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The history of the holocaust essay
The history of the holocaust essay
Accounts of the Holocaust
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Approximately six million Jews died during the holocaust, which was two-thirds of the Jewish population at the time of World War Two. This catastrophe is considered to be one of the most deplorable events caused by the human race itself and will live on for eternity. Often people hear the miraculous stories about survival and escape. However, it is unlikely for one to hear a story of rescue due to the high security surrounding the camps. Many prisoners had no hope of finding refuge and were often destined for the gas chambers. However, one man was able to save nearly two thousand Jews by simply knowing how to play both sides properly. His name is Rudolf Kastner. On the surface Rudolf Kastner appears to be a selfless man who devoted many years of his life aiding Jews before and during the Holocaust. While Kastner portrays a good-natured journalist on the surface, he is highly controversial in the Jewish community based on his bias towards Jews that could afford to pay him the large sums of money for their freedom. His inability to think of others prior to himself adds to his repertoire of poor personality traits and greedy decisions. Rudolf Kastner exemplifies all of the characteristics of an insufficient leader due to his selfish tendencies, lack of concern for others, and arrogant personality. In 1906,
A loving person has established a personality that puts others before themselves and does not make decisions simply because it will benefit them. Rudolf Kaster is not a person that would be categorized as loving in any way, shape, or form. He has been described as self righteous and snobby on multiple accounts, most of which were comments from his family and friends. He also did not show any sympathy for the Jews that he promised to save but had failed to follow through on this assurance. He did not care what happened to these innocent people as long as he appeared to be the hero in the
As a Christian, he felt like it was his duty to protect the Jews. He was so engaged in his faith that Lutz decided to help the Jews who surrounded his office everyday to seek for his protection. Lutz cared for many Jewish refugees in Hungary from many nations and Jews under British and Palestine interests. For example, his faith had already helped 10,0000 Jews emigrate to Palestine ("Carl Lutz," The International). The opened-heart he gained allowed him to save the Jews despite of his religion, country, and race. Even though he is a Christian, he sacrificed his life to save the Jews who had different practices and ideas from his. Although he is a Swiss and was from a different country, he knew the Nazis committed wrong, unlawful actions because life is valuable. As the same for the Jews, Christians had been persecuted for the past years and these persecutions killed both infant, young, and old people. God had hardened Lutz
There are many heroic individuals in history that have shown greatness during a time of suffering ,as well as remorse when greatness is needed, but one individual stood out to me above them all. He served as a hero among all he knew and all who knew him. This individual, Simon Wiesenthal, deserves praise for his dedication to his heroic work tracking and prosecuting Nazi war criminals that caused thousands of Jews, Gypsies, Poles and other victims of the Holocaust to suffer and perish.
His exposure to the criminal acts of his oppressors changed his whole personality. All he cared about was protecting the other Jews from experiencing the same things he did.
The Holocaust will forever be known as one of the largest genocides ever recorded in history. 11 million perished, and 6 million of the departed were Jewish. The concentration camps where the prisoners were held were considered to be the closest one could get to a living hell. There is no surprise that the men, women, and children there were afraid. One is considered blessed to have a family member alongside oneself.
" The businessman, Oskar Schindler, demonstrated a powerful example of a man who was moved emotionally to step in and take action to save the lives of the Jewish people. His bravery still commands great respect today. His role shows the great significance of speaking up against injustice and choosing not to be silent.
“He’s the man who’s lived through hell without every hating. Who’s been exposed to the most depraved aspects of human nature but still manages to find love, to believe in God, to experience joy.” This was a quote said by Oprah Winfrey during her interview with Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor. No person who has not experienced the Holocaust and all its horrors could ever relate to Elie Wiesel. He endured massive amounts of torture, physically, mentally, and emotionally just because he was a Jew.
The Holocaust was the genocide of approximately six million people of innocent Jewish decent by the Nazi government. The Holocaust was a very tragic time in history due to the idealism that people were taken from their surroundings, persecuted and murdered due to the belief that German Nazi’s were superior to Jews. During the Holocaust, many people suffered both physically and mentally. Tragic events in people’s lives cause a change in their outlook on the world and their future. Due to the tragic events that had taken place being deceased in their lives, survivors often felt that death was a better option than freedom.
Karl disregarded any of his parent’s feelings on the subject; consequently, his father was afraid to speak in his presence. In this case, it resulted in the end of his church services and any relationship with his father. Wiesenthal states, “But it turned out differently; I joined the Hitler Youth, and that of course was the end of the Church for me” (Wiesenthal 31). Based on this evidence, one can conclude that Karl’s dedication to the Hitler Youth was far greater than his beliefs in God. In addition, Karl showed no remorse for defying his parents and continued to alienate himself from his father, first when he joined the Hitler Youth and later when he joined the SS. Wiesenthal states, “When the war broke out I volunteered, naturally in the SS” (Wiesenthal 32). This quotation shows that since he enthusiastically volunteered, Karl is a supporter of the murderous association of killers, known as the Youth League of the National Socialist Workers ' Party. For that matter, the fact that Karl had no moral courage makes him a murderer despite his Catholic
The movie “Schindler’s list” is a compelling, real-life depiction of the events that occurred during the 1940’s. It illustrates the persecution and horrific killings of the Jewish people. It also exemplifies the hope and will of the Jewish people, which undoubtedly is a factor in the survival of their race. The most important factor however is because of the willingness of one man, Oskar Schindler, to stand out and make a difference.
Only 7,000 emaciated survivors of a Nazi extermination process that killed an estimated six million Jews were found at Auschwitz” (Rice, Earle). Most of these deaths occurred towards the end of the war; however, there were still a lot of lives that had been miraculously spared. “According to SS reports, there were more than 700,000 prisoners left in the camps in January 1945. It has been estimated that nearly half of the total number of concentration camp deaths between 1933 and 1945 occurred during the last year of the war” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). The Holocaust was one of the most tragic events in the world’s history.
Holocaust Facts The Holocaust has many reasons for it. Some peoples’ questions are never answered about the Holocaust, and some answers are. The Holocaust killed over 6 million Jews (Byers.p.10.) Over 1.5 million children (Byers, p. 10). They were all sent to concentration camps to do hard labor work.
At what point does personal interest become more important than the safety of others? During the Holocaust, the Nazis were not the only group that advanced the Holocaust, and then the Final Solution. Bystanders, witnesses, passersby, and many other groups indirectly affected the victims of the Holocaust. The silence of these groups held the Jews in more jeopardy than their Nazi captors.
As early as age thirteen, we start learning about the Holocaust in classrooms and in textbooks. We learn that in the 1940s, the German Nazi party (led by Adolph Hitler) intentionally performed a mass genocide in order to try to breed a perfect population of human beings. Jews were the first peoples to be put into ghettos and eventually sent by train to concentration camps like Auschwitz and Buchenwald. At these places, each person was separated from their families and given a number. In essence, these people were no longer people at all; they were machines. An estimation of six million deaths resulting from the Holocaust has been recorded and is mourned by descendants of these people every day. There are, however, some individuals who claim that this horrific event never took place.
The Holocaust was one of the most tragic and trying times for the Jewish people. Hundreds of thousands of Jews and other minorities that the Nazis considered undesirable were detained in concentration camps, death camps, or labor camps. There, they were forced to work and live in the harshest of conditions, starved, and brutally murdered. Horrific things went on in Auschwitz and Majdenek during the Holocaust that wiped out approximately 1,378,000 people combined. “There is nothing that compares to the Holocaust.” –Fidel Castro