The holocaust
The Holocaust was one of the worst things to happen in our history. It happened while Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany during World War II. Millions people were killed by Nazi powers controlled by Hitler. The majority of these people were Jewish, six million, but also included Catholics, Polish people, Serbs, and handicapped people. Hitler wanted to create the perfect race of humans and the Jewish people just didn't meet his standards. Even before World War II started Hitler blamed Jewish people for the loss of World War I, and the Great Depression of Germany. The Holocaust was a Jewish genocide. It all started with Hitler made laws removing Jews, Pols from their homes and soon their cities They were not meant to be with the general population. From there, they were place in concentration camps. At concentration camp, also known as an extermination camp late in World War II, they were forced into slave labor until exhaustion, starvation, or disease killed them. The goals of these camps was simply to execute as many as possible. Many experiments were preformed on people. Many times, twins were operated on. Sometimes they were sewn together to see how their organs would react. If one twin died, the other was killed as well.
Here a Holocaust survivor displays a tattoo that SS soldiers gave him at his arrival at the concentration camp Auschwitz, a very brutal camp. This was a way of identification. This number was also sewn onto their uniform.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/the-holocaust/?_php=true&_&_r=0
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/the-holocaust/?_php=true&_&_r=0
Auschwitz
One of the more notorious camps was Auschwitz. Just like all the other concentration camps, Auschwitz was to exterminate anyone who was Jewish, Czech, Polish, Romani, homosexual or handicapped. These prisoners arrived by train. They came from all over; no matter how long the ride, no food, drink, or bathrooms were provided. Upon arrival, many people were immediately sent to the gas chamber. These people had to records of being at the camp. If you were not instantly sent to the gas chambers, you were forced into slave labor. Like the photo above, they were given their serial number and a uniforms that were stripped. Usually, they died within the first six months of disease, exhaustion, starvation, torture, or execution. The types of execution were shooting, hanging or gassing. Before their death, there were house in one-story buildings and more than not, slept on the floor. The washing stations were usually unsanitary. The "work" that they had to do was done without equipment. These tasks were earth moving, jobs in factories, mining, or construction. Also, moving bricks at a face pace was common. Any attempt to rest the prisoner was punished by transfer to special penal units where conditions were so very bad that few who experienced them survived. Oddly enough, after work, roll was taken. After roll, it was meal time. During this time, a small piece of bread, margarine, and a very small portion of pork. Another popular trend was death marches. During this prisoners were forced to march for any amount of time. It could go for days or a week. Many people died during this. Auschwitz was very notorious for its gas chambers because the prisoners were told it was a shower. It has the most brutal punishments and conditions. http://www.deathcamps.org/occupation/auschwitz.html
Belzec
This camp was divided into three sections; the administration, barracks and storage. It had a murder program that start wants the prisoners arrived, a lot like Auschwitz. This camp was very small, unlike Auschwitz. There were many gas chambers as well as burial pits. The people were divided into groups of men, women and children where they were forced to take off their clothes and were
shaved. Just like other camps, punishments were very brutal. Before they went to work, they were told they were going to shower and be disinfected. From there, they were actually escorted into the gas chambers. The majority of the people at this camp were Jewish. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Belzectoc.html
shaved. Just like other camps, punishments were very brutal. Before they went to work, they were told they were going to shower and be disinfected. From there, they were actually escorted into the gas chambers. The majority of the people at this camp were Jewish. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Belzectoc.html
Janowska
Almost all the camps had the same routine. The major goal was to kill the people that attended the camp. At this concentration camp, Polish Jews were the main focus. Slave labor was a major part. This camp was very similar to Auschwitz. Those fit to work remained at Janowska for forced labor. The majority rejected as unfit for work, were deported to Belzec or were killed right then and there. Gas chambers digused as showers were another way of exterminating the people that "weren't worthy of life." http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Janowska.html