Primo Levi “survival in Auschwitz”Essay Preview: Primo Levi “survival in Auschwitz”Report this essayEXAM QUESTION 1PART ASurvival in Auschwitz written by Primo Levi is a first-hand description of the atrocities which took place in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. The book provides an explicit depiction of camp life: the squalor, the insufficient food supply, the seemingly endless labour, cramped living space, and the barter-based economy which the prisoners lived. Levi through use of his simple yet powerful words outlined the motive behind Auschwitz, the tactical dehumanization and extermination of Jews. This paper will discuss experiences and reactions of Jews who labored in Auschwitz, and elaborate on the pre-Auschwitz experiences of Jews who were deported to Auschwitz and gassed to death on their arrival, which had not been included in Survival in Auschwitz.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp’s pre-Auschwitz experience
From the outset the extermination of Jews was a difficult but growing and sometimes complicated task. As the Soviet Union was struggling and desperate to be liberated, Jews were not given freedom and were forced to do not too often what was necessary to protect themselves and the local residents. In this particular case, even when they did not want it there was still work to be done. These were long hours and the men had not known a suitable environment to live in. And so their homes and businesses also remained closed off, leaving the residents only what they were told to do: run away from all that they saw. Many had already been killed and others had already been deported to Auschwitz.
As a rule, there was little to no social group, no business organisation, no organization to provide for the new settlers, no organisation to take care of the children or the women, to build new homes on old ruins, or to clean out the old rubbish which, they had in large measure to throw away, and a number of these work in all kinds of dangerous and dangerous conditions (see the Appendix below for further information on the Nazi camps, as well as on the conditions which existed in most of the other camps).[26] The Nazi concentration camp camps, however, had already been systematically cleansed of all those who had escaped; a number of men, some of whom were employed in the military, were forced to leave prison and the building occupied by prisoners, in the hopes that the camp they fled into would provide them to the government for re-establishment, and where they could then return to the country as needed.
- From March 1941 until December 1942, the majority of the German women were brought to this camp from Breslau by the SS, who were in the country to help them return to their home countries. The vast majority lived in these camps under conditions which prevented them from travelling the country or having families, and in certain instances, in extreme cases, were forced to live in extremely harsh conditions, and were at the mercy of the Germans.[27] The SS held this camp in the most extreme conditions imaginable, with an estimated total of about 3,000 women and children of the SS prisoners in all. The vast majority of these victims of the occupation died, either out of starvation, or from diseases which, in fact, most Germans had become infected with.[30] These were, among other horrific results, women from the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen, where a staggering 7,000 men, women, and children were kept on all kinds of food and toil, in complete secrecy.[31]
While the concentration camp was at the heart of Germany’s greatest tragedy in the war and for many years, the survivors of the “Rosen” massacre in October 1937 remained largely confined to the one surviving camp located under the “Rosenbuch”. The SS and the government of Poland, together with collaborators such as the Prussian military officers and war criminals who carried out the most horrendous crimes against them, often visited this camp to inspect it, gather evidence of its construction for their own prosecutions, and send the bodies to the Nazis at the Himmler camps to be sent to the Reichsmarschallr. This process of deportation lasted almost all of 1941, though on December 3 the Germans finally managed to have all of them released, though some of them were released a very near dozen months later.[32] The camp was also the concentration camp of the Nazi war criminals, as confirmed in later testimonies by a former resident.[33]
The camp which the German victims of “Rosenbosch” first appeared in were Auschwitz-Birkenau (later renamed Belsen-Eine), where they were held captive for over fifty-two months under the supervision of the SS. During that time, they were kept in a small apartment complex, with a wooden door, the inside of which were not normally open. The living quarters were mostly bare and covered with concrete walls that were very heavy, with only tiny windows and doorways on the side, but only a tiny window (often a tiny window at its lowest angle, in fact), and no openings for windows that were usually small windows.[34]
One of the most glaring examples of this in-house treatment is the number of the “Nachtwerk” (Nachtracht Nachtler), which were allowed to remain inside to watch the extermination of Jews during the period of “German rule” in October 1937.[35] Many of them were forced to stay with prisoners outside of the concentration camp, having to run a very hard labor line, work many unperformed and often on dangerous and dangerous jobs, and were also subjected to severe pressure pressure on the shoulders of their parents who would not allow them to leave their homes and become homeless.
The use of torture by the Nazis was on full display on September 18, 1944 to keep hundreds of female prisoners in concentration camps at a camp in the Eine in Oswestry,[36] where hundreds of women were tortured and raped. One elderly woman was kept in a cell for two days outside the camp at night with a rope tied over her back
The Nazis, in addition to the Jews, were the principal enemy of the Jewish community. Jews were persecuted and deported from the Jewish community in a number of places—including in France, in France’s territories, the Baltic, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.—where they were often massacred (and forced to return). This is no accident, as the Jews who were deported were far more likely to die during the Holocaust than are the Jewish victims who were executed by the military. After World War I Jewish concentration camps began to appear in much of Europe, including Poland and Italy.[27]
How Many Jews in the German Army Were Killed during World War I?
Before World War I, there were no recorded numbers for every Jewish group, but one-fifth to one-sixth of the German people were killed.[28] Of the millions of Jews, over one-fourth were killed by Allied forces and three-quarters, or some 25,000–56,000, were killed in the Holocaust.[9] The number of deaths in such camps is also a function of the total number of Jews killed there. In 1944–45, German statistics show that the number of Jews killed in all of the camps was 10 to 24 and that the number of Jews slaughtered during such events dropped from 613,200 to 790,600.[29]
There are numerous cases, such as that of the Red Cross-assisted German military camp in Krakow on Polish territory, where Allied forces slaughtered and ransacked 100,000 people.[30] German forces and the Red Cross are a separate, but parallel, organization to the United States National Guard. In March 1938, at least 70,000 people, mostly girls and women, died there as a result of the concentration camp bombings of the Polish Jewish community in the East. In September 1939, nearly half of those killed were girls and some 80,000 were killed during the war.
Nazi Groups and the Holocaust
Nazi groups can exist in all the countries in which Holocaust survivors meet:
Poland (1938–1941): The Nazis controlled 93 percent of Poland.[31]
Netherlands: The Nazi groups included at least 2,000 Nazi men and 1,500 of their children to make the Nazi Army.
Germany: Some 70,000 prisoners and 15,000 Jews perished in the Holocaust.[32]
Romania: The Nazi groups were also established by and for the Italian, Ottoman and French Muslim rulers of Romania, where the Nazis ruled most of the republic in the region. They were also founded in some Jewish states such as Yugoslavia.
The Nazis took power in 1940 and led Austria in an absolute fascist coup. In 1941, they abolished the Republic of Bohemia, and Austria went under the Communists (the Communists took power in October 1943 and the Nazis seized power in January 1945). Following that, Austria was divided into two provinces, each with its own state and population. The Germans began to govern the region as a republic using military force from 1941 to 1945, which took away most of its democratic rights, and later formed Nazi-controlled municipalities,[33] which, like most states, were still in full national power.
With Austria, the Nazis took power from then-President Alexander von Humboldt within two months of the annexation of Austria in 1921 and occupied an ethnically and culturally diverse state of Northern Europe, which included Northern Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Czech Republic.[34]
In April 1948 British Prime Minister Michael Howard was sent to Austria to negotiate a peace
The Nazis, in addition to the Jews, were the principal enemy of the Jewish community. Jews were persecuted and deported from the Jewish community in a number of places—including in France, in France’s territories, the Baltic, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.—where they were often massacred (and forced to return). This is no accident, as the Jews who were deported were far more likely to die during the Holocaust than are the Jewish victims who were executed by the military. After World War I Jewish concentration camps began to appear in much of Europe, including Poland and Italy.[27]
How Many Jews in the German Army Were Killed during World War I?
Before World War I, there were no recorded numbers for every Jewish group, but one-fifth to one-sixth of the German people were killed.[28] Of the millions of Jews, over one-fourth were killed by Allied forces and three-quarters, or some 25,000–56,000, were killed in the Holocaust.[9] The number of deaths in such camps is also a function of the total number of Jews killed there. In 1944–45, German statistics show that the number of Jews killed in all of the camps was 10 to 24 and that the number of Jews slaughtered during such events dropped from 613,200 to 790,600.[29]
There are numerous cases, such as that of the Red Cross-assisted German military camp in Krakow on Polish territory, where Allied forces slaughtered and ransacked 100,000 people.[30] German forces and the Red Cross are a separate, but parallel, organization to the United States National Guard. In March 1938, at least 70,000 people, mostly girls and women, died there as a result of the concentration camp bombings of the Polish Jewish community in the East. In September 1939, nearly half of those killed were girls and some 80,000 were killed during the war.
Nazi Groups and the Holocaust
Nazi groups can exist in all the countries in which Holocaust survivors meet:
Poland (1938–1941): The Nazis controlled 93 percent of Poland.[31]
Netherlands: The Nazi groups included at least 2,000 Nazi men and 1,500 of their children to make the Nazi Army.
Germany: Some 70,000 prisoners and 15,000 Jews perished in the Holocaust.[32]
Romania: The Nazi groups were also established by and for the Italian, Ottoman and French Muslim rulers of Romania, where the Nazis ruled most of the republic in the region. They were also founded in some Jewish states such as Yugoslavia.
The Nazis took power in 1940 and led Austria in an absolute fascist coup. In 1941, they abolished the Republic of Bohemia, and Austria went under the Communists (the Communists took power in October 1943 and the Nazis seized power in January 1945). Following that, Austria was divided into two provinces, each with its own state and population. The Germans began to govern the region as a republic using military force from 1941 to 1945, which took away most of its democratic rights, and later formed Nazi-controlled municipalities,[33] which, like most states, were still in full national power.
With Austria, the Nazis took power from then-President Alexander von Humboldt within two months of the annexation of Austria in 1921 and occupied an ethnically and culturally diverse state of Northern Europe, which included Northern Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Czech Republic.[34]
In April 1948 British Prime Minister Michael Howard was sent to Austria to negotiate a peace
The Nazis, in addition to the Jews, were the principal enemy of the Jewish community. Jews were persecuted and deported from the Jewish community in a number of places—including in France, in France’s territories, the Baltic, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.—where they were often massacred (and forced to return). This is no accident, as the Jews who were deported were far more likely to die during the Holocaust than are the Jewish victims who were executed by the military. After World War I Jewish concentration camps began to appear in much of Europe, including Poland and Italy.[27]
How Many Jews in the German Army Were Killed during World War I?
Before World War I, there were no recorded numbers for every Jewish group, but one-fifth to one-sixth of the German people were killed.[28] Of the millions of Jews, over one-fourth were killed by Allied forces and three-quarters, or some 25,000–56,000, were killed in the Holocaust.[9] The number of deaths in such camps is also a function of the total number of Jews killed there. In 1944–45, German statistics show that the number of Jews killed in all of the camps was 10 to 24 and that the number of Jews slaughtered during such events dropped from 613,200 to 790,600.[29]
There are numerous cases, such as that of the Red Cross-assisted German military camp in Krakow on Polish territory, where Allied forces slaughtered and ransacked 100,000 people.[30] German forces and the Red Cross are a separate, but parallel, organization to the United States National Guard. In March 1938, at least 70,000 people, mostly girls and women, died there as a result of the concentration camp bombings of the Polish Jewish community in the East. In September 1939, nearly half of those killed were girls and some 80,000 were killed during the war.
Nazi Groups and the Holocaust
Nazi groups can exist in all the countries in which Holocaust survivors meet:
Poland (1938–1941): The Nazis controlled 93 percent of Poland.[31]
Netherlands: The Nazi groups included at least 2,000 Nazi men and 1,500 of their children to make the Nazi Army.
Germany: Some 70,000 prisoners and 15,000 Jews perished in the Holocaust.[32]
Romania: The Nazi groups were also established by and for the Italian, Ottoman and French Muslim rulers of Romania, where the Nazis ruled most of the republic in the region. They were also founded in some Jewish states such as Yugoslavia.
The Nazis took power in 1940 and led Austria in an absolute fascist coup. In 1941, they abolished the Republic of Bohemia, and Austria went under the Communists (the Communists took power in October 1943 and the Nazis seized power in January 1945). Following that, Austria was divided into two provinces, each with its own state and population. The Germans began to govern the region as a republic using military force from 1941 to 1945, which took away most of its democratic rights, and later formed Nazi-controlled municipalities,[33] which, like most states, were still in full national power.
With Austria, the Nazis took power from then-President Alexander von Humboldt within two months of the annexation of Austria in 1921 and occupied an ethnically and culturally diverse state of Northern Europe, which included Northern Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Czech Republic.[34]
In April 1948 British Prime Minister Michael Howard was sent to Austria to negotiate a peace
In order to overcome this “gates opened” which were opened around them in the concentration camps, and to overcome the sense that there was no other way to live, so that those who did want to continue their lives in peace with their family or friends could not be let in.[27] The Jews were then housed in these shelters, and, if they could survive the winter in a suitable environment, had to work hard. While these people lived with limited prospects of staying safely in the camp, it would also be important to keep one’s position of power in check. As a rule, the guards at the concentration camp did not work on the Jewish question and made up their own minds (see the Appendix section for further details). As an example, after an event in which some of the guards decided that he was not a suitable mate to be forced to watch over a woman, one Jew came to the guards and said that he wanted to make room to get married. After a lengthy discussion, they decided it would be best to hold an unofficial ceremony on the anniversary of the death in the prison.[28] The reception was also much appreciated and many of those who had hoped for the event were still there, but few had the strength to continue living there. Another example was one of those who came to the guards to try and talk to an SS officer. The officer told the guards about some of the horrors in the camp and how many people had died when the camp was attacked by Axis forces to defend Auschwitz.[29]
One of the few things to show that the camp’s conditions were satisfactory, was that of its inmates. In the course of more than several months these prisoners became ill, exhausted, sometimes died sick and unable to cope. In some cases, they developed an extreme fear of falling into the Soviet Union, or of
Upon arrival into Auschwitz, Levi’s group of 650 was quickly divided into two groups. Only 135 of the 650 from Levi’s train were admitted into Auschwitz, the other 515 went immediately to the gas chambers. The remaining 135 are brought into the camp where they are immediately stripped naked, shaved, and tattooed on their arm a number which would become their identity. Levi recalled the confusion and humiliation he felt as he was forced to assimilate into his new surroundings. The process of admitting prisoners into the camp was hurried, as to not allow time to gather one’s thoughts.
Amongst the many discomforts of camp life the two most destructive were the insufficient amount of food, and the seemingly endless labour. The food rations were too small to ward off the hunger. Thousands of prisoners around Levi were suffering and dying as a result of this. The prisoners worked 16 hour days and if one were eventually to succumb to their exhaustion, they would be beaten. Levi recalls the barter-based economy of the camp, where prisoners would exchange valuables such as bread rations, clothes, and shoes. Levi quickly learned the importance of conserving everything, also to protect one’s belongings from being stolen.
The dehumanizing properties of the camp were most notably; the inability to communicate with others, due to the many obscure languages of the camp; not knowing what time of day it is at any given time, being only able to tell time by the positioning of the sun; and the exhausting labour would not permit time nor capacity for thought. Levi recalled “it was too tiring … to remember and to think. It was better not to think”. The process of belittlement worked until men inside the camp had no value for their own life, or were simply too exhausted to resist.
PART BThose who were murdered upon arrival at Auschwitz were for the most part composed of the elderly, ill, women, and children. Most of these people were rounded up from over crowded Jewish ghettos through out Europe. The Lodz, Warsaw, and Krakow ghettos alone held roughly 700,000 thousand Jews. Every day deportations to concentration camps and other ghettos, and random murders took place. Major food shortages emerged within the ghettos alongside epidemics, and people were dropping dead of hunger and disease in the streets. SS Sturmbanfuhrer Hoppner proposed a more humane way of exterminating Jews, rather than letting them starve to death