Swastika: Swastika: A Symbol of Good A Symbol of Good

or Evil?or Evil?

• The swastika is an ancient Indian The swastika is an ancient Indian symbol (Sanskrit) that is over 3,000 symbol (Sanskrit) that is over 3,000 years old meaning well-being, life, years old meaning well-being, life, good luck and prosperitygood luck and prosperity

• The swastika is a sacred religious The swastika is a sacred religious symbol for Hindus, Jains and symbol for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists Buddhists

• Common symbol in ancient Common symbol in ancient civilizations (Mesopotamia, India, civilizations (Mesopotamia, India, China, Central and South America China, Central and South America (Maya)(Maya)

• In 1920, Adolf Hitler decided that In 1920, Adolf Hitler decided that the Nazi Party needed its own the Nazi Party needed its own symbol and flag and chose the symbol and flag and chose the swastikaswastika to represent the mission of to represent the mission of the struggle for the victory of the the struggle for the victory of the Aryan manAryan man

• Because of the Nazis' flag, the Because of the Nazis' flag, the swastika soon became a symbol of swastika soon became a symbol of hate, anti-Semitism, violence, death, hate, anti-Semitism, violence, death, and murderand murder

11 million people were 11 million people were exterminatedexterminated

6 million Jews6 million Jews5 million other citizens 5 million other citizens

1933 - 19451933 - 1945

They were shot, They were shot, starved, gassed starved, gassed and burned…and burned…

Defining the HolocaustDefining the Holocaust HOLOCAUST HOLOCAUST

(Hebrew(Hebrew) ) - originally - originally meant a sacrifice meant a sacrifice totally burned by fire totally burned by fire

the annihilation of the the annihilation of the Jews and other groups Jews and other groups of people of Europe of people of Europe under the Nazi regime under the Nazi regime during World War IIduring World War II

GENOCIDEGENOCIDE: the : the systematic systematic extermination of a extermination of a nationality or groupnationality or group

Cold Hard FactsCold Hard FactsCasualties of the Holocaust:Casualties of the Holocaust: 63% of Jewish population in Europe killed63% of Jewish population in Europe killed 91% of Jewish population in Poland killed91% of Jewish population in Poland killed Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by

Soviet troops on Jan. 27, 1945. The Soviet troops on Jan. 27, 1945. The Soviets found:Soviets found: 836, 255 women’s dresses836, 255 women’s dresses 348, 000 men’s suits348, 000 men’s suits 38, 000 pairs of men’s shoes38, 000 pairs of men’s shoes 14, 000 pounds of human hair14, 000 pounds of human hair yet only yet only 7, 6507, 650 live prisoners live prisoners

The Power of Words…The Power of Words… ““The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than a small The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than a small

one”one”

““How fortunate for leaders that men do not think”How fortunate for leaders that men do not think”

““The victor will never be asked if he is told the truth”The victor will never be asked if he is told the truth”

““The personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of The personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew”the Jew”

What do all these quotes have in common?What do all these quotes have in common?

All Quotes of Adolf All Quotes of Adolf Hitler…Hitler…

European Jewish Population European Jewish Population in 1933 was in 1933 was 9,508,3409,508,340

Estimated Jewish Estimated Jewish Survivors of Holocaust: Survivors of Holocaust:

3,546,2113,546,211

How did the Holocaust How did the Holocaust Happen?Happen?

The Stages of The Stages of IsolationIsolationThe Holocaust was a The Holocaust was a

progression of actions progression of actions leadingleading

to the annihilation of to the annihilation of millions by:millions by:

1: Stripping of Rights1: Stripping of Rights

2: Segregation2: Segregation

3: Concentration3: Concentration

4: Extermination4: Extermination

Stage 1: Stripping of Stage 1: Stripping of RightsRights1935: Nuremberg Laws 1935: Nuremberg Laws

stated that all JEWS stated that all JEWS were :were :

stripped of their stripped of their German citizenship German citizenship

fired from jobs & fired from jobs & businesses boycotted businesses boycotted

banned from German banned from German schools and universitiesschools and universities

forbidden to marry forbidden to marry GermansGermans

Stripping of Rights…Stripping of Rights…continuedcontinued

forced to carry ID cards forced to carry ID cards to have their passports stamped with a to have their passports stamped with a

“J”“J” forced to wear the arm band of the forced to wear the arm band of the

Yellow “Star of David”Yellow “Star of David” forced to pay reparations and a special forced to pay reparations and a special

income taxincome tax Jewish synagogues destroyedJewish synagogues destroyed According to the Nazis, anyone who had According to the Nazis, anyone who had

ONE Jewish grandparent was ONE Jewish grandparent was considered to be a Jewconsidered to be a Jew

Kristallnacht – “The Kristallnacht – “The Night of Broken Glass”Night of Broken Glass”

Beginning on Nov. 9 1938 an anti-Beginning on Nov. 9 1938 an anti-Jewish campaign beganJewish campaign began

Triggered by the assassination of a Triggered by the assassination of a German diplomat in Paris by a German diplomat in Paris by a German-born Polish Jew.German-born Polish Jew.

99 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 99 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed and thousands of were destroyed and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked.homes and businesses were ransacked.

Stage 2: Segregation Stage 2: Segregation GHETTOSGHETTOS Jews were forced to live in Jews were forced to live in

designated areas called designated areas called “ghettos” to isolate them “ghettos” to isolate them from the rest of societyfrom the rest of society

Nazis established 356 Nazis established 356 ghettos in Poland, the ghettos in Poland, the Soviet Union, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Hungary during WWIIand Hungary during WWII

Ghettos were filthy, with Ghettos were filthy, with poor sanitation and poor sanitation and extreme over-crowdingextreme over-crowding

Segregation…continuedSegregation…continued Disease was Disease was

rampant and food rampant and food was in such short was in such short supply that many supply that many slowly starved to slowly starved to death death

Warsaw, the Warsaw, the largest ghetto, largest ghetto, held 500,000 held 500,000 people and was people and was 3.5 square miles 3.5 square miles in sizein size

Life in the GhettoLife in the Ghetto

Nazi ghettosNazi ghettos were the first step in the total were the first step in the total destruction of the Jews, as the ghettos became destruction of the Jews, as the ghettos became transition areas, used as collection points for transition areas, used as collection points for deportation to concentration & death camps deportation to concentration & death camps

Stage 3: Concentration Stage 3: Concentration CampsCamps

essential to Nazi’s systematic oppression and essential to Nazi’s systematic oppression and eventual mass murder of enemies of Nazi Germany eventual mass murder of enemies of Nazi Germany (Jews, Communists, homosexuals, opponents)(Jews, Communists, homosexuals, opponents)

slave labor - “annihilation by work”slave labor - “annihilation by work” prisoners faced under-nourishment and starvation prisoners faced under-nourishment and starvation prisoners transported in cattle freight cars prisoners transported in cattle freight cars camps were built on railroad lines for efficient camps were built on railroad lines for efficient

transportation transportation

Life in the Life in the CampsCamps possessions possessions

were were confiscatedconfiscated

heads were heads were shavedshaved

arms arms tattooedtattooed

inhumane inhumane medical medical experiments experiments

Life in the Life in the camps….continuedcamps….continued

men, women and children were men, women and children were separatedseparated

prison uniformsprison uniforms

survival based on trade survival based on trade skills/physical strength skills/physical strength

unsanitary, disease ridden and unsanitary, disease ridden and lice infested barracks lice infested barracks

Stage 4: ExterminationStage 4: Extermination Einsatzgruppen Einsatzgruppen (mobile (mobile

killing units) had began killing units) had began killing operations aimed killing operations aimed at entire Jewish at entire Jewish communities in the 1930scommunities in the 1930s

DEATH FACTORIESDEATH FACTORIES: : Nazi extermination Nazi extermination camps fulfilled the camps fulfilled the singular function of mass singular function of mass murder murder

EuthanasiaEuthanasia program: program: Nazi policy to eliminate Nazi policy to eliminate “life unworthy of life” “life unworthy of life” (mentally or physically (mentally or physically challenged) to promote challenged) to promote Aryan “racial integrity”Aryan “racial integrity”

““FINAL FINAL SOLUTION”SOLUTION”

Wannsee Wannsee Conference Conference (Berlin -1942 ) (Berlin -1942 ) established the established the “complete solution “complete solution of the Jewish of the Jewish question”question”

called for the called for the complete and complete and mass annihilation mass annihilation and exterminationand extermination of the Jews as well of the Jews as well as other groups as other groups

Zyklon B gas Zyklon B gas became the agent became the agent in the mass in the mass exterminationextermination

Gas Chambers & Gas Chambers & CrematoriumsCrematoriums

Prisoners were sent to gas chambers Prisoners were sent to gas chambers disguised as showersdisguised as showers

Zyklon B gas used to gas people in 3 – 15 Zyklon B gas used to gas people in 3 – 15 minutesminutes

Up to 8000 people were gassed per day at Up to 8000 people were gassed per day at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest death camp, with 4 operating gas chamberswith 4 operating gas chambers

Gold fillings from victims teeth were melted Gold fillings from victims teeth were melted down to make gold barsdown to make gold bars

Prisoners moved dead bodies to massive Prisoners moved dead bodies to massive crematoriums crematoriums

Nearing the End of the WarNearing the End of the War By 1945, the Nazis began to By 1945, the Nazis began to

destroy crematoriums and destroy crematoriums and camps as Allied troops closed camps as Allied troops closed inin

Death Marches Death Marches (Todesmarsche):(Todesmarsche): Between Between 1944-1945, Nazis ordered 1944-1945, Nazis ordered marches over long distances. marches over long distances. Approximately 250 000 – 375 Approximately 250 000 – 375 000 prisoners perished in 000 prisoners perished in Death MarchesDeath Marches

On January 27, 1945, the On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Soviet army entered Auschwitz (largest camp) and Auschwitz (largest camp) and liberated more than 7,000 liberated more than 7,000 remaining prisoners, who remaining prisoners, who were mostly ill and dyingwere mostly ill and dying

Nazis confiscated property of prisoners in storerooms nicknamed “Kanada” because the sheer amount of loot stored there was associated with the riches of Canada

Liberation of the CampsLiberation of the Camps

Holocaust ArtHolocaust Art

AftermathAftermath Yom ha-ShoahYom ha-Shoah: :

Holocaust Holocaust Remembrance Day Remembrance Day established in 1951established in 1951

Nuremberg TrialsNuremberg Trials: : 1945-1949 were 1945-1949 were trials for war trials for war crimes of Nazi crimes of Nazi officials (24 Nazi officials (24 Nazi leaders tried)leaders tried)

Displaced PersonsDisplaced Persons Israel createdIsrael created