Holocaust Lecture #3

Liberation of the Camps

What Now?

Never Again!

Death Marches

• As the Nazis began to lose on all fronts, their death camps and concentration camps (built on the periphery of their empire) began to be liberated

• The Nazis, fearing both the discovery of their crimes, and the survival of Jews, ordered the concentration camp inmates to be marched into the interior (Germany proper)

• Prisoners who could not keep up on the marches were killed

A view of the death march from Dachau passing through villages in the direction of Wolfratshausen. German civilians secretlyphotographed several death marches from the Dachau concentration camp as the prisoners moved slowly through theBavarian towns of Gruenwald, Wolfratshausen, and Herbertshausen. Few civilians gave aid to the prisoners on the death marches. Germany, April 1945.

An American soldier looks at the corpses of Polish, Russian, and Hungarian Jews found in the woods near Neunburg vorm Wald. The victims were prisoners from Flossenbürg who were shot near Neunburg while on a death march. Germany, April 29, 1945.

Liberation

• The Soviets reached the first death camp (Lublin) to be liberated so suddenly that the Germans had little time to cover up the evidence– As a result, the gas chambers had been

blown apart, but the crematoria were still standing

• In most of the later camps liberated, both crematoria and gas chambers were destroyed/dismantled

Soon after liberation, camp survivors from Buchenwald's

"Children's Block 66"--a special barracks for

children.Germany, after

April 11, 1945.

Liberation (cont.)

• Nevertheless, there was a great deal of evidence– They discovered, for example, hundreds of

thousands of men's suits, more than 800,000 women's outfits, and more than 14,000 pounds of human hair.

• More than 10,000 Jews died even after having been liberated by the allies – Disease or bodies that had been starved

beyond the point of being able to digest food

• Soon after liberation, a Soviet physician examines Auschwitz camp survivors. Poland, February 18, 1945.

• Liberated prisoners demonstrate the overcrowded conditions at the Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, April 23, 1945.

• A mass grave soon after camp liberation. Bergen-Belsen, Germany, May 1945

What next?

• There were still about 3 million surviving European Jews (out of an original 9 million). Where to go? – Do you see why the answer can’t simply be,

‘home’?

• Many of the survivors actually lived in the camps for a months afterwards, because they had no place to go.

Never Again!

• Zionism – The movement to regain a Jewish country in the

historical biblical land of the Jews

• Finally supported by the international community, who feel a bit GUILTY!!! (think- St. Louis)

• Jews feel like their cultural trait of ‘grinning and bearing it’ during tough times would no longer suffice

• Israeli-Palestinian issues…

Hansen Name _____________WWII Period _______

Lecture Guide- The Holocaust Part #3Liberation- What Now?- and Never Again!

Death Marches• As the Nazis began to lose on all fronts, their death camps

and concentration camps __________________________ _________________________began to be liberated

• The Nazis, fearing both the ______________________, and ____________________________ , ordered the concentration camp inmates _________________ into the interior (Germany proper)

• Prisoners who could not _________on the marches were killed

Liberation• The Soviets reached the first death camp (Lublin) to be

liberated _________________________________________ ________________________________________________

– As a result, the _________________ had been blown apart, but the _____________ were still standing

• In most of the later camps liberated, _________ crematoria and gas chambers ________________________________

• Nevertheless, there was a great deal of evidence– They discovered, for example, hundreds of thousands

of _________________, more than 800,000 ______________________, and more than 14,000 pounds _______________________________-

• More than 10,000 Jews died even after _________________ ________________________________________________

– Disease or bodies that had been ________________ ___________________________________________

What Next• There were still about _____________________________

(out of an original _______________). Where to go? – Do you see why the answer can’t simply be, _______’?

• Many of the survivors actually ______________________ __________________________, because they had no place to go.

Never Again • _______________________

– The movement to regain a Jewish country in the _______________________________________

• Finally supported by the international community, who feel ____________________!!! (think- St_____________)

• Jews feel like their cultural trait of__________________ ____________’ during tough times would____________ _____________________

• __________________________________…