Introduction
The guide Studying Genocides presents nine genocides recognized by the UN, Canada, or Quebec. Here, discover the case of the genocide of the Holocaust, presented through four sections: the first section provides context for the study with a map, highlights, and a timeline; the second offers a problematization of the case under study; the third examines essential elements of the historical context; and the fourth section describes the genocide according to the six stages of the genocidal process.
EXCERPT FROM AN ACCOUNT
“Very soon afterwards, we were told that Jews had to leave the schools. And then there was a sort of Jewish school where we absolutely learned nothing. We were just sitting there. And this was disbanded after some time. My mother, and other Austrians thought the same thing, they said, ‘Well, if we are not allowed to go to the theatre, because they already knew that the German Jews were not allowed in German theatres, so all right, we won’t go to the theatre. If we’re not allowed to go to the amusement park, all right, so we won’t go. We’ll just make do.’ And this was really the big mistake, that everyone thought they would be tolerated, although they would have to reduce their standard of living.”
Timeline
Highlights
- Systematic murder of six million men, women and children simply because they were classified as Jews.
- Economic, religious and biological racism, fascism and radical nationalism
- In almost all of Europe and North Africa
- 1933-1945: From the election of the Nazi Party until the end of World War II
- The perpetrators were the Nazis and their collaborators in occupied and allied countries, who believed in a superior race (the Aryan race).
- The victims of Nazism were the Jews and many other groups, such as the Roma and Sinti, homosexuals and people with disabilities, as well as resistance groups and other opponents of the regime.
The full Story
We have developed a comprehensive document that outlines and summarizes the entire narrative. Please download, print, and utilize it for your teaching and study purposes.
Pictures
Testimonials
We got into the camp, where they undressed us, they shaved us from top to bottom, and we were standing around practically a whole day, naked. Finally, towards the end they gave us these blue-striped uniforms. And the first food we got was about the following noon. They gave us a big bowl of thick vegetable soup they called ‘Dorgemuze,’ one bowl for every six persons. Except they wouldn’t give us a spoon. So we had to slurp it like dogs, but you’re hungry enough to do it. And that was one of the many attempts of the Germans to dehumanize you.
“All the Jewish assets in banks, all stocks, bonds, whatever you had in banks, was frozen... My father found himself at the age of 52 kicked out of his office. . . . We had to bring to the police station our valuables... By fall 1939, all Jewish students were forbidden any attendance in classes... including kindergarten upwards... But this time... the Germans gave orders to squeeze many families into one apartment... [and] that no Gentile should socialize, no matter on what level, with the Jews.”
“On January 18 [1945], the evacuation of Auschwitz took place... Out of Auschwitz we walked in bitter, bitter cold... In my eyes, it was just about the worst that you could imagine. If you stumbled, you ended up with a bullet in your head.”
“Later I found out what happened. My mother-in-law took the baby, but the baby was heavy, six months old already, so my sisterin- law took away the baby from [my mother-inlaw]... She carried my baby to death.”