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Horrible conditions in concentration camps
Horrible conditions in concentration camps
Holocaust internment camps
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Concentration camps were constructed for mass killings. Digging deeper into the methods of murder they used, there’s more to it than gas chambers, starvation, and overwork. The medical experiments were a major factor in the massive death toll in the concentration camps. Today doctors strive to keep people healthy and alive. For Nazi doctors Joseph Mengele, Karl Clauberg, and Sigmund Rascherat, the ones responsible for countless deaths, that was not their number one priority. Nazi doctors in the concentration camps conducted inhumane experiments such as examining twins, sterilization of men and women, and the freezing of people. When prisoners arrived at the camps, they probably expected the worst. For the twins however, life in the camps …show more content…
wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Twins were allowed to keep their hair and sometimes their clothes (Remember.org, 4). Being a twin gave them a better chance of surviving (Lifton, 351). Even though the experiments were cruel and barbarous, they offered an escape from the harsh camp (Lifton, 354). Twins lived in special buildings, such as the medical blocks. Unlike normal prisoners, twins were able to move freely throughout camp. Within the blocks, the father of a set of twins would be assigned block chief (Lifton, 348). Young female twins were lucky in a way since their mother was allowed to stay with them. The reasoning behind this is, Joseph Mengele, the mad man behind these experiments, wanted them in stable mental and physical condition (Lifton, 349). No matter how healthy they were, nothing could prepare the twins for what was to come. The Nazi’s thought that twins were the key to discovering a way to quickly increase the German race. Doctors hoped to uncover the secret to multiple births (Pbs.org, 3). In order to conduct experiments, Mengele needed twins. He exploited easy access to twins at Auschwitz and was a fanatical figure in the selection (Lifton, 348). In 1944, 250 individual twins arrived in Birkenau (Lifton, 349). The selection process began with Mengele shouting, “Zwillinge heraus!”, which means twins in German. Once rounded up, they were each given a number sequence on their arm (Lifton, 348). Identical twins were the ones Mengele wished for the most, as they were his most treasured research objects (Lifton, 349). Although the experiments sound like Nazi’s tourtering prisoners without any medical knowledge, there was a method to the madness. Mengele’s method was based off of scientific training, Nazi ideology, and the peculiarities at Auschwitz’s setting (Lifton, 347). When twins were examined, they were examined together and naked (Lifton, 349-350). Measurements of every part of their body were taken (Remember,org, 4). Each session, ten cubic centimeters of blood were drawn and during the first examinations the family history of the twins was taken (Lifton, 350). Today we can look at an actual experiment performed on a set of identical Hungarian twins. Selection began in 1943 when three sets of twins arrived at Auschwitz. Dr. Mengele saw the Hungarian set and took them (Remember.org, 4). They were 18 year old men and described as very handsome and athletic. Examination began right away with their heads, which took several days. Next photographs were taken to show hair growth. The most dangerous thing done to them while they were alive was being ventilated with gas. They coughed so severely, restraints were needed to hold them down. After the gas, they were placed into hot water up until the point of passing out and then all their hair was removed; more photographs were taken. The Hungarian twins were killed the same way as every other set that made it to the end of the experiments. A syringe of chloroform was injected into their hearts. Mengele was very careful to make sure the twins died at the exact same time. Once no longer alive, they were dissected and their organs were sent to the Institute of Biological Racial and Evolutionary Research Berlin (Remember. Org, 4). Dissection of the corpses was the last part of Mengele’s twin research (Lifton, 350). These experiments were drastic. Of the 1,000 pairs experimented on, only 200 pairs survived (Pbs.org, 3). Sadly, this was not the end of cruel Nazi medical experiments; sterilization of prisoners was also very important to the Germans. Sterilization: surgery to make a person unable to produce offspring.
The main goal of sterilization was to discover a rapid, inexpensive, and unobtrusive method to wipe out Russians, Poles, Jews, and other races (Berenbaum, 347). Nazis hoped to sterilize millions with minimum time and effort (Pbs.org, 5). Even though a method already existed, surgical sterilization, doctors thought it was too slow and expensive. These experiments occurred in camps such as Auschwitz and Ravensbruck (Berenbaum, 247). There were mainly two doctors known for sterilization, Gebhardt and Clauberg. Gebhardt worked at Ravensbruck by the surgical method. The method Clauberg used was by an injection. Dr. Karl Clauberg conducted it on a large scale (Berenbaum, 348). He was the main man for sterilization (Lifton, 271). Although the doctors knew how they wanted to sterilize, a formula had to be developed. Since Dr. Clauberg was the head of these experiments, he developed his own formula, but he was very secretive about the substances he used. Researchers today assume he used formalin and novocain (Lifton, 271-272). Formalin is a clear watery solution of methanol used as a preservative. Novocain, also known as procaine, is a local anesthetic drug used as a sodium channel blocker. This impairs the conduction of sodium ions. This injection was done in three stages over a few months. Unfortunately, Clauberg used over 300 women over the course of his work (Lifton, 272). Not just women had to face the horrors …show more content…
of Dr. Clauberg, thousands of male Jews and Gypsies were sterilized at Auschwitz by injection. Later on, doctors discovered a brand new method, x rays. This way was effective, but castration would result. There were also dangers to other parts of the body if not covered by lead (Berenbaum, 348). Even though the Nazi doctor’s main goal was to sterilize, other issues occured. Thousands who were sterilized suffered excruciating mental and physical pain (Pbs.org, 5). Fever also overtook many victims. Some prisoners were very resistant but many feared what would happen if they were. Prisoners who resisted were sent to the gas chamber at Birkenau (Lifton, 272). Knowing each day what would be done to them by Clauberg caused them to be overcome with fear and anxiety (Lifton, 273). Of course sterilization was extremely painful and killed many people, but the freezing experiments were the most painful experiments the Nazi’s conducted. A problem Germany had during World War II was when their pilots in planes had to eject into the ocean, they would die from hypothermia. Nazi’s number one goal was to discover a way to treat frozen German pilots (Pbs.org, 2). These experiments were designed to simulate conditions on the eastern front and were conducted for the Nazi high command. Some camps had the perfect weather conditions; Birkenau, Dachau, and Auschwitz (Remember.org, 2). Two methods used were an icy vat of water and using the sub-zero temperatures outside.
Each experiment was divided into two parts. The first part, Sigmund established how long it took for body temperature to lower to death. During the second part he tried to find the best way to revive the frozen person. Through tests, Sigmund figured the icy vat method was the quickest way to drop body temperature (Remember.org, 2). Before the prisoners were placed in the icy vat, they were either given an aviator suit or wore nothing at all. They were each in the vat for up to five hours at a time. Once their body temperature fell to 79.7 degrees fahrenheit, Sigmund would throw hot sleeping bags or use scalding baths to rewarm them (Pbs.org). The second method was conducted outdoors. Dr. Sigmund strapped prisoners to a stretcher and placed them outside. Auschwitz was one of the most ideal places for experiments outside because of the extreme winters. Eventually after suffering in the cold for hours, most victims lost consciousness and died once their body temperature dropped (Remember.org, 2). Throughout the whole experiment, Dr. Sigmund was constantly measuring the changes in heart rate, body temperature, and muscles flexes (Pbs.org, 2). Although not many survived, there is a documented experiment done on two men. These men were both from Russia and once at the camp they were both sent to the icy vat. A long time after being submerged in the vat, neither of the men were losing consciousness.
Realizing not much was happening, Dr. Sigmund lowered the temperature. Shortly after this, both of them passed away. Everyone apart of this experiment were shocked at how long they lasted (Remember.org, 2). All in all, 80 to 100 people died due to these freezing experiments conducted in icy vats or in sub-zero temperatures (Pbs.org). Nazi doctors were ruthless and would’ve done anything for the name of science. No matter how many people they killed, they were determined to get rid of the Jews, Gypsies, and other races. Even examining masses of twins, attempting to sterilize millions of men and women, and pushing the human body to as cold as it could go. These medical experiments caused hundreds of deaths and gives the title doctor a dark background.
There are unexpected aspects of life in the camp depicted in “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlement” by Tadeusz Borowski. The prisoners were able to make very obvious improvements to their lived in the camp, without reaction by the SS officers; the market was even made with the support of the camp. The prisoners actually hoped for a transport of prisoners, so as to gain some supplies. The true nature of the camp is never forgotten, even in better moments at the camp.
The living conditions were appalling. The conditions were OK as a concentration camp, however as more prisoners came, it drastically worsened. There was “overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, the lack of adequate...
The living conditions in the camp were rough. The prisoners were living in an overcrowded pit where they were starved. Many people in the camp contracted diseases like typhus and scarlet fever. Commonly, the prisoners were beaten or mistreated by
The first action that was done upon arrival, at the concentration camp, was the split men and women. The “Men to the left! Women to the right!”. Multiple people did not know that this was the “moment in time” where they would never see their mothers or sisters again. On page 29 it says “I didn’t know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever.” The first action they did was split families apart.
The sleeping arrangement were poor. Their bed was made from thin straw and cardboard, they had old blankets (38). Early in the morning, prisoner are awoken and rush into the freezing cold in order to get morning bread. Prisoners think that the people next to them have a bigger piece of bread they will trade it. But in reality, the piece are almost the same size. In Monowitz-Buna concentration camp, bread is money to prisoners, there a lot of bargaining and trading happening
They were taken to Auschwitz, out of Birkenau.... ... middle of paper ... ... Five or six of my fellow campers were stuck in my bunk during work one day and the only noise there was was one of us groaning and occasionally a poor fellow running to the toilet to vomit. “I could see that he was still breathing spasmodically.”
(It should be noted that when describing hardships of the concentration camps, understatements will inevitably be made. Levi puts it well when he says, ?We say ?hunger?, we say ?tiredness?, ?fear?, ?pain?, we say ?winter? and they are different things. They are free words, created and used by free men who lived in comfort and suffering in their homes. If the Lagers had lasted longer a new, harsh language would have been born; only this language could express what it means to toil the whole day?? (Levi, 123).)
During the Holocaust, the Nazis carried out many unethical medical experiments on patients without regard for their survival. Prisoners were forced to be subjects in various studies against their will. The Nazis’ victims went through indescribable pain as they were forced through high-altitude, freezing, tuberculosis, sea water, sulfanilamide, poison, and transplant experiments. Through these tragic Holocaust experiments, scientists and doctors discovered treatments used today for high-altitude sickness, hypothermia, contagious diseases, dehydration, poisoning, and war wounds.
Epstein shows the process that the majority of Jews were being put through, such as the medical examinations, medical experimentations, gas chambers and crematoriums. Medical examinations were used to determine if the Jews were healthy enough to work. Dr. Mengele used the Jews as “lab rats” and performed many experiments such as a myriad of drug testing and different surgeries. The gas chamber was a room where Jews were poisoned to death with a preparation of prussic acid, called Cyclo...
While being in Concentration Camps, Jews had no control over anything. Some Jewish inmates were selected to do various experiments. They did not volunteer for these experiments. They were chosen. They had to participate in the experiment or they would be killed. In addition, if they were picked, most experiments resulted in death or a permanent disability and not many survived. The Jews also had no idea what they were in for as the experiments were for the Nazi doctors who wanted to learn how they could help better their army and learn about illness and injury treatment through these often gross and volger experiments. The Nazi’s condiucted over 30 different experiments. There were only 7,000 Jewish victims documented that were killed, but there were many more people that died from these experiments. One of the worst and most known experiments were the twin experiments. Of the 1,000 pairs of twins that were experimented on in these concentration camps, only about 200 survived. Forty years later, only a few twins that were experimented on could be found in the United States.
Living conditions in these camps were absolutely horrible. The amount of people being kept in one space, amongst being unsanitary, was harsh on the body.
Being confined in a concentration camp was beyond unpleasant. Mortality encumbered the prisons effortlessly. Every day was a struggle for food, survival, and sanity. Fear of being led into the gas chambers or lined up for shooting was a constant. Hard labor and inadequate amounts of rest and nutrition took a toll on prisoners. They also endured beatings from members of the SS, or they were forced to watch the killings of others. “I was a body. Perhaps less than that even: a starved stomach. The stomach alone was aware of the passage of time” (Night Quotes). Small, infrequent, rations of a broth like soup left bodies to perish which in return left no energy for labor. If one wasn’t killed by starvation or exhaustion they were murdered by fellow detainees. It was a survival of the fittest between the Jews. Death seemed to be inevitable, for there were emaciated corpses lying around and the smell...
In his book This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, Tadeusz Borowski shows how the conditions and situations that the prisoners were put through made them make a choice that most humans never face. The choice of compassion and concern for ones fellow man or only loving and caring for one’s self. This may sound harsh people, but after seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling the things they did in camp, it was the only way to survive physically and mentally. The narrator in the book makes the decision numerous times and suffers from these choices as he
Prisoners and Jews taken during the war were forcibly relocated to areas with “no prepared lodging or sanitary facilities and little food for them” (Tucker). Often said the people were simply being held prisoner, many of them died; some from the brutality of the German soldiers and others through methods for mass killing (Tucker). The labor camps in the novel are based off of this concept; people being taken to an area with poor treatment and then being killed. Towards the beginning of the novel, June believes students who fail the trial go to labor camps and are never seen again (Lu 8). Later in the novel, Day enlightens June about the labor camps by telling her “the only labor camps are the morgues in hospital basements” (Lu 205). In both the labor camps featured in Legend and World War II prison camps, the people are told they are being taken away when in reality they are killed. Furthermore, in the Nazi Germany prison camps the people were living in poor conditions up until their death, similar to the individuals in the novel who were experimented on for the benefit of the military. The portrayal of labor camps as similar to wartime prison camps points out the brutality of the government towards its citizens, as well as, the way leaders tell lies to cover their unethical
Childbirth was not a safe thing in those days. The Vienna General Hospital, along wit...