The Warsaw Ghetto, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to many topics.
- The Warsaw Ghetto: A Case Study, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Warschau (18:54), USHMM
German propaganda film. Excellent image.
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VIDEO: Adam Czerniakow, Chairman of the Jewish Council in Warsaw (:47), USHMM
Historical film footage from a German propaganda newsreel. Notice the staging.
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VIDEO: Daily Life in the Warsaw Ghetto (1:24), USHMM
Historical film footage. No sound.
- VIDEO: Everyday Life in the Warsaw Ghetto (2:37)
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VIDEO: In the Warsaw Ghetto (9:48), USHMM
Color propaganda film from May 1942 (?). Silent. Courtesy of Bundesarchiv.
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VIDEO: Jewish Deportees from Magdeburg in the Warsaw Ghetto, Historical Film Footage (2:05), USHMM
Warsaw, Poland, 1942: Beginning in 1941, the Germans deported Jews in Germany to the occupied eastern territories. At first, they deported thousands of Jews to ghettos in Poland and the Baltic states. Those deported would share the fate of local Jews. Later, many deportation transports from Germany went directly to the killing centers in occupied Poland. In this footage, a German propaganda unit films recent arrivals from Magdeburg, Germany, in a collection center run by the Jewish council in the Warsaw ghetto. In July 1942, the Nazis began mass deportations of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to the nearby Treblinka killing center.
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VIDEO: Never Forget to Lie (53:41), A Film by Marian Marzynski, Frontline
Marzynski tells the extraordinary story of how he as a Jewish boy escaped the Holocaust, hiding from the Nazis, and surviving the war as an altar boy in a Catholic monastery. In a deeply moving and personal film he shares the poignant, painful recollections of other child survivors, many of whom are visiting scenes of their childhood for the last time, where survival began with the directive “never forget to lie.”
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VIDEO: Shtetl (2:55), Frontline
FRONTLINE producer Marian Marzynski travels back in time to a family shtetl, a small village in Bransk, Poland. As a child, Marzynski escaped the Warsaw Ghetto and was raised by Christians. The remarkable film tells the homecoming story of two elderly Polish-American Jews who return to their families’ shtetl, Bransk, where 2,500 Jews lived before most were sent to Treblinka’s gas chambers. These two Americans are aided in their journey by a Polish Gentile who has restored Bransk’s Jewish cemetery and researched the lives of the Jews who once lived there. The film captures these pilgrims as they face old neighbors, some who were betrayers, others who were saviors to the Jews of Bransk.
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VIDEO: Using the Study Unit “Everyday Life in the Warsaw Ghetto-1941” in the Classroom, Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Consists of 7 video chapters: Introduction, Historical Background, Overcrowding, Everyday Life & Survival, Welfare & Mutual Aid, The "Badge of Shame" and Cultural Life, Conclusion
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Warsaw Will Return 1,000 Gravestones to Jewish Cemetery, Tablet Magazine, August 15, 2014
The practice of removing Jewish gravestones from cemeteries and using them for other purposes was common in Poland since the 1940s. The city of Warsaw has announced plans to recover 1,000 gravestones, or matzevot, that were taken from the city’s Jewish cemetery and used to build a structure in a city park. Includes a 14 minute video.
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Warsaw, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In the fall of 1940, German authorities established a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland’s largest city with the largest Jewish population. Almost 30 percent of Warsaw’s population was packed into 2.4 percent of the city's area.
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Wolfgang Hergeth, the “Janusz Korczak Cycle,” University of Minnesota
Wolfgang Hergeth was born on January 21, 1946 in Silberbach, Czechoslovakia. The "Janusz Korczak Cycle" was introduced in 1998 at the Uhlberghalle in Filderstadt, Germany. Janusz Korczak, born Henryk Goldsmit in Warsaw on July 22, 1878, was a prominent, Polish Jewish pediatrician, professor, and founder of an internationally respected children's home. His personal sacrifice is beyond measure. After the fall of Poland, when the Germans proceeded to transport to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews from all over Warsaw and beyond, the orphanage was overwhelmed. Yet from beginning to end Korczak was the shield that protected all who were under his care -- his children. He resolved to go with them wherever they might be taken. As it turned out, this meant to Treblinka and to death. In the decades since the Holocaust, tales of this martyred Jewish doctor have taken on a legendary quality, especially the spectacular drama that unfolded on his last journey with the children. With the cycle, Hergeth creates eleven paintings dedicated to Korczak giving expression to Korczak's own views of the calamity unfolding in his midst, including the expected fate that awaited his condemned children.
- Survival in Hiding
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LESSON: Rescue and Survival in Hiding, USHMM
This lesson focuses on the role that everyday objects play in our understanding of historical events.
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READING: Survival in Hiding, Facing History and Ourselves
Gain insight into the experiences of Jews in hiding during the Holocaust by reading entries from the diary of teenager Otto Wolf.
- Survivors / Displaced Persons
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Adviser on Jewish Affairs to Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, Jewish Virtual Library
The adviser on Jewish affairs to the commander of the U.S. forces in Europe was a position established in August 1945 in the wake of the publication of the Harrison Report on the situation of Jewish displaced persons in the Allied zones of occupation.
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Refugee Aid, USHMM
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ANIMATED MAP: The Aftermath of the Holocaust (3:39), USHMM
As Allied troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, they encountered and liberated concentration camp prisoners. Many of the prisoners had survived death marches into the interior of Germany. After liberation, most Jewish survivors were unable or unwilling to return to eastern Europe because of antisemitism and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust. Those who did return often feared for their lives. Many homeless Holocaust survivors migrated westward to territories liberated by the Allies, where they were housed in displaced persons camps (DP) and refugee centers while waiting to leave Europe.
- Birthrate in DP Camps is the Highest in the World, Jewish Virtual Library
- Brihah, USHMM
- Displaced Persons Camps, Yad Vashem
- Displaced Persons, USHMM
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DOCUMENT: (09.29.45) Letter from President Truman to General Einsenhower Enclosing the Harrison Report, Jewish Virtual Library
In June 1945, the US government sent Earl G. Harrison to examine the plight of Holocaust survivors in the displaced persons (DP) camps in Europe. The resulting Harrison Report harshly criticized conditions in the DP camps, called for immediate changes in the treatment of Jewish DPs, and recommended allowing them to emigrate to the United States and Palestine.
- DOCUMENT: (10.8.45) Einsenhower’s Response to President Truman on Harrison Report, Jewish Virtual Library
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DOCUMENT: Interim Report on Bericha Activity, Central Zionist Archives
Bericha was an organized effort to help Jewish Holocaust survivors, mainly from Eastern Europe, to reach new homes, especially Palestine.
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DOCUMENT: Report on Joint Distribution Committee Activity in Europe, Jewish Virtual Library
After the war, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC or "Joint")—working together with the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and other organizations—became the central Jewish agency providing support and financial assistance to Jewish survivors of the Holocaust residing in the displaced persons (DP) camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy.
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EXHIBIT: Fate Unknown, The Search for the Missing After the Holocaust, The Wiener Holocaust Library
This online exhibit highlights the post-war efforts to help find missing people and reunite families in what became known as the International Tracing Service (ITS).
- EXHIBIT: Life Reborn-Jewish Displaced Persons 1945-1951, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: The Return to Life in the Displaced Persons Camps, 1945-1956, Yad Vashem
A visual retrospective with copy. Includes sections on Family, Education, Culture & Press, REligion, Remembrance, Sports, Zionism and Kibbutzim.
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From Nazi camps to the Lake District: The Story of the Windermere Children, The Guardian, January 5, 2020
In 1945, hundreds of children liberated from concentration camps were flown into a tiny town in the Lake District to begin new lives. On the eve of a BBC dramatization of their story, 91-year-old survivor Arek Hersh talks about the experience.
- How A Survivor Feels by Cecile Klein, Survivor & Poet
- MAP: Italy, Camps for Displaced Persons, USHMM
- MAP: Jewish “Illegal” Immigration, 1945-1947, USHMM
- MAP: Major Camps for Jewish Displaced Persons, 1945-46, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” Marking the Holiday of Passover Before, During and After the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
The imperative to remember is a significant element of the Passover holiday, and part of its tradition and rituals. In “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” through the photos, the artifacts and the personal testimonies, we explore and remember some of the ways Passover was observed throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust, during the Holocaust years, and in the displaced persons camps and children’s homes following the war.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes for Holocaust Survivors, Yad Vashem
After the war's end, the enormity of the tragedy that had befallen the Jewish people gradually unfolded. Among the six million victims of the Holocaust were some 1.5 million Jewish children. Survivors, including tens of thousands of children, were scattered all over Europe. The children were found in the liberated camps, Christian homes, monasteries and convents, as well as wandering the streets and forests. Many of them were orphans, "elderly children", "adults in children's bodies", as they themselves testified. A number of children's homes were established to take care of these children. The caregivers, counsellors and teachers who staffed them were mainly Holocaust survivors themselves. These are some of their stories
- Pogroms, USHMM
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READING: Eleanor’s Visits to the Displaced Persons Camps, Facing History and Ourselves
Read Eleanor Roosevelt’s reflections on her visit to the Zeilsheim displaced persons camp, ten months after Nazi concentration camps were liberated.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Kielce Pogrom 1946, USC Shoah Foundation
A collection of testimony clips of Holocaust survivors who remembering hearing about the pogrom in the Polish town of Kielce. On July 4, 1946, mobs of Polish people attacked Jewish refugees and survivors returning to their homes after World War II had ended. In these testimony clips eyewitnesses recount the story of how over 40 Jewish people were murdered after they had already survived the Holocaust.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Josef Perl, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
For many Holocaust survivors who chose to go home after liberation, return was a chastening experience. Not only did they typically have to confront the reality of the loss of their families and communities; many also had to face hostility from their non-Jewish neighbors. Josef Perl was a young Auschwitz survivor who returned to his family home in Veliky Bochkov, which had been in Czechoslovakia before the war and was in the Soviet Union after it.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Felix Horn (1:40), USHMM
Born: 1920, Lublin, Poland. Describes postwar emigration with the Brihah movement, and adjustment to life after the war.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Reconciling Identities After the War (6:46), Facing History and Ourselves
Romana Farrington, whose Jewish parents arranged for her to be raised by a Polish Catholic family during the Holocaust, describes how her wartime experience impacts her identity.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Displaced Persons’ Camps (4:34), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Abraham and Shoshana Roshkovski describe life in the DP camps.
- The Harrison Report, USHMM
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The Kielce Pogrom, A Blood Libel Massacre of Holocaust Survivors, USHMM
The term “Kielce Pogrom” refers to a violent massacre of Jews in the southeastern Polish town of Kielce on July 4, 1946.
- The Kielce Pogrom, July 4, 1946, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Survivors, USHMM
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Postwar American Response to the Holocaust, USHMM
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VIDEO: Caring for Survivors (4:34), Facing History and Ourselves
Isaac Levy, a Rabbi who served as a chaplain in the British army during World War II, recalls the challenges he faced trying to assist survivors after the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: Displaced Persons Camp in Austria, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
After World War II, the Allies repatriated millions of displaced persons (DPs) back to their countries of origin. But hundreds of thousands of people, including more than 250,000 Jewish refugees, could not or would not return. Most Jewish DPs preferred to leave Europe for either Palestine or the United States. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) housed them in camps in occupied Germany and Austria until they could be resettled. Here, Jewish DPs raise their children in the camps, preparing them for eventual emigration to Palestine.
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VIDEO: Holocaust Survivors-First Steps in the DP Camps and a New Beginning (7:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon presents the story of the survivors, following the fundamental dilemma - "What Now?" - through to life and culture within the DP camps. She outlines the reality and remarkable phenomena within the DP camps, as well as their human significance in restoring a sense of personal identity and early steps towards a new beginning.
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VIDEO: Jewish Refugees Cross Into Italy, Historical Film Footage (1:55), USHMM
The postwar movement of about 250,000 mainly eastern European Jewish survivors to displaced persons camps and to the West, with the goal of reaching Palestine, was known as the "Brihah" ("flight"). Here, Jewish refugees cross illegally into Italy, probably to charter a ship to sail to Palestine. The British restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine and deported "illegal" immigrants to detention camps in Cyprus.
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VIDEO: Life After the Holocaust: Survivors Rebuild Their Lives (13:27), Next Generations
A look at what happened to those that survived the Holocaust, despite the atrocities they experienced. Includes survivor testimonies.
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VIDEO: The Long Way Home-Excerpt (7:10), Simon Wiesenthal Center
Explores conditions in the DP Camps, the Harrison Report, and Yom Kippur service held at the Feldafing DP Camp in 1945.
- VIDEO: The Return to Life in the DP Camps (7:44), Holocaust Education Video Toolbox, Yad Vashem
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What a Bergen-Belsen Prenup Teaches Us About Jewish Resilience, Jewish Telegraphic Agency/Henry Abramson, February 27, 2019
The DP camps in Germany and Italy contained some 300,000 Jews, most of whom emerged from the death camps before the Nazis could complete their Final Solution. Many married before the war could not determine whether or not their spouses were still among the living. Neither divorced nor widowed, the survivors remained “chained” to their former husbands and wives, unable to remarry under Jewish law until the fate of their spouses could be ascertained. What were they to do?
- What Problems Did Survivors Face?, The Holocaust Explained
- What Were Displaced Persons Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
- Where Did Survivors Go in Postwar Europe?, The Holocaust Explained
- Bericha
- Brihah, USHMM
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DOCUMENT: Interim Report on Bericha Activity, Central Zionist Archives
Bericha was an organized effort to help Jewish Holocaust survivors, mainly from Eastern Europe, to reach new homes, especially Palestine.
- MAP: Jewish “Illegal” Immigration, 1945-1947, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Felix Horn (1:40), USHMM
Born: 1920, Lublin, Poland. Describes postwar emigration with the Brihah movement, and adjustment to life after the war.
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VIDEO: Jewish Refugees Cross Into Italy, Historical Film Footage (1:55), USHMM
The postwar movement of about 250,000 mainly eastern European Jewish survivors to displaced persons camps and to the West, with the goal of reaching Palestine, was known as the "Brihah" ("flight"). Here, Jewish refugees cross illegally into Italy, probably to charter a ship to sail to Palestine. The British restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine and deported "illegal" immigrants to detention camps in Cyprus.
- Children's Homes for Holocaust Survivors
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes for Holocaust Survivors, Yad Vashem
After the war's end, the enormity of the tragedy that had befallen the Jewish people gradually unfolded. Among the six million victims of the Holocaust were some 1.5 million Jewish children. Survivors, including tens of thousands of children, were scattered all over Europe. The children were found in the liberated camps, Christian homes, monasteries and convents, as well as wandering the streets and forests. Many of them were orphans, "elderly children", "adults in children's bodies", as they themselves testified. A number of children's homes were established to take care of these children. The caregivers, counsellors and teachers who staffed them were mainly Holocaust survivors themselves. These are some of their stories
- Displaced Persons (DP) Camps
- Birthrate in DP Camps is the Highest in the World, Jewish Virtual Library
- Displaced Persons Camps, Yad Vashem
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EXHIBIT: The Return to Life in the Displaced Persons Camps, 1945-1956, Yad Vashem
A visual retrospective with copy. Includes sections on Family, Education, Culture & Press, REligion, Remembrance, Sports, Zionism and Kibbutzim.
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From Nazi camps to the Lake District: The Story of the Windermere Children, The Guardian, January 5, 2020
In 1945, hundreds of children liberated from concentration camps were flown into a tiny town in the Lake District to begin new lives. On the eve of a BBC dramatization of their story, 91-year-old survivor Arek Hersh talks about the experience.
- MAP: Italy, Camps for Displaced Persons, USHMM
- MAP: Major Camps for Jewish Displaced Persons, 1945-46, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” Marking the Holiday of Passover Before, During and After the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
The imperative to remember is a significant element of the Passover holiday, and part of its tradition and rituals. In “And You Shall Tell Your Children,” through the photos, the artifacts and the personal testimonies, we explore and remember some of the ways Passover was observed throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust, during the Holocaust years, and in the displaced persons camps and children’s homes following the war.
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READING: Eleanor’s Visits to the Displaced Persons Camps, Facing History and Ourselves
Read Eleanor Roosevelt’s reflections on her visit to the Zeilsheim displaced persons camp, ten months after Nazi concentration camps were liberated.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Displaced Persons’ Camps (4:34), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Abraham and Shoshana Roshkovski describe life in the DP camps.
- The U.S. and the Holocaust: Postwar American Response to the Holocaust, USHMM
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VIDEO: Displaced Persons Camp in Austria, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
After World War II, the Allies repatriated millions of displaced persons (DPs) back to their countries of origin. But hundreds of thousands of people, including more than 250,000 Jewish refugees, could not or would not return. Most Jewish DPs preferred to leave Europe for either Palestine or the United States. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) housed them in camps in occupied Germany and Austria until they could be resettled. Here, Jewish DPs raise their children in the camps, preparing them for eventual emigration to Palestine.
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VIDEO: Holocaust Survivors-First Steps in the DP Camps and a New Beginning (7:44), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
ISHS staff member Sheryl Ochayon presents the story of the survivors, following the fundamental dilemma - "What Now?" - through to life and culture within the DP camps. She outlines the reality and remarkable phenomena within the DP camps, as well as their human significance in restoring a sense of personal identity and early steps towards a new beginning.
- VIDEO: The Return to Life in the DP Camps (7:44), Holocaust Education Video Toolbox, Yad Vashem
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What a Bergen-Belsen Prenup Teaches Us About Jewish Resilience, Jewish Telegraphic Agency/Henry Abramson, February 27, 2019
The DP camps in Germany and Italy contained some 300,000 Jews, most of whom emerged from the death camps before the Nazis could complete their Final Solution. Many married before the war could not determine whether or not their spouses were still among the living. Neither divorced nor widowed, the survivors remained “chained” to their former husbands and wives, unable to remarry under Jewish law until the fate of their spouses could be ascertained. What were they to do?
- What Were Displaced Persons Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
- Joint Distribution Committee
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Refugee Aid, USHMM
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DOCUMENT: Report on Joint Distribution Committee Activity in Europe, Jewish Virtual Library
After the war, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC or "Joint")—working together with the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and other organizations—became the central Jewish agency providing support and financial assistance to Jewish survivors of the Holocaust residing in the displaced persons (DP) camps in Germany, Austria, and Italy.
- Pogroms
- Pogroms, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Kielce Pogrom 1946, USC Shoah Foundation
A collection of testimony clips of Holocaust survivors who remembering hearing about the pogrom in the Polish town of Kielce. On July 4, 1946, mobs of Polish people attacked Jewish refugees and survivors returning to their homes after World War II had ended. In these testimony clips eyewitnesses recount the story of how over 40 Jewish people were murdered after they had already survived the Holocaust.
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The Kielce Pogrom, A Blood Libel Massacre of Holocaust Survivors, USHMM
The term “Kielce Pogrom” refers to a violent massacre of Jews in the southeastern Polish town of Kielce on July 4, 1946.
- The Kielce Pogrom, July 4, 1946, Jewish Virtual Library
- What Problems Did Survivors Face?, The Holocaust Explained
- The Harrison Report
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Adviser on Jewish Affairs to Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, Jewish Virtual Library
The adviser on Jewish affairs to the commander of the U.S. forces in Europe was a position established in August 1945 in the wake of the publication of the Harrison Report on the situation of Jewish displaced persons in the Allied zones of occupation.
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DOCUMENT: (09.29.45) Letter from President Truman to General Einsenhower Enclosing the Harrison Report, Jewish Virtual Library
In June 1945, the US government sent Earl G. Harrison to examine the plight of Holocaust survivors in the displaced persons (DP) camps in Europe. The resulting Harrison Report harshly criticized conditions in the DP camps, called for immediate changes in the treatment of Jewish DPs, and recommended allowing them to emigrate to the United States and Palestine.
- DOCUMENT: (10.8.45) Einsenhower’s Response to President Truman on Harrison Report, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Harrison Report, USHMM
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VIDEO: The Long Way Home-Excerpt (7:10), Simon Wiesenthal Center
Explores conditions in the DP Camps, the Harrison Report, and Yom Kippur service held at the Feldafing DP Camp in 1945.
- The Aftermath
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“Despite It All I Am Alive” – Liberation & Return to Life Through Photographs & Testimony, Yad Vashem
This site features suggested educational activities for teaching this topic. We juxtapose photos with pieces of testimony, diaries, etc. Through discussion suggestions, we hope to delve deeper into the various difficulties and choices facing survivors shortly after liberation.
- Analysis of Denazification Categories in the Western Occupation Zones (1949-1950), GHDI
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ANIMATED MAP: The Fallen of World War II
An animated data-driven documentary about war and peace, The Fallen of World War II looks at the human cost of the second World War and sizes up the numbers to other wars in history, including trends in recent conflicts.
- CHART: Estimated Casualties During WWII (including Jews), Yad Vashem
- CHART: Estimated Losses to Eastern European Jewry, Yad Vashem
- CHART: Jewish Victims During the Holocaust-Western Europe and North Africa, Yad Vashem
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Denazification Questionnaire, GHDI
The denazification of the German population had been a central Allied war goal. In the postwar period, one important part of these efforts was a 131-question survey used by Allied authorities to gather information on any given adult's level of participation in National Socialism. Surprisingly, the Nazi party registry had been saved from destruction, so it was actually possible to verify the answers. This is the first page of the famous denazification questionnaire used between 1946 and 1948.
- Denazification, AlliiertenMuseum
- Denazification, Cumulative Review. Report, April 1, 1947-April 30, 1948, U.S. Office of Military Government for Germany, University of Wisconsin-Madison Digital Collections
- Denazification, Jewish Virtual Library
- Denazification, Yad Vashem
- Finding Family, The Holocaust Explained
- LESSON: The Aftermath, remember.org
- PHOTOS: After The Fall: Photos Of Hitler’s Bunker And The Ruins Of Berlin, LIFE.com
- POLITICAL CARTOON: “Black Becomes White, or Automatic Denazification” (1946), GHDI
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READING: Post-war: Chaos and Challenges, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the immense challenges that countries and Europeans faced after the end of World War II.
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READING: Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about lawyer and activist Raphael Lemkin’s efforts to make the world recognize mass murder as an international crime.
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READING: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in its creation.
- Returning Home?, The Holocaust Explained
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Personal Histories of the Aftermath, USHMM
- The Aftermath of the Holocaust, USHMM
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VIDEO: Nuremberg-Denazification and Nazi Trials (2:29), Robert H. Jackson Center
From 1945-49, Nuremberg Germany was the scene of various denazification trials and trials against the principal perpetrators from the Nazi regime. The first trial was the International Military Tribunal headed by Robert H. Jackson. Telford Taylor was the chief american counsel for 12 subsequent trials. This is in addition to many denazification hearings.
- Denazification
- Analysis of Denazification Categories in the Western Occupation Zones (1949-1950), GHDI
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Denazification Questionnaire, GHDI
The denazification of the German population had been a central Allied war goal. In the postwar period, one important part of these efforts was a 131-question survey used by Allied authorities to gather information on any given adult's level of participation in National Socialism. Surprisingly, the Nazi party registry had been saved from destruction, so it was actually possible to verify the answers. This is the first page of the famous denazification questionnaire used between 1946 and 1948.
- Denazification, AlliiertenMuseum
- Denazification, Cumulative Review. Report, April 1, 1947-April 30, 1948, U.S. Office of Military Government for Germany, University of Wisconsin-Madison Digital Collections
- Denazification, Jewish Virtual Library
- Denazification, Yad Vashem
- PHOTOS: After The Fall: Photos Of Hitler’s Bunker And The Ruins Of Berlin, LIFE.com
- POLITICAL CARTOON: “Black Becomes White, or Automatic Denazification” (1946), GHDI
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VIDEO: Nuremberg-Denazification and Nazi Trials (2:29), Robert H. Jackson Center
From 1945-49, Nuremberg Germany was the scene of various denazification trials and trials against the principal perpetrators from the Nazi regime. The first trial was the International Military Tribunal headed by Robert H. Jackson. Telford Taylor was the chief american counsel for 12 subsequent trials. This is in addition to many denazification hearings.
- The Genocide Convention, 1948
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READING: Raphael Lemkin and the Genocide Convention, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about lawyer and activist Raphael Lemkin’s efforts to make the world recognize mass murder as an international crime.
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
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READING: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Eleanor Roosevelt’s role in its creation.
- The Camps (General)
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“Holocaust Numismatics,” by Joel J. Forman, Museum of Tolerance
Discussion of coins & currency used in the ghettos and camps.
- Classification System in Nazi Concentration Camps, USHMM
- Concentration Camp System-In Depth, USHMM
- Concentration Camps, 1933-1939, USHMM
- Concentration Camps, 1939-1942, USHMM
- Concentration Camps, 1942-1945, USHMM
- Control and Administration, The Holocaust Explained
- Daily Life, The Holocaust Explained
- Extermination Camps, The Holocaust Explained
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Forced and Slave Labor in Nazi-Dominated Europe, 2004, USHMM
The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies organized a symposium Forced and Slave Labor in Nazi-Dominated Europe in October 2002 to present new research into key elements of that system. The articles in this collection are not verbatim transcriptions of the papers as presented. Some authors extended or revised their presentations by incorporating additional information and end notes, and all of the contributions were copy edited.
- Forced Labor: An Overview, USHMM
- Full Listing of Camps with Links, Jewish Virtual Library
- How Were the Camps Run?, The Holocaust Explained
- Labor and Forced Labor Camps, Yad Vashem
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LESSON: Mass Shootings and Camps, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a factsheet that will help you to understand how the Holocaust was carried out in various places. By the end of this activity you will have gained awareness over how the choices of individuals, organisations and governments can lead to horrendous consequences. You will also have reflected on the relevance of historical events and places related to the Holocaust.
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MAP: A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
Pronunciation of camp names upon clicking the map.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Concentration Camps-Inside the System of Nazi Incarceration and Genocide, Kupferberg Holocaust Center
An original online exhibit that includes text, photos, videos, maps, charts, and study guide.
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READING: Identity in the Camps, Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Primo Levi describes his first day as a prisoner in Auschwitz, and the harrowing experience of losing his loved ones, possessions, and even his name.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rita Weiss (2:33), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivor Rita Weiss describes daily life in the camps. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Slave Labor in the Concentration Camps (4:08), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Yaacov (Jacki) Handali and Roman Frister describe life in the concentration camps.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Camps, British Library
Various testimonies from the camps, written and recorded.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Walter Zwi Bacharach (1:13), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivor Walter Zwi Bacharach describes the hunger he felt in the camps.
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SURVIVOR TESTMONIES: Camps, USHMM
Video oral histories with transcripts.
- The Death Camps, The Holocaust Explained
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The Hidden History of Holocaust Money, Santi Elijah Holley, February 2019
The Third Reich confiscated the money of Jews under their control and replaced it with currencies meant to manipulate the population - and eliminate any means of escape. This article explores "currencies" in camps like Auschwitz and Dachau and in ghettos like Lodz and Theresienstadt.
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The Holocaust: Concentration Camps, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains links to many sub-topics.
- The Nazi Camp System, The Holocaust Explained
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The Nazi Concentration Camps, A Teaching and Learning Resource, Birkbeck-University of London
This website, developed and written by Birkbeck Professor Dr Nikolaus Wachsmann provides a detailed overview of the vast Nazi concentration camp system, including a number of resources for teachers. Included in the website are testimonies and photographs from The Wiener Library's Collections. Sections include themes, documents, testimonies, timeline, maps, lesson plans.
- TIMELINE MAP: Deportation and Killing Centres, Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Types of Camps, The Holocaust Explained
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. I-Part A: Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)
This volume contains entries on 110 early camps, 23 main SS concentration camps (including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau), 898 subcamps, 39 SS construction brigade camps, and three so-called youth protection camps.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. I-Part B: Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)
This volume contains entries on 110 early camps, 23 main SS concentration camps (including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau), 898 subcamps, 39 SS construction brigade camps, and three so-called youth protection camps.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. II-Part A: Ghettos in German-Occupied Eastern Europe
This volume provides a comprehensive account of how the Nazis conducted the Holocaust throughout the scattered towns and villages of Poland and the Soviet Union.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. II-Part B: Ghettos in German-Occupied Eastern Europe
This volume provides a comprehensive account of how the Nazis conducted the Holocaust throughout the scattered towns and villages of Poland and the Soviet Union.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. III: Camps and Ghettos Under European Regimes Aligned with Nazi Germany
Volume III of the Encyclopedia describes over 700 sites in Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia, as well as in French and Italian colonies in Africa, and in Italian-occupied territories in Europe.
- VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education-Nazi Camps (1:56), Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Memory of the Camps (57:32), Frontline
Seventy years ago, Allied troops invaded Germany and liberated Nazi death camps. They found unspeakable horrors which still haunt the world’s conscience. Frontline presents the world broadcast of a 1945 film made by British and American film crews who were with the troops liberating the camps. The film was directed in part by Alfred Hitchcock and was broadcast for the first time in its entirety on FRONTLINE.
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VIDEO: The SS and Nazi Death Camps – Nazi Mega Weapons: The SS (4:00), PBS Learning Media
Learn about the SS's involvement in the Holocaust. Germany invaded Russia on June 22, 1941, and Himmler's plan to eradicate millions of Jews, Slaves, and Roma gets under way. The SS decide to ship them to concentration camps using the vast European railways system. Many don't survive the journey but those that do find themselves at Himmler's killing camps. Millions die in gas chambers and at Dachau. Professor Steve Remy finds evidence of a shooting range, but the Russians begin to fight back and the tide of war is changing.
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (7/7): Perfecting Industrial Murder (3:04), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
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Virtual Reality Movies of the Camps as They are Today, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
Virtual reality tours of numerous camps today, with brief descriptions.
- What Were the Camps?, The Holocaust Explained
- Camp Life
- Daily Life, The Holocaust Explained
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rita Weiss (2:33), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivor Rita Weiss describes daily life in the camps. Hebrew with English subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Walter Zwi Bacharach (1:13), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Survivor Walter Zwi Bacharach describes the hunger he felt in the camps.
- Control and Administration
- Control and Administration, The Holocaust Explained
- How Were the Camps Run?, The Holocaust Explained
- Prisoner Identity
- Classification System in Nazi Concentration Camps, USHMM
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READING: Identity in the Camps, Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Primo Levi describes his first day as a prisoner in Auschwitz, and the harrowing experience of losing his loved ones, possessions, and even his name.
- Slave Labor
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Forced and Slave Labor in Nazi-Dominated Europe, 2004, USHMM
The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies organized a symposium Forced and Slave Labor in Nazi-Dominated Europe in October 2002 to present new research into key elements of that system. The articles in this collection are not verbatim transcriptions of the papers as presented. Some authors extended or revised their presentations by incorporating additional information and end notes, and all of the contributions were copy edited.
- Forced Labor: An Overview, USHMM
- Labor and Forced Labor Camps, Yad Vashem
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Slave Labor in the Concentration Camps (4:08), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Yaacov (Jacki) Handali and Roman Frister describe life in the concentration camps.
- Types of Camps
- The Final Solution
- Animated Map: The Final Solution, The Map as History
- Final Solution-Overview, USHMM
- Final Solution, USHMM
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Last Letters from the Holocaust: 1942, Yad Vashem
These letters were sent from Belarus, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine, and were written in a variety of languages: Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Polish, Russian and Yiddish. Each letter and postcard reveals the last remaining fragment – physical, personal and unique – of the victims: their handwriting. Relatives of the murdered Jews donated these last letters to Yad Vashem for perpetuity, together with photographs of their loved ones.
- LESSON: The “Final Solution,” remember.org
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READING: Establishing the Killing Centers, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis’ creation of death camps designed exclusively to carry out mass murder.
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READING: The Technology of Mass Murder, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the doctors, engineers, and technicians who helped develop the tools that were instrumental in the mass murder of millions of people during the Holocaust.
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Teaching About the Development of the “Final Solution,” Yad Vashemc
This unit includes a teacher's guide on this topic, as well as aids to learn about and teach this tragedy: short videos for the teacher, historical overview articles, video and written testimonies, online exhibitions, photographs and documents, and key words.
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The Final Solution, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains numerous links to more detailed topics.
- The Final Solution, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
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The Origins of the Final Solution by Christopher R. Browning
PDF of the book in its entirety.
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VIDEO: War of Annihilation: Targeting the Jews of Europe (9:30), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholars Peter Hayes, Deborah Dwork, Wendy Lower, Joshua Rubenstein, Michael Berenbaum, and Jonathan Petropoulos describe the steps that Nazi Germany took in deciding to murder the Jews of Europe.
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VIDEO: Heinrich Himmler’s speech to the SS at Poznan about the ongoing extermination of the Jewish people (5:59), YouTube
On October 4, 1943, Reischsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler gave a speech to a secret meeting of SS officers, in Poznan, Poland. In this speech, he spoke frankly about the ongoing extermination of the Jewish people. German with English subtitles.
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Approaches in Holocaust Research (1:34), Yad Vashem
This video provides a brief overview of several approaches in Holocaust research: the intentionalist, the functionalist, and the "third view," incorporating the two. It explores the question of when and how was the decision reached to murder the Jews, and who was involved in that decision. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- VIDEO: Persecution and Murder Beyond Germany’s Borders (3:32), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
- VIDEO: Systematic Murder Begins and Spreads (11:45), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
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VIDEO: The Development of the Final Solution (11:45), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "The Development of the 'Final Solution'", Dr. David Silberklang provides an overview of what came to be known as the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question", which ended in the murder of some six million Jews. Dr. Silberklang identifies several major steps, sometimes occuring concurrently, including the prewar separation and escalating anti-Jewish measures, exploring a territorial solution, increasing murder during the German territorial expansion, murder in other countries and of other groups, early attempts at mass-murder systems, the "Wansee Conference", and the fully mechanized mass-murder of the final years of the War.
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VIDEO: The Final Solution-Jewish Life on the Brink of Death (16:04), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
This video addresses the complexities of teaching about the Final Solution. Some six million Jews were murdered in the systematic mass murder of the Jews of Europe that was defined by the Germans as the "Final Solution" of what they termed the "Jewish Question." The video focuses on the stories of individual Jewish victims, allowing us to address the Final Solution through a human lens rather than through dry statistics, and to present a multidisciplinary approach to this difficult subject of the struggle for life in the shadow of death during one of humanity's darkest chapters. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Arrival at the Camp Part 3: Life in the Shadow of Death
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (6/7): The Final Solution Coalesces (3:06), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- What was the Final Solution?, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- Intentionalist vs. Functionalist Theories
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Approaches in Holocaust Research (1:34), Yad Vashem
This video provides a brief overview of several approaches in Holocaust research: the intentionalist, the functionalist, and the "third view," incorporating the two. It explores the question of when and how was the decision reached to murder the Jews, and who was involved in that decision. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- The Final Stages of War
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
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AUDIO: Real-Time Radio Broadcasts from D-Day, June 6, 1944, World War II Foundation
Listen to actual real-time radio broadcasts from NBC, CBS and the BBC News on June 6, 1944, the date of the Allied landings in Northwest France. These factual news broadcasts are Public Domain.
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BROADCAST: Truman Proclaims Victory in Europe (1:07), USHMM
World War II began with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ended in Allied victory in Europe with the German surrender in May 1945. May 8 was proclaimed VE (Victory in Europe) Day. In this footage, United States president Harry S. Truman proclaims victory in Europe and promises to continue the war in the pacific until the unconditional surrender of Japan.
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D-Day, Imperial War Museums
Contains links to a variety of topics on D-Day, from the perspective of the UK.
- Death Marches, USHMM
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Death Marches: Evidence and Memory, The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Library’s new exhibition (May-August 2021) uncovers how forensic and other evidence about the death marches has been gathered since the end of the Holocaust. It chronicles how researchers and others attempted to recover the death march routes – and those who did not survive them. Efforts to analyze and commemorate the death marches continue to this day.
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EXHIBIT: The Death March to Volary, Yad Vashem
On 20 January 1945, approximately 1000 female Jewish prisoners were evacuated from the Schlesiersee (today Sława) camp in Upper Silesia, western Poland, a region annexed to Germany. These women were forced on a death march in a southwesterly direction. On the way, the prisoners passed through other camps, and more women were added to the march. On 5 May 1945, after covering a distance of over 800 km, the march ended in the town of Volary (German: Wallern) in Czechoslovakia, not far from the border with Germany and Austria. Of the approximately 1,300 women who marched to Volary, some 350 survived. The exhibition is based on the most updated research on the death marches, testimonies of survivors and US Army veterans, and documentation from the trial of death march commander Alois Dörr.
- How Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin Planned to End the Second World War, Imperial War Museums
- Last Jews in the Last Months of the German Reich, Yad Vashem
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Death March to Volary, Yad Vashem
On January 20, 1945, approximately 1,000 female Jewish prisoners were evacuated from the Schlesiersee (today Sława) camp in Upper Silesia, western Poland, a region annexed to Germany. These women were forced on a death march in a southwesterly direction. On the way, the prisoners passed through other camps, and more women were added to the march. On May 5, 1945, after covering a distance of over 800 km, the march ended in the town of Volary (German: Wallern) in Czechoslovakia, not far from the border with Germany and Austria. 106 days of rigorous marching through snow. 106 days of gnawing hunger and sickness, humiliation and murder. Of the approximately 1,300 women who marched to Volary, some 350 survived. The exhibition is based on the most updated research on the death marches, testimonies of survivors and US Army veterans, and documentation from the trial of death march commander Alois Dörr.
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POEM: “That’s How You’ll End Too” by Miklós Radnóti
As Germany and its allies retreated in 1944, Jews were forcibly marched from the camps towards those areas of central Europe still under Axis control. Miklós Radnóti was a Hungarian Jewish poet who had been forced to serve in a slave labor battalion in Ukraine and Yugoslavia. As his battalion was driven back to Hungary, he scribbled poems in a notebook. This was his final entry.
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READING: A Transport to Bergen-Belsen, Facing History and Ourselves
Hanna Levy-Hass, a Jewish woman from Yugoslavia, describes her treacherous journey between camps as Germany retreated from Eastern Europe.
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READING: Revenge, Facing History and Ourselves
Reflect on the desire for revenge that many victorious troops held at the end of World War II.
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READING: The Death Marches, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Germans tried to hide evidence of their mass murder toward the end of World War II by evacuating prisoners from camps.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Barbara Marton Farkas (1:58), USHMM
Born: 1920, Beliu, Romania. Describes the death march from the Gross-Rosen camp in Germany.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie Remembers the Death March, The Holocaust Explained
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lilly Appelbaum Malnik (1:45), USHMM
Lilly Appelbaum Malnik, born 1928, Antwerp, Belgium, describes a death march from Auschwitz [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lily Mazur Margules (1:09), USHMM
Born: 1924, Vilna. Describes death march from a labor camp near Stutthof.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Sam Itzkowitz (1:32), USHMM
Born: 1925, Makow, Poland. Describes a death march from Landsberg, a subcamp of Dachau, to the Bavarian Alps.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Death Marches (2:57), Yad Vashem
Spoken in Hebrew with English subtitles.
- The Death Marches, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: D-Day (1:37), USHMM
Historical footage from the National Archives.
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VIDEO: Documenting the Path of American Liberators (Part 2, 7:50), USHMM
Part 2: Defeat of the Third Reich -- Remagen/Crossing the Rhine (March 1945) -- The Drive into Germany (April 1945) -- 167th and the Wehrmacht (March - April 1945) -- Massacre at Leipzig (April 1945)
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VIDEO: Documenting the Path of American Liberators (Part 3, 7:31), USHMM
Part 3: Defeat of the Third Reich and The End of the War -- Nuremberg (Late April 1945) -- Collapse of the Wehrmacht (April - May 1945) -- Liberation of Forced/Slave Laborers (Fall 1944 - Summer 1945) -- Liberation of Polish POWs (April 1945)
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VIDEO: Documenting the Path of American Liberators (Part 4, 8:45), USHMM
Part 4: The End of the War -- Liberation of Allied POWs (May 1945) -- Lenzing Concentration Camp (May 1945) -- Ebensee Concenration Camp (May 1945) -- The War Ends/Allies Reunion (May 1945)
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VIDEO: Documenting the Path of American Liberators (Part I, 7:29), USHMM
Part 1: Invading Fortress Europe -- D-Day (June 1944) -- 167th Arrives in France (September 1944) -- Huertgen Forest (October - December 1944) -- Liberated Paris (November 1944) -- Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 - January 1945)
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VIDEO: The First Jewish Broadcast on Nazi Soil (5:54), American Jewish Committee
October 29, 1944: The embattled German city of Aachen was the scene of the first Jewish broadcast from Nazi soil to the United States when Chaplain Morris A. Frank of General Hodges’ First Army conducts religious services this Sunday morning, in a program presented by the American Jewish Committee in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Company. The program came directly to American listeners from the ruins of Aachen’s only synagogue almost six years after the Nazis destroyed it on November 7, 1938.
- What Were the Death Marches?, The Holocaust Explained
- World War II in Eastern Europe, 1942-1945, USHMM
- World War II in the Pacific, USHMM
- Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945)
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[Roddy Edmonds] VIDEO: GI Jews – Battle of the Bulge (2:56), PBS
Includes story of Master Sergeant Roddy Edmonds.
- D-Day (June 1944)
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AUDIO: Real-Time Radio Broadcasts from D-Day, June 6, 1944, World War II Foundation
Listen to actual real-time radio broadcasts from NBC, CBS and the BBC News on June 6, 1944, the date of the Allied landings in Northwest France. These factual news broadcasts are Public Domain.
-
D-Day, Imperial War Museums
Contains links to a variety of topics on D-Day, from the perspective of the UK.
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VIDEO: D-Day (1:37), USHMM
Historical footage from the National Archives.
- Death Marches
- Death Marches, USHMM
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Death Marches: Evidence and Memory, The Wiener Holocaust Library
The Library’s new exhibition (May-August 2021) uncovers how forensic and other evidence about the death marches has been gathered since the end of the Holocaust. It chronicles how researchers and others attempted to recover the death march routes – and those who did not survive them. Efforts to analyze and commemorate the death marches continue to this day.
-
EXHIBIT: The Death March to Volary, Yad Vashem
On 20 January 1945, approximately 1000 female Jewish prisoners were evacuated from the Schlesiersee (today Sława) camp in Upper Silesia, western Poland, a region annexed to Germany. These women were forced on a death march in a southwesterly direction. On the way, the prisoners passed through other camps, and more women were added to the march. On 5 May 1945, after covering a distance of over 800 km, the march ended in the town of Volary (German: Wallern) in Czechoslovakia, not far from the border with Germany and Austria. Of the approximately 1,300 women who marched to Volary, some 350 survived. The exhibition is based on the most updated research on the death marches, testimonies of survivors and US Army veterans, and documentation from the trial of death march commander Alois Dörr.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Death March to Volary, Yad Vashem
On January 20, 1945, approximately 1,000 female Jewish prisoners were evacuated from the Schlesiersee (today Sława) camp in Upper Silesia, western Poland, a region annexed to Germany. These women were forced on a death march in a southwesterly direction. On the way, the prisoners passed through other camps, and more women were added to the march. On May 5, 1945, after covering a distance of over 800 km, the march ended in the town of Volary (German: Wallern) in Czechoslovakia, not far from the border with Germany and Austria. 106 days of rigorous marching through snow. 106 days of gnawing hunger and sickness, humiliation and murder. Of the approximately 1,300 women who marched to Volary, some 350 survived. The exhibition is based on the most updated research on the death marches, testimonies of survivors and US Army veterans, and documentation from the trial of death march commander Alois Dörr.
-
POEM: “That’s How You’ll End Too” by Miklós Radnóti
As Germany and its allies retreated in 1944, Jews were forcibly marched from the camps towards those areas of central Europe still under Axis control. Miklós Radnóti was a Hungarian Jewish poet who had been forced to serve in a slave labor battalion in Ukraine and Yugoslavia. As his battalion was driven back to Hungary, he scribbled poems in a notebook. This was his final entry.
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READING: The Death Marches, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Germans tried to hide evidence of their mass murder toward the end of World War II by evacuating prisoners from camps.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Barbara Marton Farkas (1:58), USHMM
Born: 1920, Beliu, Romania. Describes the death march from the Gross-Rosen camp in Germany.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie Remembers the Death March, The Holocaust Explained
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lilly Appelbaum Malnik (1:45), USHMM
Lilly Appelbaum Malnik, born 1928, Antwerp, Belgium, describes a death march from Auschwitz [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lily Mazur Margules (1:09), USHMM
Born: 1924, Vilna. Describes death march from a labor camp near Stutthof.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Sam Itzkowitz (1:32), USHMM
Born: 1925, Makow, Poland. Describes a death march from Landsberg, a subcamp of Dachau, to the Bavarian Alps.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Death Marches (2:57), Yad Vashem
Spoken in Hebrew with English subtitles.
- The Death Marches, Yad Vashem
- What Were the Death Marches?, The Holocaust Explained
- Retreat
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READING: A Transport to Bergen-Belsen, Facing History and Ourselves
Hanna Levy-Hass, a Jewish woman from Yugoslavia, describes her treacherous journey between camps as Germany retreated from Eastern Europe.
- Surrender
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BROADCAST: Truman Proclaims Victory in Europe (1:07), USHMM
World War II began with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and ended in Allied victory in Europe with the German surrender in May 1945. May 8 was proclaimed VE (Victory in Europe) Day. In this footage, United States president Harry S. Truman proclaims victory in Europe and promises to continue the war in the pacific until the unconditional surrender of Japan.
- World War II in Eastern Europe, 1942-1945, USHMM
- World War II in the Pacific, USHMM
- The Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945)
- The Ghettos (general)
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“Holocaust Numismatics,” by Joel J. Forman, Museum of Tolerance
Discussion of coins & currency used in the ghettos and camps.
- [Warsaw] Graphic Novel About Marke Edleman, Polin Museum/Warsaw
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Timeline of Events of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Polin Museum
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Daily Life in the Ghettos, Yad Vashem
Links to photos, testimonies, artifacts, and documents.
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Ghettos and Deportation, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Transcripts only. No video.
- Ghettos in Poland, USHMM
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Ghettos, Jewish Virtual Library
Includes links to specific topics.
- Ghettos, USHMM
- Ghettos: A Tool of Nazi Racial Policy, The Holocaust Explained
- INTERACTIVE WEBSITE: Children in the Ghetto, Yad Vashem
- Jewish Councils (Judenraete), USHMM
- Judenräte and Other Representative Bodies, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
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LESSON: Confronting the Suffering Caused by the Nazis, Facing History and Ourselves
Students use journaling and group discussion to respond to emotionally-challenging diary entries of a Jewish teenager confined in a Nazi ghetto.
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LESSON: Ghettos, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet and testimonies about the establishment of ghettos and the living conditions inside them. By the end of this activity you will have developed your ability to reflect on the relevance of historical events in our lives and on the necessity to protect and uphold democratic values and human rights. You will also have developed your understanding of local history through the testimonies of the people who witnessed these places.
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LESSON: Mutual Assistance Within the Ghetto Walls, Grades 7-9, Yad Vashem
Highlights some of the organizations established to coordinate social welfare activities.
- Life in the Ghettos, USHMM
- Life in the Ghettos, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
- MAP: Jewish Ghettos in Eastern Europe, Facing History and Ourselves
- MAP: Major Ghettos in Occupied Europe 1939-1944, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “And You Shall Tell Your Children, “Marking the Holiday of Passover During the War, Yad Vashem
Through photos, artifacts and personal testimonies, we explore and remember some of the ways Passover was observed throughout Europe during the Holocaust years.
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READING: The Jewish Councils, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the minutes of a Jewish Council's meeting held in the Vilna Ghetto in 1942 and consider the unthinkable choice faced by its members.
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READING: The Jewish Ghettos: Separated from the World, Facing History and Ourselves
Read diary entries from a girl who lived in the Lodz Ghetto and learn the history of Jewish ghettos in Poland.
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READING: What Did Jews in the Ghettos Know?, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how Jews living in the ghettos got information about the outside world and how much they knew about mass murders occurring across Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Bella Jakubowicz Tovey (2:21), USHMM
Describes a meeting between her father and Jewish council (Judenrat) leader in Sosnowiec .
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Blanka Rothschild (1:47), USHMM
Survivor describes deportation from the Lodz Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Charlene Schiff (1:08), USHMM
Born in 1929 in Horochow, Poland, Charlene describes children smuggling food into the Horochow Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Erika Eckstut (7:09), USHMM
Erika Eckstut discusses the difficulties and dangers of life in the Czernowitz Ghetto in what was then Romania (and today is western Ukraine). Audio Only - 7:09.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gerda Weissman Klein (1:07), USHMM
Describes her birthday celebration in the Bielsko Ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Moshe Shamir, Forced March to the Ghetto (3:35), Facing History and Ourselves
Holocaust survivor Moshe Shamir recalls how he and his family were uprooted when the Nazis invaded his home town of Czernowitz, Ukraine, and they were forced to relocate to a ghetto.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tomasz (Toivi) Blatt (1:44), USHMM
Describes Izbica Jewish council (Judenrat) and German attacks (Aktionen) in Izbica.
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The BBC Broadcast About the Situation of Jews in Poland, Jewish Historical Institute
On June 26, 1942, at 5 PM, British BBC Radio broadcast a program dedicated to the situation of Polish Jews under German occupation. It was an important day for members of the Oneg Shabbat group of the Warsaw Ghetto.
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The Ghetto by Benjamin Ravid, Tablet Magazine, March 26, 2019
503 years after the first Jewish enclave was instituted in Venice, what does the word ‘ghetto’ mean today? This article explores the history of the term in detail and how the term has morphed through the ages.
- The Ghettoization Process, Yad Vashem
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The Hidden History of Holocaust Money, Santi Elijah Holley, February 2019
The Third Reich confiscated the money of Jews under their control and replaced it with currencies meant to manipulate the population - and eliminate any means of escape. This article explores "currencies" in camps like Auschwitz and Dachau and in ghettos like Lodz and Theresienstadt.
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The Kashariyot (Couriers), The Holocaust Australia
Kashariyot (derived from the Hebrew kesher or connection) was the name given to young female couriers because they provided a kesher for hundreds of thousands of Jews incarcerated in ghettos.
- TIMELINE MAP: Major Ghettos of Eastern Europe, Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Types of Ghettos, USHMM
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. I-Part A: Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)
This volume contains entries on 110 early camps, 23 main SS concentration camps (including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau), 898 subcamps, 39 SS construction brigade camps, and three so-called youth protection camps.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. I-Part B: Early Camps, Youth Camps, and Concentration Camps and Subcamps under the SS-Business Administration Main Office (WVHA)
This volume contains entries on 110 early camps, 23 main SS concentration camps (including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau), 898 subcamps, 39 SS construction brigade camps, and three so-called youth protection camps.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. II-Part A: Ghettos in German-Occupied Eastern Europe
This volume provides a comprehensive account of how the Nazis conducted the Holocaust throughout the scattered towns and villages of Poland and the Soviet Union.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. II-Part B: Ghettos in German-Occupied Eastern Europe
This volume provides a comprehensive account of how the Nazis conducted the Holocaust throughout the scattered towns and villages of Poland and the Soviet Union.
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USHMM Encyclopedia of the Camps & Ghettos, Vol. III: Camps and Ghettos Under European Regimes Aligned with Nazi Germany
Volume III of the Encyclopedia describes over 700 sites in Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia, as well as in French and Italian colonies in Africa, and in Italian-occupied territories in Europe.
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VIDEO: Adam Czerniakow, Chairman of the Jewish Council in Warsaw (:47), USHMM
Historical film footage from a German propaganda newsreel. Notice the staging.
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VIDEO: The Ghettos (16:19), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
This movie, which focuses on the story of the Lodz ghetto, will discuss the challenges of teaching about this period: how can we make the story of the ghettos relevant to our students? How can we shed light today, decades after the tragic events, on what Jews knew, felt or understood during those terrifying days? What are the sources that can reveal their internal worlds?
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VIDEO: Women in Resistance-Fierce Females, The Couriers (1:03:04), Yad Vashem
Women were often at the very heart of resistance, whether spiritual, cultural or armed. This lecture focuses on the crucial role young women played in armed resistance. Although this story has largely remained in the shadows, or perhaps been overshadowed by the stories of armed resistance in the ghettos of Europe, it is a story of incredible bravery exhibited by a group of Jewish girls and women who worked as couriers, connecting the ghettos of Europe and bringing morale, information, courage and arms to isolated communities of Jews.
- Writers and Poets in the Ghettos, USHMM
- Deportations from the Ghettos
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Blanka Rothschild (1:47), USHMM
Survivor describes deportation from the Lodz Ghetto.
- Jewish Councils (Judenraete)
- Jewish Councils (Judenraete), USHMM
- Judenräte and Other Representative Bodies, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
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READING: The Jewish Councils, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the minutes of a Jewish Council's meeting held in the Vilna Ghetto in 1942 and consider the unthinkable choice faced by its members.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Bella Jakubowicz Tovey (2:21), USHMM
Describes a meeting between her father and Jewish council (Judenrat) leader in Sosnowiec .
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tomasz (Toivi) Blatt (1:44), USHMM
Describes Izbica Jewish council (Judenrat) and German attacks (Aktionen) in Izbica.
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VIDEO: Adam Czerniakow, Chairman of the Jewish Council in Warsaw (:47), USHMM
Historical film footage from a German propaganda newsreel. Notice the staging.
- Life in the Ghettos
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Daily Life in the Ghettos, Yad Vashem
Links to photos, testimonies, artifacts, and documents.
- INTERACTIVE WEBSITE: Children in the Ghetto, Yad Vashem
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LESSON: Mutual Assistance Within the Ghetto Walls, Grades 7-9, Yad Vashem
Highlights some of the organizations established to coordinate social welfare activities.
- Life in the Ghettos, USHMM
- Life in the Ghettos, YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
-
ONLINE EXHIBIT: “And You Shall Tell Your Children, “Marking the Holiday of Passover During the War, Yad Vashem
Through photos, artifacts and personal testimonies, we explore and remember some of the ways Passover was observed throughout Europe during the Holocaust years.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Charlene Schiff (1:08), USHMM
Born in 1929 in Horochow, Poland, Charlene describes children smuggling food into the Horochow Ghetto.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gerda Weissman Klein (1:07), USHMM
Describes her birthday celebration in the Bielsko Ghetto.
-
The Kashariyot (Couriers), The Holocaust Australia
Kashariyot (derived from the Hebrew kesher or connection) was the name given to young female couriers because they provided a kesher for hundreds of thousands of Jews incarcerated in ghettos.
- Writers and Poets in the Ghettos, USHMM
- Resistance in the Ghettos
- [Warsaw] Graphic Novel About Marke Edleman, Polin Museum/Warsaw
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[Warsaw] SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Vladka (Fagele) Peltel Meed (2:09), USHMM
Describes clandestine cultural activities in the Warsaw Ghetto.
- [Warsaw] Timeline of Events of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Polin Museum
-
The BBC Broadcast About the Situation of Jews in Poland, Jewish Historical Institute
On June 26, 1942, at 5 PM, British BBC Radio broadcast a program dedicated to the situation of Polish Jews under German occupation. It was an important day for members of the Oneg Shabbat group of the Warsaw Ghetto.
-
VIDEO: Women in Resistance-Fierce Females, The Couriers (1:03:04), Yad Vashem
Women were often at the very heart of resistance, whether spiritual, cultural or armed. This lecture focuses on the crucial role young women played in armed resistance. Although this story has largely remained in the shadows, or perhaps been overshadowed by the stories of armed resistance in the ghettos of Europe, it is a story of incredible bravery exhibited by a group of Jewish girls and women who worked as couriers, connecting the ghettos of Europe and bringing morale, information, courage and arms to isolated communities of Jews.
- The Nazi Party and Its Rise to Power
- A Short History of the Nazi Party, about.com
- Article 48, USHMM
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ARTIFACT: Poster – Mjölnir [Hans Schweitzer], “Our Last Hope—Hitler,” 1932, USHMM
In the presidential elections of 1932, Nazi propagandists appealed to Germans left unemployed and destitute by the Great Depression with an offer of a savior.
- Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch), USHMM
- Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Third Reich in Ruins
- Death of German President von Hindenburg, USHMM
- Excerpts from Mein Kampf, Hanover College
- Foundations of the Nazi State, USHMM
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German Military Oaths, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Until recently, many militaries swore their allegiance to their monarchs or rulers. Traditionally, the German military had sworn an oath of allegiance to the Kaiser. This changed during the Weimar Republic, when the oath became one of allegiance to the Constitution and its institutions. In Nazi Germany, German military personnel swore an oath directly to Adolf Hitler. This change had important repercussions during World War II.
- Hitler Becomes Fuhrer, The History Place
- Hitler Comes to Power, USHMM
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Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch, ThoughtCo.
Ten years before Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, he tried to take power by force during the Beer Hall Putsch. On the night of November 8, 1923, Hitler and some of his Nazi confederates stormed into a Munich beer hall and attempted to force the triumvirate, the three men that governed Bavaria, to join him in a national revolution. The men of the triumvirate initially agreed since they were being held at gunpoint, but then denounced the coup as soon as they were allowed to leave. Hitler was arrested three days later and, after a short trial, was sentenced to five years in prison, where he wrote his infamous book, Mein Kampf.
- How Did the Nazis Gain Power? The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- How Did the Nazis Gain Support, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- How Significant was the Reichstag Fire?, The Holocaust Explained
- Learn the History of the Swastika, ThoughtCo.
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LESSON: Choices in Weimar Republic Elections
This lesson helps students investigate some of the choices available to Germans in elections in the early 1930s and understand the variety of reasons many Germans supported the Nazi Party. After analyzing the platforms of three Weimar political parties—the Social Democrats, the Communists, and the Nazis—students will read short biographies of several German citizens. Using details from the biographies, the party platforms, and any information they have learned before this lesson about the Weimar Republic, students will then determine which political party they believe each citizen would have supported.
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LESSON: Explaining Hitler’s First Radio Address, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the text of Germany's original military oath with Hitler's new oath, and consider the implications of the oath's promise of allegiance to a single leader.
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LESSON: The Nazis Come to Power, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a fact sheet that will help you to understand some of the key factors at play in how the Nazis came to power. By the end of this activity you will have developed your understanding of the nature of propaganda and reflected on the relevance of historical events and the role of historical narratives in extremist and anti-democratic movements propaganda.
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LESSON: Understanding Nazi Symbols
By focusing on the history and meaning of the swastika, the lesson provides a model for teachers to use when examining the origins of symbols, terms, and ideology from Nazi Germany and Holocaust-era fascist movements that students are seeing in contemporary American culture, promoting critical historical thinking and analysis.
- Mein Kampf, Spartacus Educational (UK)
- Mein Kampf, The History Place
- Mein Kampf, USHMM
- Nazi Art for 9 November, German Propaganda Archive, Calvin College
- Nazi Paramilitary Groups: SA & SS, casahistoria.net
- Nazi Rule, USHMM
- Platform of the National-Socialist German Worker’s Party, Jewish Virtual Library
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POSTCARD: “Attack from the Right,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1934/Germany: The young Weimar Republic teetered for fourteen years before its fall. Democracy had been something new to the German people, and, Hitler aside, not everyone gave it wholehearted support. Besieged by revolution from both right and left, and unwilling - or uncertain about how - to deal with threats against it, the government paroled the leader of the National Socialists after he had served only eight months of a five-year sentence for his failed attempt to seize Germany's government by force in November 1923. It was an imprisonment just long enough to produce one of the most hate-filled books ever written and to convince its author that a course to power more politically correct than revolution might succeed. Among the many words which Hitler wrote in prison are those which appear next to his portrait and above the site of his incarceration: "What weapons can't bring to freedom, the will must!" The cell in which he wrote those words is pictured.
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POSTCARD: “Doctrine of Destruction,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Not everyone who had read "Mein Kampf" took seriously the rabid outpouring of filth and hatred it contained. But in his own words, Hitler described how his eyes had been opened at an early age to the "two menaces" which threatened the existence of the German people: Communists and Jews. These two objects of his hatred would become, after his seizure of power, subjected unrelentingly to vicious propaganda and heinous persecution. That Marxism, or Bolshevism, was to Hitler a "doctrine of destruction" which itself must be destroyed for the survival of all Germans may be seen plainly in the picture on this official postcard from the Great Anti-Bolshevist Exhibit organized by Goebbels' Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. "Bolshevism unmasked," reads the inscription over a world engulfed in red flame and branded with a hammer-and-sickle in the center of a yellow Jewish Star, recalling Hitler's rant in Mein Kampf that "in Russian Bolshevism we must see the attempt undertaken by the Jews in the twentieth century to achieve world domination!" A ghostly image of Death as an armed revolutionary clutches in both hands its weapons of destruction. The exhibition was held in Vienna in 1939. Six years earlier Communists had been among the first of those countless victims rounded up for the concentration camps.
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POSTCARD: “The Reichstag in Flames,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The empire which many Germans hoped would last a thousand years would not last as long as the republic it had brought down, but Hitler wasted no time consolidating his power and enforcing his rule. Less than a month after his assumption of power, the Reichstag building in Berlin was burned. The ash-heap visible in the photograph on this postcard had barely cooled before the new leader of the German people, blaming "enemies of the state," declared his "Decree for the Protection of the People and the State," which suspended all legal guarantees of human rights.
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READING: Enabling Dictatorship, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the text of the Enabling Act, the law many historians argue was the legal basis for Hitler's dictatorship in Nazi Germany.
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READING: Hitler in Power, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the motivations and expectations of Paul von Hindenburg when he appointed Hitler to Chancellor of Germany.
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READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
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READING: No Time To Think, Facing History and Ourselves.
Milton Mayer, an American journalist and educator, wanted to find out how a variety of people had reacted to Hitler’s policies and philosophy. Seven years after the end of World War II, he interviewed German men from a cross-section of society.
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READING: Outlawing the Opposition, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Hitler's early measures against "enemies of the state," including the Enabling Act and the first concentration camp at Dachau.
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READING: Pledging Allegiance, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the text of Germany's original military oath with Hitler's new oath, and consider the implications of the oath's promise of allegiance to a single leader.
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READING: The Night of Hitler’s Triumph, Facing History and Ourselves
Read firsthand accounts of the day that Hitler took office as Chancellor of Germany in 1933.
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READING: The Night of the Long Knives, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' massacre of more than 200 SA leaders.
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READING: The Role of the SA and the SS
In February 1920, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis) came up with a 25-point program. This reading reveals 20 of those points.
- Reichstag Fire Decree, USHMM
- Rohm Purge, USHMM
- The Beer Hall Putsch, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Beer Hall Putsch, The Holocaust Explained
- The Enabling Act, USHMM
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The Gathering Story, The Wiener Holocaust Library
To mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Wiener Library, they are introducing a new series of articles, selected from the writings of Dr, Alfred Wiener and his contemporaries, from the earliest days of his organization. This serialized edited set of articles selected from the monthly edition of the "Centralverein Zeitung" serves as an exceptionally rich contemporary primary source. The articles, meticulously edited and translated by Senior Archivist Howard Falksohn, are presented in chronological order so the reader is encouraged to suspend the benefit of hindsight and to engage with their content as if they were experiencing the era as it unfolded.
- The Nazi Party (NSDAP), Spartacus Educational (UK)
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The Nazi Party, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains links to all aspects of the party organization.
- The Night of the Long Knives, Jewish Virtual Library
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The Reichstag Fire, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
On February 27, 1933, the German parliament (Reichstag) building burned down. The Nazi leadership and its coalition partners used the fire to claim that Communists were planning a violent uprising. They claimed that emergency legislation was needed to prevent this. The resulting act, commonly known as the Reichstag Fire Decree, abolished a number of constitutional protections and paved the way for Nazi dictatorship.
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The Role of the Military, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
The military played a vital role in the consolidation of Nazi power and persecution and mass murder of Jews and other groups.
- The Story Behind Hitler’s Rise to Power, Spiegel Online
- TIMELINE EXHIBIT: Nazi Path to Power, Montreal Holocaust Museum
- Verdict Against 1933 Reichstag Arsonist Thrown Out, Spiegel Online, 2008
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VIDEO: 1933: Gleichschaltung (11:10), Coursera
Produced by Tel Aviv University and Yad Vashem. Taught by Professor Havi Dreifuss.
- VIDEO: 1934 Hindenburg Laid to Rest at Tennenberg (3:06), YouTube
- VIDEO: 8th November 1923: The Beer Hall Putsch Begins in Munich (2:42), History Pod
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VIDEO: Hitler Campaign Speech, Historical Film Footage (1:19), USHMM
Waldenburg, Germany, July 22, 1932. Transcript: [Band music and cheering; singing of the Horst Wessel song] Adolf Hitler: For fourteen long years these parties have raped German freedom, beaten German men with clubs. Before two or three months pass this terror will be removed if you vote for National Socialists."
- VIDEO: Hitler Speech, September 1935 (2:41), USHMM
- VIDEO: Hitler’s Germany 1933-1936 (18:45), BBC
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VIDEO: Hitler’s Rise to Power:1918-1933 (9:14), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholars Wendy Lower, Peter Hayes, Michael Berenbaum, Jonathan Petropoulos, and Deborah Dwork describe how Adolf Hitler became a powerful political figure in Weimar Germany in the aftermath of World War I.
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VIDEO: How Did Hitler Rise to Power? (5:20) TED-Ed
Created by Alex Gendler and Anthony Hazard, TED-Ed original lessons feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators.
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Totalitarian Regime (1:33), Yad Vashem
This video elaborates the concept of the totalitarian regime, similar to a dictatorship - but with important differences. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 1: Hitlerputsch (5:35)
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 2: Feldherrnhalle, Part 1 (5:09)
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 3: Feldherrnhalle, Part 2 (3:58)
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VIDEO: Night of the Long Knives (5:33), Facing History and Ourselves
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the importance of the 1934 violent purge in the Nazi Party.
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VIDEO: Nuremberg, Its Lesson For Today (9:40), USHMM
This portion of the full film covers early Nazi Party history, events, and leaders. The full film that was edited from many hours of film taken at the 11-month Nuremberg Trial, which starting in 1945. Assembled and edited by Stuart Schulberg with U. S. government funding, the film was exhibited throughout Germany in 1948 and 1949, and then taken from release and never seen in America. The film makes extensive use of footage from "The Nazi Plan" and "Nazi Concentration Camps."
- VIDEO: The Assassination of Ernst Rohm, Night of the Long Knives (2:12), YouTube
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VIDEO: The Nazi Rise to Power (4:57), Scholar Reflections/Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, describes how the Nazis assumed power in 1930s Germany.
- VIDEO: The Reichstag Fire-Historical Film Footage (:53), USHMM
- VIDEO: What Factors Led to the Holocaust? (02:25), Brown University/Choices Program
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (2/7): The Nazi Rise to Power (1:35), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- Who Were the Nazi Party? The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- Hindenburg Dies, August 1934
- Death of German President von Hindenburg, USHMM
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German Military Oaths, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Until recently, many militaries swore their allegiance to their monarchs or rulers. Traditionally, the German military had sworn an oath of allegiance to the Kaiser. This changed during the Weimar Republic, when the oath became one of allegiance to the Constitution and its institutions. In Nazi Germany, German military personnel swore an oath directly to Adolf Hitler. This change had important repercussions during World War II.
- Hitler Becomes Fuhrer, The History Place
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READING: Pledging Allegiance, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the text of Germany's original military oath with Hitler's new oath, and consider the implications of the oath's promise of allegiance to a single leader.
- VIDEO: 1934 Hindenburg Laid to Rest at Tennenberg (3:06), YouTube
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Totalitarian Regime (1:33), Yad Vashem
This video elaborates the concept of the totalitarian regime, similar to a dictatorship - but with important differences. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- Hitler Becomes Chancellor, January 1933
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LESSON: Explaining Hitler’s First Radio Address, Facing History and Ourselves
Compare the text of Germany's original military oath with Hitler's new oath, and consider the implications of the oath's promise of allegiance to a single leader.
- Nazi Rule, USHMM
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READING: Hitler in Power, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider the motivations and expectations of Paul von Hindenburg when he appointed Hitler to Chancellor of Germany.
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READING: The Night of Hitler’s Triumph, Facing History and Ourselves
Read firsthand accounts of the day that Hitler took office as Chancellor of Germany in 1933.
-
The Role of the Military, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
The military played a vital role in the consolidation of Nazi power and persecution and mass murder of Jews and other groups.
-
VIDEO: Hitler Campaign Speech, Historical Film Footage (1:19), USHMM
Waldenburg, Germany, July 22, 1932. Transcript: [Band music and cheering; singing of the Horst Wessel song] Adolf Hitler: For fourteen long years these parties have raped German freedom, beaten German men with clubs. Before two or three months pass this terror will be removed if you vote for National Socialists."
- VIDEO: Hitler Speech, September 1935 (2:41), USHMM
- Mein Kampf, 1925
- Excerpts from Mein Kampf, Hanover College
- Mein Kampf, Spartacus Educational (UK)
- Mein Kampf, The History Place
- Mein Kampf, USHMM
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POSTCARD: “Attack from the Right,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1934/Germany: The young Weimar Republic teetered for fourteen years before its fall. Democracy had been something new to the German people, and, Hitler aside, not everyone gave it wholehearted support. Besieged by revolution from both right and left, and unwilling - or uncertain about how - to deal with threats against it, the government paroled the leader of the National Socialists after he had served only eight months of a five-year sentence for his failed attempt to seize Germany's government by force in November 1923. It was an imprisonment just long enough to produce one of the most hate-filled books ever written and to convince its author that a course to power more politically correct than revolution might succeed. Among the many words which Hitler wrote in prison are those which appear next to his portrait and above the site of his incarceration: "What weapons can't bring to freedom, the will must!" The cell in which he wrote those words is pictured.
-
POSTCARD: “Doctrine of Destruction,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Not everyone who had read "Mein Kampf" took seriously the rabid outpouring of filth and hatred it contained. But in his own words, Hitler described how his eyes had been opened at an early age to the "two menaces" which threatened the existence of the German people: Communists and Jews. These two objects of his hatred would become, after his seizure of power, subjected unrelentingly to vicious propaganda and heinous persecution. That Marxism, or Bolshevism, was to Hitler a "doctrine of destruction" which itself must be destroyed for the survival of all Germans may be seen plainly in the picture on this official postcard from the Great Anti-Bolshevist Exhibit organized by Goebbels' Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. "Bolshevism unmasked," reads the inscription over a world engulfed in red flame and branded with a hammer-and-sickle in the center of a yellow Jewish Star, recalling Hitler's rant in Mein Kampf that "in Russian Bolshevism we must see the attempt undertaken by the Jews in the twentieth century to achieve world domination!" A ghostly image of Death as an armed revolutionary clutches in both hands its weapons of destruction. The exhibition was held in Vienna in 1939. Six years earlier Communists had been among the first of those countless victims rounded up for the concentration camps.
- Nazi Symbols
- Learn the History of the Swastika, ThoughtCo.
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LESSON: Understanding Nazi Symbols
By focusing on the history and meaning of the swastika, the lesson provides a model for teachers to use when examining the origins of symbols, terms, and ideology from Nazi Germany and Holocaust-era fascist movements that students are seeing in contemporary American culture, promoting critical historical thinking and analysis.
- The Beer Hall (Munich) Putsch, November 1923
- Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch), USHMM
- Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Third Reich in Ruins
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Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch, ThoughtCo.
Ten years before Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, he tried to take power by force during the Beer Hall Putsch. On the night of November 8, 1923, Hitler and some of his Nazi confederates stormed into a Munich beer hall and attempted to force the triumvirate, the three men that governed Bavaria, to join him in a national revolution. The men of the triumvirate initially agreed since they were being held at gunpoint, but then denounced the coup as soon as they were allowed to leave. Hitler was arrested three days later and, after a short trial, was sentenced to five years in prison, where he wrote his infamous book, Mein Kampf.
- Nazi Art for 9 November, German Propaganda Archive, Calvin College
- The Beer Hall Putsch, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Beer Hall Putsch, The Holocaust Explained
- VIDEO: 8th November 1923: The Beer Hall Putsch Begins in Munich (2:42), History Pod
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 1: Hitlerputsch (5:35)
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 2: Feldherrnhalle, Part 1 (5:09)
- VIDEO: Munchen Now & Then-Episode 3: Feldherrnhalle, Part 2 (3:58)
- The Enabling Act, March 1933
- Article 48, USHMM
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READING: Enabling Dictatorship, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the text of the Enabling Act, the law many historians argue was the legal basis for Hitler's dictatorship in Nazi Germany.
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READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
-
READING: Outlawing the Opposition, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Hitler's early measures against "enemies of the state," including the Enabling Act and the first concentration camp at Dachau.
- The Enabling Act, USHMM
- The Nazi Party
- A Short History of the Nazi Party, about.com
- How Did the Nazis Gain Power? The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- How Did the Nazis Gain Support, The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- Nazi Paramilitary Groups: SA & SS, casahistoria.net
- Platform of the National-Socialist German Worker’s Party, Jewish Virtual Library
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READING: The Role of the SA and the SS
In February 1920, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis) came up with a 25-point program. This reading reveals 20 of those points.
- The Nazi Party (NSDAP), Spartacus Educational (UK)
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The Nazi Party, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains links to all aspects of the party organization.
- Who Were the Nazi Party? The Holocaust Explained, London Jewish Cultural Council
- The Night of Long Knives, June 1934
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READING: The Night of the Long Knives, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' massacre of more than 200 SA leaders.
- Rohm Purge, USHMM
- The Night of the Long Knives, Jewish Virtual Library
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VIDEO: Night of the Long Knives (5:33), Facing History and Ourselves
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the importance of the 1934 violent purge in the Nazi Party.
- VIDEO: The Assassination of Ernst Rohm, Night of the Long Knives (2:12), YouTube
- The Reichstag Fire, February 1933
- How Significant was the Reichstag Fire?, The Holocaust Explained
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POSTCARD: “The Reichstag in Flames,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The empire which many Germans hoped would last a thousand years would not last as long as the republic it had brought down, but Hitler wasted no time consolidating his power and enforcing his rule. Less than a month after his assumption of power, the Reichstag building in Berlin was burned. The ash-heap visible in the photograph on this postcard had barely cooled before the new leader of the German people, blaming "enemies of the state," declared his "Decree for the Protection of the People and the State," which suspended all legal guarantees of human rights.
-
READING: Law, Justice, and the Holocaust, USHMM
This site contains a series of key decrees, legislative acts, and case law that show the gradual process by which the Nazi leadership, with support or acquiescence from the majority of German people, including judges, moved the nation from a democracy to a dictatorship, and the series of legal steps that left millions vulnerable to the racist and antisemitic ideology of the Nazi state. These legal instruments reveal the positions that judges took and the questions that they faced during the Nazi regime; in so doing, they provide a framework for thoughtful and meaningful debate on the role of the judiciary in society and its responsibilities today.
- Reichstag Fire Decree, USHMM
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The Reichstag Fire, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
On February 27, 1933, the German parliament (Reichstag) building burned down. The Nazi leadership and its coalition partners used the fire to claim that Communists were planning a violent uprising. They claimed that emergency legislation was needed to prevent this. The resulting act, commonly known as the Reichstag Fire Decree, abolished a number of constitutional protections and paved the way for Nazi dictatorship.
- Verdict Against 1933 Reichstag Arsonist Thrown Out, Spiegel Online, 2008
- VIDEO: The Reichstag Fire-Historical Film Footage (:53), USHMM
- The Perpetrators
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“How Was It Humanly Possible” – Teaching About the Perpetrators, Yad Vashem
The mystery of how some human beings become the mass murderers of others – men, women and children – makes such a unit unnervingly difficult to approach. Educators may choose from the range of materials offered: lesson plans, presentations, archival materials, filmed testimonies, historical clips, Pages of Testimony and primary source materials (documents, photographs, diaries, maps, etc.), as well as video lectures.
- “The Perils of Obedience” by Stanley Milgram, Harper’s Magazine, 1974
- EXHIBIT: Some Were Neighbors-Collaboration & Complicity in the Holocaust, USHMM
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LESSON: Guilt, Responsibility and Punishment, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains photos of different people, some of whom were involved in the implementation of the Holocaust. By the end of this activity, you will have developed your ability to think critically and from different perspectives. You will also have reflected on how both the indifference of individuals and the choices they make can lead to horrific consequences. This will help you to understand the role of passive observers and the dangers of remaining silent.
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LESSON: Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Students study the human tendency to obey authority through the question, "Why did so many Germans follow the policies dictated by the Nazi party.
- Milgram Experiment-Obedience to Authority, Explorable Psychology Experiments
- Nazi Perpetrators, Jewish Virtual Library
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: My Chances of Promotion Would Be Spoiled, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The majority of those who murdered Jews were regular German policemen, such as those shown in the photograph. After the war, many claimed that they would have been shot if they had refused to take part. However, this was not true. As the following post-war testimony from Werner Schwenker, a low-ranking detective who took part in the shooting of Jews in Kołomyja in Poland, makes clear, other factors influenced their decision to become murderers.
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READING: A Matter of Obedience?, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about psychologist Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience and the insight they offer into the motives of Nazi perpetrators.
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Revisiting the Holocaust Perpetrators. Why Did They Kill? Christopher R. Browning
This lecture was given at the University of Vermont in 2011 and explores who the perpetrators were and what were their motivations.
- The Perpetrators, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- The Real Lessons of the Stanford Prison Experiment, The New Yorker, June 12, 2015
- The Stanford Prison Experiment, A Simulation Study on the Psychology of Imprisonment, Stanford Prison Experiment Official Website
- The Stanford Prison Experiment, BBC
- The Stanley Milgram Experience: Understanding Obedience
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VIDEO: Dehumanizing the Enemy (6:38), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar James Edward Waller discusses how perpetrators of atrocities dehumanize their victims.
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VIDEO: Eichmann & His Bureaucrats (15:02), Dr. Yaacov Lozowick, Yad Vashem
Historian Dr. Yaacov Lozowick, former Director of the Yad Vashem Archives, discusses Eichmann and his Bureaucrats: What Was Their Job and What Made Them Good At It?
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VIDEO: How Did Ordinary Citizens Become Murderers? (1:30), USHMM
What prompted average people to commit extraordinary crimes in support of the Nazi cause? On September 13, 2017, the Museum hosted a discussion on this topic. Featuring Dr. Christopher Browning & Dr. Wendy Lower.
- VIDEO: Milgram Experiment on Obedience Khan Academy
- VIDEO: Milgram Experiment, Big History NL (5:04), YouTube
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VIDEO: Monsters and Men: The Nazis at Nuremberg (6:33), Facing History and Ourselves
Social psychologist James Edward Waller uses the stories of the Nazis at Nuremberg to discuss human capacity for evil.
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VIDEO: Obedience: The Milgram Experiment (44:21), Facing History and Ourselves
This documentary describes the social science experiment known as The Milgram Experiment.
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VIDEO: Teaching About Nazi Perpetrators (11:52), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
In the video, "Teaching about Nazi Perpetrators" ISHS staff member Dr. Noa Mkayton broaches the difficult subject of the perpetrators in the Holocaust. Ms. Mkayton stresses the dangers in seeing perpetrators purely as other-worldy "monsters". Taking the case study of Paul Salitter, a German Police officer tasked with escorting a transport of some 1,000 Jews to their deaths, we see a fairly ordinary person, oblivious to the moral ramifications of his actions. In examining his depiction of the events, and contrasting it that of a Jewish deportee on that very transport, we hear and feel Salitter's disconnect from the human beings he is helping murder. In confronting the difficult questions arising from this case - questions we can't hope to fully answer - we deepen the debate over these issues, while encouraging students to be more aware of the consequences of their own actions.
- VIDEO: The Milgram Experiment, 1962 Full Documentary (44:26), YouTube
- Dehumanization
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VIDEO: Dehumanizing the Enemy (6:38), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar James Edward Waller discusses how perpetrators of atrocities dehumanize their victims.
- Obedience
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LESSON: Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Students study the human tendency to obey authority through the question, "Why did so many Germans follow the policies dictated by the Nazi party.
- Stanford Prison Experiment
- The Real Lessons of the Stanford Prison Experiment, The New Yorker, June 12, 2015
- The Stanford Prison Experiment, A Simulation Study on the Psychology of Imprisonment, Stanford Prison Experiment Official Website
- The Stanford Prison Experiment, BBC
- Stanley Milgram Experiment
- “The Perils of Obedience” by Stanley Milgram, Harper’s Magazine, 1974
- Milgram Experiment-Obedience to Authority, Explorable Psychology Experiments
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READING: A Matter of Obedience?, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about psychologist Stanley Milgram's experiments on obedience and the insight they offer into the motives of Nazi perpetrators.
- The Stanley Milgram Experience: Understanding Obedience
- VIDEO: Milgram Experiment on Obedience Khan Academy
- VIDEO: Milgram Experiment, Big History NL (5:04), YouTube
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VIDEO: Obedience: The Milgram Experiment (44:21), Facing History and Ourselves
This documentary describes the social science experiment known as The Milgram Experiment.
- VIDEO: The Milgram Experiment, 1962 Full Documentary (44:26), YouTube
- The Victims
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Afro-Germans During the Holocaust, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Although the Nazis did not have an organized program to eliminate African Germans, many of them were persecuted, as were other people of African descent. Some black people in Germany and German-occupied territories were isolated; an unknown number were sterilized, incarcerated or murdered.
- Arnold Liebster Foundation
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ARTIFACT: Purple Badges, USHMM
Two concentration camp badges bearing purple triangles worn by Jehovah's Witnesses. The badge with prisoner number 46436 was issued in Sachsenhausen to Albert Jahndorf; the badge with prisoner number 1989 was issued in Ravensbrueck to Luise Jahndorf.
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ARTIFACTS: A Reminder of Innocence Lost, USHMM
Herta Griffel was the sole survivor of her elementary school class in Vienna. Just last year, the Museum acquired hundreds of drawings by Herta and her classmates. This collection preserves some of the last remaining creations and photographs of a generation of children whose lives were destroyed by the Holocaust.
- Asocials, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Being Black in Nazi Germany, BBC, May 22, 2019
- Black People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Child Survivors of the Holocaust, BBC
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Children and the Holocaust, A Symposium Presentation, 2004, USHMM Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies
Ten scholars present new research into the Nazi war on children and examine what children targeted by the Nazis, their allies, and their collaborators endured before, during, and after the Holocaust.
- Children During the Holocaust, USHMM
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Children of the Holocaust, Museum of Tolerance
Names of children who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as their life story as we know it.
- Children, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Children’s Diaries During the Holocaust, USHMM
- Disabled People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Do You Remember, When – The Life of Manfred Lewin, USHMM
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Documenting Numbers of Victims of the Holocaust and Nazi Persecution, USHMM
The Holocaust is the best documented case of genocide. Despite this, calculating the exact numbers of individuals who were killed as the result of Nazi policies is an impossible task. There is no single wartime document that spells out how many people were killed.
- Enemies of the State, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Coming of Age in the Holocaust, Museum of Jewish Heritage
A multi-media site designed to introduce middle and high school students and educators to the stories of young people who survived the Holocaust.
- EXHIBIT: Life in the Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: The Persecution of Black People in Nazi Germany – Ronald Roberts’ Story, The Wiener Holocaust Library
Ronald (Ronnie) Roberts (1921-2001), born in Wiesbaden to a white German mother and a British/Barbadian father. Roberts experienced racist persecution at the hands of the Nazis during the 1930s and was interned as a British national in German camps during the Second World War. After a time working for the British army of occupation and running a bar in Vienna, Ronnie settled in Britain in the early 1950s. He later married Carol and ran a hotel in Devon. This exhibition draws upon the memoir that Ronald Roberts dictated towards the end of his life, and documents and photographs relating to her husband’s life deposited at the Wiener Library by Carol Roberts in 2008.
- Freemasonry Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM
- Freemasons, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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Gad Beck: “Do You Remember, When”
The featured memento book was given to Gad Beck by his first love when the two men were parted by Nazi persecution in 1941. View the album and learn more.
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Gay Men Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazi regime carried out a campaign against male homosexuality and persecuted gay men between 1933 and 1945. As part of this campaign, the Nazi regime closed gay bars and meeting places, dissolved gay associations, and shuttered gay presses. The Nazi regime also arrested and tried tens of thousands of gay men using Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code. Uncovering the histories of gay men during the Nazi era was difficult for much of the twentieth century because of continued prejudice against same-sex sexuality and the postwar German enforcement of Paragraph 175.
- Gay People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Gays and Lesbians, USHMM
- Homosexuals & the Holocaust: Background & Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
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ID Cards: Gay Men Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
ID Cards detailing personal experiences of: Friedrich-Paul von Groszheim, Robert T. Odeman, Robert Oelbermann, Harry Pauly, Karl Lange, and Karl Gorath.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany: From the 1890s to the 1930s, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazi regime targeted Jehovah's Witnesses for persecution because they refused, out of religious conviction, to swear loyalty to a worldly government or to serve in its armed forces. Jehovah's Witnesses also engaged in missionary activity to win adherents for the faith. The Nazis perceived the refusal to commit to the state and efforts to proselytize as overtly political and subversive acts.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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Lebensborn Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi authorities created the Lebensborn program to increase Germany’s population. Pregnant German women deemed “racially valuable” were encouraged to give birth to their children at Lebensborn homes. During World War II, the program became complicit in the kidnapping of foreign children with physical features considered “Aryan” by the Nazis.
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LECTURE: The Nazi Persecution of Gay People (32:00), USHMM
Before the Nazis came to power, Berlin was home to a vibrant gay community. Within weeks of their rise in March 1933, the Nazis drove this population underground and waged a violent campaign against homosexuality. Join us for a Pride Month Facebook Live as we give voice to a community silenced during the Holocaust. Moderated by Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, with Featured Speaker, Dr. Jake Newsome.
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Lesbians Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Under the Nazi regime, there was no official law or policy prohibiting sexual relations between women. Nonetheless, beginning in 1933, the Nazi regime harassed and destroyed lesbian communities and networks that had developed during the Weimar Republic (1918–1933). This created a climate of restriction and fear for many lesbians.
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LESSON: Franz Wohlfahrt, Jehovah’s Witness: Standing Firm on Faith, USC Shoah Foundation
A devout Jehovah’s Witness, Franz Wohlfahrt depicts in his testimony the intense suffering he endured in prisons and camps while also demonstrating a determined, unshakable faith. The lesson’s theme, Standing Firm in Faith, explores Franz’s religious convictions and draws upon a poem Franz wrote in 1944 as he faced almost certain death. Include Video (29:00), Background on Jehovah's Witnesses and the Arnold Liebster Foundation, and Lesson Packet
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LESSON: Guilt, Responsibility and Punishment, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains photos of different people, some of whom were involved in the implementation of the Holocaust. By the end of this activity, you will have developed your ability to think critically and from different perspectives. You will also have reflected on how both the indifference of individuals and the choices they make can lead to horrific consequences. This will help you to understand the role of passive observers and the dangers of remaining silent.
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LESSON: Introduction to the Romani Genocide, Eternal Echoes
The persecution and murder of Europe’s Romani minorities (Roma, Sinti, and others labelled as "Gypsies") took place at roughly the same time and in many of the same places as the Nazi-led genocide of Jews in the Holocaust. In many cases, the same actors were responsible for the violence, such as German SS killing squads, members of the police, and local collaborators. Despite these similarities, however, the Romani genocide should be considered a separate historical event with its own causes and particular results in different countries. Its legacy in these societies is also very different from that of the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Julia Lentini, Sinti and Roma Survivor: Deprivation and Perseverance, USH Shoah Foundation
A member of a large, close-knit Sinti and Roma family, Julia Lentini recounts in her testimony the persecution she and her family experienced at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. The lesson’s theme, Deprivation and Perseverance, reflects Julia’s efforts to assert her humanity and spirit in the midst of suffering and deprivation. Includes Video (29L45), Background on Genocide of European Roma, and Lesson Packet.
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LESSON: Standing Out-Standing Up, A Jehovah’s Witness Experience, Shoah Foundation & Arnold Liebster Foundation
Educators can use the lesson plan, student handouts, and video clips to guide students in a discussion of a familiar adolescent dilemma: being different and being pressured to fit in. This exercise presents strategies for students to resist pressure and encourages them to analyze, synthesize and evaluate effective ways to stand up for their core values.
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Nazi Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to intense persecution under the Nazi regime. Nazi leaders targeted Jehovah's Witnesses because they were unwilling to accept the authority of the state, because of their international connections, and because they were strongly opposed to both war on behalf of a temporal authority and organized government in matters of conscience.
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Non-Jewish Poles and Slavic POWs, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
The Nazis viewed Poles and other Slavic peoples as inferior, and slated them for subjugation, forced labour, and eventual annihilation.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “Don’t Forget Me” – Children’s Personal Albums from the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
Approximately 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust. They left almost no trace – a handful of photographs and some personal belongings. This exhibition features the personal stories of 8 children during the Holocaust. Each child is a world entire. Details about their lives are revealed in the albums they left behind. These albums offer a window into the world of these children: children suffering cruel and relentless persecution under living conditions that defy the imagination. But the albums also show us that in spite of everything, children remain children: writing dedications to their friends and embellishing them with happy illustrations; writing of everlasting friendship, even though in many cases their lives were brutally cut short. The albums, which miraculously remained intact, were made in ghettos, concentration and labor camps, while on the run or in hiding, in different countries throughout Europe and in Asia. The life-stories of the album owners and their families, and the fate of some of those who wrote dedications, are brought to you here.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children in the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
Approximately 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust. Few survived. This exhibit features children's toys, games, artworks, diaries, and albums as well as testimonies from survivors who share their childhood experiences from before, during, and immediately after the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved. This is a story of courage and determination, a story of sacrifice, loyalty and dedication. This exhibition tells the story of three children's homes: the home in Chamonix, the home in Izieu, and the home in Chabannes.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT:Nazi Persecution of the Disabled: Murder of the “Unfit”, USHMM
The Nazi persecution of persons with disabilities in Germany was one component of radical public health policies aimed at excluding hereditarily “unfit” Germans from the national community. These strategies began with forced sterilization and escalated toward mass murder.
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ONLINE LECTURE: LGBTQI+ People in the Nazi Concentration Camps / CUNY Queensborough
Join Dr. Danny Sexton, Associate Professor of English at Queensborough Community College at the City University of New York, for a conversation about the different ways the Nazis persecuted gay, lesbian, and transgender people throughout World War II, including how these communities were singled out for abuse in the concentration camp system.
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Paragraph 175 and the Nazi Campaign Against Homosexuality, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Paragraph 175 was a German statute that criminalized sexual relations between men. It did not criminalize sexual relations betwen women. Paragraph 175 predated the Nazi regime. However, the Nazis revised Paragraph 175 in 1935 to make it broader and harsher. It was one of the main tools that the Nazis used to persecute gay men and men accused of sexual relations with other men.
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Polish Victims, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The German occupation of Poland was exceptionally brutal. The Nazis considered Poles to be racially inferior. Following the military defeat of Poland by Germany in September 1939, the Germans launched a campaign of terror intended to destroy the Polish nation and culture and to reduce the Poles to a leaderless population of peasants and workers laboring for German masters.
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Political Opponents and Trade Unionists, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
On assuming power in 1933 the first people the Nazis targeted for summary arrest and incarceration were political opponents – primarily communists, trade unionists and social democrats.
- Political Prisoners, USHMM
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READING: Isolating Homosexuals, Facing History and Ourselves
Find out how Hitler strengthened enforcement of Paragraph 155, a law that made homosexuality a crime in Germany.
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READING: Political Prisoners, Facing History and Ourselves
A member of the German Communist Party describes her experience in a Nazi Concentration camp for political prisoners.
- READING: Targeting the Sinti and Roma, Facing History and Ourselves
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Roma (Gypsies) in Prewar Europe, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Roma (Gypsies) originated in the Punjab region of northern India as a nomadic people and entered Europe between the eighth and tenth centuries C.E. They were called "Gypsies" because Europeans mistakenly believed they came from Egypt. Site contains link to 2 additional sections on (1) Persecution 1933-39 and (2) Genocide of the Roma 1939-45.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gad Beck, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Despite being both gay and Jewish, Gad Beck survived the entire duration of Nazi rule living in Berlin. He was 19 when in 1941 his friends and neighbours began to be rounded up and deported. He made the decision to actively resist Nazi Persecution, assuming a leading role in the Chug Chaluzi Jewish resistance group.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Helene Melanie Lebel, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Helene Melanie Lebel was one of approximately 250,000 people murdered by the Nazis because they were physically or mentally disabled.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Albrecht Becker, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Amalie Schaich, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Amalie Schaich is a German Romani survivor of Nazi Persecution. She was separated from her parents at the age of nine, before being sent to Auschwitz in 1944. She was one of only four children to have been selected to be a labourer in Auschwitz, while the other children in her group were sent to the gas chambers.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Lehnkering, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Anna Lehnkering was one of 30,000 people who were murdered by the Nazis as part of the Aktion T4 project in the year 1940/1941, the Nazi program for sterilizing and murdering those with mental or physical disabilities.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Maria ‘Settela’ Steinbach, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
‘The girl with the headscarf’ was identified by Dutch journalist Aad Wagenaar in the early 1990s as Romani girl Anna Maria ‘Settela’ Steinbach. Here, Rainer Schulze, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Essex, shares her story.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ceija Stojka (Chaya Stoyka), Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Ceija Stojka was a Romany Gypsy who was persecuted by the Nazis. She was deported with 200 members of her extended family to Auschwitz where most of them were murdered upon arrival. In later life Ceija Stojka spent her time promoting the rights of Roma people, highlighting through her experiences what can happen when prejudice and hatred are allowed to take hold.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Facing Persecution as a Jehovah’s Witness (31 min.), USC Shoah Foundation Institute
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gad Beck on Rescuing His Lover, Manfred Lewin (2:44), USC Shoah Foundation Institute
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Johann ‘Rukeli’ Trollmann, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Johann was born on 27 December 1907 near Hannover. He was a popular German Sinti boxer, who was discriminated against, marginalized, sterilized, and finally deported to a concentration camp, where he was murdered.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Otto Rosenberg, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Born in 1927, Otto Rosenberg's family were Sinti, a Romani population of central Europe. Otto remembers living on private rented ‘lots’ of land that his family shared with the caravans and houses of extended family and other members of the Sinti community.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Pierre Seel, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Pierre Seel grew up in France, and was imprisoned by the Nazis for being gay at the age of 17. This life story explains how Pierre spoke out about his persecution.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rudolf Brazda, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Rudolf Brazda was the last known concentration camp survivor deported specifically for homosexuality. Twice imprisoned for homosexuality, he was deported to Buchenwald concentration camp in 1942 where he was subject to forced labour for 32 months.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Simone Arnold-Liebster, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Euthanasia Program (7:55), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Benno Müller-Hill, professor of genetics at the University of Cologne, describes the Nazi "Euthanasia" Program, with oral history excerpts from Antje Kosemund, Paul Eggert, and Elvira Manthey. Antje Kosemund had a disabled younger sister who was admitted to Alsterdorf Institute, Hamburg, December 1933, at the age of three and was subsequently killed in 1944. Paul Eggert was a resident of the orphanage section of the Dortmund-Applerbeck institution from 1942-43 where he witnessed the euthanasia of fellow orphans. Elvira Manthey was taken with her sister from a large, impoverished family and placed in a children’s home, 1938.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Frieda Belinfante Collection (3:51), Curators Corner, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Waldemar Nods, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Waldemar Nods was the grandson of a slave from Suriname, who moved to the Netherlands in 1927, aged 19. He had a son – Waldy – with his Dutch wife – Rika – and together they hid Jews from the Nazis during the German occupation. They were caught and deported to concentration camps in Germany.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Witold Pilecki, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Pilecki was the only known voluntary inmate of Auschwitz, who spent two and a half years gathering intelligence from within the camp. After a group of Polish political opponents were imprisoned in Auschwitz in August 1940 and then their families learned of their deaths, Pilecki volunteered to investigate.
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The Fate of European Roma and Sinti During the Holocaust
This site provides basic information on the genocide of European Roma and Sinti for teachers and students.
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The Murder of People With Disabilities, USHMM
Many Germans did not want to be reminded of individuals who did not measure up to their concept of a "master race" and were considered "unfit" or "handicapped." People with physical and mental disabilities were viewed as "useless" to society, a threat to Aryan genetic purity, and, ultimately, "unworthy of life." At the beginning of World War II, individuals with mental or physical disabilities were targeted for murder in what the Nazis called the "T-4," or "euthanasia," program.
- The Pitel Family, one Polish family’s experience told through a family photo, Yad Vashem
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The Porrajmos, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Europe’s Roma and Sinti people (Gypsies) were targeted by the Nazis for total destruction. The Porrajmos, or Porajmos, which translates to 'the Devouring', is the term used to describe the Nazi genocide of Europe’s Roma and Sinti population. Upward of 200,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered or died as a result of starvation or disease. Many more were imprisoned, used as forced labour or subject to forced sterilisation and medical experimentation.
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The Treatment of Soviet POWs: Starvation, Disease, and Shootings, June 1941-January 1942, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
From the very beginning, German policy on the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war (POWs) was determined by Nazi ideology. German political and military leaders regarded Soviet POWs not only as racially less valuable but as potential enemies, obstacles in the German conquest of "living space." The Nazi regime claimed that it was under no obligation for the humane care of prisoners of war from the Red Army View This Term in the Glossary because the Soviet Union had not ratified the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, nor had it specifically declared its commitment to the 1907 Hague Convention on the Rules of War.
- The Victims, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
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VIDEO: “My Little Diary…” (16:57) Asociatia Tikvah
The diary of Eva Heyman, born in Oradea, Romania (Transylvania) in 1931 to Jewish parents. Eva's diary was started in February 1944, shortly before the German forces entered, and just as the restriction on Jews became even more severe. Eva was living with her grandparents, as her mother, Agnes (Agi), had divorced and remarried. Agi's second husband was the Jewish writer and publicist, Bela Zsolt. The diary covers the period when Eva was taken to the ghetto in Oradea and ends shortly before Eva is deported to Auschwitz. For full diary entries see: https://www.tikvah.ro/en/eva-heyman/evas-diary.html
- VIDEO: Childhood During the Holocaust (7:09), Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany (1:29), YouTube
Based on the biography of the same name by Hans Jurgen Massaquoi.
- VIDEO: Documenting Nazi Persecution of Gays (9:12), Curator’s Corner, USHMM
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
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VIDEO: Gay Berlin, Birthplace of a Modern Identity (1:07:08), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Decadent, pre-WWII Berlin was the undisputed gay capital of the world—as imagined in "Cabaret," and more recently in the TV shows "Babylon Berlin" and "Transparent." Robert Beachy’s "Gay Berlin" chronicles the milieu that gave rise to the international gay rights movement, with key strides made for scientific research, advocacy, and visibility—before the Nazis came to power. On June 13, 2019, Robert Beachy was at the Museum in conversation with Eric Marcus, founder of the Stonewall 50 Consortium and creator of the podcast "Making Gay History." Presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, presented with the Stonewall 50 Consortium.
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VIDEO: Nazi Persecution of Gay People (33:23), USHMM/2020
Before the Nazis came to power, Berlin was home to a vibrant gay community. Within weeks of their rise in March 1933, the Nazis drove this population underground and waged a violent campaign against homosexuality. Over the next 12 years, more than 100,000 men were arrested for violating Germany's law against "unnatural indecency among men.” During this time, proof was often not required to convict an individual. Some were sent to concentration camps and subjected to hard labor, cruelty, and even medical experiments aimed at “curing” them.
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VIDEO: Roma (Gypsies) in Romania, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
About a million Roma (Gypsies) lived in Europe before World War II. The largest Romani community--of about 300,000--was in Romania. This film shows a Romani (Gypsy) community in Moreni, a small town northwest of Bucharest. Many Roma led a nomadic lifestyle and often worked as small traders, craftsmen, merchants, laborers, and muscians.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Campsite in Slovenia, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Germany and its Axis allies invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941. The Germans probably shot this film after they occupied southern Slovenia following the Italian armistice in 1943. The film was found in the Ustasa (Croatian fascist) archives after World War II and shows the dismal living conditions that Roma (Gypsies) endured in occupied northern Yugoslavia.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Campsite Near Berlin, Historical Film Footage (1:42), USHMM
This film excerpt from Groß-Stadt Zigeuner (1932) by filmmaker László Moholy-Nagy shows a Romani (Gypsy) campsite near Berlin, Germany, in the last year of the Weimar Republic. Although Roma (Gypsies) had faced persecution in Germany even before the Nazi rise to power in 1933, the Nazis regarded them as racial enemies to be identified and killed. Tens of thousands of Roma were killed by the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) in eastern Europe or were deported to killing centers in occupied Poland.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Children Used in Racial Studies, Historical Film Footage (1:38), USHMM
Spanish فارسیFarsi FrançaisFrench MagyarHungarian Bahasa IndonesiaIndonesian ItalianoItalian 日本語Japanese 한국어Korean Português (BR)Portuguese-Brazilian РусскийRussian TürkçeTurkish اُردوUrdu 简体中文Chinese HISTORICAL FILM FOOTAGE ROMANI (GYPSY) CHILDREN USED IN RACIAL STUDIES MULFINGEN, GERMANY, PROBABLY 1943 [SILENT, 1:37] — Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv Eva Justin was an assistant to Dr. Robert Ritter, the Third Reich's "expert" on Roma (Gypsies). She studied these Romani (Gypsy) children as part of her dissertation on the racial characteristics of Roma. The children stayed at St. Josefspflege, a Catholic children's home in Mulfingen, Germany. Justin completed her study shortly after this film was taken. The children were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most were killed.
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VIDEO: The Fallen of World War II
The relevant portion about the victims of World War II is at 7:34-9:33. Come of the other material may be dated.
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VIDEO: We Call Ourselves “Roma” (9:00), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Margareta Matache explains significant moments in the history of the Roma people.
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VIDEO: Westerbork Deportation Footage by Werner Breslauer, Experiencing History, USHMM
The film featured here is a hybrid of perpetrator and victim footage. Recording the deportation of Dutch Jews (and some Sinti-Roma) from Westerbork on May 19, 1944, it chronicles the loading of train cars bound for Auschwitz. The cameraman, Werner (Rudolf) Breslauer, was a German Jew who fled to the Netherlands with his wife and three children. Embedded within this footage is a now iconic image of a young Sinti girl as she is being deported. Settela Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau between July 31 and August 1, 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camp"). Settela's last, and world renowned, picture was taken on May 19, 1944 moments before the train door was bolted and locked in front of her. The image of Settela peeking through the train doors, head covered, has become a symbol of the genocide of the Sinti/Roma during the Holocaust.
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Who Were the Victims?, USHMM
All the Jews of Europe were systematically targeted for murder by the Nazi regime. The Nazis considered Jews a “mortal threat” to the German “race.” Two-thirds, or six million, of Europe’s Jews were killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. What Other Groups did the Nazis Target and Why?
- Asocials
- Blacks
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Afro-Germans During the Holocaust, USHMM/Holocaust Encyclopedia
Although the Nazis did not have an organized program to eliminate African Germans, many of them were persecuted, as were other people of African descent. Some black people in Germany and German-occupied territories were isolated; an unknown number were sterilized, incarcerated or murdered.
- Being Black in Nazi Germany, BBC, May 22, 2019
- Black People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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EXHIBIT: The Persecution of Black People in Nazi Germany – Ronald Roberts’ Story, The Wiener Holocaust Library
Ronald (Ronnie) Roberts (1921-2001), born in Wiesbaden to a white German mother and a British/Barbadian father. Roberts experienced racist persecution at the hands of the Nazis during the 1930s and was interned as a British national in German camps during the Second World War. After a time working for the British army of occupation and running a bar in Vienna, Ronnie settled in Britain in the early 1950s. He later married Carol and ran a hotel in Devon. This exhibition draws upon the memoir that Ronald Roberts dictated towards the end of his life, and documents and photographs relating to her husband’s life deposited at the Wiener Library by Carol Roberts in 2008.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Waldemar Nods, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Waldemar Nods was the grandson of a slave from Suriname, who moved to the Netherlands in 1927, aged 19. He had a son – Waldy – with his Dutch wife – Rika – and together they hid Jews from the Nazis during the German occupation. They were caught and deported to concentration camps in Germany.
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VIDEO: Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany (1:29), YouTube
Based on the biography of the same name by Hans Jurgen Massaquoi.
- Children
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ARTIFACTS: A Reminder of Innocence Lost, USHMM
Herta Griffel was the sole survivor of her elementary school class in Vienna. Just last year, the Museum acquired hundreds of drawings by Herta and her classmates. This collection preserves some of the last remaining creations and photographs of a generation of children whose lives were destroyed by the Holocaust.
- Child Survivors of the Holocaust, BBC
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Children and the Holocaust, A Symposium Presentation, 2004, USHMM Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies
Ten scholars present new research into the Nazi war on children and examine what children targeted by the Nazis, their allies, and their collaborators endured before, during, and after the Holocaust.
- Children During the Holocaust, USHMM
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Children of the Holocaust, Museum of Tolerance
Names of children who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as their life story as we know it.
- Children, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
- Children’s Diaries During the Holocaust, USHMM
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EXHIBIT: Coming of Age in the Holocaust, Museum of Jewish Heritage
A multi-media site designed to introduce middle and high school students and educators to the stories of young people who survived the Holocaust.
- EXHIBIT: Life in the Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust, USHMM
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Lebensborn Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi authorities created the Lebensborn program to increase Germany’s population. Pregnant German women deemed “racially valuable” were encouraged to give birth to their children at Lebensborn homes. During World War II, the program became complicit in the kidnapping of foreign children with physical features considered “Aryan” by the Nazis.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: “Don’t Forget Me” – Children’s Personal Albums from the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
Approximately 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust. They left almost no trace – a handful of photographs and some personal belongings. This exhibition features the personal stories of 8 children during the Holocaust. Each child is a world entire. Details about their lives are revealed in the albums they left behind. These albums offer a window into the world of these children: children suffering cruel and relentless persecution under living conditions that defy the imagination. But the albums also show us that in spite of everything, children remain children: writing dedications to their friends and embellishing them with happy illustrations; writing of everlasting friendship, even though in many cases their lives were brutally cut short. The albums, which miraculously remained intact, were made in ghettos, concentration and labor camps, while on the run or in hiding, in different countries throughout Europe and in Asia. The life-stories of the album owners and their families, and the fate of some of those who wrote dedications, are brought to you here.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children in the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
Approximately 1.5 million children were murdered in the Holocaust. Few survived. This exhibit features children's toys, games, artworks, diaries, and albums as well as testimonies from survivors who share their childhood experiences from before, during, and immediately after the Holocaust.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved. This is a story of courage and determination, a story of sacrifice, loyalty and dedication. This exhibition tells the story of three children's homes: the home in Chamonix, the home in Izieu, and the home in Chabannes.
-
VIDEO: “My Little Diary…” (16:57) Asociatia Tikvah
The diary of Eva Heyman, born in Oradea, Romania (Transylvania) in 1931 to Jewish parents. Eva's diary was started in February 1944, shortly before the German forces entered, and just as the restriction on Jews became even more severe. Eva was living with her grandparents, as her mother, Agnes (Agi), had divorced and remarried. Agi's second husband was the Jewish writer and publicist, Bela Zsolt. The diary covers the period when Eva was taken to the ghetto in Oradea and ends shortly before Eva is deported to Auschwitz. For full diary entries see: https://www.tikvah.ro/en/eva-heyman/evas-diary.html
- VIDEO: Childhood During the Holocaust (7:09), Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: Footprints-Discovering the Holocaust Through Historical Artifacts (8:24), University of London
This film examines a child's shoe, an artifact from Auschwitz-Birkenau, and discusses what can be learned from artifacts.
- Freemasons
- Handicapped
- Disabled People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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ONLINE EXHIBIT:Nazi Persecution of the Disabled: Murder of the “Unfit”, USHMM
The Nazi persecution of persons with disabilities in Germany was one component of radical public health policies aimed at excluding hereditarily “unfit” Germans from the national community. These strategies began with forced sterilization and escalated toward mass murder.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Helene Melanie Lebel, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Helene Melanie Lebel was one of approximately 250,000 people murdered by the Nazis because they were physically or mentally disabled.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Lehnkering, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Anna Lehnkering was one of 30,000 people who were murdered by the Nazis as part of the Aktion T4 project in the year 1940/1941, the Nazi program for sterilizing and murdering those with mental or physical disabilities.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Euthanasia Program (7:55), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Benno Müller-Hill, professor of genetics at the University of Cologne, describes the Nazi "Euthanasia" Program, with oral history excerpts from Antje Kosemund, Paul Eggert, and Elvira Manthey. Antje Kosemund had a disabled younger sister who was admitted to Alsterdorf Institute, Hamburg, December 1933, at the age of three and was subsequently killed in 1944. Paul Eggert was a resident of the orphanage section of the Dortmund-Applerbeck institution from 1942-43 where he witnessed the euthanasia of fellow orphans. Elvira Manthey was taken with her sister from a large, impoverished family and placed in a children’s home, 1938.
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The Murder of People With Disabilities, USHMM
Many Germans did not want to be reminded of individuals who did not measure up to their concept of a "master race" and were considered "unfit" or "handicapped." People with physical and mental disabilities were viewed as "useless" to society, a threat to Aryan genetic purity, and, ultimately, "unworthy of life." At the beginning of World War II, individuals with mental or physical disabilities were targeted for murder in what the Nazis called the "T-4," or "euthanasia," program.
- Homosexuals
- Do You Remember, When – The Life of Manfred Lewin, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945, USHMM
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Gad Beck: “Do You Remember, When”
The featured memento book was given to Gad Beck by his first love when the two men were parted by Nazi persecution in 1941. View the album and learn more.
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Gay Men Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazi regime carried out a campaign against male homosexuality and persecuted gay men between 1933 and 1945. As part of this campaign, the Nazi regime closed gay bars and meeting places, dissolved gay associations, and shuttered gay presses. The Nazi regime also arrested and tried tens of thousands of gay men using Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code. Uncovering the histories of gay men during the Nazi era was difficult for much of the twentieth century because of continued prejudice against same-sex sexuality and the postwar German enforcement of Paragraph 175.
- Gay People, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Gays and Lesbians, USHMM
- Homosexuals & the Holocaust: Background & Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
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ID Cards: Gay Men Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
ID Cards detailing personal experiences of: Friedrich-Paul von Groszheim, Robert T. Odeman, Robert Oelbermann, Harry Pauly, Karl Lange, and Karl Gorath.
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LECTURE: The Nazi Persecution of Gay People (32:00), USHMM
Before the Nazis came to power, Berlin was home to a vibrant gay community. Within weeks of their rise in March 1933, the Nazis drove this population underground and waged a violent campaign against homosexuality. Join us for a Pride Month Facebook Live as we give voice to a community silenced during the Holocaust. Moderated by Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, with Featured Speaker, Dr. Jake Newsome.
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Lesbians Under the Nazi Regime, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Under the Nazi regime, there was no official law or policy prohibiting sexual relations between women. Nonetheless, beginning in 1933, the Nazi regime harassed and destroyed lesbian communities and networks that had developed during the Weimar Republic (1918–1933). This created a climate of restriction and fear for many lesbians.
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ONLINE LECTURE: LGBTQI+ People in the Nazi Concentration Camps / CUNY Queensborough
Join Dr. Danny Sexton, Associate Professor of English at Queensborough Community College at the City University of New York, for a conversation about the different ways the Nazis persecuted gay, lesbian, and transgender people throughout World War II, including how these communities were singled out for abuse in the concentration camp system.
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Paragraph 175 and the Nazi Campaign Against Homosexuality, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Paragraph 175 was a German statute that criminalized sexual relations between men. It did not criminalize sexual relations betwen women. Paragraph 175 predated the Nazi regime. However, the Nazis revised Paragraph 175 in 1935 to make it broader and harsher. It was one of the main tools that the Nazis used to persecute gay men and men accused of sexual relations with other men.
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READING: Isolating Homosexuals, Facing History and Ourselves
Find out how Hitler strengthened enforcement of Paragraph 155, a law that made homosexuality a crime in Germany.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gad Beck, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Despite being both gay and Jewish, Gad Beck survived the entire duration of Nazi rule living in Berlin. He was 19 when in 1941 his friends and neighbours began to be rounded up and deported. He made the decision to actively resist Nazi Persecution, assuming a leading role in the Chug Chaluzi Jewish resistance group.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Albrecht Becker, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Gad Beck on Rescuing His Lover, Manfred Lewin (2:44), USC Shoah Foundation Institute
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Pierre Seel, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Pierre Seel grew up in France, and was imprisoned by the Nazis for being gay at the age of 17. This life story explains how Pierre spoke out about his persecution.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rudolf Brazda, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Rudolf Brazda was the last known concentration camp survivor deported specifically for homosexuality. Twice imprisoned for homosexuality, he was deported to Buchenwald concentration camp in 1942 where he was subject to forced labour for 32 months.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Frieda Belinfante Collection (3:51), Curators Corner, USHMM
- VIDEO: Documenting Nazi Persecution of Gays (9:12), Curator’s Corner, USHMM
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VIDEO: Gay Berlin, Birthplace of a Modern Identity (1:07:08), Museum of Jewish Heritage
Decadent, pre-WWII Berlin was the undisputed gay capital of the world—as imagined in "Cabaret," and more recently in the TV shows "Babylon Berlin" and "Transparent." Robert Beachy’s "Gay Berlin" chronicles the milieu that gave rise to the international gay rights movement, with key strides made for scientific research, advocacy, and visibility—before the Nazis came to power. On June 13, 2019, Robert Beachy was at the Museum in conversation with Eric Marcus, founder of the Stonewall 50 Consortium and creator of the podcast "Making Gay History." Presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, presented with the Stonewall 50 Consortium.
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VIDEO: Nazi Persecution of Gay People (33:23), USHMM/2020
Before the Nazis came to power, Berlin was home to a vibrant gay community. Within weeks of their rise in March 1933, the Nazis drove this population underground and waged a violent campaign against homosexuality. Over the next 12 years, more than 100,000 men were arrested for violating Germany's law against "unnatural indecency among men.” During this time, proof was often not required to convict an individual. Some were sent to concentration camps and subjected to hard labor, cruelty, and even medical experiments aimed at “curing” them.
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Arnold Liebster Foundation
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ARTIFACT: Purple Badges, USHMM
Two concentration camp badges bearing purple triangles worn by Jehovah's Witnesses. The badge with prisoner number 46436 was issued in Sachsenhausen to Albert Jahndorf; the badge with prisoner number 1989 was issued in Ravensbrueck to Luise Jahndorf.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany: From the 1890s to the 1930s, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The Nazi regime targeted Jehovah's Witnesses for persecution because they refused, out of religious conviction, to swear loyalty to a worldly government or to serve in its armed forces. Jehovah's Witnesses also engaged in missionary activity to win adherents for the faith. The Nazis perceived the refusal to commit to the state and efforts to proselytize as overtly political and subversive acts.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
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LESSON: Franz Wohlfahrt, Jehovah’s Witness: Standing Firm on Faith, USC Shoah Foundation
A devout Jehovah’s Witness, Franz Wohlfahrt depicts in his testimony the intense suffering he endured in prisons and camps while also demonstrating a determined, unshakable faith. The lesson’s theme, Standing Firm in Faith, explores Franz’s religious convictions and draws upon a poem Franz wrote in 1944 as he faced almost certain death. Include Video (29:00), Background on Jehovah's Witnesses and the Arnold Liebster Foundation, and Lesson Packet
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LESSON: Standing Out-Standing Up, A Jehovah’s Witness Experience, Shoah Foundation & Arnold Liebster Foundation
Educators can use the lesson plan, student handouts, and video clips to guide students in a discussion of a familiar adolescent dilemma: being different and being pressured to fit in. This exercise presents strategies for students to resist pressure and encourages them to analyze, synthesize and evaluate effective ways to stand up for their core values.
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Nazi Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to intense persecution under the Nazi regime. Nazi leaders targeted Jehovah's Witnesses because they were unwilling to accept the authority of the state, because of their international connections, and because they were strongly opposed to both war on behalf of a temporal authority and organized government in matters of conscience.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Facing Persecution as a Jehovah’s Witness (31 min.), USC Shoah Foundation Institute
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Simone Arnold-Liebster, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
- Poles
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Non-Jewish Poles and Slavic POWs, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
The Nazis viewed Poles and other Slavic peoples as inferior, and slated them for subjugation, forced labour, and eventual annihilation.
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Polish Victims, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
The German occupation of Poland was exceptionally brutal. The Nazis considered Poles to be racially inferior. Following the military defeat of Poland by Germany in September 1939, the Germans launched a campaign of terror intended to destroy the Polish nation and culture and to reduce the Poles to a leaderless population of peasants and workers laboring for German masters.
- The Pitel Family, one Polish family’s experience told through a family photo, Yad Vashem
- Political Opponents
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Political Opponents and Trade Unionists, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
On assuming power in 1933 the first people the Nazis targeted for summary arrest and incarceration were political opponents – primarily communists, trade unionists and social democrats.
- Political Prisoners, USHMM
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READING: Political Prisoners, Facing History and Ourselves
A member of the German Communist Party describes her experience in a Nazi Concentration camp for political prisoners.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Witold Pilecki, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Pilecki was the only known voluntary inmate of Auschwitz, who spent two and a half years gathering intelligence from within the camp. After a group of Polish political opponents were imprisoned in Auschwitz in August 1940 and then their families learned of their deaths, Pilecki volunteered to investigate.
- Sinti and Roma (Gypsies)
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LESSON: Introduction to the Romani Genocide, Eternal Echoes
The persecution and murder of Europe’s Romani minorities (Roma, Sinti, and others labelled as "Gypsies") took place at roughly the same time and in many of the same places as the Nazi-led genocide of Jews in the Holocaust. In many cases, the same actors were responsible for the violence, such as German SS killing squads, members of the police, and local collaborators. Despite these similarities, however, the Romani genocide should be considered a separate historical event with its own causes and particular results in different countries. Its legacy in these societies is also very different from that of the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Julia Lentini, Sinti and Roma Survivor: Deprivation and Perseverance, USH Shoah Foundation
A member of a large, close-knit Sinti and Roma family, Julia Lentini recounts in her testimony the persecution she and her family experienced at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. The lesson’s theme, Deprivation and Perseverance, reflects Julia’s efforts to assert her humanity and spirit in the midst of suffering and deprivation. Includes Video (29L45), Background on Genocide of European Roma, and Lesson Packet.
- READING: Targeting the Sinti and Roma, Facing History and Ourselves
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Roma (Gypsies) in Prewar Europe, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Roma (Gypsies) originated in the Punjab region of northern India as a nomadic people and entered Europe between the eighth and tenth centuries C.E. They were called "Gypsies" because Europeans mistakenly believed they came from Egypt. Site contains link to 2 additional sections on (1) Persecution 1933-39 and (2) Genocide of the Roma 1939-45.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Amalie Schaich, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Amalie Schaich is a German Romani survivor of Nazi Persecution. She was separated from her parents at the age of nine, before being sent to Auschwitz in 1944. She was one of only four children to have been selected to be a labourer in Auschwitz, while the other children in her group were sent to the gas chambers.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Anna Maria ‘Settela’ Steinbach, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
‘The girl with the headscarf’ was identified by Dutch journalist Aad Wagenaar in the early 1990s as Romani girl Anna Maria ‘Settela’ Steinbach. Here, Rainer Schulze, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Essex, shares her story.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ceija Stojka (Chaya Stoyka), Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Ceija Stojka was a Romany Gypsy who was persecuted by the Nazis. She was deported with 200 members of her extended family to Auschwitz where most of them were murdered upon arrival. In later life Ceija Stojka spent her time promoting the rights of Roma people, highlighting through her experiences what can happen when prejudice and hatred are allowed to take hold.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Johann ‘Rukeli’ Trollmann, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Johann was born on 27 December 1907 near Hannover. He was a popular German Sinti boxer, who was discriminated against, marginalized, sterilized, and finally deported to a concentration camp, where he was murdered.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Otto Rosenberg, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Born in 1927, Otto Rosenberg's family were Sinti, a Romani population of central Europe. Otto remembers living on private rented ‘lots’ of land that his family shared with the caravans and houses of extended family and other members of the Sinti community.
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The Fate of European Roma and Sinti During the Holocaust
This site provides basic information on the genocide of European Roma and Sinti for teachers and students.
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The Porrajmos, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Europe’s Roma and Sinti people (Gypsies) were targeted by the Nazis for total destruction. The Porrajmos, or Porajmos, which translates to 'the Devouring', is the term used to describe the Nazi genocide of Europe’s Roma and Sinti population. Upward of 200,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered or died as a result of starvation or disease. Many more were imprisoned, used as forced labour or subject to forced sterilisation and medical experimentation.
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VIDEO: Roma (Gypsies) in Romania, Historical Film Footage (0:46), USHMM
About a million Roma (Gypsies) lived in Europe before World War II. The largest Romani community--of about 300,000--was in Romania. This film shows a Romani (Gypsy) community in Moreni, a small town northwest of Bucharest. Many Roma led a nomadic lifestyle and often worked as small traders, craftsmen, merchants, laborers, and muscians.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Campsite in Slovenia, Historical Film Footage (0:37), USHMM
Germany and its Axis allies invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941. The Germans probably shot this film after they occupied southern Slovenia following the Italian armistice in 1943. The film was found in the Ustasa (Croatian fascist) archives after World War II and shows the dismal living conditions that Roma (Gypsies) endured in occupied northern Yugoslavia.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Campsite Near Berlin, Historical Film Footage (1:42), USHMM
This film excerpt from Groß-Stadt Zigeuner (1932) by filmmaker László Moholy-Nagy shows a Romani (Gypsy) campsite near Berlin, Germany, in the last year of the Weimar Republic. Although Roma (Gypsies) had faced persecution in Germany even before the Nazi rise to power in 1933, the Nazis regarded them as racial enemies to be identified and killed. Tens of thousands of Roma were killed by the Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing units) in eastern Europe or were deported to killing centers in occupied Poland.
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VIDEO: Romani (Gypsy) Children Used in Racial Studies, Historical Film Footage (1:38), USHMM
Spanish فارسیFarsi FrançaisFrench MagyarHungarian Bahasa IndonesiaIndonesian ItalianoItalian 日本語Japanese 한국어Korean Português (BR)Portuguese-Brazilian РусскийRussian TürkçeTurkish اُردوUrdu 简体中文Chinese HISTORICAL FILM FOOTAGE ROMANI (GYPSY) CHILDREN USED IN RACIAL STUDIES MULFINGEN, GERMANY, PROBABLY 1943 [SILENT, 1:37] — Bundesarchiv Filmarchiv Eva Justin was an assistant to Dr. Robert Ritter, the Third Reich's "expert" on Roma (Gypsies). She studied these Romani (Gypsy) children as part of her dissertation on the racial characteristics of Roma. The children stayed at St. Josefspflege, a Catholic children's home in Mulfingen, Germany. Justin completed her study shortly after this film was taken. The children were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most were killed.
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VIDEO: We Call Ourselves “Roma” (9:00), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Margareta Matache explains significant moments in the history of the Roma people.
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VIDEO: Westerbork Deportation Footage by Werner Breslauer, Experiencing History, USHMM
The film featured here is a hybrid of perpetrator and victim footage. Recording the deportation of Dutch Jews (and some Sinti-Roma) from Westerbork on May 19, 1944, it chronicles the loading of train cars bound for Auschwitz. The cameraman, Werner (Rudolf) Breslauer, was a German Jew who fled to the Netherlands with his wife and three children. Embedded within this footage is a now iconic image of a young Sinti girl as she is being deported. Settela Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau between July 31 and August 1, 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camp"). Settela's last, and world renowned, picture was taken on May 19, 1944 moments before the train door was bolted and locked in front of her. The image of Settela peeking through the train doors, head covered, has become a symbol of the genocide of the Sinti/Roma during the Holocaust.
- Soviet POWs
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The Treatment of Soviet POWs: Starvation, Disease, and Shootings, June 1941-January 1942, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
From the very beginning, German policy on the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war (POWs) was determined by Nazi ideology. German political and military leaders regarded Soviet POWs not only as racially less valuable but as potential enemies, obstacles in the German conquest of "living space." The Nazi regime claimed that it was under no obligation for the humane care of prisoners of war from the Red Army View This Term in the Glossary because the Soviet Union had not ratified the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, nor had it specifically declared its commitment to the 1907 Hague Convention on the Rules of War.
- The Wannsee Conference
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“The Road to Wannsee” by Harry Reicher, The Australian Jewish News, January 20, 2012
On the 70th anniversary of the infamous Wannsee Conference that launched Hitler's Final Solution, Professor Harry Reicher probes the question of how institutionalized genocide was accepted so readily by the Nazi hierarchy.
- House of Wannsee, Memorial & Educational Site
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LESSON: Mass Shootings and Camps, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a factsheet that will help you to understand how the Holocaust was carried out in various places. By the end of this activity you will have gained awareness over how the choices of individuals, organisations and governments can lead to horrendous consequences. You will also have reflected on the relevance of historical events and places related to the Holocaust.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Wannsee Protocol (January 20, 1942), The Avalon Project, Yale Law School
Minutes of the discussion at the Wannsee Conference.
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READING: The Wannsee Conference, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the meeting of German officials in 1942 to coordinate the "Final Solution," Nazi Germany's plan to annihilate the Jews of Europe.
- The Wannsee Conference, The Holocaust Explained
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Wannsee Conference (1:39), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the important Wannsee Conference, the 20 January 1942 meeting in which high-ranking Nazi officials discussed methods of cooperation in the continued murder of European Jewry. Part of Yad Vashem's"Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
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VIDEO: The House of the Wannsee Conference (8:41), USHMM/YouTube
In this film by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dr. Norbert Kampe, Memorial and Educational Site Director of the Villa at Wannsee, takes viewers on a tour of the tortuous history of the house where the "Final Solution" was coordinated. See the house for yourself, and listen as decades of history--before during and after the war---unfold.
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VIDEO: The Wannsee Conference (1:26:40)
A real time recreation of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which leading SS and Nazi Party officials led by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich gathered to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". 1984, German with English subtitles.
- Wannsee Conference and the Final Solution, USHMM
- The War in the East
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[Chiune Sugihara & Jan Zwartendijk] EXHIBIT: Flight and Rescue, USHMM
Just months before the mass killings of the Holocaust began, some 2,100 Jewish refugees fled war-torn Europe. With the help of Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch businessman, and Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, the refugees escaped and ultimately found safety in an unlikely destination.
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[Chiune Sugihara] Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara, NPO Chiune Sugihara. Visas for Life
The remarkable story of Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara and the rescue of thousands of Jews.
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8 Things You Should Know about WWII’s Eastern Front, History.com
Includes video (2:22) about the battle for Stalingrad.
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ANIMATED MAP: Einsatzgruppen (6:37), USHMM
During the Holocaust, members of mobile killing units known as “Einsatzgruppen” (literally “operational groups”) murdered well over one million civilians, primarily in mass shootings in the Soviet Union.
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Babi Yar: Teaching about the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiev, Yad Vashem
This Learning Environment is dedicated to the history and tragedy of Babi Yar – a ravine that became the site of mass murders of the Jews of Kiev and other groups during the period of German occupation, from September 1941 to November 1943.
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Berdichev: On of the Untold Stories… , Yad Vashem
This educational environment will focus on the specific story of the city of Berdichev Ukraine. Through the example of one city and one community, the key stages of the development of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” in the former Soviet Union will be examined.
- Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Killing Units), USHMM
- Einsatzgruppen and other SS and Police Units in the Soviet Union, USHMM
- Estonia, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: The Holocaust in Ukraine, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: The Untold Stories: The Murder Sites of the Jews in the Occupied Territories of the Former USSR, Yad Vashem
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FILM: Nazi Death Squads | Mass Graves, Netflix
The armies of the Third Reich invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941. Mobile commandos, the Einsatzgruppen, were following their advance to Stalingrad with the mission of eliminating all Jews on the conquered territories.
- Forced Labor-Soviet POW’s January 1942-May 1945, USHMM
- Holocaust in Lithuania, Vil News
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Holocaust Memorial Places in Latvia, Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia
This site contains map of the Jewish killing sites and information on each site – a brief history, location, characteristics, and a reference to the related names of Jews.
- INTERACTIVE MAP: Western Europe 1942-1945, National Archives, UK
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INTERACTIVE MAP: Yahad – In Unum, Map of the Holocaust in Bullets
Founded in 2004, Yahad-In Unum has worked to seek out and document the mass killings by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) between 1941 and 1945. During this time period, thousands of mass executions occurred in seven Soviet republics (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia). This website, with its interactive MAP, provide us a tool to learn about these stories through the testimonies of survivors, perpetrators, bystanders, and collaborators.
- Invasion of the Soviet Union, June 1941, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Soviet Union, Jewish Virtual Library
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Jews in the Red Army, 1941-1945, Yad Vashem
From 1941 to 1945 between 350,000 and 500,000 Jews served in various roles in the Red Army during the Soviet-German war of 1941-1945. During the first months of the war a large number of Jews, especially members of the intelligentsia and students, served in the Narodnoe opolchenie (National Guard or militia), the irregular military units whose task was to slow and, hopefully, halt the Wehrmacht assaults on major Soviet cities. The majority of those in the Narodnoe opolchenie, who were poorly trained and poorly armed, were killed in the first months of the war. In the Red Army itself the estimates of the number of Jews killed during the war range from 120,000 to 142,000.
- Kiev and Babi Yar, USHMM
- Kovno, USHMM
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Mariiampil, Ukraine), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Satanov, Ukraine), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
- Latvia, USHMM
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LESSON: Mass Shootings and Camps, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a factsheet that will help you to understand how the Holocaust was carried out in various places. By the end of this activity you will have gained awareness over how the choices of individuals, organisations and governments can lead to horrendous consequences. You will also have reflected on the relevance of historical events and places related to the Holocaust.
- Lithuania, USHMM
- MAP: The Routes of the Einsatzgruppen Killings, Yad Vashem
- MAP: Major Ghettos in the Baltic States, USHMM
- Mass Murder of Jews in Latvia, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
- Murder of the Jews of the Baltic States, Yad Vashem
- Nazi Persecution of Soviet Prisoners of War, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Holocaust in the Soviet Union, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
This online exhibition shares the stories of Chicago-area survivors and their families through testimonies, objects, and photographs of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union.
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Onset of Mass Murder-The Fate of Jewish Families in 1941, Yad Vashem
This exhibition tells the stories of Jewish families in the wake of "Operation Barbarossa", and their ultimate fate in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Eastern Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania and Yugoslavia. With the help of materials from the Yad Vashem Archives and Collections – personal letters, works of art, photographs, documents, testimonies, Pages of Testimony and more – we have the opportunity to learn the names and see the faces of a handful of the men, women and children behind the vast and unfathomable numbers of the murdered.
- Polish Jewish Refugees in Lithuania, 1939-40, USHMM
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POSTCARD: “Laughing at the Enemy,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Humor at the enemy's expense has always bolstered a soldier's morale. And that a soldier's fears seem always to lighten with laughter is affirmed by the sheer quantity - and variety - of postcards which ridicule and caricature the enemy. The scenes of recruiting muster painted on this card compare strong and healthy German inductees with less heroically proportioned recruits from England, Russia, France, and Japan. The artist has placed the Germans in the center of the card and has given them twice the space given to each of the enemy country's inductees. The stereotype of drunken Russians receives special caricature.
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POSTCARD: “Total War,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
First-prize winner in the Soldiers' Postcard Contest in 1941, this card anticipates a desperate "Total War." It reflects the effort of Goebbels' propaganda ministry to remind German soldiers on all fronts that no amount of suffering is too great for the Fatherland. Their sacrifice will enable the German people one day to grow strong again on soil once soaked with their blood: in the dawn of a new day a farmer tills the soil where, over a bunker which has entombed its occupants, life will grow again. The inscription, from Holderlin, reads "Live above, O Fatherland, and without counting the dead, because for love of you not one too many has fallen." Holderlin's romantic sentiment aside, too many Germans fell for the Fatherland, and too many soldiers from other lands fell alongside them. But Germany, divided and in ruin, has grown strong again, and the lands which its farmers till today have reunited.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Extract from a Report by Karl Jaeger, Yad Vashem
Karl Jaeger, Commander of Einsatzkommando 3, reports on the extermination of Lithuanian Jews, 1941.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Jaeger Report, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
he "Jaeger report" was written by an Einsatzgruppen commander in charge of liquidating Jews, communist leaders, partisans, and others in the Soviet Union.
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Vyacheslav Molotov, “The Nazi Invasion of Russia,” The History Place/Great Speeches Collection
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: My Chances of Promotion Would Be Spoiled, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The majority of those who murdered Jews were regular German policemen, such as those shown in the photograph. After the war, many claimed that they would have been shot if they had refused to take part. However, this was not true. As the following post-war testimony from Werner Schwenker, a low-ranking detective who took part in the shooting of Jews in Kołomyja in Poland, makes clear, other factors influenced their decision to become murderers.
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READING: “Proving Oneself” in the East, Facing History and Ourselves
Read a German woman's account of her decision to murder several Jews under Nazi orders while living in occupied Poland.
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READING: Europe in Germany’s Grasp, Facing History and Ourselves
Evaluate the state of World War II in 1941 using maps and historical context.
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READING: Mobile Killing Units, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the mass shootings and massacres of Jews by German forces at Babi Yar, Kiev, and other Baltic territories.
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READING: Reserve Police Battalion 101, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate perpetrator behavior with historian Christopher Browning’s study of the men of a police unit that killed Jews during World War II.
- READING: The Holocaust in Lithuania, Facing History and Ourselves
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READING: The Invasion of the Soviet Union, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the role the Soviet Union played in the Nazis’ plans for “space and race.”
- Riga, USHMM
- Some in Estonia Greeted Nazis in ’41 as Liberators, New York Times, 1987
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Operation Barbarossa, Yad Vashem
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: “Nina”, Berezino, Belarus (5:53), Yahad in Unum
2013 testimony of "Nina", born 1923 in Berezino, Belarus. Nina recounts how the Germans captured the city in July 1941, and how the Jews of Berezino were rounded up and placed in a ghetto on Internatsionlanaya Street. The ghetto was liquidated in late 1941 or early 1942, and more than 1,000 Jews were exterminated.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Podberesky, Vishineva, Belorus (2:43)
Title: Vishneva, Belarus Soviet Union Poland. Directed by his son, Jacob J. Podber's. Unlike most oral histories that focus on the words of the interviewee, Vishneva uses silent images from the interview superimposed with typed memories that describe the unspoken pain borne by father and son through more than half a century. Simple and poignant.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Frima L. (2:40), USHMM
Born 1936, Volochisk, Soviet Union, Frima describes the roundup of Jews for a mobile killing unit (Einsatzgruppen) massacre. [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Herman Wajcman (5:32), USHMM
Herman Wajcman was born in Kielce, Poland in 1925. He recalls mass shootings in Rovno, Ukraine.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Herman Wajcman Recalls Mass Shootings in Rovno (5:32), USHMM
Herman Wajcman was born in Kielce, Poland, in 1925. In this clip from his oral history recorded in 1991, he recalls a mass shooting of Jews that took place in Ukraine.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hermann Graebe Testimony at Nuremberg, October 5, 1942
During the Nazi occupation of the Ukraine, Hermann Graebe was a German construction boss who witnessed mass murders of Jews in open air trenches and described them at the International Military Tribunal (IMT) after the war. The atrocities Graebe witnessed were carried out throughout the Nazi occupied territories of the East after June 21, 1941. Graebe was the only German civilian willing to testify at the IMT.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Interview with Jack Kagan (54:56), Imperial War Museum, YouTube
Jack was born 1929, Novogrodek (Vilna), Lithuania, was in the Novogrodek Ghetto, joined the Jewish partisans led by Tuvia Bielski, was liberated by Russians, and lived in a DP camp in Poland 1945.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Massacre at Zagrodski by Rivka Yosselevska
On the evening of 14 August 1942, the SS surrounded the ghetto in the village of Zagrodski, near Pinsk, in Belarus, which was home to five hundred Jewish families. This is the account of the mass killing of Rivka Yosselevska's family and other Jews by members of the Einsatzgruppen:
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Nesse Godin (58:33), USHMM
Nesse Godin was born in Siauliai, Lithuania, on March 28, 1928. Nesse was a prisoner in the Siauliai, ghetto and survived four labor camps and a death march before the Soviets liberated her on March 10, 1945.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Nesse Godin-A Day in the Siauliai Ghetto (6:42), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: Nesse Godin discusses the day her father was rounded up and deported with a group of others in the Siauliai Ghetto, in Lithuania. Nesse never saw him again.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Shalom Shorenson (3:23), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the Murder of Jews in Ponar. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Surviving a Massacre (6:52), Facing History and Ourselves
In this graphic testimony, Holocaust survivor Zvi Michaeli describes realizing that he survived after the Jewish community of Eishyshok, Lithuania was murdered by the Nazis.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Witness to a Massacre (3:33), Facing History and Ourselves
Barbara Turkeltaub, a Jewish girl who was hidden by Catholic nuns during the war, describes witnessing a Nazi massacre.
- Teaching about the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiev, Yad Vashem
- The Einsatzgruppen, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
-
The Einsatzgruppen, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains many links to additional related topics.
- The Einsatzgruppen, The Holocaust Explained
- The Einsatzgruppen: Massacres at the Ninth Fort (Kovno), Jewish Virtual Library
- The German Army & the Racial Nature of the War Against the Soviet Union, USHMM
- The Soviet Union and the Eastern Front, USHMM
- The Soviet-German War 1941-1945, BBC
- The Treatment of Soviet POWs-Starvation, Disease, and Shootings, June 1941-January 1942, USHMM
-
The Words of a Young Jewish Poet Profoke Soul-Searching in Lithuania, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Lithuania’s role in the Holocaust was a long time in coming, not least because of the Soviet occupation, which made the self-examination undertaken elsewhere in Europe—the scholarship, the government-appointed commissions, the museums and memorials—more difficult. Even after independence, local historians acknowledged the atrocities but placed the blame mainly on the Nazi occupiers. Lithuanian collaborators were written off as drunks and criminals. The truth of these Lithuanian misdeeds is documented in this diary by Matilda Olkin, a 19-year-old Jewish Lithuanian who was killed, along with her family, by local Lithuanians collaborating with the Nazis in 1941. It includes several of Matilda's poems.
-
VIDEO: Designing Destruction: The Holocaust in the German-Occupied Former Soviet Territory (12:08), Facing History and Ourselves
Joshua Rubenstein, associate at Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, describes the gradual evolution of Hitler’s master plan for the “Jews of Europe” and how this unfolded within German-occupied Soviet territory.
-
VIDEO: Einsatzgruppen-Liepaja, Latvia (1:43), USHMM
Historical footage. Silent.
-
VIDEO: Hidden Holocaust (13:28), 60 Minutes Segment
The work of Father Desbois and Yahad-In Unum, as featured on "60 Minutes."
-
VIDEO: Holocaust in Plunge (6:05), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews examines the effects of the brutal occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany in 1941 through the lens of a survivor and the last Jew in the town of Plunge, Jakovas Bunka. Bunka was conscripted into the Russian Red Army, but when he returned to Plunge after the war, his family was among the 96% of the town’s population massacred by the Nazis. Today, he carves wood figurines depicting shtetl residents as a memorial to the Holocaust.
- VIDEO: Lithuanian Collaboration During the Holocaust (5:39), Deutsche Welle
-
VIDEO: Ranana Malkhanova-A World Destroyed, A World Remembered (16:40), Centropa
s is the story of one Lithuanian Jewish family, and all the things history threw at them. Subtitles.
-
VIDEO: Secrets of a Nazi Mascot”(11:05) , CBS 60 Minutes/YouTube
In 1941, Alex Kurzem fled alone into the forest, leaving his murdered family behind. As Bob Simon reports, Kurzem was later captured by SS soldiers and, unaware of his Jewish heritage, made him their mascot.
-
VIDEO: Shoah by Bullets, Mass Shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941-44 (18:28), YouTube
Father Patrick Desbois gives the video tour of the exhibition "Shoah by Bullets: Mass shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941--1944" in Kiev, Ukraine
-
VIDEO: The Holocaust (6:56), Scholar Reflections/Facing History and Ourselves
Dr. Paul Bookbinder, University of Massachusetts, gives a short overview of the Holocaust.
- VIDEO: The Holocaust in Lithuania, Dr. Christoph Dieckmann (16:15), Yad Vashem
-
VIDEO: The Nazis in Vilna (5:06), Facing History and Ourselves
In his testimony for USC Shoah Foundation, Holocaust survivor Jack Arnel describes what he saw as a 12-year-old when the Nazis occupied Vilna, Lithuania in 1941.
- VIDEO: The Survivor of Babi Yar Massacre (7:54) Yad Vashem/YouTube
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VIDEO: Ukrainian artist interprets Germany’s Invasion and Occupation of Ukraine (8:33), Huffington Post
Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won the 2009 Ukrainian version of “America’s Got Talent.” She used a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and “sand painting” skills to interpret Germany’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII. Your students will be fascinated.
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (5/7): Operation Barbarossa (1:23), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
-
VIDEO: When There Are No Bystanders (20:50), Facing History and Ourselves
Omer Bartov discusses how the Holocaust unfolded in the Eastern European town Buczacz (Ukraine).
- Estonia
- Estonia, USHMM
- MAP: Major Ghettos in the Baltic States, USHMM
- Murder of the Jews of the Baltic States, Yad Vashem
- Some in Estonia Greeted Nazis in ’41 as Liberators, New York Times, 1987
- Latvia
-
Holocaust Memorial Places in Latvia, Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Latvia
This site contains map of the Jewish killing sites and information on each site – a brief history, location, characteristics, and a reference to the related names of Jews.
- Latvia, USHMM
- MAP: Major Ghettos in the Baltic States, USHMM
- Mass Murder of Jews in Latvia, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
- Murder of the Jews of the Baltic States, Yad Vashem
- Riga, USHMM
-
VIDEO: Einsatzgruppen-Liepaja, Latvia (1:43), USHMM
Historical footage. Silent.
- Lithuania
-
[Chiune Sugihara & Jan Zwartendijk] EXHIBIT: Flight and Rescue, USHMM
Just months before the mass killings of the Holocaust began, some 2,100 Jewish refugees fled war-torn Europe. With the help of Jan Zwartendijk, a Dutch businessman, and Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, the refugees escaped and ultimately found safety in an unlikely destination.
-
[Chiune Sugihara] Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara, NPO Chiune Sugihara. Visas for Life
The remarkable story of Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara and the rescue of thousands of Jews.
- Holocaust in Lithuania, Vil News
- Kovno, USHMM
- Lithuania, USHMM
- MAP: Major Ghettos in the Baltic States, USHMM
- Murder of the Jews of the Baltic States, Yad Vashem
- Polish Jewish Refugees in Lithuania, 1939-40, USHMM
- READING: The Holocaust in Lithuania, Facing History and Ourselves
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Interview with Jack Kagan (54:56), Imperial War Museum, YouTube
Jack was born 1929, Novogrodek (Vilna), Lithuania, was in the Novogrodek Ghetto, joined the Jewish partisans led by Tuvia Bielski, was liberated by Russians, and lived in a DP camp in Poland 1945.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Nesse Godin (58:33), USHMM
Nesse Godin was born in Siauliai, Lithuania, on March 28, 1928. Nesse was a prisoner in the Siauliai, ghetto and survived four labor camps and a death march before the Soviets liberated her on March 10, 1945.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Nesse Godin-A Day in the Siauliai Ghetto (6:42), USHMM
AUDIO ONLY: Nesse Godin discusses the day her father was rounded up and deported with a group of others in the Siauliai Ghetto, in Lithuania. Nesse never saw him again.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Shalom Shorenson (3:23), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the Murder of Jews in Ponar. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Surviving a Massacre (6:52), Facing History and Ourselves
In this graphic testimony, Holocaust survivor Zvi Michaeli describes realizing that he survived after the Jewish community of Eishyshok, Lithuania was murdered by the Nazis.
- The Einsatzgruppen: Massacres at the Ninth Fort (Kovno), Jewish Virtual Library
-
The Words of a Young Jewish Poet Profoke Soul-Searching in Lithuania, Smithsonian Magazine/The Unforgotten: New Voices of the Holocaust, November 2018
Lithuania’s role in the Holocaust was a long time in coming, not least because of the Soviet occupation, which made the self-examination undertaken elsewhere in Europe—the scholarship, the government-appointed commissions, the museums and memorials—more difficult. Even after independence, local historians acknowledged the atrocities but placed the blame mainly on the Nazi occupiers. Lithuanian collaborators were written off as drunks and criminals. The truth of these Lithuanian misdeeds is documented in this diary by Matilda Olkin, a 19-year-old Jewish Lithuanian who was killed, along with her family, by local Lithuanians collaborating with the Nazis in 1941. It includes several of Matilda's poems.
-
VIDEO: Holocaust in Plunge (6:05), PBS
This video from the PBS series The Story of the Jews examines the effects of the brutal occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany in 1941 through the lens of a survivor and the last Jew in the town of Plunge, Jakovas Bunka. Bunka was conscripted into the Russian Red Army, but when he returned to Plunge after the war, his family was among the 96% of the town’s population massacred by the Nazis. Today, he carves wood figurines depicting shtetl residents as a memorial to the Holocaust.
- VIDEO: Lithuanian Collaboration During the Holocaust (5:39), Deutsche Welle
-
VIDEO: Ranana Malkhanova-A World Destroyed, A World Remembered (16:40), Centropa
s is the story of one Lithuanian Jewish family, and all the things history threw at them. Subtitles.
- VIDEO: The Holocaust in Lithuania, Dr. Christoph Dieckmann (16:15), Yad Vashem
-
VIDEO: The Nazis in Vilna (5:06), Facing History and Ourselves
In his testimony for USC Shoah Foundation, Holocaust survivor Jack Arnel describes what he saw as a 12-year-old when the Nazis occupied Vilna, Lithuania in 1941.
- Soviet Union
- Forced Labor-Soviet POW’s January 1942-May 1945, USHMM
- Invasion of the Soviet Union, June 1941, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Soviet Union, Jewish Virtual Library
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Jews in the Red Army, 1941-1945, Yad Vashem
From 1941 to 1945 between 350,000 and 500,000 Jews served in various roles in the Red Army during the Soviet-German war of 1941-1945. During the first months of the war a large number of Jews, especially members of the intelligentsia and students, served in the Narodnoe opolchenie (National Guard or militia), the irregular military units whose task was to slow and, hopefully, halt the Wehrmacht assaults on major Soviet cities. The majority of those in the Narodnoe opolchenie, who were poorly trained and poorly armed, were killed in the first months of the war. In the Red Army itself the estimates of the number of Jews killed during the war range from 120,000 to 142,000.
- Nazi Persecution of Soviet Prisoners of War, USHMM
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Holocaust in the Soviet Union, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
This online exhibition shares the stories of Chicago-area survivors and their families through testimonies, objects, and photographs of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union.
-
POSTCARD: “Laughing at the Enemy,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Humor at the enemy's expense has always bolstered a soldier's morale. And that a soldier's fears seem always to lighten with laughter is affirmed by the sheer quantity - and variety - of postcards which ridicule and caricature the enemy. The scenes of recruiting muster painted on this card compare strong and healthy German inductees with less heroically proportioned recruits from England, Russia, France, and Japan. The artist has placed the Germans in the center of the card and has given them twice the space given to each of the enemy country's inductees. The stereotype of drunken Russians receives special caricature.
- PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Vyacheslav Molotov, “The Nazi Invasion of Russia,” The History Place/Great Speeches Collection
-
READING: Europe in Germany’s Grasp, Facing History and Ourselves
Evaluate the state of World War II in 1941 using maps and historical context.
-
READING: The Invasion of the Soviet Union, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the role the Soviet Union played in the Nazis’ plans for “space and race.”
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Abraham Podberesky, Vishineva, Belorus (2:43)
Title: Vishneva, Belarus Soviet Union Poland. Directed by his son, Jacob J. Podber's. Unlike most oral histories that focus on the words of the interviewee, Vishneva uses silent images from the interview superimposed with typed memories that describe the unspoken pain borne by father and son through more than half a century. Simple and poignant.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Frima L. (2:40), USHMM
Born 1936, Volochisk, Soviet Union, Frima describes the roundup of Jews for a mobile killing unit (Einsatzgruppen) massacre. [Interview: 1990].
- The German Army & the Racial Nature of the War Against the Soviet Union, USHMM
- The Soviet Union and the Eastern Front, USHMM
- The Treatment of Soviet POWs-Starvation, Disease, and Shootings, June 1941-January 1942, USHMM
-
VIDEO: Designing Destruction: The Holocaust in the German-Occupied Former Soviet Territory (12:08), Facing History and Ourselves
Joshua Rubenstein, associate at Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, describes the gradual evolution of Hitler’s master plan for the “Jews of Europe” and how this unfolded within German-occupied Soviet territory.
-
VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (5/7): Operation Barbarossa (1:23), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- The Einsatzgruppen
-
ANIMATED MAP: Einsatzgruppen (6:37), USHMM
During the Holocaust, members of mobile killing units known as “Einsatzgruppen” (literally “operational groups”) murdered well over one million civilians, primarily in mass shootings in the Soviet Union.
- Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Killing Units), USHMM
- Einsatzgruppen and other SS and Police Units in the Soviet Union, USHMM
- EXHIBIT: The Untold Stories: The Murder Sites of the Jews in the Occupied Territories of the Former USSR, Yad Vashem
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FILM: Nazi Death Squads | Mass Graves, Netflix
The armies of the Third Reich invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941. Mobile commandos, the Einsatzgruppen, were following their advance to Stalingrad with the mission of eliminating all Jews on the conquered territories.
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INTERACTIVE MAP: Yahad – In Unum, Map of the Holocaust in Bullets
Founded in 2004, Yahad-In Unum has worked to seek out and document the mass killings by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen (mobile killing squads) between 1941 and 1945. During this time period, thousands of mass executions occurred in seven Soviet republics (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia). This website, with its interactive MAP, provide us a tool to learn about these stories through the testimonies of survivors, perpetrators, bystanders, and collaborators.
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LESSON: Mass Shootings and Camps, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a factsheet that will help you to understand how the Holocaust was carried out in various places. By the end of this activity you will have gained awareness over how the choices of individuals, organisations and governments can lead to horrendous consequences. You will also have reflected on the relevance of historical events and places related to the Holocaust.
- MAP: The Routes of the Einsatzgruppen Killings, Yad Vashem
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ONLINE EXHIBIT: The Onset of Mass Murder-The Fate of Jewish Families in 1941, Yad Vashem
This exhibition tells the stories of Jewish families in the wake of "Operation Barbarossa", and their ultimate fate in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Eastern Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania and Yugoslavia. With the help of materials from the Yad Vashem Archives and Collections – personal letters, works of art, photographs, documents, testimonies, Pages of Testimony and more – we have the opportunity to learn the names and see the faces of a handful of the men, women and children behind the vast and unfathomable numbers of the murdered.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Extract from a Report by Karl Jaeger, Yad Vashem
Karl Jaeger, Commander of Einsatzkommando 3, reports on the extermination of Lithuanian Jews, 1941.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Jaeger Report, A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust
he "Jaeger report" was written by an Einsatzgruppen commander in charge of liquidating Jews, communist leaders, partisans, and others in the Soviet Union.
-
PRIMARY RESOURCE: My Chances of Promotion Would Be Spoiled, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
The majority of those who murdered Jews were regular German policemen, such as those shown in the photograph. After the war, many claimed that they would have been shot if they had refused to take part. However, this was not true. As the following post-war testimony from Werner Schwenker, a low-ranking detective who took part in the shooting of Jews in Kołomyja in Poland, makes clear, other factors influenced their decision to become murderers.
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READING: Reserve Police Battalion 101, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate perpetrator behavior with historian Christopher Browning’s study of the men of a police unit that killed Jews during World War II.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Operation Barbarossa, Yad Vashem
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: “Nina”, Berezino, Belarus (5:53), Yahad in Unum
2013 testimony of "Nina", born 1923 in Berezino, Belarus. Nina recounts how the Germans captured the city in July 1941, and how the Jews of Berezino were rounded up and placed in a ghetto on Internatsionlanaya Street. The ghetto was liquidated in late 1941 or early 1942, and more than 1,000 Jews were exterminated.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Frima L. (2:40), USHMM
Born 1936, Volochisk, Soviet Union, Frima describes the roundup of Jews for a mobile killing unit (Einsatzgruppen) massacre. [Interview: 1990].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hermann Graebe Testimony at Nuremberg, October 5, 1942
During the Nazi occupation of the Ukraine, Hermann Graebe was a German construction boss who witnessed mass murders of Jews in open air trenches and described them at the International Military Tribunal (IMT) after the war. The atrocities Graebe witnessed were carried out throughout the Nazi occupied territories of the East after June 21, 1941. Graebe was the only German civilian willing to testify at the IMT.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Massacre at Zagrodski by Rivka Yosselevska
On the evening of 14 August 1942, the SS surrounded the ghetto in the village of Zagrodski, near Pinsk, in Belarus, which was home to five hundred Jewish families. This is the account of the mass killing of Rivka Yosselevska's family and other Jews by members of the Einsatzgruppen:
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Witness to a Massacre (3:33), Facing History and Ourselves
Barbara Turkeltaub, a Jewish girl who was hidden by Catholic nuns during the war, describes witnessing a Nazi massacre.
- The Einsatzgruppen, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
-
The Einsatzgruppen, Jewish Virtual Library
Contains many links to additional related topics.
- The Einsatzgruppen, The Holocaust Explained
-
VIDEO: Einsatzgruppen-Liepaja, Latvia (1:43), USHMM
Historical footage. Silent.
-
VIDEO: Hidden Holocaust (13:28), 60 Minutes Segment
The work of Father Desbois and Yahad-In Unum, as featured on "60 Minutes."
-
VIDEO: Secrets of a Nazi Mascot”(11:05) , CBS 60 Minutes/YouTube
In 1941, Alex Kurzem fled alone into the forest, leaving his murdered family behind. As Bob Simon reports, Kurzem was later captured by SS soldiers and, unaware of his Jewish heritage, made him their mascot.
-
VIDEO: Shoah by Bullets, Mass Shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941-44 (18:28), YouTube
Father Patrick Desbois gives the video tour of the exhibition "Shoah by Bullets: Mass shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941--1944" in Kiev, Ukraine
- Ukraine
-
Babi Yar: Teaching about the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiev, Yad Vashem
This Learning Environment is dedicated to the history and tragedy of Babi Yar – a ravine that became the site of mass murders of the Jews of Kiev and other groups during the period of German occupation, from September 1941 to November 1943.
-
Berdichev: On of the Untold Stories… , Yad Vashem
This educational environment will focus on the specific story of the city of Berdichev Ukraine. Through the example of one city and one community, the key stages of the development of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” in the former Soviet Union will be examined.
- EXHIBIT: The Holocaust in Ukraine, USHMM
- Kiev and Babi Yar, USHMM
-
Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Mariiampil, Ukraine), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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Last Letters From the Holocaust: 1941 (Satanov, Ukraine), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
-
READING: “Proving Oneself” in the East, Facing History and Ourselves
Read a German woman's account of her decision to murder several Jews under Nazi orders while living in occupied Poland.
-
READING: Mobile Killing Units, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the mass shootings and massacres of Jews by German forces at Babi Yar, Kiev, and other Baltic territories.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Herman Wajcman (5:32), USHMM
Herman Wajcman was born in Kielce, Poland in 1925. He recalls mass shootings in Rovno, Ukraine.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Herman Wajcman Recalls Mass Shootings in Rovno (5:32), USHMM
Herman Wajcman was born in Kielce, Poland, in 1925. In this clip from his oral history recorded in 1991, he recalls a mass shooting of Jews that took place in Ukraine.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hermann Graebe Testimony at Nuremberg, October 5, 1942
During the Nazi occupation of the Ukraine, Hermann Graebe was a German construction boss who witnessed mass murders of Jews in open air trenches and described them at the International Military Tribunal (IMT) after the war. The atrocities Graebe witnessed were carried out throughout the Nazi occupied territories of the East after June 21, 1941. Graebe was the only German civilian willing to testify at the IMT.
- Teaching about the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiev, Yad Vashem
-
VIDEO: Shoah by Bullets, Mass Shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941-44 (18:28), YouTube
Father Patrick Desbois gives the video tour of the exhibition "Shoah by Bullets: Mass shootings of Jews in Ukraine 1941--1944" in Kiev, Ukraine
- VIDEO: The Survivor of Babi Yar Massacre (7:54) Yad Vashem/YouTube
-
VIDEO: Ukrainian artist interprets Germany’s Invasion and Occupation of Ukraine (8:33), Huffington Post
Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won the 2009 Ukrainian version of “America’s Got Talent.” She used a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and “sand painting” skills to interpret Germany’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII. Your students will be fascinated.
-
VIDEO: When There Are No Bystanders (20:50), Facing History and Ourselves
Omer Bartov discusses how the Holocaust unfolded in the Eastern European town Buczacz (Ukraine).
- The War in the South
- [Besa] A Code of Honor, Muslim Albanians who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
- [Raoul Wallenberg] Raoul Wallenberg-Hungary, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
- [Raoul Wallenberg] VIDEO: 100,000 Souls-The Legacy of Raoul Wallenberg (4:10), YouTube
- Animated Map of the War in the Mediterranean & North Africa, 1940-45, The National Archives Learning Curve/UK
- ANIMATED MAP: The Italian Campaign, BBC
- Axis Invasion of Yugoslavia, USHMM
- Bulgaria, USHMM
-
CURRICULUM: Italians and the Holocaust, NJ Commission on the Holocaust
Curriculum created jointly by the NJ Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education.
- Greece, USHMM
-
Holocaust in Yugoslavia, Jewish Community Zemun
60-page pdf.
- Hungary after the German Occupation, USHMM
- Hungary before the German Occupation, USHMM
-
Italy, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
German policies varied from country to country, including direct, brutal occupation and reliance upon collaborating regimes. Italy was a long-time ally of Nazi Germany. In 1938, the Italian government under Benito Mussolini began to legislate and enforce antisemitic regulations. By 1943, German troops occupied central and northern Italy and German authorities rounded up Jews in major cities in northern Italy.
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Greece, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Hungary, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Italy, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Romania, Jewish Virtual Library
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Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Belgrade), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
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LESSON: Narrative Links, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Gyula Frenkel was imprisoned in the Vapniarca concentration camp in Transnistria from 1942 until 1943. Whilst in the camp he made a belt from copper and aluminium. Each link depicts the conditions of the camp and tells of his experiences and those of other prisoners. In this lesson, as students encounter the object, they examine each link, make meaning, and construct a narrative. As they consider an explanation of the links and discover how Frenkel sequenced these, students attempt to synthesise these different narratives and thus reflect on the nature of recounting the past. Includes Lesson Plan and PowerPoint.
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LESSON: The Iasi Pogrom, Yad Vashem
Students will learn about the Holocaust in Romania, the relations between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors in Iasi before the war, how to grapple with questions concerning the responsibility of Romanian authorities in this brutal murder of its citizens, and ultimately, to understand how individuals have the power to make choices.
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Moshe Matarosso Collection, USHMM
Matarossa was a Holocaust survivor, born in Thessaloniki, Greece 1927. In 1941 the Germans invaded Greece. In February 1943, the deportations began, and Moshe was taken to Auschwitz.
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: Romania, The Holocaust Explained
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POEM: “The Dice Rolled” by Hannah Szenes, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
For Jews living beyond Nazi-occupied Europe, the Holocaust often created a sense of impotence, especially as they generally did not wish to criticize the Allied governments who represented the only hope of ending the Holocaust by defeating Germany. However, some took action by enlisting in the armed forces. Hannah Szenes was a Hungarian-born paratrooper from British Mandate Palestine who was dropped into Yugoslavia in an attempt to help the Jews of Hungary. However, she was arrested when she tried to enter Hungary. Hannah was a talented poet; this verse was later found in her prison cell.
- Romania, USHMM
- Sephardic Jews During the Holocaust, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Agate (Agi) Rubin (2:32), USHMM
Born1930, Czechoslovakia. Describes events following the German occupation of Hungary [Interview: 1992].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Barbara Marton Farkas (2:45), USHMM
Born: 1920, in Beliu, Romania. Describes deportation from Hungary to Auschwitz [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Emanuel (Manny) Mandel-Wearing the Yellow Star as a Child in Hungary (6:39), USHMM
Manny Mandel discusses wearing a yellow star as a young boy in Budapest. Hungary fell increasingly under the influence of Germany in the 1930s and joined the Axis alliance in 1940. During this time, Jews in Hungary were increasingly subjected to discriminatory anti-Jewish laws modeled on those in Germany.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ernest Galpert – Growing Up Religious (4:54), Centropa
Ernest Galpert grew up in Mukacevo (or Munkacs, in Hungarian), a city with one of the most colorful Jewish histories in Central Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ester Gebelman (3:49), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the killing site of Bogdanovka in Romania. Hebrew with subtitles.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Flory (Floritz) Jagoda (2:07), USHMM
Describes anti-Jewish measures following the occupation of Zagreb.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: George Pick-Antisemitism in Hungary (6:27), USHMM
George Pick discusses experiencing antisemitism as a young boy in Hungary in the early 1940s. Hungary fell increasingly under the influence of Germany in the 1930s and joined the Axis alliance in 1940. During this time Jews in Hungary were increasingly subjected to discriminatory anti-Jewish laws modeled on those in Germany.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Haim Solomon-Hiding During the Pogrom in Iasi (12:33), USHMM
Haim Solomon discusses hiding during the pogrom that Romanian authorities staged against the Jewish population in Iasi, Romania, within days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Haim and his family hid in various different locations across the city. At least 4,000 Jews were murdered in Iasi during the pogrom.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Juci Scheiner-Love on a Motorcycle (4:22), Centropa
A postwar story of love, dignity and hope, set in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (1:47), USHMM
Born 1930, Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia. Describes ghettoization in Hungary [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (2:31), USHMM
Madeline Deutsch, born 1930 in Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia, describes expropriation of property following the German occupation of Hungary.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (2:31), USHMM
Born 1930, Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia. Describes expropriation of property following the German occupation of Hungary [Interview: 1990].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Mariann Szamosi-The Women Who Taught Me Everything (4:49), Centropa
The story of an assimilated, well-to-do Jewish family living in Nagykoros. When Mariann's father lost his business, the family moved to Budapest and Mariann watched as her mother and grandmother took charge of running things. They were sent to the women's concentration camp of Ravensbrück in northern Germany; only Mariann returned alive.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Matilda Albuhaire-A Sephardic Family Story (11:33), Centropa
After the death of his wife, Matilda Albuhaire's grandfather traveled with his young son to the Black Sea port of Bourgas, where he opened a small shop in a town filled with Greeks, Turks, Jews, Muslims and Bulgarian Christians. Matilda became a teacher in the Bourgas and Sofia Jewish schools, and when war came, waited with the other Bulgarian Jews for their deportation "to Poland," not knowing what awaited them there. But Bulgaria's Jews were not deported... Accompanying study guide provides articles and essays describing this remarkable incident.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Steinmetz, Birmingham, APT
Birmingham Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz tells his story via an interview with a high school student. Part I: 11:04 Part II: 10:01 Part III: 9:52
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Norbert J. Yasharoff (2:13), USHMM
Born 1930, Sofia, Bulgaria. Describes the change in living conditions for Jews in Bulgaria [Interview: 1989].
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Panni Koltai-3 Generations, 6 Weddings (3:46), Centropa
Panni Koltai was born in 1915 as the fourth girl in the Family of Ferenc Fridemann, a gentleman's tailor in the small town of Eger in Northern Hungary.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Piroska Hamos-Life on the Danube (5:30), Centropa
Piroska Hamos tells a story of her boating club in pre-war Hungary, of summers along the Danube, and raising her family. Then war came.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rina Sha’ashua Hason (2:12), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the Rescue of Bulgarian Jewry.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Steven Fenves-Neighbors in Subotica (6:39), USHMM
First Person Podcast Series: Steven Fenves discusses being forced into a ghetto immediately following the German occupation of his hometown of Subotica, Yugoslavia, in March 1944. As his family was forced out of their home, they encountered a range of responses from their non-Jewish neighbors.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Story of Ovadia Baruch – Using Testimony in the Classroom, Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
The story of Ovadia Baruch, who was taken from Salonika, Greece to Auschwitz as told in 6 video chapters: Introduction (2:27), Jewish Life in Salonika (1:42), Deportation of Greek Jewry to Auschwitz (:58), The Dehumanization Process in Auschwitz (1:45), Daily Life in the Camps (3:51), and Survival and the Return to Life (2:28).
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tibor Rubin Medal of Honor Korean War (12:25), YouTube
Tibor Rubin was a Holocaust survivor and an American soldier awarded with the highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his service in the Korean War. Rubin, known as "Tibi" or "Ted," was born in a Hungarian shtetl called Paszto. At age 13, his family was rounded up by the Nazis, and he was sent to the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Rubin survived, but his parents and his two sisters perished in the camp. When Mauthausen was liberated by Allied troops, Rubin, then 15, swore that he would repay his liberators by going to the United States and fighting against the Germans.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yaacov Handali (2:50), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes deportation from Greece to the concentration camps.
- The Banality of History and Memory: Romanian Society and the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Destruction of the Jews of Romania, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
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The Holocaust in Greece, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
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The Holocaust in Greece, USHMM
Includes link to 24-page downloadable piece on the Holocaust in Greece.
- The Holocaust in Hungary, USHMM
-
The Holocaust in Ioannina, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
- The Holocaust in Romania: Uncovering a Dark Chapter, Iulia Padeanu, Boston College
-
The Hotel Meina, Animation of the Story from the New York Times
The story of 16 Italian Jews who took refuge from the Nazis in a hotel, owned by Jews, in the Italian town of Meina. The local Fascists informed the Germans of the presence of Jews in the hotel, and they imprisoned them all in one room on the top floor. The Jews were executed in September 1943, and their bodies thrown into the lake.
-
The Hotel Meina, New York Times
For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the story of Lotte and Mario, and what happened to the guests of an Italian hotel when the Nazis came to stay.
- The Jews of Greece, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
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The Jews of Ioannina, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
- The Shoah in Italy, Primo Levi Center-New York
- Traces of History: The Jewish Community in Salonika, Greece, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: “My Little Diary…” (16:57) Asociatia Tikvah
The diary of Eva Heyman, born in Oradea, Romania (Transylvania) in 1931 to Jewish parents. Eva's diary was started in February 1944, shortly before the German forces entered, and just as the restriction on Jews became even more severe. Eva was living with her grandparents, as her mother, Agnes (Agi), had divorced and remarried. Agi's second husband was the Jewish writer and publicist, Bela Zsolt. The diary covers the period when Eva was taken to the ghetto in Oradea and ends shortly before Eva is deported to Auschwitz. For full diary entries see: https://www.tikvah.ro/en/eva-heyman/evas-diary.html
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VIDEO: A Story of Thessaloniki-The Jews and the Holocaust (41:01), Livemedia
Subtitles.
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VIDEO: Conscripted Slaves-Hungarian Jewish Forced Labourers on the Eastern Front (1:05:11), Yad Vashem
Anti-Jewish legislation was passed in Hungary beginning in March 1938, and in the spring of 1942, the Hungarian antisemitic regime began to draft large numbers of Jewish-Hungarian men into forced labor companies – two years before Nazi Germany dispatched troops to Hungary. Over a two-year period, some 45,000 Jewish men were forced to accompany Hungarian troops to the battle zone of the former Soviet Union. The Hungarian authorities considered these men unworthy of bearing arms, yet demanded they take part in the war against Stalin and his forces. Practically no Jewish-Hungarian family was untouched; many husbands, fathers and brothers never returned, dying from battle, starvation, disease, grueling labor and outright murder.
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VIDEO: Deportation of Jews from Balti, Bessarabia (:43), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent. The Romanian government was allied with Nazi Germany, but it generally did not deport Romanian Jews to German-occupied territory. Instead, Romania systematically concentrated and deported the Jews of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to Romanian-occupied areas of the Ukraine.
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VIDEO: Deportation of Jews from Bulgarian-Occupied Macedonia (2:12), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent.
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VIDEO: Introduction on Hungarian Jewish History (7:06), Centropa
A short film on Hungary and its Jews in the 20th century.
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VIDEO: Rounding Up Rome’s Ancient Jewish Community in 1943 (1:26:22), Yad Vashem
Rome is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Diaspora. But on October 16, 1943, the fate of Roman Jewry hung in the balance as many Jews were rounded up from their homes and forced to go into hiding in order to save their lives. This panel discussion focuses on this turning point in the history of the Jewish community of Rome and how this significant event continues to be commemorated today.
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VIDEO: Salonika, A City with Amnesia (12:52), Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung
On December 6th 1942, German occupation forces and Greek collaborators confiscated the Jewish cemetery of Saloniki, which was the largest in Europe with approximately 500,000 graves. Immediately, the tombstones were used to build a swimming pool for German soldiers. The majority of the stones, however, were handed over to the general population. Today, one still finds pieces of gravestones in city walls, stairs and particularly on the campus of the Aristotle university, which is built on the cemetery. These gravestones are silent witnesses of a forgotten past in a city that suffers from some kind of amnesia.
- VIDEO: The History of Bulgarian Jewry During the Holocaust (11:01), Centropa
- Where Religious Prejudice and Hate did not Exist: The Jews in Albania, Yad Vashem
- Yugoslavia, USHMM
- Yugoslavia, Yad Vashem
- Albania
- [Besa] A Code of Honor, Muslim Albanians who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
- Where Religious Prejudice and Hate did not Exist: The Jews in Albania, Yad Vashem
- Bulgaria
- Bulgaria, USHMM
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Matilda Albuhaire-A Sephardic Family Story (11:33), Centropa
After the death of his wife, Matilda Albuhaire's grandfather traveled with his young son to the Black Sea port of Bourgas, where he opened a small shop in a town filled with Greeks, Turks, Jews, Muslims and Bulgarian Christians. Matilda became a teacher in the Bourgas and Sofia Jewish schools, and when war came, waited with the other Bulgarian Jews for their deportation "to Poland," not knowing what awaited them there. But Bulgaria's Jews were not deported... Accompanying study guide provides articles and essays describing this remarkable incident.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Norbert J. Yasharoff (2:13), USHMM
Born 1930, Sofia, Bulgaria. Describes the change in living conditions for Jews in Bulgaria [Interview: 1989].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Rina Sha’ashua Hason (2:12), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the Rescue of Bulgarian Jewry.
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VIDEO: Deportation of Jews from Bulgarian-Occupied Macedonia (2:12), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent.
- VIDEO: The History of Bulgarian Jewry During the Holocaust (11:01), Centropa
- Greece
- Greece, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Greece, Jewish Virtual Library
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Moshe Matarosso Collection, USHMM
Matarossa was a Holocaust survivor, born in Thessaloniki, Greece 1927. In 1941 the Germans invaded Greece. In February 1943, the deportations began, and Moshe was taken to Auschwitz.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Story of Ovadia Baruch – Using Testimony in the Classroom, Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
The story of Ovadia Baruch, who was taken from Salonika, Greece to Auschwitz as told in 6 video chapters: Introduction (2:27), Jewish Life in Salonika (1:42), Deportation of Greek Jewry to Auschwitz (:58), The Dehumanization Process in Auschwitz (1:45), Daily Life in the Camps (3:51), and Survival and the Return to Life (2:28).
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Yaacov Handali (2:50), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes deportation from Greece to the concentration camps.
-
The Holocaust in Greece, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
-
The Holocaust in Greece, USHMM
Includes link to 24-page downloadable piece on the Holocaust in Greece.
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The Holocaust in Ioannina, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
- The Jews of Greece, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
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The Jews of Ioannina, Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum
Kehila Kedosha Janina (the Holy Community of Janina) is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Romaniote Jews are a unique community of Jewish people whose history in Greece dates back over two thousand three hundred years to the time of Alexander the Great. The Romaniotes are historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
- Traces of History: The Jewish Community in Salonika, Greece, Yad Vashem
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VIDEO: A Story of Thessaloniki-The Jews and the Holocaust (41:01), Livemedia
Subtitles.
-
VIDEO: Salonika, A City with Amnesia (12:52), Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung
On December 6th 1942, German occupation forces and Greek collaborators confiscated the Jewish cemetery of Saloniki, which was the largest in Europe with approximately 500,000 graves. Immediately, the tombstones were used to build a swimming pool for German soldiers. The majority of the stones, however, were handed over to the general population. Today, one still finds pieces of gravestones in city walls, stairs and particularly on the campus of the Aristotle university, which is built on the cemetery. These gravestones are silent witnesses of a forgotten past in a city that suffers from some kind of amnesia.
- Hungary
- [Raoul Wallenberg] Raoul Wallenberg-Hungary, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
- [Raoul Wallenberg] VIDEO: 100,000 Souls-The Legacy of Raoul Wallenberg (4:10), YouTube
- Hungary after the German Occupation, USHMM
- Hungary before the German Occupation, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Hungary, Jewish Virtual Library
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POEM: “The Dice Rolled” by Hannah Szenes, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
For Jews living beyond Nazi-occupied Europe, the Holocaust often created a sense of impotence, especially as they generally did not wish to criticize the Allied governments who represented the only hope of ending the Holocaust by defeating Germany. However, some took action by enlisting in the armed forces. Hannah Szenes was a Hungarian-born paratrooper from British Mandate Palestine who was dropped into Yugoslavia in an attempt to help the Jews of Hungary. However, she was arrested when she tried to enter Hungary. Hannah was a talented poet; this verse was later found in her prison cell.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Agate (Agi) Rubin (2:32), USHMM
Born1930, Czechoslovakia. Describes events following the German occupation of Hungary [Interview: 1992].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Barbara Marton Farkas (2:45), USHMM
Born: 1920, in Beliu, Romania. Describes deportation from Hungary to Auschwitz [Interview: 1990].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Emanuel (Manny) Mandel-Wearing the Yellow Star as a Child in Hungary (6:39), USHMM
Manny Mandel discusses wearing a yellow star as a young boy in Budapest. Hungary fell increasingly under the influence of Germany in the 1930s and joined the Axis alliance in 1940. During this time, Jews in Hungary were increasingly subjected to discriminatory anti-Jewish laws modeled on those in Germany.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ernest Galpert – Growing Up Religious (4:54), Centropa
Ernest Galpert grew up in Mukacevo (or Munkacs, in Hungarian), a city with one of the most colorful Jewish histories in Central Europe.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: George Pick-Antisemitism in Hungary (6:27), USHMM
George Pick discusses experiencing antisemitism as a young boy in Hungary in the early 1940s. Hungary fell increasingly under the influence of Germany in the 1930s and joined the Axis alliance in 1940. During this time Jews in Hungary were increasingly subjected to discriminatory anti-Jewish laws modeled on those in Germany.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (1:47), USHMM
Born 1930, Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia. Describes ghettoization in Hungary [Interview: 1990].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (2:31), USHMM
Born 1930, Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia. Describes expropriation of property following the German occupation of Hungary [Interview: 1990].
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Madeline Deutsch (2:31), USHMM
Madeline Deutsch, born 1930 in Berehovo (Beregszasz), Czechoslovakia, describes expropriation of property following the German occupation of Hungary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Mariann Szamosi-The Women Who Taught Me Everything (4:49), Centropa
The story of an assimilated, well-to-do Jewish family living in Nagykoros. When Mariann's father lost his business, the family moved to Budapest and Mariann watched as her mother and grandmother took charge of running things. They were sent to the women's concentration camp of Ravensbrück in northern Germany; only Mariann returned alive.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Panni Koltai-3 Generations, 6 Weddings (3:46), Centropa
Panni Koltai was born in 1915 as the fourth girl in the Family of Ferenc Fridemann, a gentleman's tailor in the small town of Eger in Northern Hungary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Piroska Hamos-Life on the Danube (5:30), Centropa
Piroska Hamos tells a story of her boating club in pre-war Hungary, of summers along the Danube, and raising her family. Then war came.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Tibor Rubin Medal of Honor Korean War (12:25), YouTube
Tibor Rubin was a Holocaust survivor and an American soldier awarded with the highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his service in the Korean War. Rubin, known as "Tibi" or "Ted," was born in a Hungarian shtetl called Paszto. At age 13, his family was rounded up by the Nazis, and he was sent to the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Rubin survived, but his parents and his two sisters perished in the camp. When Mauthausen was liberated by Allied troops, Rubin, then 15, swore that he would repay his liberators by going to the United States and fighting against the Germans.
- The Holocaust in Hungary, USHMM
-
VIDEO: Conscripted Slaves-Hungarian Jewish Forced Labourers on the Eastern Front (1:05:11), Yad Vashem
Anti-Jewish legislation was passed in Hungary beginning in March 1938, and in the spring of 1942, the Hungarian antisemitic regime began to draft large numbers of Jewish-Hungarian men into forced labor companies – two years before Nazi Germany dispatched troops to Hungary. Over a two-year period, some 45,000 Jewish men were forced to accompany Hungarian troops to the battle zone of the former Soviet Union. The Hungarian authorities considered these men unworthy of bearing arms, yet demanded they take part in the war against Stalin and his forces. Practically no Jewish-Hungarian family was untouched; many husbands, fathers and brothers never returned, dying from battle, starvation, disease, grueling labor and outright murder.
-
VIDEO: Introduction on Hungarian Jewish History (7:06), Centropa
A short film on Hungary and its Jews in the 20th century.
- Italy
- ANIMATED MAP: The Italian Campaign, BBC
-
CURRICULUM: Italians and the Holocaust, NJ Commission on the Holocaust
Curriculum created jointly by the NJ Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education.
-
Italy, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
German policies varied from country to country, including direct, brutal occupation and reliance upon collaborating regimes. Italy was a long-time ally of Nazi Germany. In 1938, the Italian government under Benito Mussolini began to legislate and enforce antisemitic regulations. By 1943, German troops occupied central and northern Italy and German authorities rounded up Jews in major cities in northern Italy.
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Italy, Jewish Virtual Library
-
The Hotel Meina, Animation of the Story from the New York Times
The story of 16 Italian Jews who took refuge from the Nazis in a hotel, owned by Jews, in the Italian town of Meina. The local Fascists informed the Germans of the presence of Jews in the hotel, and they imprisoned them all in one room on the top floor. The Jews were executed in September 1943, and their bodies thrown into the lake.
-
The Hotel Meina, New York Times
For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the story of Lotte and Mario, and what happened to the guests of an Italian hotel when the Nazis came to stay.
- The Shoah in Italy, Primo Levi Center-New York
-
VIDEO: Rounding Up Rome’s Ancient Jewish Community in 1943 (1:26:22), Yad Vashem
Rome is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Diaspora. But on October 16, 1943, the fate of Roman Jewry hung in the balance as many Jews were rounded up from their homes and forced to go into hiding in order to save their lives. This panel discussion focuses on this turning point in the history of the Jewish community of Rome and how this significant event continues to be commemorated today.
- Romania
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Romania, Jewish Virtual Library
-
LESSON: Narrative Links, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
Gyula Frenkel was imprisoned in the Vapniarca concentration camp in Transnistria from 1942 until 1943. Whilst in the camp he made a belt from copper and aluminium. Each link depicts the conditions of the camp and tells of his experiences and those of other prisoners. In this lesson, as students encounter the object, they examine each link, make meaning, and construct a narrative. As they consider an explanation of the links and discover how Frenkel sequenced these, students attempt to synthesise these different narratives and thus reflect on the nature of recounting the past. Includes Lesson Plan and PowerPoint.
-
LESSON: The Iasi Pogrom, Yad Vashem
Students will learn about the Holocaust in Romania, the relations between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors in Iasi before the war, how to grapple with questions concerning the responsibility of Romanian authorities in this brutal murder of its citizens, and ultimately, to understand how individuals have the power to make choices.
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: Romania, The Holocaust Explained
- Romania, USHMM
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Ester Gebelman (3:49), Yad Vashem/YouTube
Describes the killing site of Bogdanovka in Romania. Hebrew with subtitles.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Haim Solomon-Hiding During the Pogrom in Iasi (12:33), USHMM
Haim Solomon discusses hiding during the pogrom that Romanian authorities staged against the Jewish population in Iasi, Romania, within days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. Haim and his family hid in various different locations across the city. At least 4,000 Jews were murdered in Iasi during the pogrom.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Juci Scheiner-Love on a Motorcycle (4:22), Centropa
A postwar story of love, dignity and hope, set in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Steinmetz, Birmingham, APT
Birmingham Holocaust survivor Max Steinmetz tells his story via an interview with a high school student. Part I: 11:04 Part II: 10:01 Part III: 9:52
- The Banality of History and Memory: Romanian Society and the Holocaust, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Destruction of the Jews of Romania, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
- The Holocaust in Romania: Uncovering a Dark Chapter, Iulia Padeanu, Boston College
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VIDEO: “My Little Diary…” (16:57) Asociatia Tikvah
The diary of Eva Heyman, born in Oradea, Romania (Transylvania) in 1931 to Jewish parents. Eva's diary was started in February 1944, shortly before the German forces entered, and just as the restriction on Jews became even more severe. Eva was living with her grandparents, as her mother, Agnes (Agi), had divorced and remarried. Agi's second husband was the Jewish writer and publicist, Bela Zsolt. The diary covers the period when Eva was taken to the ghetto in Oradea and ends shortly before Eva is deported to Auschwitz. For full diary entries see: https://www.tikvah.ro/en/eva-heyman/evas-diary.html
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VIDEO: Deportation of Jews from Balti, Bessarabia (:43), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent. The Romanian government was allied with Nazi Germany, but it generally did not deport Romanian Jews to German-occupied territory. Instead, Romania systematically concentrated and deported the Jews of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to Romanian-occupied areas of the Ukraine.
- Yugoslavia
- Axis Invasion of Yugoslavia, USHMM
-
Holocaust in Yugoslavia, Jewish Community Zemun
60-page pdf.
-
Last Letters From The Holocaust: 1941 (Belgrade), Yad Vashem
There are thousands of personal letters in the Yad Vashem Archives, which were sent by Jews - adults and children - to their relatives from their homes, the ghettos, and the camps; while fleeing and while wandering from place to place. Some letters were sent to destinations outside Europe, and thus survived. Each reveals the inner world and fate of Jews in the Holocaust. For many recipients, these were the last greetings from home and family they had left behind. The writers of these letters were all murdered in the Holocaust.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Flory (Floritz) Jagoda (2:07), USHMM
Describes anti-Jewish measures following the occupation of Zagreb.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Steven Fenves-Neighbors in Subotica (6:39), USHMM
First Person Podcast Series: Steven Fenves discusses being forced into a ghetto immediately following the German occupation of his hometown of Subotica, Yugoslavia, in March 1944. As his family was forced out of their home, they encountered a range of responses from their non-Jewish neighbors.
- Yugoslavia, USHMM
- Yugoslavia, Yad Vashem
- The War in the West
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[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Aristides de Sousa Mendes-Portugal, Yad Vashem
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was Portugal’s consul-general in Bordeaux, France. When Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, the Government of Portugal prohibited further crossings by refugees, especially Jewish refugees. Sousa Mendes, a devout and good-hearted Christian, seeing the terrible plight of the refugees, decided to disobey his government’s explicit instruction.
- [Aristides de Sousa Mendes] The Insubordinate Portuguese Consul Who Saved Thousands of Lives, Invisible Bordeaux
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[Denmark] Commemorating the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Danish people, during three weeks, ferried their Jewish neighbors to safety in neutral Sweden. Almost the entire Jewish community of Denmark was saved. Learn about some of the men and women who risked their lives to save the Jews of Denmark.
-
[Denmark] EXHIBIT: Rescue of the Jews of Denmark, USHMM
The Danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 Jews to safety in nearby neutral Sweden. Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at war's end Denmark had one of the highest Jewish survival rates for any European country. Use the links on this page to learn more about the rescue of Danish Jewry and the special circumstances that made it possible.
-
[Denmark] LESSON: Rescue in October…the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righeous
The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is an inspiring story. When the Danes learned that a major aktion against their Jewish citizens was planned for the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ordinary citizens went into action. Strangers helped their fellow Jews – to cross dangerous waters in the dark of night to freedom in neutral Sweden. The lesson is designed to be covered in one or two classroom periods.
-
[Denmark] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Our Will to Help the Persecuted, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Perhaps the most spectacular example of the rescue of Jews occurred in Denmark in October 1943. When the country’s resistance movement learned that the Nazis intended to deport Danish Jews, it organised their passage to neutral Sweden in an improvised flotilla of fishing boats, rowing boats and even canoes. Aage Bertelsen was one of the organizers of the rescue effort.
-
[Denmark] The Rescue of Denmark’s Jews, Yad Vashem
Historical background.
-
[Denmark] VIDEO: The Rescue of Jews in Denmark During the Holocaust (3:37), Yad Vashem
From a film about the rescue of Jews from Denmark. The village of Snekkersten was one of the ports where the boats taking Danish Jews to safety in Sweden sailed from, and the Thomsen's family inn played a major role in the rescue operation.
-
[France] EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved.
- [Georg Duckwitz] READING: A Rescuer in Copenhagen, Facing History and Ourselves
- [Hiram Bingham] READING: A Rescuer in France, USHMM
- [Le Chambon] Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, Jewish Virtual Library
-
[Le Chambon] Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, USHMM
Includes photos, personal histories, artifacts, and maps.
-
[Le Chambon] READING: Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
-
[Le Chambon] VIDEO: Weapons of the Spirit (35:07), Facing History and Ourselves
Film by Pierre Sauvage that details the story of the people of Le Chambon, France, who saved 5,000 Jews during WWII.
- [Varian Fry] The Rescue of Marc Chagall, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- [Varian Fry] Varian Fry-France, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
-
[Varian Fry] Varian Fry, USHMM
Varian Fry (1907–1967) was an American journalist who helped anti-Nazi refugees escape from France.
-
70 Years Anniversary for Teachers’ Resistance, Barents Observer
This week (May 2012) Kirkenes and the Norwegian Union of Education mark the 70 years anniversary of the internal exile of 1100 teachers who refused to teach Vidkun Quisling’s Nazi curriculum during the Second World War.
-
A Remembrance of WWII Resistance Fighter Reidar Dittman, MPR News
The story of Reidar Dittmann, a member of the Norwegian Resistance. Includes a 15-minute video interview.
-
Audio Clip: Air Raid Sirens in Britain (54), BBC
Includes photos of people huddled in the tubes. There are other blitz sounds on this page.
-
AUDIO: Voices of Dunkirk, BBC
Listen to eight survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation recount their stories in this audio gallery.
- Belgium, USHMM
-
Breaking Germany’s Enigma Code, BBC
Germany's armed forces believed their Enigma-encrypted communications were impenetrable to the Allies. But thousands of codebreakers - based in wooden huts at Britain's Bletchley Park - had other ideas. Andrew Lycett investigates how successful they were, and the difference they made to the war effort.
-
Camps in the Netherlands, Kamparchieven.NL
This site offers you a survey of the archives and collections of the German camps that existed in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Kamparchieven.nl is an initiative of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) in collaboration with several other institutions.
- Churchill and the Holocaust by Sir Martin Gilbert, BBC
- France Between the Wars, USHMM
-
How Artist Beat “Foolproof” Nazi System to Forge Dutch ID Papers, Times of Israel, January 3, 2018
As an expert forger of identity papers, Alice Cohn worked with a Utrecht-based resistance group (The Utrecht Children's Committee) while in hiding. Their production of so-called “wild papers,” including ID and ration cards, saved up to 350 Jewish children from the Nazis. During the war’s final year, Cohn’s handiwork helped prevent young Dutch men from being sent to Germany as forced laborers.
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Belgium, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Denmark, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: France, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: The Netherlands, Jewish Virtual Library
- Listen to RAF Pilots Tell the Story of the Battle of Britain, The Imperial War Museum
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: France, The Holocaust Explained
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: The Netherlands, The Holocaust Explained
- Norway, USHMM
-
Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
- PHOTO: German Troops in Paris, Facing History and Ourselves
-
PHOTOS: The Netherlands During World War II, Beeldbank WO2
This site can be translated to English. Photos can be searched by theme.
-
POSTCARD: “German ‘Humanity’ at War,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
This card was printed to counter propaganda which portrayed the Germans as savage barbarians. The painting shows a German soldier falling behind his comrades to share his canteen with a thirsty wounded Frenchman.
-
POSTCARD: “Redemption,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"The shame of Compiegne is redeemed!" reads the inscription on this card, which shows a photograph of the train car used for the surrender of the German army at the end of World War I and returned, at Hitler's order, to the historical site for the French capitulation. After the signing ceremony, the train car was taken to Berlin, where it was exhibited as a trophy until it was destroyed by British bombers later in the war. A replica has been placed on permanent exhibition in the Armistice Museum at Compiegne. The French were presented with the articles of surrender on 21 June 1940 and signed them on the following day.
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PRIMARY RESOURCE: The Question of Jewish Children Does Not Interest Him, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Although only the governments of Germany, Romania and Croatia murdered Jews as state policy, other states actively participated in the Holocaust. On 16-17 July 1942 more than 13,000 Jews without French citizenship were arrested by French police in Paris; the victims included more than 4,000 children. Most of the arrestees were held at the Vélodrome d’Hiver, an indoor cycling stadium, before being transferred to transit camps. The idea of arresting the children came from the French Prime Minister Laval, as this telegram sent by Theodor Dannecker, the SS representative in France, a few days before the round-up makes clear.
-
Questions of Complicity: France and Nazi Occupation
Download FREE PDF of the book when you register with Facing History.
- READING: Advice for German-Occupied Nations, Facing History and Ourselves
-
READING: The Battle for Western Europe, Facing History and Ourselves
Get an overview of the Nazis’ occupation of France and its advances into Western Europe during World War II.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands (3:38), Yad Vashem/YouTube
The video is an excerpt from the film "Holland- Jewish Life in the Ghetto" from the Holocaust History Museum in Yad Vashem.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Niels Bamberger (1:05), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Denmark.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Alfred Münzer-Difficult Decisions in the Occupied Netherlands (5:35), USHMM
USHMM First Person Podcast Series: Alfred Munzer discusses the difficult decisions his parents, Dutch Jews, had to make after learning in early 1941 that they were expecting a child. Germany had invaded the Netherlands in May 1940 and conditions were growing increasingly difficult for Jews by the time Al was born.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Francine Christophe (4:55), #HUMAN
Born in 1933, Francine Christophe was deported with her mother at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. Released the following year, she continues to share her experience and memories, particularly with the younger generations.
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie, A Refugee in Belgium & France (4:57), The Holocaust Explained
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Josiane Traum-Hiding in a Convent in Brugge (7:05), USHMM
Josiane (Josy) Traum discusses her memories of life in hiding at a Carmelite convent in Brugge, Belgium. In 1942, as conditions grew increasingly more dangerous for Jews living in German-occupied Belgium, her mother, Fanny, arranged to have Belgian nuns hide her three-year-old daughter in the convent.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Margit Meissner-Flight from Paris on a Bicycle (16:19), USHMM
Margit Meissner discusses her flight from Paris just before the city fell to the Germans in June 1940. Margit and her mother were Austrian citizens living in Paris, which meant they were considered “enemy aliens” because Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938. They were ultimately separated and Margit was left with the responsibility of getting safely out of Paris on her own.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Robert Clary Speaks as a Holocaust Survivor (58:35)
1992 video of Robert Clary (from TV's Hogan's Heroes) speaking for one hour about his 3 years in the concentration camps. The opening focuses on the dangers of denial and forgetting.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Whose Child Are You? The Story of Tswi Josef Herschel (16:21), Yad Vashem
Tswi Herschel was born 29 December 1942 in Zwolle, a small town in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. In January 1943, the family had to leave Zwolle and moved to Amsterdam, where Tswi's father contacted non-Jewish Dutch friends and asked for help for his newborn son. In March 1943, a Protestant Dutch family took in baby Tswi, caring for him and raising him as their own child until the end of World War II. Tswi’s parents were transported to the transit camp of Westerbork in the Netherlands in June 1943. One month later, they were deported to the extermination camp of Sobibór, where they were murdered shortly after arrival. Tswi's grandmother, his only surviving relative, took him from his foster family after the war in order to give him a Jewish education. Tswi grew up, got married and had two daughters. In 1986, Tswi and his family immigrated to Israel. Since 1991, Tswi Herschel has told his story to young people and adults in Israel and Europe.
-
The Battle of Britain, the Imperial War Museum
Various readings, photos stories, and videos.
- The German Invasion of Western Europe, USHMM
-
The Jewish Refugees Behind “Curious George”, Times of Israel
H.A. and Margret Rey fled the Nazis on self-made bicycles, carrying the manuscript for a book on the now world-famous monkey.
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The Lost Diaries of War, New York Times, April 15, 2020
Anne Frank listened in an Amsterdam attic on March 28, 1944, as the voice of the Dutch minister of education came crackling over the radio from London. “Preserve your diaries and letters,” he said. Frank was not the only one listening. After the war, more than 2,000 diaries were collected, each a story of pain and loss, fear and hunger and, yes, moments of levity amid the misery. But unlike Frank’s diary, most of these accounts never surfaced again. Here are edited excerpts from several diaries that track the course of the war.
- The Netherlands, USHMM
- The Vichy Police on Jewish Deportation, BBC
-
VIDEO: France and the Nazi Occupation (7:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Aliza Luft discusses the changes that took place in France when the Nazis invaded in 1940.
-
VIDEO: Air Raid Shelter in London During the Blitz, Historical Film Footage (1:12), USHMM
After the defeat of France in June 1940, Germany moved to gain air superiority over Great Britain as a prelude to an invasion of Britain. During almost nightly German air raids (known as "the Blitz") on London, the civilian population of the city sought refuge--as shown in this footage--in air raid shelters and in London's subway system (called the "Underground" or the "Tube"). Despite months of air attacks, Germany was not able to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). In the fall of 1940, the invasion was indefinitely postponed.
- VIDEO: Allies Evacuate Troops From Dunkirk, Historical Film Footage (1:41), USHMM
-
VIDEO: Battle of Britain, Historical Film Footage (1:58), USHMM
After the defeat of France in June 1940, Germany moved to gain air superiority over Great Britain as a prelude to an invasion of Britain. Despite months of air attacks, Germany was not able to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). In the fall of 1940, the invasion was indefinitely postponed. The German bombing campaign against Britain continued until May 1941. The Germans ultimately halted the air attacks primarily because of preparations for the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.
-
VIDEO: Defeat of Belgium (1:52), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent.
-
VIDEO: Dutch Jewish Wedding Film, 1939 (7:35), Times of Israel, 2.4.17
During the Holocaust, Friesland’s vibrant Jewish community was forever obliterated, including its endemic customs and distinct Yiddish dialect. It is one of the starkest examples of how the Holocaust decimated and irreparably changed Dutch Jewry. This film is the only known pre-Holocaust footage of an obliterated Frisian Jewish community, footage offers hope while memorializing Nazi victims. Silent Film/BW.
-
VIDEO: German Invasion of France, Historical Film Footage (1:46), USHMM
Germany invaded France in May 1940. This footage shows German tanks, artillery, and dive bombers attacking the Maginot Line, a series of French fortifications intended to protect France's border with Germany. The main German assault, however, went to the north through Luxembourg and bypassed the Maginot Line. German forces entered Paris on June 14, 1940. Little more than a week later, defeated France signed an armistice with Germany.
-
VIDEO: German Paratroopers Land Near Rotterdam, Historical Film Footage (1:34), USHMM
Germany launched its western offensive on May 10, 1940. German paratroopers landed in the Netherlands on the first day of the German attack on that country. They seized key bridges and fortifications, compromising Dutch defensive positions. This footage shows the German air force (Luftwaffe) dropping paratroopers near Rotterdam. Within days, the Netherlands was defeated. The country surrendered to Germany on May 14. The Dutch government and Queen Wilhelmina fled to exile in Great Britain.
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VIDEO: I Have a Message for You (12:45), The New York Times
Klara was 20 years old and living in Belgium when she, her husband, and her father were taken in a roundup to the Mechelen transit camp and put on a train bound for Auschwitz. This beautiful film includes interviews with Klara accented with artisitic drawings, and tells the story of her escape and guilt at leaving her father.
-
VIDEO: Johtje Vos, Rescuer: Choices of Courage, USC Shoah Foundation
Through her testimony, Johtje Vos conveys the reasons why she and her husband, Aart, became rescuers and vividly describes daily life with people hidden in their home. The lesson’s theme, Choices of Courage, explores the implications of decision-making in dangerous and difficult times. Include Video (29:28), Background on Rescue in The Netherlands, and Lesson Packet.
-
VIDEO: Norway-Historical Film Footage, USHMM
Includes the following short historical clips: 1. German Invasion of Norway and the Naval War (:52) 2. German Invasion of Norway: Narvik (1:45) 3. Norwegian Fascists (:58) 4. War Crimes Trial of Vidkun Quisling (:51)
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VIDEO: Questions of Complicity: France and the Nazi Occupation (7:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Aliza Luft discusses the changes that took place in France when the Nazis invaded in 1940.
-
VIDEO: Swastika Flag Rises Over Versailles and Paris (1:25), USHMM
Historical film footage from the National Archives. Includes subtitles.
-
VIDEO: Westerbork Deportation Footage by Werner Breslauer, Experiencing History, USHMM
The film featured here is a hybrid of perpetrator and victim footage. Recording the deportation of Dutch Jews (and some Sinti-Roma) from Westerbork on May 19, 1944, it chronicles the loading of train cars bound for Auschwitz. The cameraman, Werner (Rudolf) Breslauer, was a German Jew who fled to the Netherlands with his wife and three children. Embedded within this footage is a now iconic image of a young Sinti girl as she is being deported. Settela Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau between July 31 and August 1, 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camp"). Settela's last, and world renowned, picture was taken on May 19, 1944 moments before the train door was bolted and locked in front of her. The image of Settela peeking through the train doors, head covered, has become a symbol of the genocide of the Sinti/Roma during the Holocaust.
- What Was the ‘Dowding System’?, The Imperial War Museum
- What Was the Secret to Winning The Battle of Britain, BBC
- What You Need to Know about the Dunkirk Evacuations, The Imperial War Museum
- Belgium
- Belgium, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Belgium, Jewish Virtual Library
- SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Freddie, A Refugee in Belgium & France (4:57), The Holocaust Explained
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Josiane Traum-Hiding in a Convent in Brugge (7:05), USHMM
Josiane (Josy) Traum discusses her memories of life in hiding at a Carmelite convent in Brugge, Belgium. In 1942, as conditions grew increasingly more dangerous for Jews living in German-occupied Belgium, her mother, Fanny, arranged to have Belgian nuns hide her three-year-old daughter in the convent.
-
VIDEO: Defeat of Belgium (1:52), USHMM
Historical film footage. Silent.
-
VIDEO: I Have a Message for You (12:45), The New York Times
Klara was 20 years old and living in Belgium when she, her husband, and her father were taken in a roundup to the Mechelen transit camp and put on a train bound for Auschwitz. This beautiful film includes interviews with Klara accented with artisitic drawings, and tells the story of her escape and guilt at leaving her father.
- Denmark
-
[Denmark] Commemorating the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
The Danish people, during three weeks, ferried their Jewish neighbors to safety in neutral Sweden. Almost the entire Jewish community of Denmark was saved. Learn about some of the men and women who risked their lives to save the Jews of Denmark.
-
[Denmark] EXHIBIT: Rescue of the Jews of Denmark, USHMM
The Danish resistance movement, assisted by many ordinary citizens, coordinated the flight of some 7,200 Jews to safety in nearby neutral Sweden. Thanks to this remarkable mass rescue effort, at war's end Denmark had one of the highest Jewish survival rates for any European country. Use the links on this page to learn more about the rescue of Danish Jewry and the special circumstances that made it possible.
-
[Denmark] LESSON: Rescue in October…the Rescue of the Danish Jews, Jewish Foundation for the Righeous
The rescue of the Jews of Denmark is an inspiring story. When the Danes learned that a major aktion against their Jewish citizens was planned for the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, ordinary citizens went into action. Strangers helped their fellow Jews – to cross dangerous waters in the dark of night to freedom in neutral Sweden. The lesson is designed to be covered in one or two classroom periods.
-
[Denmark] PRIMARY RESOURCE: Our Will to Help the Persecuted, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Perhaps the most spectacular example of the rescue of Jews occurred in Denmark in October 1943. When the country’s resistance movement learned that the Nazis intended to deport Danish Jews, it organised their passage to neutral Sweden in an improvised flotilla of fishing boats, rowing boats and even canoes. Aage Bertelsen was one of the organizers of the rescue effort.
-
[Denmark] The Rescue of Denmark’s Jews, Yad Vashem
Historical background.
-
[Denmark] VIDEO: The Rescue of Jews in Denmark During the Holocaust (3:37), Yad Vashem
From a film about the rescue of Jews from Denmark. The village of Snekkersten was one of the ports where the boats taking Danish Jews to safety in Sweden sailed from, and the Thomsen's family inn played a major role in the rescue operation.
- [Georg Duckwitz] READING: A Rescuer in Copenhagen, Facing History and Ourselves
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Denmark, Jewish Virtual Library
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Niels Bamberger (1:05), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Denmark.
- France
-
[Aristides de Sousa Mendes] Aristides de Sousa Mendes-Portugal, Yad Vashem
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was Portugal’s consul-general in Bordeaux, France. When Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, the Government of Portugal prohibited further crossings by refugees, especially Jewish refugees. Sousa Mendes, a devout and good-hearted Christian, seeing the terrible plight of the refugees, decided to disobey his government’s explicit instruction.
- [Aristides de Sousa Mendes] The Insubordinate Portuguese Consul Who Saved Thousands of Lives, Invisible Bordeaux
-
[France] EXHIBIT: Children’s Homes in France During the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
One of the unique phenomena of the Holocaust period was the rescue of Jewish children in France: a network of protective homes established by different organizations, both Jewish and Christian, whose members rescued children and brought them to remote places, in order to protect them from persecution and enable them to live a normal life under abnormal circumstances. Thanks to this rescue endeavor, thousands of Jewish children were saved.
- [Hiram Bingham] READING: A Rescuer in France, USHMM
- [Le Chambon] Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, France, Jewish Virtual Library
-
[Le Chambon] Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, USHMM
Includes photos, personal histories, artifacts, and maps.
-
[Le Chambon] READING: Le Chambon: A Village Takes a Stand, Facing History and Ourselves
Explore rescue during the Holocaust with the story of a community in southern France that sheltered and hid thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution.
-
[Le Chambon] VIDEO: Weapons of the Spirit (35:07), Facing History and Ourselves
Film by Pierre Sauvage that details the story of the people of Le Chambon, France, who saved 5,000 Jews during WWII.
- [Varian Fry] The Rescue of Marc Chagall, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
- [Varian Fry] Varian Fry-France, Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
-
[Varian Fry] Varian Fry, USHMM
Varian Fry (1907–1967) was an American journalist who helped anti-Nazi refugees escape from France.
-
AUDIO: Voices of Dunkirk, BBC
Listen to eight survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation recount their stories in this audio gallery.
- France Between the Wars, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: France, Jewish Virtual Library
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: France, The Holocaust Explained
-
Pastoral Letter from His Excellency Monsignor Saliege, Archbishop of Toulouse
Jules-Geraud Saliege was a French Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishhop of Toulouse from 1928 until his death in 1956. During the Nazi occupation of France, he was outspoken in attacking the German treatment of Jews and conscription of Frenchmen. For his criticism of the Nazis' and Vichy's anti-Jewish policies, he was praised by the Vatican newspaper. Saliege was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1969.
- PHOTO: German Troops in Paris, Facing History and Ourselves
-
POSTCARD: “German ‘Humanity’ at War,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
This card was printed to counter propaganda which portrayed the Germans as savage barbarians. The painting shows a German soldier falling behind his comrades to share his canteen with a thirsty wounded Frenchman.
-
POSTCARD: “Redemption,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"The shame of Compiegne is redeemed!" reads the inscription on this card, which shows a photograph of the train car used for the surrender of the German army at the end of World War I and returned, at Hitler's order, to the historical site for the French capitulation. After the signing ceremony, the train car was taken to Berlin, where it was exhibited as a trophy until it was destroyed by British bombers later in the war. A replica has been placed on permanent exhibition in the Armistice Museum at Compiegne. The French were presented with the articles of surrender on 21 June 1940 and signed them on the following day.
-
PRIMARY RESOURCE: The Question of Jewish Children Does Not Interest Him, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Although only the governments of Germany, Romania and Croatia murdered Jews as state policy, other states actively participated in the Holocaust. On 16-17 July 1942 more than 13,000 Jews without French citizenship were arrested by French police in Paris; the victims included more than 4,000 children. Most of the arrestees were held at the Vélodrome d’Hiver, an indoor cycling stadium, before being transferred to transit camps. The idea of arresting the children came from the French Prime Minister Laval, as this telegram sent by Theodor Dannecker, the SS representative in France, a few days before the round-up makes clear.
-
Questions of Complicity: France and Nazi Occupation
Download FREE PDF of the book when you register with Facing History.
- READING: Advice for German-Occupied Nations, Facing History and Ourselves
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Francine Christophe (4:55), #HUMAN
Born in 1933, Francine Christophe was deported with her mother at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944. Released the following year, she continues to share her experience and memories, particularly with the younger generations.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Margit Meissner-Flight from Paris on a Bicycle (16:19), USHMM
Margit Meissner discusses her flight from Paris just before the city fell to the Germans in June 1940. Margit and her mother were Austrian citizens living in Paris, which meant they were considered “enemy aliens” because Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938. They were ultimately separated and Margit was left with the responsibility of getting safely out of Paris on her own.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Robert Clary Speaks as a Holocaust Survivor (58:35)
1992 video of Robert Clary (from TV's Hogan's Heroes) speaking for one hour about his 3 years in the concentration camps. The opening focuses on the dangers of denial and forgetting.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: The Underground in France and Hungary (4:05), Yad Vashem
Holocaust survivors Thea Epstein, Moshe Alpan, and Ephraim Agmon describe the underground resistance movements in France and Hungary.
-
The Jewish Refugees Behind “Curious George”, Times of Israel
H.A. and Margret Rey fled the Nazis on self-made bicycles, carrying the manuscript for a book on the now world-famous monkey.
- The Vichy Police on Jewish Deportation, BBC
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VIDEO: France and the Nazi Occupation (7:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Aliza Luft discusses the changes that took place in France when the Nazis invaded in 1940.
- VIDEO: Allies Evacuate Troops From Dunkirk, Historical Film Footage (1:41), USHMM
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VIDEO: German Invasion of France, Historical Film Footage (1:46), USHMM
Germany invaded France in May 1940. This footage shows German tanks, artillery, and dive bombers attacking the Maginot Line, a series of French fortifications intended to protect France's border with Germany. The main German assault, however, went to the north through Luxembourg and bypassed the Maginot Line. German forces entered Paris on June 14, 1940. Little more than a week later, defeated France signed an armistice with Germany.
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VIDEO: Questions of Complicity: France and the Nazi Occupation (7:55), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Aliza Luft discusses the changes that took place in France when the Nazis invaded in 1940.
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VIDEO: Swastika Flag Rises Over Versailles and Paris (1:25), USHMM
Historical film footage from the National Archives. Includes subtitles.
- What You Need to Know about the Dunkirk Evacuations, The Imperial War Museum
- Great Britain
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Audio Clip: Air Raid Sirens in Britain (54), BBC
Includes photos of people huddled in the tubes. There are other blitz sounds on this page.
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Breaking Germany’s Enigma Code, BBC
Germany's armed forces believed their Enigma-encrypted communications were impenetrable to the Allies. But thousands of codebreakers - based in wooden huts at Britain's Bletchley Park - had other ideas. Andrew Lycett investigates how successful they were, and the difference they made to the war effort.
- Churchill and the Holocaust by Sir Martin Gilbert, BBC
- Listen to RAF Pilots Tell the Story of the Battle of Britain, The Imperial War Museum
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The Battle of Britain, the Imperial War Museum
Various readings, photos stories, and videos.
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VIDEO: Air Raid Shelter in London During the Blitz, Historical Film Footage (1:12), USHMM
After the defeat of France in June 1940, Germany moved to gain air superiority over Great Britain as a prelude to an invasion of Britain. During almost nightly German air raids (known as "the Blitz") on London, the civilian population of the city sought refuge--as shown in this footage--in air raid shelters and in London's subway system (called the "Underground" or the "Tube"). Despite months of air attacks, Germany was not able to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). In the fall of 1940, the invasion was indefinitely postponed.
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VIDEO: Battle of Britain, Historical Film Footage (1:58), USHMM
After the defeat of France in June 1940, Germany moved to gain air superiority over Great Britain as a prelude to an invasion of Britain. Despite months of air attacks, Germany was not able to destroy Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). In the fall of 1940, the invasion was indefinitely postponed. The German bombing campaign against Britain continued until May 1941. The Germans ultimately halted the air attacks primarily because of preparations for the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.
- What Was the ‘Dowding System’?, The Imperial War Museum
- What Was the Secret to Winning The Battle of Britain, BBC
- Norway
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70 Years Anniversary for Teachers’ Resistance, Barents Observer
This week (May 2012) Kirkenes and the Norwegian Union of Education mark the 70 years anniversary of the internal exile of 1100 teachers who refused to teach Vidkun Quisling’s Nazi curriculum during the Second World War.
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A Remembrance of WWII Resistance Fighter Reidar Dittman, MPR News
The story of Reidar Dittmann, a member of the Norwegian Resistance. Includes a 15-minute video interview.
- Norway, USHMM
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VIDEO: Norway-Historical Film Footage, USHMM
Includes the following short historical clips: 1. German Invasion of Norway and the Naval War (:52) 2. German Invasion of Norway: Narvik (1:45) 3. Norwegian Fascists (:58) 4. War Crimes Trial of Vidkun Quisling (:51)
- The Netherlands
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Camps in the Netherlands, Kamparchieven.NL
This site offers you a survey of the archives and collections of the German camps that existed in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Kamparchieven.nl is an initiative of the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) in collaboration with several other institutions.
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How Artist Beat “Foolproof” Nazi System to Forge Dutch ID Papers, Times of Israel, January 3, 2018
As an expert forger of identity papers, Alice Cohn worked with a Utrecht-based resistance group (The Utrecht Children's Committee) while in hiding. Their production of so-called “wild papers,” including ID and ration cards, saved up to 350 Jewish children from the Nazis. During the war’s final year, Cohn’s handiwork helped prevent young Dutch men from being sent to Germany as forced laborers.
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: The Netherlands, Jewish Virtual Library
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: The Netherlands, The Holocaust Explained
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PHOTOS: The Netherlands During World War II, Beeldbank WO2
This site can be translated to English. Photos can be searched by theme.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: The Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands (3:38), Yad Vashem/YouTube
The video is an excerpt from the film "Holland- Jewish Life in the Ghetto" from the Holocaust History Museum in Yad Vashem.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Alfred Münzer-Difficult Decisions in the Occupied Netherlands (5:35), USHMM
USHMM First Person Podcast Series: Alfred Munzer discusses the difficult decisions his parents, Dutch Jews, had to make after learning in early 1941 that they were expecting a child. Germany had invaded the Netherlands in May 1940 and conditions were growing increasingly difficult for Jews by the time Al was born.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Whose Child Are You? The Story of Tswi Josef Herschel (16:21), Yad Vashem
Tswi Herschel was born 29 December 1942 in Zwolle, a small town in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. In January 1943, the family had to leave Zwolle and moved to Amsterdam, where Tswi's father contacted non-Jewish Dutch friends and asked for help for his newborn son. In March 1943, a Protestant Dutch family took in baby Tswi, caring for him and raising him as their own child until the end of World War II. Tswi’s parents were transported to the transit camp of Westerbork in the Netherlands in June 1943. One month later, they were deported to the extermination camp of Sobibór, where they were murdered shortly after arrival. Tswi's grandmother, his only surviving relative, took him from his foster family after the war in order to give him a Jewish education. Tswi grew up, got married and had two daughters. In 1986, Tswi and his family immigrated to Israel. Since 1991, Tswi Herschel has told his story to young people and adults in Israel and Europe.
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The Lost Diaries of War, New York Times, April 15, 2020
Anne Frank listened in an Amsterdam attic on March 28, 1944, as the voice of the Dutch minister of education came crackling over the radio from London. “Preserve your diaries and letters,” he said. Frank was not the only one listening. After the war, more than 2,000 diaries were collected, each a story of pain and loss, fear and hunger and, yes, moments of levity amid the misery. But unlike Frank’s diary, most of these accounts never surfaced again. Here are edited excerpts from several diaries that track the course of the war.
- The Netherlands, USHMM
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VIDEO: Dutch Jewish Wedding Film, 1939 (7:35), Times of Israel, 2.4.17
During the Holocaust, Friesland’s vibrant Jewish community was forever obliterated, including its endemic customs and distinct Yiddish dialect. It is one of the starkest examples of how the Holocaust decimated and irreparably changed Dutch Jewry. This film is the only known pre-Holocaust footage of an obliterated Frisian Jewish community, footage offers hope while memorializing Nazi victims. Silent Film/BW.
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VIDEO: German Paratroopers Land Near Rotterdam, Historical Film Footage (1:34), USHMM
Germany launched its western offensive on May 10, 1940. German paratroopers landed in the Netherlands on the first day of the German attack on that country. They seized key bridges and fortifications, compromising Dutch defensive positions. This footage shows the German air force (Luftwaffe) dropping paratroopers near Rotterdam. Within days, the Netherlands was defeated. The country surrendered to Germany on May 14. The Dutch government and Queen Wilhelmina fled to exile in Great Britain.
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VIDEO: Johtje Vos, Rescuer: Choices of Courage, USC Shoah Foundation
Through her testimony, Johtje Vos conveys the reasons why she and her husband, Aart, became rescuers and vividly describes daily life with people hidden in their home. The lesson’s theme, Choices of Courage, explores the implications of decision-making in dangerous and difficult times. Include Video (29:28), Background on Rescue in The Netherlands, and Lesson Packet.
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VIDEO: Westerbork Deportation Footage by Werner Breslauer, Experiencing History, USHMM
The film featured here is a hybrid of perpetrator and victim footage. Recording the deportation of Dutch Jews (and some Sinti-Roma) from Westerbork on May 19, 1944, it chronicles the loading of train cars bound for Auschwitz. The cameraman, Werner (Rudolf) Breslauer, was a German Jew who fled to the Netherlands with his wife and three children. Embedded within this footage is a now iconic image of a young Sinti girl as she is being deported. Settela Steinbach was one of the 245 Dutch Sinti killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau between July 31 and August 1, 1944, the date of the liquidation of Birkenau's "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camp"). Settela's last, and world renowned, picture was taken on May 19, 1944 moments before the train door was bolted and locked in front of her. The image of Settela peeking through the train doors, head covered, has become a symbol of the genocide of the Sinti/Roma during the Holocaust.
- The World Response
- International Responsee, The Holocaust Explained
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RADIO BROADCAST: Documents Reveal That Britain Knew of Nazi Slaughter as Early as 1941 (5:53), BBC
Bletchley Park and the famous Enigma code-breaking machine were responsible for cracking some of Nazi Germany's most secret communications. However, deciphered radio messages revealing the onset of the Holocaust - the 'crime without a name', as Winston Churchill called it - could not be made public for fear that they would seriously compromise the effectiveness of Bletchley Park's vital work during World War II.
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READING: The Difference Between Knowing and Believing, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why some world leaders responded with disbelief to testimonies of the mass killings the Nazis were carrying out in Europe during World War II.
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READING: What Did the World Know?, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider what people around the world knew about the mass murder occurring during World War II, and the role of journalism in the spread of information.
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The BBC Broadcast About the Situation of Jews in Poland, Jewish Historical Institute
On June 26, 1942, at 5 PM, British BBC Radio broadcast a program dedicated to the situation of Polish Jews under German occupation. It was an important day for members of the Oneg Shabbat group of the Warsaw Ghetto.
- TIMELINE EXHIBIT: The World Responds, Too Little, Too Late, Montreal Holocaust Museum
- VIDEO: How Did the International Community Respond to the Holocaust? (02:41), Brown University/Choices Program
- The Yellow Star
- ARTIFACT: The Yellow Star of David, USHMM
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Holocaust Badges, Holocaust Memorial Center
Includes samples of stars from different countries.
- Jewish Badge, USHMM
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Jewish Badge: During the Nazi Era, USHMM
Summary of the historical origins of the Jewish badge.
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Jewish Badges During the Holocaust: Photographs & Overview, Jewish Virtual Library
Shows badges from different countries.
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POSTCARD: “The Jewish Star,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
As of September 1st, 1942, by law, no Jew more than six years of age was permitted to appear in public without wearing a conspicuous yellow "Jewish Star." Only a few months later Reinhard Heydrich, signator of that law and an architect of the Holocaust, would chair the infamous Wannsee Conference, called to deal with "the Final Solution to the Jewish Question." This postcard was issued with a flyer instructing Germans what to do "when you see this sign..."
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Emanuel (Manny) Mandel-Wearing the Yellow Star as a Child in Hungary (6:39), USHMM
Manny Mandel discusses wearing a yellow star as a young boy in Budapest. Hungary fell increasingly under the influence of Germany in the 1930s and joined the Axis alliance in 1940. During this time, Jews in Hungary were increasingly subjected to discriminatory anti-Jewish laws modeled on those in Germany.
- The Jewish Badge, Yad Vashem
- The Yellow Star, about.com
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – The Jewish Badge (1:16), Yad Vashem
This video provides a brief overview of the Jewish Badge: The practice of marking Jews during the Holocaust, and its historical antecedents. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- Violations of Versailles
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Adolf Eichmann, USHMM
During the Anschluss in March 1938, Eichmann personally led a raid on the Jewish Cultural Community offices. He then worked to organize a Central Office for Jewish Emigration (Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung) in Vienna, which opened officially on August 20, 1938.
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Anschluss & Extermination, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
The fate of the Austrian Jews
- Anschluss, USHMM
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ARTIFACT/VIDEO: Accidental Witnesses to History: The Baker Collection (4:18) USHMM
Americans living in Vienna when Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, Helen and Ross Baker documented what they saw through letters, a diary, and film. Film researcher Leslie Swift explains the significance of these items to the Museum’s collections.
- AUDIO: Neville Chamberlain, “Peace in our Time” Speech, History
- Austria and Nazism: Owning Up to the Past, BBC
- Austria, USHMM
- Czechoslovakia, USHMM
- German Occupation of the Rhineland, The National Archives (UK)
- German Pre-War Expansion, USHMM
- Hitler’s Foreign Policy 1933-1939, Dr. Marjie Bloy, UK
- How Britain Hoped to Avoid War with Germany in the 1930s, Imperial War Museum
- IMAGE: German Voting Ballot 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Austria, Jewish Virtual Library
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Slovakia, Jewish Virtual Library
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LESSON: Surviving the Holocaust, Fairfax County Public Schools
This lesson examines the Holocaust through the experience of Irene Fogel Weiss, a Jewish woman who survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Irene shares her personal story, covering how Nazi influences took over her town of Botragy, Czechoslovakia, the harassment of her family and fellow Jews, their deportation to a Hungarian ghetto, her arrival at Auschwitz, and their death march into Germany. She concludes by examining critical questions around humanity, civility, propaganda, and analyzing information in a search for the truth. These topics pose excellent opportunities for student reflection and discussion, as well as comparisons with contemporary issues facing our localities and our nation. This lesson includes accompanying video testimony.
- MAP: German Territorial Expansion 1935-39, German History in Documents & Images
- MAP: Siegfried Line and Maginot Line, Lost Images of WWII
- Nazis March Into the Rhineland, The History Place
- Nazis Take Austria, The History Place
- Nazis Take Czechoslovakia, The History Place
- PHOTO: German Military in Austria 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
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POSTCARD: “A German ‘matter of existence'”, Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The imbalance of armed forces in Europe is the subject of the colorful graphics on this postcard. Germany's disarmament, as required by the Treaty of Versailles, left it exposed to the superior forces of its neighbors, east and west. In 1934, the year this card was mailed, Hitler began unilaterally to rearm Germany and increase its military forces.
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POSTCARD: “Anschluss,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The bridge being built between Germany and Austria pictured on Card 218 is almost complete -- a heroic Tirolian sets in place the keystone, inscribed "Anschluss," as the flag waving German "Michel" welcomes jubilant Austrians. That bridge was crossed on 13 March 1938.
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POSTCARD: “Antisemitism in Austria,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Printed in celebration of Austria's annexation by Germany in Spring 1938, this postcard illustrates the terror of panic-stricken caricatured and stereotyped Austrian Jews - one carries a cash-box close to his chest - fleeing a phalanx of Nazi flags. The inscription implies the sentiment, "now it's your time, little Jew!"
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POSTCARD: “Freedom for the Rhine,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The liberation of the Rhine Valley in 1930 is the subject of this card, which portrays a jubilant young German having broken the chains which bound him.
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POSTCARD: “Freedom for the Ruhr,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The post-war occupation of the Ruhr Valley was intended to ensure Allied control of Germany's industrial base, as well as German compliance with burdensome and excessive war reparations. The towering and menacing figure of an armed French "Marianne" as symbol of the occupation force, receives a stern warning in the text of this card: "Hands off the Ruhr area!"
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POSTCARD: “The Munich Conference,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"We thank our Leader," reads the inscription on the card, which shows that part of Czechoslovakia occupied by the Germans in October 1938 covered by a photograph of the ceremony which followed Hitler's march into Prague - and thankful indeed was the feeling of many Germans living in that new area of Greater Germany.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Munich Pact, The Avalon Project/Yale Law School
Agreement concluded at Munich, September 29, 1938, between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy.
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READING: A Refugee Crisis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how nations around the world responded to the Jewish refugee crisis created by Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria.
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READING: Crisis in Czechoslovakia, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why Hitler's demand for the Sudetenland evolved into an international crisis and evaluate the resulting agreement forged by Hitler, Chamberlain, and Daladier.
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READING: Rearming Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine how the world responded to Hitler's first acts of military aggression, including Germany's re-militarization of the Rhineland.
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READING: Taking Austria, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, the Anschluss, and the world's response to this act of open aggression.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Victims from Austria, National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism
The online collections contains 50 life stories which include photographic material and documents. Some are video testimonies or essays written by the eyewitnesses.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Sight that Chilled Our Blood, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Freddie Knoller, a teenager at the time of the Anschluss, described seeing Jews forced to clean the streets.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Dagmar Lieblova (Czech Republic)-From Bohemia to Belsen and Back Again (14:00), Centropa
From a quiet, middle-class childhood in a small Bohemian town, to the hell of Bergen Belsen and back again.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hanna Mueller Bruml (1:36), USHMM
Survivor describes the occupation of Prague.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Helen (Lebowitz) Goldkind-A Grandfather’s Humiliation ( 7:42), USHMM
Helen Goldkind discusses the humiliation she and her family experienced as they were forced by the Germans to move from their hometown of Volosyanka to the Uzhgorod ghetto in Czechoslovakia in 1944.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Iby Knill (20:17), TEDxYouth@Bath
Born in 1923 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Jindrich Lion (Czech Republic)-My Escape from Prague (14.51), Centropa
The story of a budding journalist escaping from his own country - not once, but twice.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kitty and Otto Suschny (Vienna)-Only A Couple of Streets Away from Each Other (14:51), Centropa
Kitty and Otto both grew up in Vienna, but never met. After Kristallnacht they fled Austria, one to England, the other to Palestine. Upon returning to Vienna, searching for parents, they find each other.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kurt Brodmann (Austria)-The Story of the Brodmann Family (6:01), Centropa
Kurt Brodmann tells how his father, Leopold, an actor, fell in love with Franzi Goldstaub, and about their life and how after the war, the family was reunited in Vienna.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lilli Tauber (Austria)-A Suitcase Full of Memories (30:09), Centropa
A Kindertransport to England, a ghetto in Poland, and a suitcase found in 1945 that tells a heartbreaking story.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Uri (Austria)-Looking for Frieda, Finding Frieda (3:00), Centropa
The story of Vienna-born Max Uri, who fell in love with Frieda Haber, but had to leave Austria in 1939.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
- The Sudetenland, Spartacus Educational
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VIDEO: Munich Agreement Conference (1:29), USHMM
Historical film footage from the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive.
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VIDEO: Sudetenland Ceded to Germany (:45), USHMM
Historical film footage with English narration.
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VIDEO: 70 Years Later, Holocaust Victim’s Dress Designs Come Back to Life (4:23), PBS Learning Media
Hedwig Strnad, a dress designer, and her husband Paul were living in Czechoslovakia in 1939 when the Nazis occupied the country. As the situation deteriorated for Jews in Czechoslovakia, the couple sent drawings of Hedwig’s designs to their cousin Alvin in Milwaukee, WI, hoping that he could help find her a job with clothing manufacturers that would grant them visas
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VIDEO: Baker Family Films of Austria, Family and Hitler, USHMM
Original film footage from the Baker Family's time in Austria after the Anschluss.
- VIDEO: Historical Film Footage (:46), Re-militarization of the Rhineland, USHMM
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VIDEO: Historical Film Footage of the Annexation of Austria (2:14), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In an attempt to prevent the German annexation of Austria, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schusnigg proposed a plebiscite on Austrian independence. This German newsreel footage shows pro-German residents of Graz expressing their opposition to the plebiscite. On the following day, March 13, 1938, the residents of Graz and other Austrian cities celebrated the resignation of the Austrian government and the proclamation of union with Germany (the Anschluss).
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VIDEO: Jewish Refugees Trapped in No-Man’s Land, Historical Film Footage (1:45), USHMM
After the Munich agreement and the Czech surrender of the Sudetenland to Germany, German authorities expelled these Jewish residents of Pohorelice from the Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia. The Czech government, fearing a flood of refugees, refused to admit them. The Jewish refugees were then forced to camp in the no-man's-land between Bruno and Bratislava on the Czech frontier with Germany.
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VIDEO: The Ones I Lost (5:04), Centropa
Jewish families from Vienna remember loved ones murdered in the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: UFA Anschluss Footage; Parade; Hitler Speaks (9:05), USHMM
Historical footage from the Steven Spielberg Film & Video Archive.
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VIDEOS: National Socialism in Austria, Ephemeral Films Project, USHMM
View films that depict Nazism as experienced in everyday life in Vienna at the time. Home movies, advertisements, and other ephemeral films provide intimate details and new perspectives into this chapter in Austrian history.
- Vienna, USHMM
- German Expansion
- German Pre-War Expansion, USHMM
- Hitler’s Foreign Policy 1933-1939, Dr. Marjie Bloy, UK
- MAP: German Territorial Expansion 1935-39, German History in Documents & Images
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POSTCARD: “Freedom for the Ruhr,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The post-war occupation of the Ruhr Valley was intended to ensure Allied control of Germany's industrial base, as well as German compliance with burdensome and excessive war reparations. The towering and menacing figure of an armed French "Marianne" as symbol of the occupation force, receives a stern warning in the text of this card: "Hands off the Ruhr area!"
- Invasion of Austria, March 1938
-
Adolf Eichmann, USHMM
During the Anschluss in March 1938, Eichmann personally led a raid on the Jewish Cultural Community offices. He then worked to organize a Central Office for Jewish Emigration (Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung) in Vienna, which opened officially on August 20, 1938.
-
Anschluss & Extermination, Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team
The fate of the Austrian Jews
- Anschluss, USHMM
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ARTIFACT/VIDEO: Accidental Witnesses to History: The Baker Collection (4:18) USHMM
Americans living in Vienna when Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, Helen and Ross Baker documented what they saw through letters, a diary, and film. Film researcher Leslie Swift explains the significance of these items to the Museum’s collections.
- Austria and Nazism: Owning Up to the Past, BBC
- Austria, USHMM
- IMAGE: German Voting Ballot 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Austria, Jewish Virtual Library
- Nazis Take Austria, The History Place
- PHOTO: German Military in Austria 1938, Facing History and Ourselves
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POSTCARD: “Anschluss,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The bridge being built between Germany and Austria pictured on Card 218 is almost complete -- a heroic Tirolian sets in place the keystone, inscribed "Anschluss," as the flag waving German "Michel" welcomes jubilant Austrians. That bridge was crossed on 13 March 1938.
-
POSTCARD: “Antisemitism in Austria,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Printed in celebration of Austria's annexation by Germany in Spring 1938, this postcard illustrates the terror of panic-stricken caricatured and stereotyped Austrian Jews - one carries a cash-box close to his chest - fleeing a phalanx of Nazi flags. The inscription implies the sentiment, "now it's your time, little Jew!"
-
READING: A Refugee Crisis, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how nations around the world responded to the Jewish refugee crisis created by Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria.
-
READING: Taking Austria, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, the Anschluss, and the world's response to this act of open aggression.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONIES: Victims from Austria, National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism
The online collections contains 50 life stories which include photographic material and documents. Some are video testimonies or essays written by the eyewitnesses.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Sight that Chilled Our Blood, 70 Voices/Holocaust Education Trust
Freddie Knoller, a teenager at the time of the Anschluss, described seeing Jews forced to clean the streets.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kitty and Otto Suschny (Vienna)-Only A Couple of Streets Away from Each Other (14:51), Centropa
Kitty and Otto both grew up in Vienna, but never met. After Kristallnacht they fled Austria, one to England, the other to Palestine. Upon returning to Vienna, searching for parents, they find each other.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Kurt Brodmann (Austria)-The Story of the Brodmann Family (6:01), Centropa
Kurt Brodmann tells how his father, Leopold, an actor, fell in love with Franzi Goldstaub, and about their life and how after the war, the family was reunited in Vienna.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Lilli Tauber (Austria)-A Suitcase Full of Memories (30:09), Centropa
A Kindertransport to England, a ghetto in Poland, and a suitcase found in 1945 that tells a heartbreaking story.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Max Uri (Austria)-Looking for Frieda, Finding Frieda (3:00), Centropa
The story of Vienna-born Max Uri, who fell in love with Frieda Haber, but had to leave Austria in 1939.
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VIDEO: Baker Family Films of Austria, Family and Hitler, USHMM
Original film footage from the Baker Family's time in Austria after the Anschluss.
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VIDEO: Historical Film Footage of the Annexation of Austria (2:14), USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
In an attempt to prevent the German annexation of Austria, Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schusnigg proposed a plebiscite on Austrian independence. This German newsreel footage shows pro-German residents of Graz expressing their opposition to the plebiscite. On the following day, March 13, 1938, the residents of Graz and other Austrian cities celebrated the resignation of the Austrian government and the proclamation of union with Germany (the Anschluss).
-
VIDEO: The Ones I Lost (5:04), Centropa
Jewish families from Vienna remember loved ones murdered in the Holocaust.
-
VIDEO: UFA Anschluss Footage; Parade; Hitler Speaks (9:05), USHMM
Historical footage from the Steven Spielberg Film & Video Archive.
-
VIDEOS: National Socialism in Austria, Ephemeral Films Project, USHMM
View films that depict Nazism as experienced in everyday life in Vienna at the time. Home movies, advertisements, and other ephemeral films provide intimate details and new perspectives into this chapter in Austrian history.
- Vienna, USHMM
- Invasion of Czechoslovakia, March 1939
- Czechoslovakia, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Slovakia, Jewish Virtual Library
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LESSON: Surviving the Holocaust, Fairfax County Public Schools
This lesson examines the Holocaust through the experience of Irene Fogel Weiss, a Jewish woman who survived the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Irene shares her personal story, covering how Nazi influences took over her town of Botragy, Czechoslovakia, the harassment of her family and fellow Jews, their deportation to a Hungarian ghetto, her arrival at Auschwitz, and their death march into Germany. She concludes by examining critical questions around humanity, civility, propaganda, and analyzing information in a search for the truth. These topics pose excellent opportunities for student reflection and discussion, as well as comparisons with contemporary issues facing our localities and our nation. This lesson includes accompanying video testimony.
- Nazis Take Czechoslovakia, The History Place
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Dagmar Lieblova (Czech Republic)-From Bohemia to Belsen and Back Again (14:00), Centropa
From a quiet, middle-class childhood in a small Bohemian town, to the hell of Bergen Belsen and back again.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Hanna Mueller Bruml (1:36), USHMM
Survivor describes the occupation of Prague.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Helen (Lebowitz) Goldkind-A Grandfather’s Humiliation ( 7:42), USHMM
Helen Goldkind discusses the humiliation she and her family experienced as they were forced by the Germans to move from their hometown of Volosyanka to the Uzhgorod ghetto in Czechoslovakia in 1944.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Iby Knill (20:17), TEDxYouth@Bath
Born in 1923 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Jindrich Lion (Czech Republic)-My Escape from Prague (14.51), Centropa
The story of a budding journalist escaping from his own country - not once, but twice.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Peter Ginz and the Boys of Vedem (19:22), Centropa
Traces life of Peter Ginz beginning with invasion of Czechoslovakia, his transport and life in Theresienstadt, and ultimate death at Auschwitz.
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VIDEO: 70 Years Later, Holocaust Victim’s Dress Designs Come Back to Life (4:23), PBS Learning Media
Hedwig Strnad, a dress designer, and her husband Paul were living in Czechoslovakia in 1939 when the Nazis occupied the country. As the situation deteriorated for Jews in Czechoslovakia, the couple sent drawings of Hedwig’s designs to their cousin Alvin in Milwaukee, WI, hoping that he could help find her a job with clothing manufacturers that would grant them visas
- Invasion of the Rhineland, March 1936
- German Occupation of the Rhineland, The National Archives (UK)
- MAP: Siegfried Line and Maginot Line, Lost Images of WWII
- Nazis March Into the Rhineland, The History Place
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POSTCARD: “Freedom for the Rhine,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The liberation of the Rhine Valley in 1930 is the subject of this card, which portrays a jubilant young German having broken the chains which bound him.
-
READING: Rearming Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine how the world responded to Hitler's first acts of military aggression, including Germany's re-militarization of the Rhineland.
- VIDEO: Historical Film Footage (:46), Re-militarization of the Rhineland, USHMM
- The Munich Agreement & Invasion of the Sudetenland, September 1938
- AUDIO: Neville Chamberlain, “Peace in our Time” Speech, History
- Czechoslovakia, USHMM
- How Britain Hoped to Avoid War with Germany in the 1930s, Imperial War Museum
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POSTCARD: “The Munich Conference,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"We thank our Leader," reads the inscription on the card, which shows that part of Czechoslovakia occupied by the Germans in October 1938 covered by a photograph of the ceremony which followed Hitler's march into Prague - and thankful indeed was the feeling of many Germans living in that new area of Greater Germany.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: The Munich Pact, The Avalon Project/Yale Law School
Agreement concluded at Munich, September 29, 1938, between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy.
-
READING: Crisis in Czechoslovakia, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider why Hitler's demand for the Sudetenland evolved into an international crisis and evaluate the resulting agreement forged by Hitler, Chamberlain, and Daladier.
- The Sudetenland, Spartacus Educational
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VIDEO: Munich Agreement Conference (1:29), USHMM
Historical film footage from the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive.
-
VIDEO: Sudetenland Ceded to Germany (:45), USHMM
Historical film footage with English narration.
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VIDEO: Jewish Refugees Trapped in No-Man’s Land, Historical Film Footage (1:45), USHMM
After the Munich agreement and the Czech surrender of the Sudetenland to Germany, German authorities expelled these Jewish residents of Pohorelice from the Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia. The Czech government, fearing a flood of refugees, refused to admit them. The Jewish refugees were then forced to camp in the no-man's-land between Bruno and Bratislava on the Czech frontier with Germany.
- What the Nazis Believed
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BOOK: Nazi Ideology and the Holocaust, USHMM
PDF of full book.
- Culture in the Third Reich: Disseminating the Nazi World View, USHMM
- Culture in the Third Reich: Overview, USHMM
-
EXHIBIT: London 1938, Defending ‘Degenerate’ German Art, The Wiener Holocaust Library
This online exhibit explores the history and context of an exhibition held in 1938 at the New Burlington Galleries in London entitled "Twentieth Century German Art," which was the most prominent international response to the Nazi campaign against 'degenerate' art.
- Hitler’s Leadership Style, BBC
-
Lebensborn Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi authorities created the Lebensborn program to increase Germany’s population. Pregnant German women deemed “racially valuable” were encouraged to give birth to their children at Lebensborn homes. During World War II, the program became complicit in the kidnapping of foreign children with physical features considered “Aryan” by the Nazis.
- Lebensraum, USHMM
-
LESSON: The Basics of Totalitarianism, Eternal Echoes
This exercise contains a factsheet about totalitarianism that explains why the Nazis saw it as an important means of controlling the German state. By the end of this activity you will have gained a greater understanding of the importance of protecting and upholding democratic values and human rights and understand the nature of propaganda throughout time and place. In addition, you will have reflected on how subtle changes in society and choices of individuals, organisations and governments can lead to horrific consequences.
- National Socialist Racial Policy: A Speech to German Women, German Propaganda Archive, Calvin College
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POSTCARD: “Rearing Soldiers for the Fatherland,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The message: "Men defend the Fatherland while women keep the home fires burning. What will the little future mothers do? They will (by rearing soldiers) help preserve Germany's future."
-
READING: Models of Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how conformity, obedience, and desire for belonging influenced the attitudes and values of youth in Nazi Germany.
-
READING: The Common Interest Before Self-Interest, Facing History and Ourselves
Read the text of a widely distributed Nazi pamphlet that outlined National Socialism's central goals and defined what it meant to be German.
-
READING: Women and the National Community, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate a primary source text that outlines the Nazis' vision for women in German society.
-
READING: Working Toward the Fuhrer, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how the Nazis leveraged Hitler's public image in their pursuit to transform German society according to Nazi ideology.
- Third Reich, USHMM
-
VIDEO: Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) (8:21), Facing History and Ourselves
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the importance of the German 1937 Degenerate Art exhibit.
-
VIDEO: Hitler’s Ideology: Race, Land, and Conquest (5:50), Facing History and Ourselves
Scholar Doris Bergen discusses the ideologies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
-
VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Fuhrerprinzip (“Leadership Principle”) (1:03), Yad Vashem
This video discusses the Fuhrerprinzip ("Leadership Principle") within Nazi ideology. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Lebensraum (“Living Space”) (1:05), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the concept of Lebensraum ("Living Space") in Nazi ideology, a significant ideological component in Nazi expansionist aspirations prior to and during World War II. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
-
VIDEO: Oath-Swearing Ceremony for Military Recruits (1:20), USHMM
Newsreel footage of oath ceremony for hundreds of military recruits at Feldherrnhalle on the Odeonsplatz in Munich, July 11, 1935.
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VIDEO: Roots of Nazi Ideology (11:00), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
Nazi ideology was total, in that it was a world view that claimed to explain everything about the world and how it functions. At its core, the Nazi world view was racist and biological, positing that the so-called “Aryan” race – primarily the North Europeans – was the superior race of human beings. Their superiority granted the Aryans the right and obligation to rule over other races and peoples, for the benefit of humankind. The Jews, in complete contrast, were seen as a kind of “anti-race”, dangerous inhuman beings in seemingly human form. They were viewed alternatively as microbes and parasites, or as devils, that is, inhuman creatures with superhuman power. In this video, Dr. David Silberklang presents the topic of Nazi ideology and answers the following questions: What is Nazi Ideology? What were its roots? From where did the Nazis derive the ideas which served as the basis of their ideology? Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Christian Anti-Judaism Part 3: Social Sciences Part 4: Modern Racism Part 5: Modern Antisemitism Part 6: The Nazi Ideology
- Why Were Jews Targeted for Persecution and Annihilation, World Jewish Congress
- Women in the Third Reich, USHMM
- Conformity and Obedience
-
READING: Models of Obedience, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how conformity, obedience, and desire for belonging influenced the attitudes and values of youth in Nazi Germany.
-
VIDEO: Oath-Swearing Ceremony for Military Recruits (1:20), USHMM
Newsreel footage of oath ceremony for hundreds of military recruits at Feldherrnhalle on the Odeonsplatz in Munich, July 11, 1935.
- Culture
- Culture in the Third Reich: Disseminating the Nazi World View, USHMM
- Culture in the Third Reich: Overview, USHMM
-
EXHIBIT: London 1938, Defending ‘Degenerate’ German Art, The Wiener Holocaust Library
This online exhibit explores the history and context of an exhibition held in 1938 at the New Burlington Galleries in London entitled "Twentieth Century German Art," which was the most prominent international response to the Nazi campaign against 'degenerate' art.
-
VIDEO: Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) (8:21), Facing History and Ourselves
Jonathan Petropoulos discusses the importance of the German 1937 Degenerate Art exhibit.
- Lebensraum
- Lebensraum, USHMM
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VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Lebensraum (“Living Space”) (1:05), Yad Vashem
This video outlines the concept of Lebensraum ("Living Space") in Nazi ideology, a significant ideological component in Nazi expansionist aspirations prior to and during World War II. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- The Fuhrer Principle
- Hitler’s Leadership Style, BBC
-
READING: Working Toward the Fuhrer, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how the Nazis leveraged Hitler's public image in their pursuit to transform German society according to Nazi ideology.
-
VIDEO: Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education – Fuhrerprinzip (“Leadership Principle”) (1:03), Yad Vashem
This video discusses the Fuhrerprinzip ("Leadership Principle") within Nazi ideology. Part of Yad Vashem's "Key Historical Concepts in Holocaust Education" video series.
- Women
-
Lebensborn Program, USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia
Nazi authorities created the Lebensborn program to increase Germany’s population. Pregnant German women deemed “racially valuable” were encouraged to give birth to their children at Lebensborn homes. During World War II, the program became complicit in the kidnapping of foreign children with physical features considered “Aryan” by the Nazis.
- National Socialist Racial Policy: A Speech to German Women, German Propaganda Archive, Calvin College
-
POSTCARD: “Rearing Soldiers for the Fatherland,” Greetings from the Fatherland Collection, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The message: "Men defend the Fatherland while women keep the home fires burning. What will the little future mothers do? They will (by rearing soldiers) help preserve Germany's future."
-
READING: Women and the National Community, Facing History and Ourselves
Investigate a primary source text that outlines the Nazis' vision for women in German society.
- Women in the Third Reich, USHMM
- World War II Begins
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ANIMATED MAP: World War II and the Holocaust (6:34), USHMM
Serves as a timeline for the Holocaust. Includes full transcript.
- Axis Alliance in World War II, USHMM
- Britain’s “Phony” Start to the Second World War, The Imperial War Museum
-
BROADCASTS: World War II On the Air
Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation includes almost 50 original radio broadcasts covering the war.
- German Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Encyclopedia Britannica
- German-Soviet Pact, USHMM
- IMAGE: Exhibit on Germany’s Colonization of Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
- INTERACTIVE MAP: Western Europe 1939-1941, National Archives (UK)
- Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Poland, Jewish Virtual Library
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LESSON: Interpreting a Political Cartoon from the Eve of WWII, National Archives
Students will discover how political cartoonists employ a variety of artistic techniques to convey their point of view by analyzing a political cartoon from August 30, 1939, It's a Good Act but it's Hard on the Spectators, by Clifford Berryman. This activity can be used when teaching about the beginning of WWII and American, British, and French responses to German expansion. For grades 9–12. Approximate time is 30–45 minutes.
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Life Magazine, September 25, 1939
From the pages of "Life Magazine," see what Americans knew in September 1939. Great primary resource for students.
- MAP: Europe and the Middle East 1941, Facing History and Ourselves
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MAP: The Growth of Nazi Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Between 1933 and 1939, Greater Germany expanded significantly as the result of the Third Reich’s annexations and conquests in Eastern Europe.
-
Nazi Invasion of Poland in 1939, University of Wisconsin
Images and Documents from the Harrison Forman Collection,
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: Poland, The Holocaust Explained
- PHOTO STORY: How Europe Went to War in 1939, The Imperial War Museum
- PHOTOS: World War II Erupts: Color Photos From the Invasion of Poland, 1939, LIFE.com
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Primary Document: Address by Adolf Hitler to Reichstag, September 1, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Proclamation by Adolf Hitler to the German Army, September 1, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
-
Primary Document: Proclamation by Adolf Hitler to the German People, September 3, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
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PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: Great Britain’s Response to Germany’s Invasion of Poland, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
- PRIMARY SOURCE: Chamberlain Declares War on Germany (2:58), History Channel
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RADIO BROADCAST: Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat After Germany’s Invasion of Poland, 9/3/1939 (15:00), National Archives
This sound recording captures a broadcast by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in which he voiced his intention to keep America out of the growing conflict in Europe. In it he stated "This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well...As long as it remains within my power to prevent, there will be no black - out of peace in the United States."
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READING: Reaping the Benefits of War, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the German government exploited the wealth and resources of occupied countries during World War II.
-
READING: A Pact with the Soviet Union, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the non-aggression pact forged by Hitler and Stalin in 1939, the pact's secret clauses, and the role of propaganda.
-
READING: Colonizing Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' plan to rearrange the population of Poland, which resulted in the displacement of more than a million ethnic Poles and Jews.
-
READING: Cultural Missionaries, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider what German citizens thought of Hitler's plan to colonize Poland through these reflections from a member of the League of German Girls and two German soldiers.
-
READING: Difficult Choices in Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how two people in occupied Poland responded to the persecution and murder of Jews in their community.
-
READING: Dividing Poland and Its People, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis imposed their racial hierarchy on the people of Poland during the German occupation.
-
READING: Mocking World Leaders, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine excerpts from Hitler's speech to the Reichstag in 1939 in which he set forth his vision of the world's future.
-
READING: Seizing Property, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Nazi Germany’s system of collecting, cataloging, and redistributing the possessions of prisoners in ghettos and camps.
-
READING: Targeting Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Get insight into the German public opinion on Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 with these primary source excerpts.
-
READING: The War Against Poland: Speed and Brutality, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine how Nazi Germany's army waged war against Poland, targeting both the Polish army and the people of Poland.
-
READING: The War on Jews in Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Build your understanding of the Nazis' devastating treatment of the Jews in Poland during the German occupation.
- SPECIAL FOCUS: Remembering the German Invasion of Poland, USHMM
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent (10:54), Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Roman Kent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1925. He spent the war years in the Lodz ghetto and in the Auschwitz, Mertzbachtal, Dornau, and Flossenburg concentration camps. In 1946, he came to the United States with his brother. Once in America, he made a life for himself. He championed the needs of Holocaust survivors and of Righteous Gentiles. Roman was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, he became president of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee.
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SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Aron (Dereczynski) Derman (3:28), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Slonim, Poland.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Henia Bryer, Prisoner Number A26188 (43:22), Timeline Documentary
Henia Bryer lived in Radom, Poland when the Nazis invaded. She was sent to the Radom Ghetto, then Majdanek, Plaszow, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Bergen-Belsen. After the war, Bryer was reunited with her mother and lived in France and Israel before she met her husband Maurice and moved with him to South Africa. Now in her 80s, she fears younger generations lack knowledge of the Holocaust. "I had an operation once and the anaesthetist comes and looks at [the tattoo on] my arm and he says, 'What is this?' And I said, 'That's from Auschwitz.' And he said, 'Auschwitz, what was that?' And that was a young man, a qualified doctor," she says.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Mala Tribich (22:51), TEDxCourtauldInstitute
Born Mala Helfgott in 1930 in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland. When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, Mala’s family fled eastwards. When they returned, Mala’s family had to move into the ghetto which was established in her hometown, the first in Poland. The family decided that it would be safer for Mala and her cousin, Idzia Klein, to be taken to the city of Częstochowa to try to pass as Christian children and stay there until the deportations were over. Mala eventually returned to the ghetto and was deported to Bergen-Belsen. where she was liberated.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Politische Pole-Jude, The Story of Pinchas Gutter (1:10:08), Hebrew University/YouTube
Pinchas Gutter was born in Lodz and was 7 years old when the war broke out. After his father was brutally beaten by Nazis in Lodz, he fled with his family to what they thought was safety in Warsaw. From there, Pinchas and his family were incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto for three and a half years – until April 1943, the time of the ghetto uprising. The family was then deported to the Majdanek concentration camp. Pinchas was imprisoned in numerous slave labor camps and, towards the end of the war he was forced on a death march which he barely survived. He was liberated by the Russians from Theresiensdat on May 8, 1945 and was later taken to Britain with other children for rehabilitation. Sixty years later, Pinchas returns to the sites of his childhood where he tells the story of his past.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: William (Welek) Luksenburg (1:38), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Poland.
- The Eastern Front: Photographs as Propaganda, Yad Vashem
- The Holocaust-Economic Exploitation, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
- The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, August 23, 1939, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Soviet Union and the Eastern Front, USHMM
-
TIMELINE MAP: War, Persecutions, and Mass Killings, Montreal Holocaust Museum
Begins September 1, 1939 through November 11, 1942 and the invasion of Vichy, France.
-
VIDEO: A Sinister Alliance: Soviet-German Relations 1939-1941 (4:59), Facing History and Ourselves
Joshua Rubenstein, author and associate at Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, details the relationship between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the decade before World War II.
-
VIDEO: German Invasion of Poland in 1939 (20:09), YouTube
1943 War Department film by the Signal Corps.
-
VIDEO: Germany Invades Poland (2:18), USHMM
Historical film footage from the Imperial War Museum.
-
VIDEO: Germany Invades Poland (8:03), YouTube
Taken from the U.S. government film, "The World at War."
-
VIDEO: Haya-Lea Detinko (Russia)-Surviving Stalin’s Gulag (17:19), Centropa
Haya-Lea was born in Rovno, Poland. She grew up in a traditional Jewish family. But when the Soviets took eastern Poland in September 1939, she was sentenced to hard labor in Siberia.
-
VIDEO: Mieczyslaw Weinryb (Poland)-My Town of Zamosc (7:17), Centropa
The story of a group of Zionist friends in Zamosc and their fates during, and after the war.
-
VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (39:04), USHMM
This 40-minute film tells Gerda Weissmann’s account of surviving the Holocaust, based off her book All but My Life. It was produced in 1995 by HBO and the Museum to commemorate the the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
-
VIDEO: The Conspiracy Theory of World War II (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf explores the place antisemitism held in Nazi propaganda, addressing the question of why this phenomenon assumed genocidal proportions between 1941 and 1945.
-
VIDEO: The Fall of Warsaw (1:06), USHMM
Historical film footage from the National Archives.
-
VIDEO: The Last Generation-Poland (40:16), Journeyman Pictures, YouTube
Zabno, a small town in Southern Poland, was a haven for Jewish families until WWII broke out. In this moving report, we hear the disturbing stories of people who experienced Nazi cruelty first hand and see just how fresh the wounds left by the Final Solution still are.
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (4/7): War and Territorial Expansion (1:33), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- VIDEO: World War II: Crash Course World History (13:11), PBS Learning Media
- World War II History, BBC
-
World War II in Depth, USHMM
Provides a great overview of the military aspect of World War II.
- World War II in Europe, USHMM
- Invasion of Poland
- Britain’s “Phony” Start to the Second World War, The Imperial War Museum
- IMAGE: Exhibit on Germany’s Colonization of Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
- Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939, USHMM
- Jews in Nazi-Occupied Countries: Poland, Jewish Virtual Library
-
Nazi Invasion of Poland in 1939, University of Wisconsin
Images and Documents from the Harrison Forman Collection,
- Nazi Occupation Case Study: Poland, The Holocaust Explained
- PHOTOS: World War II Erupts: Color Photos From the Invasion of Poland, 1939, LIFE.com
-
Primary Document: Address by Adolf Hitler to Reichstag, September 1, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
-
PRIMARY DOCUMENT: Proclamation by Adolf Hitler to the German Army, September 1, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
-
Primary Document: Proclamation by Adolf Hitler to the German People, September 3, 1939, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
-
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS: Great Britain’s Response to Germany’s Invasion of Poland, Yale Law School
Part of the Avalon Project.
-
READING: Colonizing Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the Nazis' plan to rearrange the population of Poland, which resulted in the displacement of more than a million ethnic Poles and Jews.
-
READING: Cultural Missionaries, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider what German citizens thought of Hitler's plan to colonize Poland through these reflections from a member of the League of German Girls and two German soldiers.
-
READING: Difficult Choices in Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Consider how two people in occupied Poland responded to the persecution and murder of Jews in their community.
-
READING: Dividing Poland and Its People, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the Nazis imposed their racial hierarchy on the people of Poland during the German occupation.
-
READING: Targeting Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Get insight into the German public opinion on Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 with these primary source excerpts.
-
READING: The War Against Poland: Speed and Brutality, Facing History and Ourselves
Examine how Nazi Germany's army waged war against Poland, targeting both the Polish army and the people of Poland.
-
READING: The War on Jews in Poland, Facing History and Ourselves
Build your understanding of the Nazis' devastating treatment of the Jews in Poland during the German occupation.
- SPECIAL FOCUS: Remembering the German Invasion of Poland, USHMM
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: A Survivor’s Journey, The Life of Roman Kent (10:54), Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Roman Kent was born in Lodz, Poland in 1925. He spent the war years in the Lodz ghetto and in the Auschwitz, Mertzbachtal, Dornau, and Flossenburg concentration camps. In 1946, he came to the United States with his brother. Once in America, he made a life for himself. He championed the needs of Holocaust survivors and of Righteous Gentiles. Roman was appointed by President Obama to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, he became president of The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Treasurer of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, and President of the International Auschwitz Committee.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Aron (Dereczynski) Derman (3:28), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Slonim, Poland.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Henia Bryer, Prisoner Number A26188 (43:22), Timeline Documentary
Henia Bryer lived in Radom, Poland when the Nazis invaded. She was sent to the Radom Ghetto, then Majdanek, Plaszow, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Bergen-Belsen. After the war, Bryer was reunited with her mother and lived in France and Israel before she met her husband Maurice and moved with him to South Africa. Now in her 80s, she fears younger generations lack knowledge of the Holocaust. "I had an operation once and the anaesthetist comes and looks at [the tattoo on] my arm and he says, 'What is this?' And I said, 'That's from Auschwitz.' And he said, 'Auschwitz, what was that?' And that was a young man, a qualified doctor," she says.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Mala Tribich (22:51), TEDxCourtauldInstitute
Born Mala Helfgott in 1930 in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland. When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, Mala’s family fled eastwards. When they returned, Mala’s family had to move into the ghetto which was established in her hometown, the first in Poland. The family decided that it would be safer for Mala and her cousin, Idzia Klein, to be taken to the city of Częstochowa to try to pass as Christian children and stay there until the deportations were over. Mala eventually returned to the ghetto and was deported to Bergen-Belsen. where she was liberated.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: Politische Pole-Jude, The Story of Pinchas Gutter (1:10:08), Hebrew University/YouTube
Pinchas Gutter was born in Lodz and was 7 years old when the war broke out. After his father was brutally beaten by Nazis in Lodz, he fled with his family to what they thought was safety in Warsaw. From there, Pinchas and his family were incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto for three and a half years – until April 1943, the time of the ghetto uprising. The family was then deported to the Majdanek concentration camp. Pinchas was imprisoned in numerous slave labor camps and, towards the end of the war he was forced on a death march which he barely survived. He was liberated by the Russians from Theresiensdat on May 8, 1945 and was later taken to Britain with other children for rehabilitation. Sixty years later, Pinchas returns to the sites of his childhood where he tells the story of his past.
-
SURVIVOR TESTIMONY: William (Welek) Luksenburg (1:38), USHMM
Survivor describes the invasion of Poland.
- The Eastern Front: Photographs as Propaganda, Yad Vashem
- The Holocaust-Economic Exploitation, Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team
-
VIDEO: German Invasion of Poland in 1939 (20:09), YouTube
1943 War Department film by the Signal Corps.
-
VIDEO: Germany Invades Poland (2:18), USHMM
Historical film footage from the Imperial War Museum.
-
VIDEO: Germany Invades Poland (8:03), YouTube
Taken from the U.S. government film, "The World at War."
-
VIDEO: Haya-Lea Detinko (Russia)-Surviving Stalin’s Gulag (17:19), Centropa
Haya-Lea was born in Rovno, Poland. She grew up in a traditional Jewish family. But when the Soviets took eastern Poland in September 1939, she was sentenced to hard labor in Siberia.
-
VIDEO: Mieczyslaw Weinryb (Poland)-My Town of Zamosc (7:17), Centropa
The story of a group of Zionist friends in Zamosc and their fates during, and after the war.
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VIDEO: One Survivor Remembers (39:04), USHMM
This 40-minute film tells Gerda Weissmann’s account of surviving the Holocaust, based off her book All but My Life. It was produced in 1995 by HBO and the Museum to commemorate the the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
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VIDEO: The Fall of Warsaw (1:06), USHMM
Historical film footage from the National Archives.
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VIDEO: The Last Generation-Poland (40:16), Journeyman Pictures, YouTube
Zabno, a small town in Southern Poland, was a haven for Jewish families until WWII broke out. In this moving report, we hear the disturbing stories of people who experienced Nazi cruelty first hand and see just how fresh the wounds left by the Final Solution still are.
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VIDEO: What is the Holocaust? (4/7): War and Territorial Expansion (1:33), Yad Vashem, Holocaust Education Video Toolbox
What is the Holocaust? Who were its victims? When did it occur? What were the ghettos, and why were they established? How did the “Final Solution” evolve? Dr. David Silberklang offers a clear and concise introductory answer to these complex questions. Dr. David Silberklang is Senior Historian and Editor of Yad Vashem Studies, International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Nazi Rise to Power (1933) Part 3: Separation, Exclusion, and Expulsion (1933-1939) Part 4: War and Territorial Expansion (1939-1941) Part 5: “Operation Barbarossa” – Systematic Murder Begins (1941) Part 6: The “Final Solution” Coalesces (1941-1942) Part 7: Perfecting Industrial Murder (1942-1945)
- Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
- German Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Encyclopedia Britannica
- German-Soviet Pact, USHMM
- MAP: Europe and the Middle East 1941, Facing History and Ourselves
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MAP: The Growth of Nazi Germany, Facing History and Ourselves
Between 1933 and 1939, Greater Germany expanded significantly as the result of the Third Reich’s annexations and conquests in Eastern Europe.
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READING: A Pact with the Soviet Union, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about the non-aggression pact forged by Hitler and Stalin in 1939, the pact's secret clauses, and the role of propaganda.
- The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, August 23, 1939, Jewish Virtual Library
- The Soviet Union and the Eastern Front, USHMM
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VIDEO: A Sinister Alliance: Soviet-German Relations 1939-1941 (4:59), Facing History and Ourselves
Joshua Rubenstein, author and associate at Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian studies, details the relationship between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the decade before World War II.
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VIDEO: The Conspiracy Theory of World War II (5:40), Yad Vashem
Prof. Jeffrey Herf explores the place antisemitism held in Nazi propaganda, addressing the question of why this phenomenon assumed genocidal proportions between 1941 and 1945.
- The Finances of War
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READING: Reaping the Benefits of War, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn how the German government exploited the wealth and resources of occupied countries during World War II.
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READING: Seizing Property, Facing History and Ourselves
Learn about Nazi Germany’s system of collecting, cataloging, and redistributing the possessions of prisoners in ghettos and camps.