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Well-known
Alienation, lack of personal courage and disbelief
Alienation, lack of personal courage and disbelief
A subject I have thought a lot about. I think the simple answers are alienation, lack of personal courage and disbelief. For many reasons that would be far too much to go into detail here the Danes of Jewish ancestry were almost all saved. Even the ones that were caught were almost all saved from Theresienstadt and transported to Sweden in the last part of the war. Two, possible three, major reasons saved them (*).
The Danes of Jewish ancestry were totally assimilated into the Danish society and the response to the deportation was almost universal moral indignation spurring personal courage and subsequent action. There was no alienation.
The German diplomat Duckwitz had the personal courage to first negotiate safe passage to Sweden with the Swedish PM and then tip the Danish authorities that the deportation was arranged allowing ordinary Danes to whisk away the Danes of Jewish ancestry and then slowly transport them to Sweden. Singlehanded he thus saved 4, 5 times as many Jews as Schindler. He later became ambassador to Denmark and was admitted into the Vad Yashem.
Almost no Danes if any had read the reports of Jan Karski that far too many people in the West found it convenient to disbelieve including prominent Americans of Jewish ancestry. I do not think the Danes anticipated a holocaust but no Danes should be subjected to humiliating camp life (the communists were not so lucky - nor the police later on). They believed something horrible was about to happen and they were right.
I have yet to see Auschwitz but have seen Theresienstadt and the very moving wall of remembrance in Radogoszcz in Łódź. You did well in your photographic interpretation of a difficult subject.
Xpanded
Question: I am surprised to read Oświęcim written by someone who is apparently Polish - I know many Poles and they are all understandably 100% behind using Auschwitz and German Death Camps - has this changed?
(*) On a lighter note on this horrible subject: For those interested the rescue is fairly loyally portrayed in the film “The Only Way” who has the double audio-visual pleasure of lots of Danes speaking our Denglish and a 19 year old Jane Seymour dancing ballet. I know which I prefer… But then I am a photographer not a linguist…
Alienation, lack of personal courage and disbelief
A subject I have thought a lot about. I think the simple answers are alienation, lack of personal courage and disbelief. For many reasons that would be far too much to go into detail here the Danes of Jewish ancestry were almost all saved. Even the ones that were caught were almost all saved from Theresienstadt and transported to Sweden in the last part of the war. Two, possible three, major reasons saved them (*).
The Danes of Jewish ancestry were totally assimilated into the Danish society and the response to the deportation was almost universal moral indignation spurring personal courage and subsequent action. There was no alienation.
The German diplomat Duckwitz had the personal courage to first negotiate safe passage to Sweden with the Swedish PM and then tip the Danish authorities that the deportation was arranged allowing ordinary Danes to whisk away the Danes of Jewish ancestry and then slowly transport them to Sweden. Singlehanded he thus saved 4, 5 times as many Jews as Schindler. He later became ambassador to Denmark and was admitted into the Vad Yashem.
Almost no Danes if any had read the reports of Jan Karski that far too many people in the West found it convenient to disbelieve including prominent Americans of Jewish ancestry. I do not think the Danes anticipated a holocaust but no Danes should be subjected to humiliating camp life (the communists were not so lucky - nor the police later on). They believed something horrible was about to happen and they were right.
I have yet to see Auschwitz but have seen Theresienstadt and the very moving wall of remembrance in Radogoszcz in Łódź. You did well in your photographic interpretation of a difficult subject.
Xpanded
Question: I am surprised to read Oświęcim written by someone who is apparently Polish - I know many Poles and they are all understandably 100% behind using Auschwitz and German Death Camps - has this changed?
(*) On a lighter note on this horrible subject: For those interested the rescue is fairly loyally portrayed in the film “The Only Way” who has the double audio-visual pleasure of lots of Danes speaking our Denglish and a 19 year old Jane Seymour dancing ballet. I know which I prefer… But then I am a photographer not a linguist…
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Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
An interesting example to bring up. She wouldn't be considered Jewish by religious Jews but she would certainly have ended up in the camps if she had been alive and present in Europe at the time. The reason? Only her father was a Jew (her mother being a Dutch Protestant).
When it comes to these things, logic disappears.
Sparrow
Veteran
... for anyone with the time and constitution this English language version of The Wannsee Conference sort of explains the how it was done ... Conspiracy ... Kenneth Branagh as Heydrich is truly chilling.
StefanJozef
Well-known
I agree with you about Branagh's portrayal. I've read HHhH by Laurent Binet......about the assassination of Heydrich and the aftermath of his killing, how many innocent civilians died as the Nazis looked for retribution. This is recent history.
Rodchenko
Olympian
The flipside of the death of Heydrich was the response of his brother Heinz, who received Rainhard's personal papers, and became involved in facilitating the escapes of many Jews by printing forged documents at his newspaper plant.
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
I have been Theresienstadt as well, but I recall I wasn't moved as much as when I visited Auschwitz. Of course I 'only' 16 at the time. I mainly remember seeing the insides of the cell blocks.
I live near Kamp Vught here in the Netherlands, which was a work camp. The visits there didn't move me quite as deeply Auschwitz either. Eventhough over 700 people died there from maltreatment and by execution during the war.
I live near Kamp Vught here in the Netherlands, which was a work camp. The visits there didn't move me quite as deeply Auschwitz either. Eventhough over 700 people died there from maltreatment and by execution during the war.
Mlehrman
Mlehrman
Thanks. I stand corrected. Of course the original work is preferred.