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The Sonderkommando

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Life for the Sonderkommando during the holocaust was different from other inmates. Survival came with a different meaning. Both the film Son of Saul and the reading This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen gave an inside look on their means of survival, resistance and the effects it had on their human dignity. The Sonderkommando had better living conditions than other Auschwitz inmates. They were given food, sleeping areas and were able to wear normal clothing. They were accommodated with the basic physical human needs. From the reading This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen it was evident that the Sonderkommando found comfort in their cabins, comfort you would not expect to exist in such a place. “I lie against the cool, …show more content…

Each inmate possessed important skills which were used when needed. This allowed the inmates to band together and covertly conduct basic operations within the camp. Jewelry and other valuables smuggled from new shipments of inmates were often used in exchange for help or bribes between the Sonderkommando. In some cases, the Sonderkommando were even able to bribe the guards. An example of which can be seen when a guard was bribed to allow Saul into Ella’s cabin. Relationships between the guards and the Sonderkommando were as expected. Inmates had to follow given protocols and if they refused or did not comply to what they were required; they were either punished or killed. The execution of the rabbi after he had jumped into the river exemplified such intolerance to out of order behavior. Another example was seen in the reading This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, when the guards threatened to kill any Sonderkommando that were to steal from the shipments; “Whoever takes gold, or anything at all besides food, will be shot for stealing Reich property” (Borowski 348). The guards would also consistently keep the Sonderkommando in the dark. They were notified only moments before they were needed or just before an arrival was set to come in. This made informants very important for the Sonderkommando. In the film Son of Saul, a Renegade within a commanding office passed on information to …show more content…

This was common among all victims of the holocaust. Human dignity was rarely present during this time. New inmates were treated like animals being herded into the slaughterhouse. This was expected by the oppressors but certainly not by the Sonderkommando. Their actions towards their own people were no different than the actions of the oppressors. It was evident in This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, that sympathy for their own people was not felt; “I don’t know why, but I am furious . . . furious because I must be here because of them. I feel no pity. I am not sorry they’re going to the gas chambers. Damn them all! I could throw myself at them, beat them with my own fists” (Borowski 350). Based on this reading, it was clear that the Sonderkommando had very little regard for the new inmates, only viewing them as shipments for their own survival rather than the continual death of their people. The Sonderkommando spoke of these shipments without a hint of despair. The men were even able to eat and drink among the corpses, showing how detached they were from their emotions. It was clear that in order for these men to survive they had to adapt in ways that defied the human dignity within them. It’s was difficult to consider these men heroes based on their view and treatment depicted in the reading towards their own people. That being said, we also cannot blame

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