In order to get the most out of reading The Book Thief, you
really need to understand the historical background to the novel.
In groups, pool your knowledge of Germany during World War II and
the Jewish Holocaust. Holocaust means Completely burnt and is used
to describe the mass murder of Jews (Genocide) during WWII.
Slide 3
1933 The Nazi Party takes over Germany Adolf Hitler becomes
chancellor of Germany (prime minister) The Nazis suspend civil
freedoms The first concentration camp Dachau is set up to imprison
Communists. Books with ideas considered dangerous to Nazi beliefs
are burnt.
Slide 4
1934 Hitler combines the chancellor and President role to
become Fuhrer, or the sole leader of Germany. Jewish Newspapers can
no longer be sold in the street.
Slide 5
1935 Jews are deprived of citizenship and other basic rights
Nazis intensify persecution of people with different political
beliefs
Slide 6
1936 Nazis boycott Jewish owned businesses The Olympic Games
are held in Germany, signs barring Jews are removed until after the
event Jews no longer have the right to vote.
Slide 7
1938 On Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, in one night
over 30,000 Jews are arrested and deported to concentration camps,
synagogues were ransacked and 92 Jews were murdered.
Slide 8
1938 continued Jews must carry ID cards and passports must be
marked with a J. Jews could no longer run business or attend public
events. All Jewish children were removed to Jewish schools Jewish
businesses were shut down, valuables and jewels had to be handed
over.
Slide 9
1939 Germany takes over Czechoslovakia and invades Poland.
World War II begins as Britain and France declare war on Germany
Hitler orders that Jews must follow curfews, they must turn in
radios to the police and must wear yellow stars of David.
Slide 10
1940 Nazis begin deporting Jews to Poland Jews are forced into
Ghettos (confined areas) Mass Murders of Jews begin in Poland Jews
are put into concentration camps
Slide 11
1941 Germany attacks Soviet Union Jews throughout Western
Europe are forced into ghettos Death Squads are formed to kill Jews
(shooting and hand grenades) throughout Eastern Europe. By December
1941, 300,000 people were killed by these squads alone.
Slide 12
1942 Nazis discuss the Final Solution their plan to exterminate
all the Jews in Europe. Jews are forbidden to subscribe to
newspapers, keep pets, own bicycles, buy meat or eggs, use public
transport, or attend school
Slide 13
Slide 14
1943 By February, about 80% of Jews who died in the Holocaust
had been murdered. Mostly by gas chambers in Extermination Camps,
otherwise by starvation or literally worked to death.
Slide 15
1944 Hitler takes over Hungary and begins sending 12,000 Jews
each day to Poland, where they are murdered.
Slide 16
1945 Hitler is defeated and commits suicide. Death camps are
emptied Many survivors are left without family or homes.
Slide 17
It is estimated that over 6 million Jews were killed between
1933 and 1945. 7 out of 10 Jews in Europe were killed. Millions of
others were killed for other reasons: Catholics, Communists,
homosexuals, the disabled, Romany Gypsies, Serbians, Jehovahs
Witnesses, They also killed politicians, Trade Unionists, Teachers
or anyone who spoke out against Hitler.
Slide 18
Concentration camps were places that Jews were taken to work.
Extermination camps were places they were taken to be killed. Some
camps did both, sending those who could not work (children and the
elderly) to be killed while others worked.
Slide 19
Auschwitz Birkenau Camp Arrival at the camp, prisoners directed
to the right went to work, those to the left went to the gas
chambers.
Slide 20
The Book Thief is set in Munich, which is in the south of
Germany. Near Munich is the Dachau Concentration Camp The first
labour camp opened by the Nazis. The camp held over 200,000
prisoners. 25,613 people are believed to have died in Dachau due to
disease, malnutrition and suicide (+ another 10,000 in subcamps)
The prisoners were also used for medical experiments. Dachau was
liberated on 29 April, 1945 by the US Army, who also found piles of
corpses.
Slide 21
Slide 22
Prisoners were marched through the surrounding towns on death
marches from Dachau, just days before liberation.
Slide 23
1600 people were found crammed into each of 20 barracks
originally designed to hold 250 people.
Slide 24
The SS Shutzstaffel, meaning protection squad, was a major Nazi
organisation that was created as Hitlers personal guard and then
grew to carry out Hitlers racist ideology. They were primarily
responsible for ruling Germany by fear and the extermination of the
Jews by capturing, enslaving and murdering them on mass.
Slide 25
Hitler Youth a military youth organisation that recruited young
people to train them in Nazi ideals and military practices. By
1940, it had 8,000,000 members By 1943, the Nazi Party were
recruiting the Hitler youth as manpower as they began to struggle
during the war. 12 year olds were being recruited by 1945.
Slide 26
Mein Kampf (My Struggle) Book by Adolf Hitler written in 1925
while he was in prison. It contained his political ideology as well
as some elements of autobiography. He claimed the German (Aryan)
race was superior to all others and should take over the world. The
extremely racist book, focused on the inferiority and evil of Jews.
The book became the Nazi bible, 10 million copies sold by the end
of the war.