Holocaust Faq
- 1. Frequently Asked Questions about THE HOLOCAUST
- 2. What Does “Holocaust” Mean? Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life, especially by fire. The genocide of European Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II. 3. A massive slaughter. A sacrificial offering that is consumed entirely by flames.
- 3. Who Were the Nazis? The Nazi party was founded in Germany on January 15, 1919. The party centered around anti-Semitism and racist ideology. Hitler was the F ü hrer, or leader, of the Nazis. The Nazis began with 6,000 members and grew to 8.5 million members by 1945.
- 4. Sub-Organizations: Storm Troopers (S.A.) Secret Police (S.S.) Green Police Hitler Youth Worker and Teacher Unions
- 5. What Is the Swastika? The swastika (from Sanskrit स्वस्तिक svastika ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles in either left-facing ( 卍 ) or right-facing ( 卐 ) direction. The swastika is a holy symbol in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In the West, it is more widely known as a symbol of Nazism (selected by Hitler for his regime).
- 6. Are There Nazis Today? Yes. The term Neo-Nazism is the post-WWII brand of Nazism embraced by various anti-Semitic and racist groups the world over. Neo-Nazis use Nazi symbols (like the swastika) and glorify Hitler and the horrific crimes carried out by the Nazis. Neo-Nazis are sometimes referred to as Skinheads because it is common to shave your head as a sign of membership.
- 7. Why Were Jews the Main Target? Anti-Semitism: hostility, aggression, and/or discrimination against Jews and Judaism. Different Christian groups have targeted Jews for thousands of years. After WWI, Germany was in bad shape and needed a scapegoat. Stereotypes against Jews were abundant.
- 8. How Did They Know Who Was Jewish? Public records Synagogue congregation lists All-Jewish neighborhoods were common Jewish school rosters Genealogy records Word-of-mouth reports
- 9. Who Else Was Discriminated Against? Gypsies Jehovah’s Witnesses Catholics Poles Mentally and Physically Disabled Homosexuals Political Activists and Apolitical Persons
- 10. What Was Hitler’s “Final Solution”? Hitler’s “final solution of the Jewish question” was to exterminate all Jews in Western Europe. His plan was to ultimately create the perfect Aryan race: a population of people who were German, white, Christian, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed. Anyone who did not fit this profile would be killed.
- 11. What Does “Aryan” Mean? Aryan is the Nazi term for what they considered to be the perfect German race. It is not a racial term and has no biological validity. It is simply a word made up by the Nazis to refer to a racial ideal that they claimed was “superior”—a “master race”.
- 13. Did the Jews Fight Back? Yes, there was much resistance fighting. Not all Jews took up arms and became resistance fighters in the forests or ghettos, though. Some fought back in other ways, such as writing (like Anne Frank) to record what was happening.
- 14. How Many People Died? Approximately 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust (about 2 out of every 3 Jews living in Europe at the time). In addition, some 5 million other persons were killed. Of the 11 million total victims, 1.5 million were children .
- 15. 25,000 Pairs = ONE DAY’S COLLECTION
- 16. What Were the Ghettos? During World War II, ghettos were established by the Nazis to confine Jews into tightly packed areas of the cities of Eastern Europe.
- 17. Life in the Ghettos Families were crowded into tight, dirty living spaces (a space meant for one family might end up housing as many as fifty) Nazis were sole providers of food, and often the Jews lived on only a couple hundred calories a day (compared to the typical 2,000 recommended by dieticians) No electricity, heat, or running water in most cases No school or jobs, but forced labor was common
- 18. Transportation to the Concentration Camps Victims were transported to the concentration camps in train cattle cars There were typically 80-100 people crammed into each car The journey sometimes lasted up to a week No food, water, or fresh air provided Many people died in the cattle cars
- 19. Arrival at the Camps Victims separated by gender Victims separated by healthy and unhealthy (the unhealthy would be killed immediately) Those that were too old or too young were also killed immediately Families were torn apart, often never to see each other again
- 20. Arrival at the Camps Prisoners were stripped and given threadbare uniforms to wear All possessions were confiscated (like eyeglasses, jewelry, prayer books, etc.) Gold teeth were pulled out Hair was shaved off Number was tattooed on arm
- 21. Life at the Camps Daily roll call (usually at least twice a day) lasted hours Barracks held hundreds of victims—disease spread quickly Little to no food provided; what was provided was unhealthy and stale Hours of cruel, inhumane labor Medical experiments
- 24. What Kinds of Medical Experiments Were Performed? Freezing and Burning High Altitude Poison and Disease Sterilization and Gynecological Torture Injections Surgical—Limb and Organ Removal Pain Endurance Genetics Pharmacological
- 26. Death at the Camps Gas Chambers Crematoriums Executions Electrified and Barbed Fences Guards Starvation Disease Medical Experiments
- 31. Who Liberated the Camps? Beginning in January 1945, the Allied forces began moving in and liberating the camps. The liberating forces were primarily American, Russian, and British. What they found shocked them.
- 38. What Happened Afterwards? Displaced Persons Camps (many adults and children were the sole survivors of their families and had nowhere to go) Many did not or could not return home because anti-Semitism still persisted Some who did return home were tortured, beaten, and killed out of lingering fear and hatred Immigration