The Importance Of Bystanders During The Holocaust

people who could not get through this atrocity alone. Due to the immense impact that the

The role of ordinary Germans in the Holocaust is that of bystanders. The people of Germany watched on, without protest, as the Jewish people were murdered. Small and large jobs such as engineering and railway work contributed to the operation of the Holocaust and the murdering of Jews. The manipulation of the German people, through racist and anti-Semitic propaganda, speeches and polices from Hitler, meant that millions of Germans backed the plans to rid the nation of Jews. The idea that the Jews were responsible for economic, social and political issues was endorsed and it led to the idea that their banishment would lead Germany into a brighter future. Many people did not intend on aiding the Holocaust, but minor jobs that they did

Throughout the extensive reign of Hitler, there were many types of people, almost separated as books are separated in genres. Some included of the vocally defiant Germans, the captive Jews, the individuals and families in hiding, and the silent ones who did not speak out for what they believed in, whether it was for or against the actions of the Nazis. These passive individuals were not immediately affected by the policies set in place for the Jews and such groups. This is shown in the poem “First They Came,” in the stanza “When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew” (Holocaust Encyclopedia). This shows that certain people really perceived the instances that were transpiring as not affecting themselves or their family directly, yet it exemplifies the cowardice that some had experienced themselves

Fearing abuse, bystanders did not want to stop and try to help the victims of the atrocity.

In the camps, the prisoners were continuously being persecuted and there were always selections going on as well. The selections would determine whether you were valuable to them or not. If you weren’t, you were killed and if you were, you continued to work. All of these things caused the Jews to be in a state of hopelessness and apathy while always being quite anxious too (Gutman, 1). With

Perpetrators Victims Bystanders The Jewish Catastrophe 1933-1945 is written by Raul Hilberg. Hilberg earned a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Hilberg also was a professor at the University of Vermont in Burlington. He is well known for actually establishing Holocaust studies. Raul Hilberg was an Austrian born citizen who came to America in 1939. He did this when he wrote and published his book Destruction of the European Jews which was met with controversy. This however is just one of many accomplishments that he had in his life. When he came to America, he got drafted and fought in World War II which gave him a firsthand account of the horrific war. During his service, he was

It states that when the amount of bystanders increases, the likelihood of one of the bystanders assisting drastically decreases. Many feel that if they have no obligation to help they should not, almost as if it's none of their business. To victims, a bystander who doesn’t take action is as equally evil as the perpetrator. The easiness of laughing along with others, or acting as if you saw nothing is correlated to the fact that it is easier than ever to be influenced in today’s society. Too often, ignoring the humiliation of another is seen. It may be the easy way out, however, it is certainly not the morally correct way

Rescuers can be ordinary people who just step up to help others. During the Holocaust, many rescuers were just ordinary people who helped hide run-away jews in their homes when the Nazi Regime came looking for them. VI. Resistance took many forms, from individual acts to organized armed groups against the Nazi terror.

A quote from Albert Einstein states “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”. As difficult as it is to describe the terrible deeds of those who were part of the Holocaust, it is true that those who did nothing are at fault just as much as those who carried out the actions. When one thinks of the Holocaust today it is difficult to picture that such events were done by human beings. Societies have advanced but it is important to acknowledge the reason as to why many bystanders refused to help or why they were so indifferent to the pain felt by the Jews. “The psychological mechanisms used to come to terms with the suffering of another appear to be very similar, whether the person is standing right before us or is 2,000 miles away. (Barnet:118) Barnett explains that ideological and moral principles also come into play, as do self-interest and the weighing of the possible consequences of our actions. We try to establish what is or is not possible. In the end, our decision will be determined not so much by whether we actually have the power to change a situation, but whether we have the will to do so. (Barnett, 118). In the case of many of the individuals who chose to become bystanders rather than change the situation they were not willing to get involved. Although not every German was a bystander, those who

Those who did help usually were motivated by compassion, religious or moral beliefs, and the opposition to Nazi. The people who were saved had to be kept extremely hidden, usually in private homes and Catholic convents and monasteries. To illustrate, some refugees were even smuggled into Switzerland. This was very dangerous, because smuggling a Jew was punishable by death. In an effort to escape many Jews would try to armed resistance, both planned and spontaneous.

It is a challenge to reconcile human beliefs in compassion and morality with the actions, or inactions, of bystanders in the Holocaust. How is it possible that hundreds of thousands of people stood by while millions faced pain and suffering? Before exonerating or condemning all of them, it is necessary to consider the differences in bystanders. For the context of the Holocaust, a bystander is someone who was neither a target of the Nazis or a Nazi themselves. Putting all of these people in the same group is an oversimplification, because it ignores the power system in place during the Holocaust and the various positions of bystanders in that system. The wealthy business owner is not the same as the working-class mother of four. In this situation, one has considerable power and ability, and the other does not. Applying a blanket statement, and calling the latter unjust when they are ordinary people in a time of horrific war is contrary to reason. It is also necessary to consider the extent of bystander’s actions. Have their actions merely helped to ensure their own survival, or do they directly hurt Holocaust victims? The magnitude of each situation is varied. In conclusion, to gauge the morality of a bystander’s actions, they need to be judged on an individual basis, with two qualities in mind: that person’s ability to act and the effect of their actions.

One of these heroes is named Marcin Czyżykowski. Marcin Czyzkowski helped escape some kids out of the ghetto. He also snuck in goods such as food and medicine for the people. On the way back to his home, he snuck out kids to his and his wife’s home. He also helped them with adoption and finding the right guardians. Other heroes were Michał and Jadwiga Skalski who saved Leon Grynberg and his daughters. And another hero named Jan Kaliszczuk, housed, fed, and aided Jewish partisans: Judel Pitluk and Aron Lach and both survived through ghetto liquidations thanks to

These saviours were referred to as “Righteous Gentiles.” Many hundreds of these non-Jewish people have been honoured for their bravery and personal sacrifice, of which the German industrialist Oskar Schindler is probably the best known. We might never know exactly what motivated these individuals or groups to risk torture and death under the Nazi regime to save one or a thousand Jewish lives- we can merely surmise and try understand from the stories. Some acted purely for economic gain, others out of altruism and

During the Holocaust, around 6 million Jews died of persecution from many groups of people. But this number could have been much greater if it was not for the efforts of many courageous people. There is not an exact number of how many people were saved during the Holocaust, but the death toll would have been much larger if people, like Raoul Wallenberg, did not help. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman and diplomat who showed much moral courage by saving countless Jews during World War II.

“Mankind must remember that peace is not God’s gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.” It was a dark cold night. The sky was dusky and the moon was NEW. As usual, I took my long walk starting from my neighborhood, till the next one and back. But this night was not just a normal. It was a horrible yet frightening night that engraved one of the heaviest, most profound experiences in my life! “One of the ill effects of cruelty is that it makes the bystanders cruel.” (Thomas Fowell Buxton)