Abstract The paper discusses how "The Investigation" is Weiss' dramatic version of the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials held from 1963 to 1965, which he attended. The paper details how he used the actual testimony of survivors from Auschwitz to transform the literal truth of the witnesses' testimonies into the imagined truth of Auschwitz. The paper explains how the rationale for this is to permit the spectator to enter into the landscape of Auschwitz.
From the Paper ""Auschwitz was a web of concentration camps and sub-camps [with] installations of torture, pseudo-medical experimentation and execution, but most of its inmates were exploited as slaves" (Luke 32). Physical survival was difficult, let alone resistance."
Abstract Two short tales are examined, "This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman" by Tadeusz Borowski, and "Indian Camp" by Ernest Hemingway and the paper offers a social comment on racism. The characters presented must undergo crucial events that define the social problems being implemented between racial divides. The paper looks at how the outcome of death and guilt are the common result of the shame that is constructed through racial domination that devalues life to the lowest common denominator.
From the Paper "The theme of racism is important within the events that impart a comment on society within the short novel: This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman by Tadeusz Borowski and the short story: "Indian Camp" by Earnest Hemingway. By analyzing how racism affects the main characters in these stories, one can understand how tragedy, guilt, and death often ensue due to the pain of racial alienation in these short stories. In Borowski's This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman the numerous events of guilt due to surviving the gas chamber at an Nazi death camp impart a stern racism to Jewish people."
Abstract This paper analyzes the books 'Ordinary Men: Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland' by Christopher Browning and 'Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust' by Daniel Goldhagen in order to understand the different scholarly interpretations of German military police during the Second World War. The paper discusses how both historians examined the motives and conduct of German military police personnel, cited primary source evidence they believed supported their interpretations of German motivations and actions, and provided important insights regarding psychological and operational aspects of the Holocaust.
A comparison of Emil Fackenheim's book on the Holocaust, "God's Presence in History, Jews Affirmations and Philosophical Reflections" with that of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book on the same topic, "Letters and Papers from Prison.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 2 sources, 2006, $ 80.95
Abstract This paper briefly compares and contrasts the perspectives on the Holocaust of Emil L. Fackenheim and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Fackenheim's essay, taken from his book "God's Presence in History, Jewish Affirmations and Philosophical Reflections", is written from the perspective of a Jew who lived through the experiences of the Holocaust. Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison" is written by a member of the Christian community with an indirect, intellectual connection to the Holocaust.
From the Paper "The study of the Holocaust is in part the study of history's treatment of the Jewish community. Jews have traditionally been subject to isolationism, and there are a large number of persons active in theological studies who suggest that this isolationism has been extended at times to take the form of aggressive persecution. This latter perception of Judaism often draws upon noteworthy events to make their case that Jews have suffered as a result of their adherence to their faith; the Holocaust is one event that is effective in illustrating these themes as it is a comparatively recent occurrence and the depth of crimes committed against the Jewish community during this time are both serious and numerous. This paper shall compare and contrast the perspectives of Emil L. Fackenheim and Dietrich Bonhoeffer."
Abstract This paper analyzes the history of genocide in the world. It discusses specific examples of genocide and gendercide throughout history - focusing on when and where they took place, as well as details of how and why they were carried out. It also discusses law that have been established with regards to acts of genocide.
From the Paper " One of the most notorious modern acts of gendercide and genocide in the world occurred in the Bosnian silver-mining town, called Srebrenica, in July 1995 (Jones 2001). The events in this town were the culmination of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the most vicious genocidal battleground in the Balkans conflict. This conflict started in 1992 and was characterized by large-scale genocidal and gendercidal acts. The Balkans is a major mountain range in Southeast Europe spanning 563 kilometers from Yugoslavia through central Bulgaria to the Black Sea. Bosnia is a region in the northern part of Herzegovina, while Herzegovina is the region in the southern part. The Serbs were the settlers in Bosnia in the seventh century until it became independent in the 12th century. It came under the control of Turkey in 1463 along with Herzegovina until the latter's conquest by the Austro-Hungarian Empire after 1878 and the addition of Bosnia in 1908. After World War II, Bosnia and Herzegovina united to form a constituent republic of Yugoslavia, which existed from 1946 to 1991."
Abstract The paper examines Borowski's book that looks at what the thoughts of the emotionless prisoners were as they witnessed atrocity without reaction. The paper analyzes how his writing conveys his lack of emotion; the narrator seems wholly numb to the events that occur around him. The paper is of the opinion that it is one of the most moving accounts of the Holocaust. The paper concludes that overall, "This Way for the Gas" is a fascinating piece of literature. It illustrates plainly the way survival in human society can sometimes mean surrendering one's humanity. Borowski was no longer able to see the other prisoners as human beings. The paper explains that as a result he survived the war but afterwards could not live with himself.
From the Paper "Everyone has seen the sixty year old footage of the prisoners of Nazi concentration camps; we have all seen the black and white film clips of nude and starved human beings lumped together behind barbed wire fences. Yet, perhaps the most haunting features of all such footage are the gaunt, hollow, and emotionless faces of the men and women forced to live and die under some of the most terrible conditions imaginable. Of all the horrifying things to be said about the Nazi Holocaust, one of the most difficult to comprehend is what the thoughts of the emotionless prisoners were as they witnessed atrocity without reaction. Maybe the best answer to this question is provided by Tadeusz Borowski in his semi-autobiographical novel This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen."
This paper discusses how religion is tied to the Holocaust and looks, in particular, at the views of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pope John Paul II and Elie Wiesel.
Abstract In this article the writer maintains that religion has always been tied to the story of the Holocaust because of two facts. First, the writer points out that the Nazis considered themselves to be Christians and often claimed to be working for the greater glory of God. Second, the writer notes that the Nazis targeted Jews, along with smaller groups of other people for extermination. In this paper the writer looks at three different approaches to this subject. The writer describes how Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled with the conflict between his pacifist beliefs and the recognition that one man, Adolf Hitler, was responsible for the worst atrocities ever seen by humankind until that point. By comparison, the writer notes that Pope John Paul II lived through World War II and he openly grieved for the loss of all Holocaust victims and led his followers to recognize what happened and grieve for that loss as well. Further, the writer examines the views of Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, who believes that Christian religious leaders did not do enough during the Holocaust and that they have not accepted full responsibility for their failure to try to prevent it.
From the Paper "Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister in Nazi Germany, was a pacifist who participated in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. In studying the Sermon on the Mount, he concluded that rather than flee from Germany he had to remain and work from within. He was caught and imprisoned in Germany, and executed shortly before Germany was liberated by the Allies. He believed that to live as a responsible Christian one had to act in ways appropriate to what Jesus Christ wanted for His followers. To Bonhoeffer that required active opposition to Hitler and his genocidal policies. He saw an important distinction between abstract principles and the act of living responsibly every day. It logically followed that working to eliminate Hitler was a religiously responsible thing to do. More simply put, he realized that if one is not part of the solution, then one is part of the problem."
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the topic of Jewish history by reviewing various literary sources. The paper focuses primarily on what these selections can teach us about the Jewish experience in the ghetto and each authors' understanding of what was happening. The paper discusses how nothing can quite prepare the reader for the impact of these wartime diaries smuggled out of the European Jewish ghettos. The agony is real and the suffering seems endless for these persecuted peoples.
From the Paper "The most interesting aspect of this seeming world indifference is the reaction by Randolph Churchill, who did hope to arm the Jews and aid in their escape. However, the program was doomed from the beginning, when the number of parachutists recruited to parachute into Europe and organize resistance dropped from 100 or more to only thirty-two, which was not enough to escape and make a difference. All but one were caught and shot. About 2 to 3,000 Jews did manage to escape as a result of the attempt, but this was the epitome of Jewish resistance, and it certainly was not much to look back on (Sachar 553-554). "
Abstract The paper discusses the impact of the Nuremberg trials on the United States and the US attitude towards human rights violations. The paper examines the influence of the Nuremberg trials as it relates to the development of the Declaration of Human Rights. The paper further examines the International Criminal Court (ICC/Rome Treaty), including the U. S. involvement in the ICC and why the U.S. initially supported it. The writer proposes that the U.S. has been hypocritical in not supporting the ICC, and explores the use of torture at Guantanamo, and Abu Ghraib.
From the Paper "The author further explains that during 1944 when it was evident that the War would soon be over President Roosevelt requested that the War Department develop a strategy for bring those responsible for war crimes to justice (Linder 2000). Prior to the plan created by the War department the Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau had developed a strategy that entailed shooting the Nazi leaders that were responsible for these crimes and forcing other that were involved to live in exile in various places around the world (Linder 2000)."
Abstract The paper examines the connection between the Declaration of Human Rights, the ICC and the Nuremberg trials. The research presented throughout this review is significant to the existing body of knowledge about this subject because it demonstrates the progression of various international laws. The paper discusses how the Nuremberg trials which laid the foundation for the Declaration of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. The paper addresses the hypocrisy of the United States for not supporting the formation of the ICC.
From the Paper "As a result of the Nuremberg trials and the holocausts the United Nations believed it necessary to establish the Declaration of Human Rights. The literature review explores that different articles established by the declaration. The literature review emphasizes the articles that discuss that human rights are for everyone regardless of race, sex or religion. This point is significant because the declaration of human rights was actually established before America established its own civil rights laws. The review also emphasizes that slavery and servitude should not be the condition of any human being. This article was designed to dissuade governments/institutions from instituting policies by which people are subjected to servitude or slavery."
Tags: UN, rights, defense, prosecution, crimes, against, humanity
Abstract The paper relates that the word anti-Semitism was invented in the late 19th century as a more acceptable word than Jew-hatred. The paper discusses how the disease of anti-Semitism is irrational and seeking its origins is futile. The paper explains the difference between mild anti-Semitism and diabolical anti-Semitism and shows the history of anti-Semitism as manifested in Canadian life. The paper discusses how the days of anti-Semitism are not over for Canada; now we have Holocaust deniers, Neo-Nazis on the Internet and a steady increase in harassment of Jews.
From the Paper "The word anti-Semitism was invented in the late 19th century as a more acceptable word than Jew-hatred. It was meant to sound scientific, but actually there is no such thing as "Semitism." The word Semitic refers to a language group of which Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke), Hebrew, and Arabic are members. A Jewish historian defined anti-Semitism as "dislike of the unlike." Ages (1981) points out that there are nuances in the meaning of the word. It is possible, for example, to dislike Jews but be opposed to slaughtering them in concentration camps. In its most innocent form anti-Semitism is like the widespread prejudice found throughout the whole human race. It could be hostility after working for an unsympathetic Jew or a vague negativism from being taught to dislike them as a child."
Abstract The paper examines how the Holocaust in Hungary was made possible by the active collaboration of the Hungarian government and the acquiescence of a large number of Hungarian people. The paper explores the topic of how and why the tragedy took place in a country in which the Jewish people had been supposedly "emancipated" less than half a century ago, a subject that has perplexed and fascinated many historians. The paper discusses the background of the Holocaust in Hungary by tracing the history of Jews; the events leading to their prosecution and ultimate extermination; and how the actual killings took place.
Outline:
Background
The Pre-Holocaust Killings
The Hungarian Holocaust Begins
The Reasons
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "Most of the Jews who migrated to Europe were farmers and merchants who preserved their ethnic identity by keeping to themselves. The early Christian church condemned the Jews as Christ-killers which further isolated them and sowed the seeds of virulent anti-Semitism. Christianity forbade usury, i.e., the lending of money on interest; hence the Jewish merchants in Europe filled the gap by becoming "money lenders." It was a profitable role but it also invited envy and hatred. During periods of stress such as the Crusades or the Plague, the hatred turned into large-scale violent attacks on the Jews ."
Abstract The paper discusses how racism has often been used by the dominant majority groups to exploit and subjugate various ethnic minority groups at different times in human history. The paper examines how the doctrine reached its climax in the 20th century with the rise and fall of Nazism, and the apartheid regime in South Africa. The essay concludes that, although racism at the state level has receded since then, it continues to exist in more subtle forms at both the individual and institutional levels; some government policies in countries around the world can also arguably be termed racist.
Outline:
Origins of Racism & Why it Exists
Current Examples of Continuing Racism
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "Theories of race and racism are convenient tools towards this end. When an adversary is identified as belonging to an "inferior" race during an armed conflict, it becomes easier for the self-styled "superior" race to perpetrate seemingly immoral and unethical practices such as occupation of territories by force, looting of wealth and brutal killings--even genocide. ("Racism") For example, painting the Jews as sub-human and belonging to an inferior race (as well as the racist myth of a superior Aryan race) made it easier for the Nazis to unleash their policy of the Holocaust and the final solution for the Jewish "problem.""
Abstract This paper discusses the historical success of civil obedience in invoking change, offering Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi as examples. It explains that a strong and charismatic leader and commitment to peace are vital for effective change. The paper also explores why civil disobedience did not work in the case of the Jews in Nazi Germany.
From the Paper "Both Gandhi and King served as leaders and role models and inspired others to follow their example. As skilled orators, both Gandhi and King spoke in public and addressed the concerns of their opponents reasonably and articulately. Gandhi and King had game plans: outlines for their goals and desired outcomes. The Jews had no such opportunity to organize. Although as Gandhi points out they lived as the untouchables of Europe and had been persecuted for centuries, the Jews had no prior impetus for practicing civil disobedience. When the Holocaust ensued, shock and fear paralyzed any attempts to organize a resistance movement. On the other hand, both in India and in the United States, public outcries provided a strong current of support for civil disobedience. "
Abstract In this paper, the author examines the questions raised in Elie Wiesel's novel, "Night." A brief background of Wiesel and this work is presented. The paper also focuses on this book being about the experiences of a victim and not an account of the reasons behind the Holocaust. The paper also considers some of the literary devices used by Wiesel to describe his experience. The author found Wiesel's story to be particularly compelling because it is from the point of view of a child who could not be expected to understand the political and social disruptions of the time.
From the Paper "The main figure in Elie Wiesel's Night is a surrogate for Wiesel himself. The story is true, and Wiesel distances himself from the story as he speaks of the young man, Eliezer, who was once himself as if he were observing another person, and one critic notes that the book uses "novelistic methods: it is retrospective, it is clearly the result of narrative choices and omissions, and its first-person narrator is at a distance from its character, whose name, Eliezer, is different from that of the author" (Vice 164). Perhaps this distance is necessary to allow Wiesel to probe into a time of great pain to himself and to others. However, the attitudes expressed and the views of Jewish life and the Jewish future are clearly those of Wiesel."
