Whether you are just beginning to learn about the
Holocaust or you are looking for more in-depth stories about the
subject, this page is for you. The beginner will find a glossary, a
timeline, a list of the camps, a map, and much more. Those more
knowledgeable about the topic will find interesting stories about spies
in the SS, detailed overviews of some of the camps, a history of the
yellow badge, medical experimentation, and much more. Please read,
learn, and remember.
Holocaust Basics
A yellow Star of David badge bearing the German word 'Jude' (Jew). (Photo courtesy USHMM)
This
is the perfect place for the beginner to start learning about the
Holocaust. Learn what the term "Holocaust" means, who the perpetrators
were, who the victims were, what happened in the camps, what is meant by
"Final Solution," and so much more.
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The Camps
Gate at the main entrance to Auschwitz. (Photo courtesy USHMM)
Although
the term "concentration camps" is often used to describe all Nazi
camps, there were actually a number of different kinds of camps,
including transit camps, forced-labor camps, and death camps. In some of
these camps there was at least a small chance to survive; while in
others, there was no chance at all. When and where were these camps
built? How many people were murdered in each one?
Ghettos
A child working at a machine in a Kovno Ghetto workshop. (Photo courtesy USHMM)
Pushed
out of their homes, Jews were then forced to move into tiny,
overcrowded quarters in a small section of the city. These areas,
cordoned off by walls and barbed wire, were known as ghettos. Learn what
life was really like in the ghettos, where each person was always
awaiting the dreaded call for "resettlement."
The Victims
Former prisoners of the "little camp" in Buchenwald. (Photo courtesy USHMM)
The
Nazis targeted Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Communists, twins, and the disabled. Some of these people tried to hide
from the Nazis, like Anne Frank and her family. A few were successful;
most were not. Those that were captured suffered sterilization, forced
resettlement, separation from family and friends, beatings, torture,
starvation, and/or death. Learn more about the victims of Nazi cruelty,
both the children and the adults.
Persecution
Official identification card bearing a large yellow star. (Photo courtesy USHMM)
Before
the Nazis began their mass slaughter of Jews, they created a number of
laws that separated Jews from society. Especially potent was the law
that forced all Jews to wear a yellow star upon their clothing. The
Nazis also made laws that made it illegal for Jews to sit or eat in
certain places and placed a boycott on Jewish-owned stores. Learn more
about the persecution of Jews before the death camps.
Resistance
Abba Kovner holding a gun. (Photo courtesy USHMM)
Many
people ask, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?" Well, they did. With
limited weapons and at a severe disadvantage, they found creative ways
to subvert the Nazi system. They worked with partisans in the forests,
fought to the last man in the Warsaw Ghetto, revolted at the Sobibor
death camp, and blew up gas chambers at Auschwitz. Learn more about the
resistance, both by Jews and non-Jews, to the Nazis.
Nazis
Adolf Hitler (Photo courtesy USHMM)
The
Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, were the perpetrators of the Holocaust.
They used their belief in Lebensraum as the excuse for their territorial
conquest and subjugation of people they categorized as "Untermenschen"
(inferior people). Find out more about Hitler, the swastika, the Nazis,
and what happened to them after the war.
Museums & Memorials
Pictures of Holocaust victims displayed at Yad Vashem. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
For
many people, history is a difficult thing to understand without a place
or an item to connect it with. Thankfully, there are a number of
museums that focus solely on collecting and displaying artifacts about
the Holocaust. There are also a number of memorials, located around the
world, that are dedicated to never forgetting the Holocaust or its
victims.
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Book & Movie Reviews
(Photo by John Woodworth/Getty Images)
Since
the end of the Holocaust, succeeding generations have striven to
understand how such a horrific event as the Holocaust could have taken
place. How could people be "so evil"? In an attempt to explore the
topic, you might consider reading some books or watching films about the
Holocaust. Hopefully these reviews will help you decide where to begin.
