On January 27, the world commemorates the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, one of the most horrific crimes against humanity that claimed the lives of more than six million Jews, as well as millions of other people who became victims of the Nazi regime. This date was not chosen by chance: it was on this day in 1945 that the Allied forces freed the prisoners of one of the largest concentration camps, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Today, it is important not only to remember those tragedies, but also to understand their impact on modern times. The memory of the Holocaust is a warning that humanity must not allow such crimes to happen again. It is also a reminder of the responsibility of each of us in the fight against intolerance, hatred and discrimination.
The concentration camps of Nazi Germany became a symbol of the worst manifestations of human cruelty. They were created for the detention and systematic extermination of people “inferior” from the point of view of Nazi ideology – Jews, Roma, people with disabilities, political prisoners, Soviet prisoners of war and other groups. Many of these camps were “death camps”—places where mass murder took place on a horrific scale.
Auschwitz-Birkenau: a symbol of the Holocaust
The largest and most terrible concentration camp was Auschwitz-Birkenau, located near the Polish city of Auschwitz. The complex consisted of several camps: Auschwitz I – the administrative center, Auschwitz II (Birkenau) – the main death camp where the gas chambers were located, and Auschwitz III – the labor camp.
Auschwitz-Birkenau became the center of the “final solution of the Jewish question”. This term used by the Nazi authorities to denote a plan to destroy the European nation. Every day, echelons with thousands of Jews from all over Europe arrived at the death camp. Most of them were immediately sent to gas chambers, after which their bodies were burned in crematoria. Those who were left alive worked in grueling conditions, which often also became a death sentence. In general, in Auschwitz died over 1.1 million people, including about 1 million Jews.
Other “death camps”
During the existence of the Third Reich, 27 large concentration camps and more than 1,100 smaller ones were established. Their number was constantly changing: some camps were closed, and new ones were opened instead. Between 1933 and 1945, about 2.3 million people — men, women and children — passed through these places of horror and death.
Large death camps were created for mass murder:
- Treblinka (Poland): place of execution of more than 800,000 Jews. There were no large labor camps here, most of the prisoners were killed immediately.
- Belzets (Poland): one of the first death camps where more than 600,000 people died.
- Sobibor (Poland): about 250,000 people were killed in this camp. In October 1943, one of the few successful uprisings of prisoners took place there.
- Helmno (Kulmhof) (Poland): a camp where mass killings were carried out using mobile gas chambers (cars). About 150-200 thousand people died.
- Maidanek (near Lublin, Poland): a camp that combined the functions of labor and death. About 78,000 people died, including many Jews.
Scales of horror
The concentration camps operated according to a carefully planned system. People were transported in freight cars, in inhumane conditions, without food and water. Upon arrival, the Nazi doctors carried out a “selection”: the young and healthy were left for forced labor, others – children, elderly people, pregnant women – immediately went to the gas chambers.
Those who remained alive worked in factories or camps, where they died slowly from starvation, disease, torture or exhaustion. In these camps, cruelty reached the most terrible forms.
The value of memory
The memory of these events should be preserved as a warning to all mankind. Hundreds of thousands of people who passed through the camps left testimonies of their experiences, stressing: “Never again.” Memorials, such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, have been created at the sites of former camps to remind future generations of the dangers of hatred and indifference.
Cinema has an incredible power: it can not only entertain, but also reach the depths of the soul, open forgotten pages of history and ask questions that humanity is still looking for answers to. Movies about the Holocaust are not just stories about the horrors of the past. It is an attempt to understand how such incredible tragedies could happen in the world and why they should not happen again. Holocaust films play an important role in preserving the memory of this tragedy.
“Schindler’s List” (Schindler’s List, 1993) directed by Steven Spielberg
One of the most famous films about the Holocaust, based on real events. It tells the story of German entrepreneur Oskar Schindler, who saved more than 1,100 Jews by hiring them to work in his factory. The film won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture.
“Life is beautiful” (La Vita è Bella, 1997) directed by Roberto Benigni
This Italian tragicomedy tells the story of a man who, after being sent to a concentration camp with his family, tries to protect his son from the terrible reality by turning life into a game. The film combines humor and tragedy, has three “Oscars”.
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, 2008) directed by Mark Herman
A touching story of friendship between a boy, the son of a concentration camp commandant, and a Jewish boy prisoner. Through the eyes of a child, viewers see the brutality of the Nazi regime.
“Pianist” (The Pianist, 2002) directed by Roman Polanski
The film tells about the life of Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman, who survived the occupation of Warsaw and the Holocaust. The picture received the Palme d’Or and three Oscars.
“Son of Saul” (Saul fia, 2015) directed by Laszlo Nemes
One of the most influential films about the Holocaust in recent years. In the center of the story is a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz who tries to bury a boy he considers his son. The film won the Oscar for the best foreign film.
These films not only reveal the horrors of the Holocaust, but also show the strength of humanity even in the darkest of times. They are worth watching in order to never forget the tragedy of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust is being forgotten…
The Jewish organization Claims Conference, with the support of scientists from the Global Strategy Group, held a large-scale poll in 8 countries in order to identify the Holocaust Awareness Index. The results showed a disturbing trend: knowledge about the Holocaust is gradually disappearing, especially among young people. Although most respondents expressed a desire to learn more about this tragedy, their awareness remains limited. Many interviewees lack knowledge of even basic facts. For example, only a small fraction know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. A significant number of people believe that this number is only 2 million or even less.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
What is even more impressive is that some young people are not even sure if they have even heard of the Holocaust. In France, they are 46%, in Romania – 15%, and in Austria and Germany – 14% and 12%, respectively. And this despite the fact that the events of the Holocaust left deep scars in world history. The United States showed the lowest level of awareness: half of Americans could not name any Nazi camp or ghetto, including the famous Auschwitz.
At the same time, the respondents expressed their willingness to learn about the tragedy. More than 90% of respondents in all countries believe that memorial lessons about the Holocaust are necessary so that similar tragedies never happen again.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
But at the same time, most people in almost every country assume that something like the Holocaust could happen again. Of particular concern are the affirmative answers of respondents in the USA (76%), Great Britain (69%), France (63%) and Germany (61%).
So we see numbers that testify not only to the danger of forgetting, but also to the challenge facing society: to do everything possible so that the memory of the Holocaust lives on, and the lessons of history become a warning for all humanity.
