Holocaust Bystanders Essay

When individuals think about the Holocaust, most place the responsibility of the terrible events on the perpetrators. However, bystanders played one of the largest roles in the Holocaust (Evans, Carrell) simply by staying safe for way too long (Florida Center) and the world wants to make sure it never happens again (Shriver Jr., Donald W).

If the individuals, governments, and countries would have stood up for what they knew was right, the Holocaust would have ended before it did. Just like society now, we don't care about something if it doesn't directly impact us.

Background

A great deal of bystanders tried to stay ignorant to everything that was going on during the Holocaust. Although they knew what was going on, a handful overlooked it

Many of them say they were just minding their own business (Bystander in Relation) but according to Raul Hilberg, they had all of the clues right in front of them and made the choice to look past it. (Bystanders and Upstanders) Many saw the horrors then went right back to their dinners because they didn’t truly care (Shriver Jr.).

People that lived near the concentration camps remember the stench they smelled in the air from flesh burning as well as ashes and hair and bone fragments in the streets (Bystanders and Upstanders 15). You didn’t necessarily have to read the reports to know what was going on. Railroad employees also claimed to not know what was going on even though they maintained records and knew the tickets were one way (Bystanders and Upstanders 2). The outcome would have been less severe had they not ignored the events involving the

People lowered their responsibility because it had nothing to do with them or their families. They weren’t being tortured, so they were safe (Shriver 1). Even now our morals and values have declined because a large amount of society just doesn’t care anymore. (Bar-On 3) Martin Niemöller says:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the labor leaders, and I did not speak out because I was not a labor leader. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.

The quote solely describes the selfish nature of not only those that were bystanders, but those effected in the events of the Holocaust. Donald W. Shriver Jr. says that the “American government as well as people in Germany had no care for minority rights.” (Conscience and Complicity). People stood back because it had nothing to do with them so no one was standing up for the Jews. This type carelessness from society helped to further the events in the Holocaust.

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