The Holocaust

“The weak fall, but the strong will remain and never go under!”

― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

ContentsTitle – Pg. 1

Contents – Pg. 2

Synopsis – Pg. 3

Essay – Pg. 4

Bibliography – Pg. 6

SynopsisThe Holocaust; a devastating event that took place within World War II, is known to be one of the most terrible and traumatising genocides in history, led by one man and his party – Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. It was an event that murdered millions and millions of Jews and also left thousands with physical and/or mental scars, which will remind them of this terrible event for years to come. It almost completely diminished the Jewish race and caused uproar throughout the world.

The Holocaust can be / and is a sensitive and passionate topic to many people. Reading “Anne Frank’s Diary” and “The Boy in the Striped Pyjama’s”, can cause many to become intrigued about what could cause such an event to happen and devastated about the terrible things people unfortunately had to go through, if they didn’t die beforehand. What many people haven’t thought about greatly until now is how it has affected society today.

The question “Analyse the impact that the Holocaust has had on society today” will explore the thoughts and opinions that different countries, groups and/or individuals have on the event, and how it has affected/is affecting the second and third generations of Holocaust survivors today. For many people, the Holocaust caused them to lose their friends, families, homes and jobs and for most others, it cost them their lives. We know that the first generation of survivors actually experienced the Holocaust and lived through the hardships but what many people don’t know is that the Holocaust still lives on today, in the stories held in people’s hearts, told to them by parents or grandparents. Another question we must ask ourselves is the youth of today being told the Jew’s story? Are they aware of the devastating event that took place in the years between 1933 and 1945?

In this essay, the many ways that the Holocaust has impacted society today through the use of texts, aural stories, photos and even films will be explored. An explanation of how the aftermath of the Holocaust still lives on, and will do for many more years to come as it is not something that is “easily forgotten” will also be given. It will explore different people’s thoughts and answers to the question. The information in this essay heads to show that the Holocaust is not something that has just affected a handful of people and has been easily forgotten but that the devastation lives on through the world in many different forms and is something that most people regret.

EssayThe content within this essay will be analysing the impact that the Holocaust has had on society today. It is already known all around the world that the first generation of Holocaust survivors went through a massive ordeal; losing their families, friends, homes, belongings and for many, unfortunately their lives. But what is not as clear to everyone is how the Holocaust has affected society today. The second and third generations of survivors; the children and grandchildren of the victims, who are told and passed along stories and information that causes many to breakdown. Even how the children of today deal with the information they are taught in History lessons at school.

The Holocaust, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s was one of the worst events to happen in our history. Throughout Hitler’s pursuit for the “Aryan Race” (a superior race which consisted of blonde haired and blue eyed people), he near to exterminated the entire Jewish race. He stereotypically excluded them from public places such as shopping centres and theatres, forced them out of their homes, kicked them out of their jobs and rounded them up – like herds of sheep – to live in places like ghettos; before sending them off to “work camps” or on a “holiday” where they would either be forced into slave labour or murdered.

Many people say that the Holocaust was one of the worst genocides to be witnessed by the world. 67% of the total population of Jews in Europe, which equals to roughly 6 million Jew’s, were murdered in the ‘Final Solution’. The ‘Final Solution’, named due to the fact that it was Hitler’s last resort of getting Jews out of Europe, happened within World War II in 1945. When the Germans started to occupy the different countries within Europe they believed that they were the superior race and that no-one was greater than them. This does not dismiss the fact that they still felt threatened by the Jewish race and believed that the Jews were attempting to steal their jobs and homes, thus starting the stereotypes surrounding Jews as the bad guys. Not only were Jews targeted but Gypsies, homosexuals and disabled people were also targeted. Hitler pretty much wanted to delete all abominations from under his “rule”.

Jews were forced to wear yellow Stars of David and were soon distinguished from all other people in society. Jewish children were no longer allowed to attend school, the theatres or even play in parks. Jews begin to live in fear of what could happen at any time if they made one wrong move. All of these little things that began to happen could not even compare to what was to come.

The work camps, portrayed as ‘Holidays’ or ‘Retreats’ where the Jew’s could escape to, although little did they know that these camps were just another name for their death sentence. The Nazi’s would separate the Jews who were transported to the camps into women and men, adults and children and the strong and the weak. Those who were fit to

work in the camps had their life spared - the strong sides of these people were taken to factories and fields where they actually have people standing guard over them while they worked. The working conditions were extremely poor. They were hardly fed and had no health care’s whatsoever.

Through times like this, the Jews still believed that they could find ways out and many of them died trying. Most Jews believed that Hitler was behind it all and that he was the one and only evil person leading the race into the ground where what many people don’t realise was that it actually was everyone. Although everyone might not have as much as a commercial and visual part as Hitler did, Jews had to be careful about who they trusted and who they didn’t as they could be turned in at any moment. It takes one man to create a movement but takes his supporters to carry out the process.

Even though the second and third generation survivors didn’t actually go through the Holocaust, they still suffer the effects of that horrible time. Just knowing that this story is actually true and that their parents and grandparents survived it is enough to make anyone stop and think about how totally wrong the Holocaust actually was. Just through the use of textbooks, aural stories and experiences and what little evidence remains, today’s society is reminded everyday of what total destruction happened within that time period. Many of these things, which can be seen at The Jewish War Museum, or passed down by relatives are ongoing reminders that will never stop reminding every single person in the room how cruel humans can get.

The impact that the Holocaust has had on society today is an eye-opening one. The people who are new to the Holocaust are shocked, devastated and horrified where other people who already know are just regretful for what has happened. It has really opened up the eyes of many people to see just what exactly can arise out of power, greed and influence. Another impact that the Holocaust has had on society today is the sincere apologies people give each other even for the simplest things. People are trying to negotiate their problems peacefully rather than letting everything blow up and escalate to out of control. Society can sympathise with the victims and for the victims as well as give any support they can.

One last thing that society today learns from the Holocaust is that it doesn’t matter what hits you down, you keep fighting and fighting and eventually you will climb back up and none will ever know you’re gone. An entire race was almost exterminated but they fought to survive and they have – with a lot of costs - buts they still managed to survive.

The Holocaust has obviously had a major effect on today’s society, opening our eyes to the cruelty and disgusting nature of humans. Not only this but the worlds ability to turn a blind eye at the time and not step in to stand up against what is wrong. But it has also shown a races ability to pick themselves up from the ashes and start anew – which is extremely inspirational to many people. Overall, it has opened society’s eye to the nature of the world and how sudden that nature can change with its surroundings.

BibliographyRogasky, Barbara, 1988, Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust, Holiday House: New York.

Blending a narrative of historical events with personal testimonies, Rogasky poses these questions: How did the Holocaust happen and why? Couldn’t anyone stop it? How could the Jews let it happen? She also includes a chapter on non-Jewish victims. This book was helpful with explaining what the Holocaust was exactly and what happened within it.

Abzug, Robert H, 1985, Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps, Oxford University Press: New York.

Using the diaries, letters, photographs, and oral testimonies of American GIs and journalists, Abzug analyses the reactions of the first eyewitnesses who entered the concentration camps in Germany and Austria during the spring of 1945.This highly readable account is liberally illustrated with photographs. This source was helpful with getting an idea of how people reacted to the Holocaust.

Gies, Miep, and Gold, Alison L, 1988, Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman

Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family, Simon and Schuster: New York.

Miep Gies, along with her husband, was among the people who helped the Frank family while they were in hiding. Her story is an important supplement to Anne Frank’s diary as it adds historical background and an outside perspective to Anne’s story. Gies enables the reader to understand what was happening both inside and outside the annex. This is a perspective from someone who didn’t like what was going on.

BIO. 2014. Adolf Hitler Biography. [Accessed: 30th Mar 2014]. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144.

Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. 2014. Estimated Number of Jews Killed in the Final Solution | Jewish Virtual Library. [Accessed: 30th Mar 2014]. Available at: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/killedtable.html.

Ushmm.org. 2014. Introduction to the Holocaust. [Accessed: 30th Mar 2014]. Available at: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143.