My travels have taken me to Poland, where 3.5 million Jews lived during the time of World War II. Krakow was a city where every fourth person was Jewish. Poland welcomed Jews until competition became a problem. In 1494, huge fires erupted in Krakow. Jews were blamed….Sound familiar?? The King decided to expel the Jews to a separate city across the water, a ghetto, so to speak. Today, 500 Jews are members of the Krakow JCC. What a difference in population.
This was a favorite site of mine because I teach "Schindler's List", and it brought so many sites from the movie to life. Originally intended as a forced labor camp, the Płaszów concentration camp was PURPOSELY erected on the grounds of two former Jewish cemeteries and populated with "prisoners" during the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto. In Jewish law, you are not allowed to exhume or disturb the dead once they are laid to rest. The movie wasn’t actually filmed at the camp site. Stephen Spielberg filmed the movie in the city of Kazimierz because it was so run down. Because of the movie’s success, the city now has lots of tourists visit.
The camp was notorious for horrible terrors. Commanding the camp was Amon Goeth, an SS commandant from Vienna who was sadistic in his treatment and killing of prisoners. Witnesses say he would never start his breakfast without shooting at least one person. When he wore his white sweater, people would be extra frightened because they knew he would act like a god and determine life or death. In January 1945, the last of the remaining inmates and camp staff left the camp on a Death March to Auschwitz. When the Nazis realized the Soviets were already approaching Krakow, they completely dismantled the camp and left an empty field in its place. The bodies that were buried there were all exhumed and burned on site to hide any evidence.
Among the Jews brought to Plaszow were those forced laborers living near and employed by Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Products Factory making pots and pans. Samuel Stoeger gave testimony against Amon Goeth in post-war trials. He was forced to be separated from his wife and child as he entered Plaszow labor camp, and they were sent elsewhere….probably the gas chambers in Auschwitz. “Goeth tore our child from my wife’s arms. She, refusing to let the child go, left the child and followed the child, so she was severely beaten by him. I never saw my wife or child again. Three or four days later, the clothing of all those who were murdered was brought into the camp, among which I recognized my wife’s overcoat and the outfit my child wore on that day. I hoped for miracles. I stood there waiting a whole Sunday, but instead of seeing the arrival of living people, what I was seeing was the arrival of rubber-covered platforms; they were bringing in huge heaps of dead, naked corpses. These heaps, in some cases, were very high. I tried to identify anyone. This was in vain as the corpses were massacred into an unrecognizable, terrible state.”
During roll call, there was a time when "prisoners" had to stand for two consecutive days because two prisoners escaped. Amon ordered every 10th person shot until "the culprits" were found. However, no one found them.
In September 1944, Amon was imprisoned by the Nazis for theft. He was let go and then captured by the Americans a year later. He was hung in Krakow. It seems fitting that he died on the third attempt. I hope he suffered. In 1964, a Monument of Torn Hearts was created in memory and honor of the victims ( I don't like using the word victim either because it implies they didn't fight back or show resistance....not true at all) who died at Plaszow.
Oldest Jewish cemetery in Poland
Oldest synagogue in Poland....now a museum. Why? Because there's no more Jews in Poland!
Writing a verse from the Bible.
Actual paths of the Plaszow concentration camp.
Oskar Schindler's house, formally belonging to Jews.
You made me think of the butterflies we painted. I can't imagine how they can rent that space out. How could there be any peace? The thought of knowing what took place in the cellar would be unsettling.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think they should just demolish Goeth's house
ReplyDeleteThis is really sad because Plaszów was built on top of Jewish cemeteries and it was illegal in Jewish law to disturb the dead. The Germans clearly knew this and it must have killed the religious Jews just being there. Goeth seems like a horrible man. I mean he wouldn't even eat his breakfast until he shot someone! It's surprising to me that the entire camp was able to be dismantled, leaving only a plain field. That's always been surprising to me - the fact that the Germans were able to destroy, what seemed like massive camps, so quickly. Some of these camps are described in length by football fields. To the hundreds even! Lastly, I'm astonished by the Jewish population in Poland. It used to be millions, and now its down to 500. How did we get here.
ReplyDeleteThe Jews were very strong during WWII by not giving up hope, and by still having love in their heart. It's ironic that the Jewish people now own the property and rent it out despite what had happened there! It reminds me of the bible verse "turn the other check." I never even heard of Amon Goeth until I read this blog. He was a horrible man! Why do they still keep his house they need to get rid of it!
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic how there are no Jews left in in Poland when every fourth person was a Jew hundreds of years ago. Amon Goeth was a sick man and I can't believe how it was said he couldn't start his breakfast without killing someone. Somebody with problems like that needs to be shot themselves. Samuel Stoeger's story is very upsetting. I can't imagine the pain and suffering he dealt with knowing that his wife and son have already been killed. It's awful how dead corpses were brought back into the camp. I'm not surprised that no one wants to buy Goeth's home, due to how evil he was.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the Nazis had the camps built on top of the jewish cemetaries just adds to how awful they really were. I disagree with Blake, and I think that Amon's house being unsold is a symbol of what happened and that they shouldn't forget what atrocities he committed. The butterflies make me think of the Sunflower (in a good way)! I think that the butterflies help the deceased rest in peace just how the sunflowers connected the soldiers to the earth.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the prisoners were stuck standing in place for two days without a break is horrible. Even after putting them through that the guards still killed every tenth person. Even though the escapees were never caught, I wonder what happened to them. Did they die soon after they escaped? Did they get to safety? If they did get to safety, I wonder if they found out about the punishments that the other prisoners at the camp had to deal with due to what they did. Reading about Amon Goeth reminded me that Hitler was not the only one to blame for the holocaust, but the people serving under him were also a large part of the blame. Even though I think I have heard the worst that the Nazis did, every blog I have read has made me realize that that is not the case and that there will always be something worse than something else they did.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that these camps were built is built on Jewish burial grounds would tear the faith right out of me. To think that such a sadistic place is built over my deceased brothers and them not getting to rest peacefully pulls on your heart strings. But the fact that the Jewish community still had love in their hearts and had courage no matter what is still surprising. Also the great movie "Schindler's List" gives notice to all the forgotten places. In addition the camp leader Amon was awful and should have suffered like you said. Some of the things written are the worst we've heard so far. They should rip down his house.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Poland's Jewish population went from one in every four people being Jewish to a mere 500. When you wrote the camp was known for notorious terrors, I didn't think one could be much worse than the others we have already read about. I was wrong. Amon was a digusting "human" being, and even in his death, he didn't get what he deserved. Not only is it disgusting that this camp was built on top of Jewish burial grounds, but it was later burned down. The Jewish people didn't even get a burial but were in a way cremated which goes against their customs. When I read they stood in role call for two days straight my legs hurt. Not only did they just have to stand there but every 10th person was shot because no one found the two who escaped.
ReplyDeleteI find it sickening that the Nazis made the work camp on top of a Jewish cemetery, but Amon Goeth sounds like a man evil and cruel enough to do such a thing. I can only imagine the type of person who would take a child from a mother's arms just to kill it. The horror people must have faced at the hands of Goeth is unfathomable. What I found slightly disturbing was your wish of suffering on Goeth. While I do not claim to be a religious person, I do believe that the worst earthly punishment a person deserves. God is the only being who has the right to inflict any suffering beyond death. Also, it says right in the Constitution that we do not inflict cruel or unusual punishments on people, no matter what crime they have committed. In order to maintain a standard for morality, we must follow these rules no matter who the person is or what crime they commit.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, I have determined that Goeth was not human. I don’t know what he was, but he cannot be a human. I didn’t know what to think when it said that he wouldn’t start breakfast without shooting at least one person. How does a man turn into such a monster? There is no way he was raised to be a cold blooded murderer who killed for fun. There had to be something seriously wrong with him and the other Nazis in command. The crazy thing is, based on that picture, he doesn’t even look Aryan. I just wish we could find out why Goeth and these others decided to do such horrible things.
ReplyDeleteIt's so disrespectful to build on top of a cemetery and knowing that in jewish law its illegal to disturb the dead!You are buried to have peace! Ha but no the Nazis decided to build a god awful place right on top of you! That is utterly disrespectful. what warmed my heart though is that they still had love in there hearts and thankfully the nazis didn't take that away. Also, Amon Goeth was a monster! He was evil! Who could live with themselves knowing that they are killing innocent people! When you said that there were rumors saying that he had to shoot one person before breakfast just explains that everyone thought he was a monster! Geez what a horrible man! It saddens me to think that he was human! Who could do things like that to other humans! It's simply inhumane!!
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth was only hung, a man that committed such atrocities should've been slowly tortured until he died, and as Putin would say "To forgive the terrorists is up to God, but to send them to him is up to me." I also don't think the house of Goeth should be demolished as it serves as a piece of history to remember the Nazis despicable crimes. When I read that Płaszów was placed over a Jewish burial ground, I thought of how horrible it must've been to have your body being disrespected as the Jewish faith doesn't allow for exhumation or temperament with the body after death. When I read that the prisoners were made to stand up for two straight days because two prisoners escaped literally made me feel the pain of how harsh that would've been, and still even worse that Goeth made the guards shoot every 10th person.
ReplyDeleteI almost can't believe that the Jews could be blamed for everything and not stand up for themselves. If one and every four people in Poland are Jewish, don't you think they could protest. I think one big reason for this is that the Jews didn't want attention. If they tried to protest then a bunch of attention would be put on them. I didn't realize that there weren't any Jews in Poland. I can understand that since they were hated there. Like why would they want to go back.
ReplyDeleteThey could protest all they wanted...they had no rights, so arms, nothing.
DeleteHow could anything and everything that occurred always be blamed on the Jews? How could they build a camp over dead bodies and then continue to kill even more people? I can’t possibly envision what it would be like to see multiple piles of corpses everywhere, and I can’t imagine having to look at the bodies and possibly recognizing one. It’s sad that the prisoners were punished for other prisoners escaping for freedom. That really proves and signifies that the Nazis didn’t want any Jews to live. Of course no one wants to buy Amon’s house, they don’t want to live in a home that once lived a malicious person. It’s pleasing to know there is still a Jewish cemetery still in Poland.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is crazy. Amon Goeth disgusts me. I can’t believe he would shoot at least one person every day before breakfast and act like God. He also ordered every 10th person to be shot when some “prisoners” were missing. That’s crazy! Really…what good does that do? It breaks my heart to read the story about the man who lost his wife and child. I couldn’t imagine being in his shoes. I’m happy to hear that Goeth got what he deserved and he didn’t get away like Mengele did.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else said it is very disturbing how they built over a a jewish Cemetery. Even though In Jewish law, it is said that you are not allowed to exhume or disturb the dead once they are laid to rest. Which the Nazis didn't care and decided to build this place right on top of it. When I was reading what you wrote about Amon Goath it makes me sick to my stomach. For example, When the jewish people saw he was wearing his white sweater, they would be extra frightened because they knew he would act like a god and determine life or death... How could a man just go up to someone who is innocent, kill them, and for that to be his goal which doesn't bother him at all once he has done it. Its crazy to think how there were and still are such evil people out there in the world that can do such horrible actions.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I find it disturbing that they would build a concentration camp on top of a Jewish cemetery!! This is disgusting in itself and frankly, it is just disrespectful. And when they are about to get caught, they burn it down... That is just extremely appalling. They basically burned down a cemetery... Also Amon Goeth is even more cruel than that. How can you make someone stand on their two feet for two straight days without a break. That is brutal! Also, ordering the soldiers to casually kill every 10th man in the line. Overall, this camp and man make me sick.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they just disrespected the dead by building a concentration camp over it. The Nazis disrespect has no boundaries, it's just ridiculous. Then to find out that Amon Goeth was only hung, makes it all worse. He should've been dismantled. Then his roll calls...really two days? Then ordering that every 10th man be shot? Unnecessary, like how could you just be so cruel to another human being. Amon Goeth is a sick, malignant, and vicious human.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they just disrespected the dead by building a concentration camp over it. The Nazis disrespect has no boundaries, it's just ridiculous. Then to find out that Amon Goeth was only hung, makes it all worse. He should've been dismantled. Then his roll calls...really two days? Then ordering that every 10th man be shot? Unnecessary, like how could you just be so cruel to another human being. Amon Goeth is a sick, malignant, and vicious human.
ReplyDeleteI find it really disrespectful and disturbing that the Nazis, who probably knew exactly what they were doing, made the camp right on top of a Jewish cemetery. That’s practically holy land for the Jews and the Nazis just stomped it to the ground. Before this blog, I never even heard of a man named Amon Goeth before this blog and he was a horrendous man. He basically held himself to rival God himself, which again, is something eerily similar to what Kim Jong Un, the dictator of North Korea, does. I can’t even believe how 3.5 million Jews were decimated to a dwindling 500. Its something that you really wouldn’t believe if you just heard it and not seen it for yourself. I mean, I’m still in disbelief.
ReplyDeleteGarrett Hensley
ReplyDeleteThe rapid decrease of the Jewish population in Poland is shocking. It is crazy to think that a place where once 3.5 million Jews lived, now only has approximately 500 Jews to account for the population. Personally, I think that Amon Goeth went to hell. The part that mentions how he never started his breakfast without shooting one person is beyond disgusting to even think about. It makes me so upset to think that someone could evolve into such a corrupt person with such a mindset. The gruesome treatment that he put the prisoners through (also supported in the pictures you provided) is simply overwhelming to even begin to think about. Lastly, the emotions sank in when I read the story about the child and mother. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go through something like that. To have a glimpse of hope and continue to think that your family is okay and then, watch them get crushed before your own eyes when your recognize familiar clothing articles that previously belonged to your fellow family members.
The photos and passages brought this country to life for me. It was easy to picture tourists wandering through the town and viewing synagogues and museums. It was painful though to think about what had taken place there 70 years ago. Some of Earth’s most horrific moments occurred in this area. The statue of the five figures was very memorable because it showed strong faces and hands; however, they were all looking down, much like they would be during roll call. The strongest image to me was the walking path used by former prisoners at the concentration camp. I hope I would have had the courage to walk along it in honor of their memory.
ReplyDeleteIt was shocking to know how much the Jewish population decreased in Poland. It doesn’t surprise me that the Nazi purposely erected the camp on a cemetery. It was a very disrespectful act toward the Jews, and, of course, they didn’t care. The fact that Amon Goeth wouldn’t start his breakfast without killing anyone shows how insensitive a man can be. It’s also really interesting how a simple white sweater can display such horror. I cannot imagine how the Jews, one time, stood for two days without breaking, especially in the weak conditions they were. I was wondering about the men who escaped. Did they die? Are they alive? Do you know what happened to them? Anyway, Amon Goeth’s house should be demolished.
ReplyDeleteThe actions of Amon Goeth are truly evil. I always think that I know the worst of the Holocaust, but, through your blog entries, I’m continuously exposed to new gut-wrenching information and sadistic people, like Goeth, that prove me wrong every time. I’ve seen bits and pieces of Schindler’s List, and I’ve forgotten most of what I have seen. However, I will never forget the scene where Goeth is on the balcony shooting people just for the fun of it. How can he look at these people and only see them as animals or just a moving target? Additionally, it’s unbelievable to think that Goeth forced the prisoners to stand outside for two days straight. If the escapees didn’t come back after a couple hours, they should’ve ended the role call to commence the day’s work. Everyone shouldn’t be punished for the actions of a few, and two days without food, water, or sleep is complete insanity for something that they took no part in whatsoever. I’m glad Goeth’s house isn’t inhabited; it should be torn down out of respect for the few Jewish citizens that are still in Poland.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the man being separated from his family really stuck with me. I can't even imagine being torn away from my parents and seeing them beaten; Id rather just die. Amon Goeth sounds truly malevolent. Ive heard very little about him, but what you've written describes a man who lost all humanity. I agree with you in hoping that he suffered, and I am happy that his house isn't inhabited. I also wonder, if him and others had mental disorders. I feel that anyone who gets that much joy in killing someone must not have something psychologically correct in their brain. Also, I read some of he comments, and Hampton made a good point. He said that he didn't see how the Germans could blow up an entire camp. Didn't you say that some of the camps were several football fields? How could they blow up such a huge area? I am looking forward to watching Schindlers List. I think my mom mentioned that it was a good movie, but I could be thinking of something else.
ReplyDeleteThe Jewish population sharply decreasing in Poland shows how much the Jews were despised. The Nazis were very cruel and rude, but it was so disrespectful of them to put a camp on a cemetery. It’s like they knew that it was against the Jewish law to disturb the dead, but they put the camp there to anger the Jews and disrespect the Jew. Amon Goeth was a symbol of hate, and his white sweater was practically emphasizes that. Who knew people could be so afraid of an article of clothing because what it represented.
ReplyDeleteThe story regarding Amon Goeth is just crazy. He acted as if he was God! The man was psycho. I thought characters like him were just in movies. Goeth was truly an animal plagued with inhumane thoughts and beliefs. I'm honestly disgusted. The thing that also shocked me the most was where the Nazis built the Płaszów concentration camp. They clearly knew and planned ahead where they would attempt to disturb a peaceful site. They disrespected the dead and the Jewish laws they believed in. That is just horrible and disgusting. Everything I see that the Nazis did relating to the Holocaust just disgusts me. Everything! Overall, I believe that Amon Goeth should have been left rotting in a prison alone to think about all the cruel actions that were imposed on the Jews. I just can't imagine how individuals like himself could commit something like this to another human. People like this dismantled society and ruined relationships that were once formed. Horrible.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth's house should have been torn down symbolically like the Berlin Wall. The men in power at the concentration camps are like us. Some people will go crazy in power. Goeth is just one example; instead of acting like a cold professional killer he instead acted like an extrajudicial asshole who was probably compensating for a little something (why kill so inefficiently even for a Nazi?).
Now that I think about it, Holocaust/war movies seem to get a lot of recognition. Just think about it. How many movies can you name that have gotten a grammy/academy award? I can name a whole lot including Spielberg's Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Bridge of Spies. It's good that these movies are highly recognized too (not just for sentiments).
I'm also glad that some survivors weren't transformed into their captors. We never have enough love; I can see the hate and anger transferred onto the victims affecting them even after the tragedy
bye
I think that they should destroy Amon Goeth’s house. That house isn’t selling because no one wants to live in the house of a murderer. I was surprised that the house next door was actually bought by Jewish people who rent it out. That house was used for torturing the Jews. I don’t think I could spend a night in that house without being creeped out. I think that the monument of Torn Hearts was pretty cool. It’s cool how the artist made one of the fists into the sign of love. I feel like that perfectly describes the Jews. It doesn’t make sense that they would kill all those smart people. One would think that they could find a better use for them.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a disgustingly twisted kind of irony that the Płaszów concentration camp was purposely built on Jewish cemeteries. The Nazis had to have known about the Jewish law forbidding disturbing the dead; not only did they decide to break this law in probably the worst way possible by replacing a cemetery, a place of rest and respect for the dead, with a concentration camp, but they also forced their prisoners to break the law by being made to live and work there. Disgusting isn’t even a strong enough word for it. I disagree with some of the other people in their comments that Amon Goeth’s house should be torn down. I think it remaining as a symbol of history like the Polish synagogue and the former torture chamber is an important reminder of the kind of people that have existed and, horrifically, still exist today.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Kraiss
Destruction of sites where horror takes place doesn't constitute proper vengeance. In fact, that would lend itself to having people forget about the atrocities that occurred. Our practice EOC tells us why that's a problem... When you work on that principle, why would we be going to the Holocaust museum? It shouldn't exist in the first place if the correct answer was to destroy the remnants of the horrors that transpired. It may be horrible memories, but remembering is important; those who forget history are bound to repeat it. I'm sure none of you would care to be around for a fourth Fuhrer or any sort of equivalent (although America is currently strafing the line on that one...), and allowing people to forget is a one-way ticket to having just that happen. Ignorance will be our downfall. It's certainly our government's!
ReplyDeleteI like the picture of the white butterfly. To me, the butterfly is for the dead Jews what the sunflower was for the dead Nazis. I thought it was cool how you got to see the houses of Amon and Oskar Schindler. I have seen the movie "Schindler's List" and I think it's a very inspirational movie, that depicts the events of the Holocaust well. I couldn't imagine what it felt like for that man to be separated from his wife and kid. It's very sad that he couldn't even find their bodies. It just goes to show hoe demonic the Nazis were!
ReplyDeleteI hate the treatment of these people. They were forced to tread upon their dead relatives which was forbidden. The fact that they were lined up to stand for two whole days is incredible! I can barely stand up for the 15 minutes of singing at church! Shooting every 10th person for two days, that's a clever, yet horrible punishment. After the two days they would have killed at least over 300 people.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that so many Jews had lived in Poland at that time. How could the Jews cause all of the fires? I have realized that this is human nature. Sometimes people just have to find scapegoats. I don't like the fact that the ghetto was built on two former Jewish grave yards. How is it possible for someone to stand for two consecutive days? I cant even imagine how many Jews were killed during that. When I saw the picture of the mass grave, it made me a little happier when you said that butterflies surrounded it. It reminded me of the sunflower. The butterflies are carrying messages to the Jews.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder no one wanted that good for nothing's house. It might as well be knocked down and turned into something actually useful. It makes me so mad to know that someone did that!! There is one thing in life that I truly hate and that is mean people. As cliche as that sounds, it is true. I find it absolutely crazy that there are not nearly the same amount of Jews in Poland as there were before, but it kind of makes sense. Why would they go back to a place where they faced so much adversity and animosity? Also, I LOVE Matza Ball soup! My grandmother makes it too :)
ReplyDeleteIt is sick that the camp was purposely built on a Jewish cemetery. It just sickens me to think about how these people were treated everyday up until their death. I agree with you when you said that Amon Goeth should have suffered. I was shocked when I read that he would shoot someone everyday before breakfast. How could one live with them self, having to kill someone everyday, treating that person's life like it's some kind of game? Every time I read one of these blogs, I think always think that it can't possibly get worse. I am wrong every single time. The Nazis, especially their leaders, were cruel, arrogant, horrible people.
ReplyDelete-Nicholas Glenn
I’m glad to see you had some fun on your trip. Going from morbid place to morbid place for weeks sounds really emotionally draining. Given Poland’s historical treatment of Jews, it was surprising that 3.5 million of them still lived there by the time the Holocaust occurred. The sadism throughout this blog entry, from the construction on the Jewish cemeteries to the killings before breakfast, shows the depths of human depravity and humans’ ability to turn on themselves. Amon’s story is revolting; his hanging must have brought peace to thousands of souls. The Krakow synagogue/museum is breathtaking. It’s a pity that it’s no longer used for worship. The butterflies on the burial pit are beautiful in a twisted way; the Jews didn’t get sunflowers like Weisenthal wanted, but they got the butterflies he also envied.
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible how the Jews were always blamed for everything even back in 1494! I had never heard of Amon Geoth before this blog, and know that I have learned of him, I hate him! The fact that he got pleasure in torturing innocent people makes me sick! When I read that he never ate breakfast without killing at least one person, I was horrified! How can someone ever be that cruel?! I became sorrowful when reading Samuel Stoeger’s testify against Geoth in court. The part that made me the most disconsolate was when he described how his child was torn out of him and his wife’s hands, and soon after, he saw both his child and his wife’s clothes in a pile of clothing. How could anyone tear an innocent family apart and live with themselves? Later on in this blog, I was cheerful to find out that no one wants anything to do with his house! I was also happy to learn that he was caught and killed; he deserved it!!
ReplyDelete- Madison Bain
I think the thing that really jumped out at me the most was the difference of Jewish population in Poland. What was even more surprising to me was that 3.5 million Jews still lived in Poland even during the Holocaust. The story about Amon wearing the white sweater and "playing god" really hit me hard. Although it isn't hard to imagine the horrible things that one could do with that amount of abused power, I'd still like to at least THINK that a person would have the common sense to know the difference between what's right and wrong. I guess that would just be asking too much of people. It's too bad that the synagogue had to be turned into a museum from the lack of Jewish inhabitants, but it still looks absolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteAmon sounds horrible. Then again, everything they went through sounds pretty horrible, including the Nazis. I'm very glad he was captured, and I'm glad he died. I can't fully comprehend that he made them stand outside for two days for roll call. It's ironic he desired his maid when she was not only a Jew, but it was also against the law for Germans and Jews to "do anything" together. I don't like the fact that the house where Jews were tortured is rented out, but I guess since they own the house, they can do whatever they want. It's quite unnerving though. I don't see why they don't just knock it down. Same with Amon's house.
ReplyDeleteI love that nobody will buy his house; nobody wants it because he was such a monster. To be seen as the decision between life and death is hideous. I’m assuming he rarely chose life. To be guilty of one murder now, you are already alienated and seen as evil, but this guy killed someone everyday before breakfast like it was nothing at all; just a routine. Everything about this is so sad and evil. It’s also amazing that there are little to no Jews left in Poland.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hate Amon. I usually never say that word, but what really made me come to that conclusion was the whole idea about "playing god". You shouldn't say something like that. He deserved to be captured, and what goes around comes back around. Why would you get joy out of torturing people? That's just so wrong.
ReplyDelete- Anna
Wow. Now I really want to see the movie "Schindler's List." While I am eating my breakfast in the morning, just seeing something nasty makes me lose my appetite. But killing someone, like Amon Goeth everyone morning, would scar me for the rest of my life. I do not understand how he could repeatedly kill prisoners over and over. I love the part in this blog that it says Amon was later imprisoned by the Nazis for theftery. I wonder if being on the otherside of the situation, as a prisoner, changed Amon's perspective of torturing and killing people. I like when people get a taste of their own medicine.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt makes total sense that nobody wants to buy Amon's house. WHo in their right mind would want to even step foot in the house of a devil. I don't understand how one can wake up and go kill someone for absolutely no reason. With Karma he finally got what he deserved and hopefully he learned his lesson.
ReplyDeleteChrysoula Xyrafakis
Amon Goeth sounds like one of the most malevolent people that has ever walked this earth. I cannot fathom the fact that he killed one person before eating breakfast every day. I haven't ever heard of anyone doing such a thing ever in my life. I haven't even thought of this being possible! Probably because it is simply inhumane and unbelievable. And what is this about him having all of the prisoners stand out because some people escaped? He killed every 10th one? I am absolutely enraged with this terrible man. I am also very pissed that he was arrested for merely theft and not his other terrible crimes. But were these things even considered crimes then? I guess not, and that makes me all the more pissed.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith the endless sickening acts Amon Goeth did makes me sick. He killed so many people, and he couldn't eat his breakfast before he shot someone! That is not a way to start the day. Although I wish he was arrested for the things he did to the Jews, It is still relieving that he was hung after he was caught by the Americans. I'm not surprised that no one wants his house! it should be burned like they burnt the Jews dead bodies to cover up their evidence! It is purely shocking that he killed every tenth person because two people escaped, and they were never found!!!!
ReplyDeleteLily Jones
Amon Goeth is a truly evil human. He doesn’t even deserve to be called human. To kill someone before you have even had your breakfast is insane, and he probably got lots of pleasure from it. Also, how inhumane do you have to be to force “prisoners” to stand outside for two days straight while looking for escapees. And to shoot every tenth person? He is insane. Everyone shouldn’t be punished for the actions of a few. I’m elated that no one will purchase Goeth’s house. It should be dismantled out of respect for the Jewish people. The materials should also be demolished so that they may never be used again.
ReplyDeleteHow the Jews were blamed reminded me of kristallnacht. You have got to be kidding me. Not only do they build another concentration camp, but it's on top of a cemetery! SERIOUSLY! The thing about how Amon Goeth wears white reminded me of Mengele, the angel of death. The story Samuel Stoeger left me in awe and speechless. I like how his wife fought and was determined to keep her child even when the consequences were severe. Of course no one would want to buy his house, but I don't understand why they can't make it into a museum when they made a HOLY PLACE one! I like how the irony fits in with the butterflies and the pit. It reminds me of the sunflower from The Sunflower.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that I HATE Amon Goeth. And hate is a strong word and it's very hard for me to hate anyone, but he has managed to do it. I can't even imagine what went on inside his head. What sick mind can only kill someone before they have breakfast. I can barely spell my own name. The man who had his wife and kid ripped away from him was the single most thing I have read from this blog. When he waited for them to come back, I had to take a minuet to breath and move on. I will forever be baffled at how they could have faith and love with them when all they see is death and hatred.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite horrific reading about how much if a monster Amon was, but when i read that America finally did something good by hanging that disgusting creature it made me feel a lot better. That being said, nothing will ever bring back this Jews he killed, but it brings me joy that he is now hated among about everyone when he was once praised. Seeing the pictures was my favorite part, especially the one with the butterflies over the pit where the Jews were buried. I think the butterflies resemble how much the Jews really meant something.
ReplyDeleteWhy were the Jews blamed for everything? Were they just that inferior to everyone else? I don’t think so. I didn’t know that Poland had a king either. Goeth reminds me of Mengele. He decides about life or death and that’s what Mengele does too. Just like the “Angel of Death.”
ReplyDelete-Makiah
It is insane to me that Poland is so antisemitic that the population living there is so low so many years after the Holocaust. I was shocked reading that the prisoners had to stand for two days over the escape of two prisoners. This reminded me of The sunflower when one of the men told Simon that he was glad he didn't run away because there would be a great reception for them back at the camp if that happened. I can't even imagine standing on my feet for two whole days not knowing what was going to happen. Amon instilled pure fear and terror into the lives of the innocent Jews. It was nice to see the picture of the butterfly over the pit where the Jews were buried. This also reminded me of The Sunflower and how Simon was jealous of the graves that the Germans got and how butterflies surrounded them. The butterfly in the picture is a beautiful thing to me; it's almost like a symbol.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just can't believe that someone like Amon Goeth was actually real. He sounds like fairytale villan because of how mean and malicious Amon is. He must have not had a heart since he could kill people in a blink of an eye without a thought. This story you shared with us about the guy losing his wife and child really established how malicious Amon was. It made me really happy when I read about how he got thrown in jail for theft. Also, how when he was released Amon just got captured by the Americans. I agree with you about how you hoped he suffered. Personally, I wouldn't have hung him because that would've been the easy way out. I would have put him in jail and made him suffer for however long he was live. Also, I wasn't surprised when you said that no one would buy Amon's house because I wouldn't either.
ReplyDelete~Morgan Routh
i find it ridiculous that Poland is so antisemitic for how long they lived with them. It still is interesting that there are still some people who live in Krakow. But wouldn't it have been for Amon get in trouble for being infatuated for a Jew. He still treated killed many Jewish people. But all the sites you saw look like they have aged well and look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the 500 Jews left belonging to the Krakow JCC are living there. It is so interesting to see that in Poland the discrimination drew basically all Jewish people out of living there. Amon Goeth sounds like a disgusting person, not the type of person who could blame "brainwashing" for his brutality. His malicious acts such as lining people up for two days and shooting every tenth person until two escapees were found is awful. It frightens me that people like this existed and probably still do exist. The fact that his white sweater symbolized that he would try and perform an act of God by discerning who lived and who died is so gross. It shows the mentality that even if someone wanted to stop him, he believed they couldn't because he was like a "god", carrying a warning symbol that struck fear rather than being a helpful cautionary sign. I can't imagine the mentality one would have seeing that man in a white sweater, the prisoners knowing that he would be particularly violent and that there was nothing they could do about it. I find it interesting that Jewish people have taken the torture chamber and rent it out. I related this back to the concentration camp area that Jewish people turned into a town. I'm curious as to why they did this. Was it an act of defiance to show that they would not be ruled by the past injuries the Nazis inflicted upon them? Is it so that no one forgets what happened on those sites? Lastly, I think it is awful that this concentration camp was built on former Jewish cemeteries on purpose. They knew that Jewish people are supposed to leave the dead undisturbed and went against it just to further disrespect and dishearten the Jewish people. That is so awful.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the Nazis had the nerve to construct a concentration camp on top of two Jewish cemeteries.That's so infuriating, but what I don't understand is why did they try to hide the evidence when the soviets were nearing? The people already knew, so were they trying to lessen the blow? Don't even get me started on Goethe, how could he be so cruel to innocent families? He absolutely disgusts me. I agree, anyone as diabolical as him shouldn't receive mercy. Also I believe it, who would want to live in a house with such tragic history. And for the picture of the hands I feel like it's not only determination but anger. To me the third hand symbolizes their will; their will to survive.
ReplyDeleteI think it is so fitting that Amon fancied Helena, yet she was disgusted at him. For someone who claimed to hate everything Jewish, it is so funny to me that he had feelings for her. That whole situation completely contradicts all the negative things Amon supposedly felt towards Jews. I also thought the butterflies in the pit were symbolic of remembrance. Although they were killed in vein, it is our duty to respect, honor, and remember those who died in the name of cruel ideology. I hate the Nazis for having the audacity to build this on top of Jewish cemeteries. In general, cemeteries are places of peace, remembrance, and respect, and they basically shit all over that. I love that no one wants to live in the houses of the former officials. The hate written in those walls and flowing through that houses veins would drive me away.
ReplyDeleteI was utterly shocked to read that before the war, one fourth of this town was Jewish. I would expect there to be more of a resistance among the non-Jewish citizens of this town. These people lived alongside each other. They formed friendships and worked together. If this were to happen again in our modern-day society, I would hope that there would be a massive outcry from the other citizens of this town. I cannot imagine the amount of evil and brainwashing that would go into the process of making a person want to kill "at least one man before breakfast." This really shows that the Nazis did not value anything other than their reign.
ReplyDeleteEverything the Nazi's did was horrifying and making the Jews exhume bodies and build a concentration camp on top of it is just horrifying. And the camp leader played 'God' and killed who he wanted when he wanted and didn't care, but his secret love was jewish. That is confusing, how can you kill many Jews everyday, and then love one in your basement. Also, why would someone want to rent the torture house, but no one will touch Goeth's house? On top of that, Jewish people own the house. Also confusing to me.
ReplyDeleteThis camp seems like one of the more horrifying ones, but also one that is more hopeful. Amon was a monster. The things he did were atrocious, and so many people died because of him. How could he have shot so many people for no reason? The thought of that is sickening. I am very glad he was caught and killed. The torture basement is also horrifying. I can't imagine what was done in there. But now this place is famous. There are statues and memorials and people visit. It will likely never be forgotten. For some reason, this strikes me as a small bit of hope in such a horrifying tale.
ReplyDeleteI was nearly in tears as I read Samuel's story of how his wife and child were taken away and killed. I can't even imagine what that must have felt like to him. Seeing his wife and child torn apart and beaten must have been so heartbreaking! When Samuel went on to talk about Amon, I was horrified at the fact that he wouldn't eat breakfast without killing at least one person. AT LEAST! Meaning that he would kill even more if he wanted to, and the saddest part about it is that he was allowed to do so without being punished. Well, in the end he got punished, but at the moment of the killings he was free to do as he wanted with the 'prisoners.'
ReplyDelete-Alexis Reid
I’m not surprised that they built a concentration camp on a Jewish cemetery. The two things that the Nazis did to hurt the Jews were physical pain and psychological games. Being prisoners above their own holy ground put mental stress on the Jews which weakened them and sickened them. I feel that the killing of Amon didn’t give the full justice to those he killed. A lot of people feel that killing is better than life in prison but I feel that being hung is a easy way out. Having him work for the rest of his life with tasteless food, restless nights, and long days of thinking about what he did is worse. - Cameron Wakefield
ReplyDeleteThis visit seems especially interesting. I don't think I knew that Poland had a king. It's sick that they purposely constructed the camp on cemetery grounds. How twisted does someone have to be to reach the point they kill people daily, let alone before breakfast? The monument looks cool, and it almost doesn't fit in with the rest.
ReplyDeleteIt was crazy to hear that in the start there was 3.5 million Jewish people living there and after it was over there were only 500 Jewish people left!! that is so heartbreaking to think about. It made me sick when you said that he wouldn't eat breakfast without killing at least one person, or some days he would wear white and everyone would be frighten because those days he would act as if was a god. This man is proof that Nazi can be sick. just all that he has done, he deserved to be hung.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that Poland had 3.5 million Jews living there before the Holocaust. It's even crazier that there were only 500 remaining afterwards. And now there are no more Jews at all in Poland, wow. It is creepy that the camp was made on top of a Jewish cemetery and it is also ironic. I'm glad that Amon Goeth was caught and hung. He was an evil person who was severely messed up in the brain. I don't understand people who enjoy killing people like he did. I like the monument because it represents how the Jews never gave up and were determined to survive.
ReplyDeleteThe audacity the Nazis had to just kill innocent people so effortlessly is so sickening. Amon Goeth obviously had no thought about what he was doing if he was killing at least one person before breakfast is outrageous. And then to put on a white sweater and think he is God himself is completely stupid. The monument is beautiful and it represents the Jews determination and perseverance.
ReplyDeleteIt is unbelievable to think how many Jews there were compared to how many there are now. It is so sad. Amon Goeth seems like an awful man. The fact that he can't start his day until he kills someone is horrifying. The story of the man and his wife and son was so sad. I am glad that he didn't give up hope. I loved how the monuments showed determination, it was very inspiring. It surprises me that the house next to Amon Goeth, which was used as a torture chamber, is owned by Jews.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine being shot probably in my sleep fro a "devil" to eat his breakfast. that man should have been actually killed on the first attempt, not the third. Now I have a question with reading this. Since the "prisoners" were standing fro to days straight and they killed very tenth person, did they continually count out ten people round after round or just once? The man and his family is quite sad, and you putting it into detail really gives the extra sympathy it deserves. the butterflies I see are the dead Jewish victims in a new form, but they can be free.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that no one will buy Goeth's house to turn it into a museum, however it is understandable that no one would want to be responsible to take care of the house a monster lived in. I also find it scary that he had a torture chamber in the basement of the house next door. I think that is quite disturbing. The fact that there are now butterflies around the Jewish cemetery leads to the hope of an after life like we have read about in the Sunflower. While the Nazis did horrible acts as if they were the best thing in the world, the strength that their "prisoners" showed is truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteLiz Montgomery
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how one person can be so evil. Goeth was a down right monster and it's insane that one man could have so much evil nature. The strength that the Jews showed is truly amazing. It's amazing that even through all the hardships and all the tortures they went through they stayed so strong. I think that it is understandable that no one wants to buy Goeth's house. I definitely wouldn't want to live there, and honestly I think I would be afraid to even be in that house. Let alone love in it. It's also crazy to compare the number of Jews then to the number of Jews now. The difference is honestly scary. It’s absolutely horrifying to think that Goeth needed to shoot someone before he ate his breakfast. How insane can one person be? All of the Nazis did awful things and they make me sad, but some of Goeth’s choices are absolutely chilling to the bone.
Rose Dorofi
Xan Brien
ReplyDeleteI thought it was good that someone made a movie about this terrible place to tell the story of what atrocities happened there. It's hard to believe how evil someone can be. I glad that Goeth was hung, and I hope he suffered too. It's kind of funny that his house has been for sale for so long and no one wants to buy it. Its terrible how Goeth would put on a white sweater and walk around "playing God". Its good that they out a statue to remember the sinful acts committed at the camp.
It is unbelievable to see how one person can have so much evil in him. Goeth is like every other high ranking Nazi. They all have twisted and evil minds in which it is very hard for someone to comprehend. It is interesting to see how no one wants to buy or make a museum out of Goeth's house. It is crazy that the house next door of Goeth house was used for a torture chamber in the basement. That is something you could only imagine in a horror movie. Overall, it is just sad to see countless of families being broken apart and evil men killing countless of innocent Jews.
ReplyDeleteYour short tale at the beginning really makes me believe that there will always be a scapegoat. It would be really interesting to understand why our minds come up with the idea to do that. Amon is not right in the head; anyone who did what he did, willingly, would be just as mad. No wonder people wouldn’t want to buy his house. It’s probably witnessed so many horrors. As for the other houses, I can’t believe someone would want to rent out a house that has a torture chamber! It’s unsettling, but there’s something beautiful about a once nightmarish place being normal and serene now. The synagogue was also so beautiful and mystical. The statues were too! The deeper message behind it all really captures my attention.
ReplyDeleteOut of this whole post that I just read, the one thing that pissed me off is the fact that the Nazis built a concentration camp on top of a old Jewish cemetery. And how they would make the Jews stand for as long as two days because some prisoners escaped. I just can't imagine the pain and suffering these poor people had to go through. One thing that mad me laugh when I read this was the fact that no one wanted to by his home because of how evil he was. The picture of the massive pit were the Jews were exterminated really made tear up. When you said the whole area is covered with butterflies, it made me think of my grate grandma. When she died I was a mess, she was like my best friend. Every time I would cry, a butterfly would appear, only one. And to this day, if I miss her the same brown butterfly seams to just come out of now where. In my opinion those butterflies near the pit represents life in a way.
ReplyDeleteIt seems, there more we learn, the more horrified I become and the more helpless I feel. Reading this, looking at the images, all I can think about is the people. The people, who are vey much real, doing and having these things done to them. It seems like a story. A cautionary tale. But it's real. It's so real and it shocks and disgusts me every time I learn something new.
ReplyDeleteThe only person that should play God is God himself. They should have never released Goeth from prison in 1944. They should have left him there to rot and starve. The amount of effort that he put into killing Jews is outrageous. Every single day killing someone before breakfast... Reading that left me speechless. He was, without a doubt in my mind, the devil. The fact that his own housekeeper rebelled him knowing the consequences shows tremendous bravery and glory. Poland still seems like a very anti-Semitic place that doesn't want any Jews to live there. Goeth's house should be burned to the ground for the amount of pain that he has caused between those walls. The pit where the Jewish bodies were dumped looks so peaceful today but what lies beneath is something made in a nightmare. These camps are the definition of hell.
ReplyDelete-Brady
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth sounds as if he was a disgusting human being. I mean, to need to kill someone before you even eat breakfast for God’s sake! It is horrible that people like him existed, and still do to this day. I am glad he was brought to justice. He got what he deserved. I really liked what you said about the Nazis not being able to take away the Jews’ loving spirit. The Nazis did have a lot of power, but for them to kill the Jewish people’s hope or spirit would be impossible. That is really moving. It goes to show just how brave and strong the Jews were. I could not imagine having that amount of inner strength.
-Sophia R
It is very sad to read what the Nazis did to the Jewish people here. Building the camp on top of Jewish graves felt like a way to mock them. Reading about Goeth is something I don’t like doing, as I hate having to read about the horrors and crimes these evil people did commit, but I do feel like the Nazis failed in their master plan. They tried to kill all the Jewish people, but the Jews fought back and were determined to not be destroyed by such and evil group of people. They had hope all throughout the war, and the Nazis were not able to take away their love. This is what made them fail, and I’m glad that people like Goeth were put to trial for the crimes they committed.
ReplyDeleteI’d like to start my response by saying its so cool that your heritage allowed you to ventre to so many places like poland. With this being said it’s crazy that all these places harbor horrible memories for many, how could someone force people to stand in lines and then choose to kill every 10th man with no better reason than that they could. I don’t know how the actions of one person could affect so many others, if one person escaped then what was the big deal it’s not like the Germans were keeping Jews alive. The Nazis could have just used the Jewish population for forced labor, or let them escape from Germany, instead of killing of thousands.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Rissew
I really want to see Schindler’s list. I’ve never heard about it before and I would like to watch it since I enjoyed the devil’s advocate so much. Anyways, It’s terrible how the SS officer acted like God by determining who lived and who dies! It’s so cruel and inhumane because it’s not his choice. I also hope that the rumor about him killing one Jew before breakfast was a myth and just a few Jews made it out without being killed by him. I was heartbroken when I read about the man’s wife and child and how their clothes were sent back to the pile. I teared up a bit actually because I can’t imagine the reminder about what the camp has done to this man and how the clothes of his loved ones remind him of what he has lost.
ReplyDeleteIt is unbelievably disrespectful that the Nazis would create a concentration camp right on top of a jewish cemetery, and really shows that the Nazis had no morals and no respect for human life. It shocked me that the commanding SS officer there was feared more when he put on his white sweater because “he would act like a god.” The Nazis really did go crazy with power, literally trying to play god and freely kill whoever they wished. It makes me think that was the norm in concentration camps, and every man put in charge became crazy with their power.
ReplyDelete-Nick Shaw
It seems very disrespectful to me that the Nazis built a concentration camp on top of an old Jewish Cemetery. How disrespectful can one be to do such a thing? The fact that people blamed the Nazis for everything is churlish and the people should’ve have learned during the holocaust but they didn’t. Amon Goeth sickens me. How could he do such a thing without feeling guilt? Killing one person is already a problem but the fact that he killed a massive amount of innocent people is ridiculous. I am glad that he got the punishment he deserved because he was such a bad man. I feel very bad for the innocent prisoners who had to stand for two consecutive days because that was their punishment for their peers behavior. It is so cruel that someone would do such a thing. I wonder what pain they were in and can never imagine being in it myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is sick that the camp was purposely built on a Jewish cemetery. It just sickens me to think about how these people were treated everyday up until their death.what warmed my heart though is that they still had love in there hearts and thankfully the nazis didn't take that away. Also, Amon Goeth was a monster! He was evil! Who could live with themselves knowing that they are killing innocent people! When you said that there were rumors saying that he had to shoot one person before breakfast just explains that everyone thought he was a monster! Geez what a horrible man! It saddens me to think that he was human.
ReplyDelete-Noah Zeck
It amazes me that this camp was built on a Jewish cemetery. Where loved ones are buried there is a concentration camp. I can’t imagine having a friend or family member buried there, and then all of a sudden a concentration camp is built on top of them. This shows that the Nazis didn’t care about human life and that disgusts me. The Nazis continue to disgust me with their actions, and my hatred toward them has grown larger. This is not okay whatsoever, and makes me feel sick. I still can’t believe no one spoke up on this and took action. Maybe if someone would have, it could have been reduced in a huge amount.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is completely awful that Amon Goeth would never start his breakfast without shooting at least one person. And that he would act like a god and determine life or death.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad to read how Samuel Stoeger was forced to be separated from his wife and child as and they were most likely sent to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. I could not imagine being separated from my family, and not even seeing them again. I also not even imagine what it would be like being forced to stand for two consecutive days because two prisoners escaped during roll call, and having every 10th person shot until "the culprits" were found. Although it’s sad to see all the graves, it’s interesting to see them. I think it’s interesting that no one wants to buy Amon Goethe's house, and they can’t even make it into a museum. I think it’s nice that butterflies surround the pit where Jews were buried; it brings hope to others. I enjoyed seeing each of the pictures attached.
-Ashley LeBlanc
Reading about how the Nazis built Plaszow on top of multiple Jewish cemeteries disgust me because brutally beating and killing innocent Jews wasn’t enough for the Nazis apparently. It is very unsettling seeing real pictures of people like Amon. They look just like everyone else but like you said, try and play the role of God. As I read that they stood for two straight says I was shocked. I may not be able to relate to anything the Jews went through but standing for 48 hours while you watch your friends and fellow Jews get shot right in front of you??? I can’t imagine the mental scars people carried from these hellish acts.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the some of the worst of the Nazis, which is saying a lot, came from Krakow. It seems as if this camp contained the most inhumane humans to ever walk the earth. I find it disgusting how Goeth wouldn't eat his breakfast without taking an innocent life away. I couldn't imaging having to stand for two days straight after being starved and overworked. I still wonder how someone can be that evil and be that filled with hate to do the things they did. Some serial killers and psychopaths aren't even as messed up as these Nazis were. Its ironic how Goeth thought of himself as "Godlike" when he was the complete opposite. Seeing the pictures of Goeth made me wonder how people can look harmless but really be awful people.
ReplyDeleteIt is unnerving to be able to go to these places and walk on the same place where others did while they were going to their hell. Seeing when mass graves were the bodies still not given an individual space in our earth. But at the same time it seems as if the planet accepts them sending the butterfly as a beckon of peace letting their souls rest. It might just be nature, but people tell me to try and see the bright side of things and as I grow more mature it find it harder to buy also more rewarding when I do.
ReplyDeleteEvery fourth person in Krakow was jewish. Amon Goeth, an SS commandant, said he wouldn’t start breakfast until he killed at least one person. I don’t know how that is possible. If i killed someone, which i wouldn’t, i wouldn’t be in the mood to eat. Jews had to stand for two days straight just because two people escaped. Amon deserved to be hanged for all the bad things he has done. We should’ve hunted people like this before all of these terrible things happened.
ReplyDelete-Wilson Hawes
I can't imagine how upsetting it must be to continue to travel to all of these places and walk where billions of innocent Jews had walked knowing their life would soon come to an end. To see the homes and offices of the people that made their lives a living hell. However, it is amazing that you were able to see some happiness within all the sad. In my family, the white butterfly is not just a sign of someone who has passed away, but it is someone who is now coming to pay a little visit and say hello. Whether it be a family member or a close friend. I also found it amazing that when you saw the monument of the 5 people, you were able to see love. Others when looking at it would see the symbol it represents as a whole and would miss the hidden messages that are actually in the piece that may bring a whole new meaning to what the statue is supposed to represent.
ReplyDeleteI think it is crazy how the Oldest synagogue in Poland is now a museum. Didn’t you say that every fourth person was a Jew? I still cannot believe that the Jews are still blamed for everything even though they were the last people ever to do such things. I can't even stomach the fact that Amon Goeth had to kill one person every morning before he had breakfast. This is the kind of stuff you hear about in horror movies. Never in a million years would I have thought it had actually happened. It makes you really wonder about human nature and the discussion in class we had on if education has anything to do with beliefs and ethics (relating back to The Lottery).
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth was an awful human being. I can’t believe he murder someone before breakfast each day. It is very disturbing to think of Goeth seeing himself as a God when he really portrayed the devil. The story of the husband losing his family in the Holocaust is a nightmare to me. He lost the people he cared about the most in the matter of seconds, and it is was heartbreaking to hear about him seeing the clothing of his wife. Learning about this makes me feel disgusted that people could act so cruel. Although, I do believe it is essential for the world to learn so it will never happen again.
ReplyDeleteSo, I’m just going to go off on a limb here and say that Amon Goeth was truly the Devil disguised as a human. I just don’t understand how anyone could be so evil and heartless that they have a rumor about themselves that says that kill at least one person before breakfast everyday. I’m sorry, but I honestly can’t believe you when you say that he secretly desired his maid. By saying that, you are implying that he is actually capable of feelings, which is most definitely proved to be untrue by his satanic actions. I mean come on, how can you brutally punish someone that you desire. I honestly don’t think it works like that. Amon’s death wasn’t agonizing enough to me and I think he got off easy.
ReplyDeleteIt takes the plan of an evil nut job to erect a concentration camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. Amon Goeth, the camp commander, never starting breakfast without killing at least one person is nauseating. What is even more sickening was that the Nazis exhumed bodies and reburied them to cover their tracks, to cover up who they were as a people and what they as a people had done as a people. Let consider all that effort that went into trying to appear more humane to their enemy. How many defeated armies have ever spent so much time and energy covering up behind themselves at the hand of their conquers, instead of planning their own escape or better retaliating against the approaching (Allied) forces? Is it possible that it was more important to Nazi Germany to hide the face of their evil Nazi soul from not just their enemy but the entire world, from history books, or rather, was it to escape the reality of who they (the Nazi Germans) really were … trying more to escape themselves … and who they had become.
ReplyDelete-Russ
Like I stated in m last blog post: The Nazis don't care about the Jews at all or clearly they wouldn’t have built a camp on a cemetery. It is just shocking to me how the Jews were being blamed even before World War II. It’s just very draw dropping to me how the Jews were treated and how some still clinged on to hope. If it was me in there and if I was there for awhile I know I would’ve lost all hope. What had also gotten my attention was how Amon died in the same place he hurt Jews. It was also very interesting to me how he died on the third try.-Riley Dilsworth
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth is probably one the single worst people to ever walk on Earth. He did such horrible things, it makes me wonder how I am just hearing about him now for the first time! I mean killing every 10th prisoner forever, basically, before ESCAPED prisoners were found??? Yes, because that is humane(of course, none of the Holocaust was humane…). It's the same with the Wannsee Conference, there must have been something seriously wrong in his head to make him this evil (or he really is just the Devil reincarnated…). I’m just as hopeful as you that he suffered when he died. I loved seeing the synagogue turned into a museum, despite disliking the circumstances. It saddens me that there became such a lack of Jews that they had to change the means behind the synagogue, but I think it is a great opportunity for others to see, specially non Jews. I know I would love to visit it, and I hope someday I can.
ReplyDeleteI was baffled at the fact that these camps were built on top of a peaceful jewish cemetery. When I take a first glimpse at someone, no matter what the race, I always give them a chance to prove that ethnicity, religion, or culture doesn’t define someone's personality. I am honestly clueless about how I would’ve reacted to these cruel actions taking place if I were alive and Jewish at the time. When I was informed that Amon Goeth would never start his breakfast without shooting at least one person my stomach twisted. As a result Amon Goeth Commanding the camp was, an SS commandant from Vienna who was sadistic in his treatment and killing of prisoners. It made chills rise and brought out disgust out of my as It says that.
ReplyDelete- moose
Unbelievable. They really did care so much about crushing the life out of the Jewish people. They INTENTIONALLY built those camps on their cemeteries as just another slap in the face. And it’s horrible, but the story of the man who lost his family was not an uncommon one. So many people were immediately separated from their families and never saw them again, and other were pulled apart gradually by fatigue, sickness, and almost inevitable death. It’s devastating that his tale is considered to be another statistic in a massive number of people who lost everything to the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteI tried showing my comments to Nick in the car this morning (since he still really cares about your class) and I couldn’t find ANY of them. So I’m just gonna post them again to be safe.
While reading this post I realized how so many of the Nazi officers thought of themselves as godly. I don’t understand how these people were able to think they had the right to choose who lived and who died. It also sickens me to think that in Goeth killed a person in his daily routine. How can someone just go around killing innocent people? It’s also so tragic that they ripped families apart, the least they could have done was let them die together in somewhat peace. Also why did they punish everyone when someone disobeyed half of these people didn't know each other and that is completely unfair.
ReplyDeleteI’m a little confused with the movie ordeal. So they know about all this or are they not being exposed to the atrocities occurring right next to them? Amon Goeth is committing a pretty significant sin every single day by acting like he is God. The saddest thing is, he’s doing everything a God wouldn’t typically do, and that’s kill his own people. The part where the man said he had seen his wife beaten and then found his wife and childs clothes made me sick. Thinking that maybe your family survived and then finding them dead is just indescribable.
ReplyDeleteReading this once again renewed my intense hatred for Nazis with new information. Nazi Officials thought of themselves as Gods!? As if they had the right to choose who lives and dies, to punish who they chose, and to tear families apart. It’s so tragic and sickens me to the bone. Then I also hated the way families were torn apart and beaten because they didn’t want to say goodbye. They showed such cruelty in their actions and I absolutely hate it. -Madison Lastoria
ReplyDeleteIt’s frustrating and sad to have to continue to hear about how cruel the Nazis were. Their desire to build a concentration camp on a Jewish cemetery shows how inhuman and wicked they were. It makes me nauseated to hear about another savage man. I was disgusted by the fact that Amon Goeth had to kill at least one man before starting his breakfast. That’s just crazy. The information about him wearing his white sweater reminded me of Josef Mengele, who always wore white. It’s insane how they thought they were acting like a God or in Mengele's case, “The Angel of Death.” These men did not come anywhere close to a God; they just seem brutal and savage. I also felt that since the Nazis wanted to erase any traces of the camp, they must have known what they were doing was completely incorrect. I guess they did fear some evidence being discovered. I couldn’t believe the fact about prisoners having to stand for two days. They must have been so strong to be able to endure that. The Monument of Torn Hearts does a good job of representing the determination that many of the Jews had.
ReplyDeleteElla Page
The Nazis did a lot of “covering up” when the allies would come near the camps. The allies knew of these camps, and the citizens of the towns knew about these camps. I find it interesting that they constantly tried to cover up these concentration camps when people knew about them. If they knew that they were doing something wrong enough to cover it up, why did they not question the murders they were committing? I find it interesting that they knew they were in the wrong, but they continued to do the wrong. If the number of upstanders had increased a little bit, would more upstanders have joined the movement? The inhumane ways that these prisoners were treated by Amon is extremely upsetting to me. How can you be so immoral to have human beings stand outside for two days straight? How can you be so immoral to shoot every 10th person until a “culprit” is found when two people escaped the camp? How can you be so immoral to kill several people each day? How can you be so immoral to be a part of a huge plan the killed over 11 million people? His actions towards these people were so disturbing, and I’m not exactly sure how he lived with himself after what he was doing. The picture of him nonchalantly sitting and reading angers me because he was living with himself even after the disgusting things he did towards the “prisoners” in the camps. Thank you for writing this blog post, Mrs. Stone. I appreciate it, and I continue to learn more every time I read one of these blogs.
ReplyDeleteElyse Duley
I watched Schindler's List with my dad a couple years ago, and this blog is definitely calling for a rewatch. We sometimes forget the deeply-rooted reality of films; this post in particular put a certain tangibility to the historically-acclaimed plot. Amon Goeth's cruelty perpetually disgusts me; his treatment of Helena, women in general, children, and men created a painful history to remember. The fact that he would "play God" shows how giving any power establishes a mindset of superiority. Although the Holocaust is the most clear example of this, a film and study entitled the "Stanford Prison Experiment" brings this concept into even further clarity. It's helped me see the psychological aspects behind power distribution. Unfortunately, Goeth's reign left its mark on generations. Your photographs of his home, torture chamber (which I'm shocked people would rent), and the white butterfly really put into perspective how far we can stray from treating each other as flesh and bone.
ReplyDeleteAnnie Vedder
ReplyDeleteThe information about Amon Goeth is probably the most disturbing thing I have read on the blog so far. The fact that he had to shoot someone every morning before he could enjoy his breakfast just shows the fun and amusement he got out of killing, and then to turn around and wear a white suit calling yourself God is terrible. You can tell that the things he did were for his own personal gain. It was sickening to read about how he tore a child away from its mother’s arms, beat the mother, and killed them both. And to think that this is the kind of thing that happened everyday at these camps is terrifying. The picture of the path to the camp was surprising to me because it was on such a nice piece of land. This seems to be a pattern with the Nazis, to take beautiful, perfectly normal places and use them for their sadistic actions. It really makes you think about how these things can take place anywhere, it’s not some far-fetched idea.
David Winslow
This is disgusting. Amon Goeth, I am certain your having a lot of fun in hell right now! This article is so far the most disturbing, I am truly appalled by the fact that this creature could shoot someone every morning just to eat. Also it's funny how he thinks it is cool to kill 10 other Jews just because someone escaped. It wasn't their fault my God. The pictures you put on this article of Krakow seem like now it is a beautiful place. The statue of the "Torn Hearts" is really beautiful. In the article you had said that there were not many Jews left in Poland and now I see why. When we talked about in class how you felt weird walking around in Poland with your star I can understand why. That place has had evil in it for more than 80 years. This article gave me an insight into what concentration camps were really like. Sometimes you only here about the big ones like Auschwitz and Treblinka but it's sometimes the ones you don't here about that are the worst (they were all bad of course but you know what I mean).
ReplyDeleteBenjamin
Much of the information I gained from this blog was very disturbing, and the inhumane aspects of Hitler and the Nazis were clearly demonstrated in your writing. For starters, I cannot believe that the Nazis wanted to build a camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. That is incredibly disrespectful and truly portrays the Nazis as undisciplined men. Aside from this generally disgusting act, reading about Amon Goeth was most likely one of the most revolting things I have read in your blog thus far. I could not believe that this man set a goal for himself to kill one man every morning before breakfast. When I travelled to California last summer, I heard news on the radio that an elder man had accidentally hit a women while backing out of his parking spot. This man felt so incredibly guilty and explained that he had gone his whole life without encountering this type of incident, and he "could not live with himself," he explained. It is crazy how one man can feel so guilty about an accident while another finds humor and pleasure in torturing others. In your blog, you explained that Goeth had ripped a child from the hand's of his/her mother, beat the mother, and proceeded to kill both. He killed hundreds of men in his lifetime and the idea of Goeth was simply nauseating to me.
ReplyDelete-Sara Trochanowski
While reading the blog, I was disgusted by the fact that the Nazis built a concentration camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. It just shows how cruel they were, and how truly hateful they were to the Jewish population. I was also outraged by the information that was included about the SS commandant named Amon Goeth. There must have been something truly wrong with him if he had to “start his breakfast” by shooting at least one person. I also recognized a connection between him and another sadistic person who is Josef Mengele. I remember from reading “The Boys in Brazil” that Mengele would also wear white to feel like God. I am really stumped about why they wanted to feel like God. Maybe that is who they viewed as having the most power in the world and they wanted that too. Also, I was saddened through hearing the story that Samuel Stoelg told during his testimony against Goeth. I felt so awful that his wife being beaten for not letting their child go was the last image he has of her. This is because I have had the unfortunate experience of losing both pairs of my grandparents, and I cannot imagine my last time seeing them being beaten. I feel that it was extremely appropriate for him to hung in the same place that he killed so many people because through him suffering from being hung, he could realize how the Jewish victims felt due to his treatment. Lastly, it was very moving for me to see where the Jewish victims were buried. I cannot begin to imagine how many bodies are buried there, and how the victims died. I really loved that there were white butterflies near the pit. It almost seems like they are honoring the victims. Thank you, Mrs. Stone, for writing this blog.
ReplyDeleteHalsey Patrick
Seeing men like Amon Goeth makes me question everything I once believed about human nature. Why...WHY would you ever get joy from killing an innocent person each morning? The way this man is described in the blog is similar to Mengele. They both wear white, they both “play God,” and they both were sadistic in their treatment and killing of prisoners. How could people like this have gotten away with these unimaginable things for so long? Also, even after I didn’t think it could get anymore disturbing, I read the story about Goeth tearing a young child from a mother’s arms. I tear up everytime just picturing it. How scary is it to think that less than 100 years ago, people turned a blind eye to this? If presented with the question now of would a holocaust ever happen again in, my answer would have been absolutely not. Sadly, my answer has changed along with my hope for the future of humanity after reading about these disgusting Nazis.
ReplyDelete-Sophie Slayden
It is awful that the Germans thought it was a good idea to start fires in Krakow and blame it on the Jews. I can’t believe that just 60 years ago, people were burning down towns just so they could kill certain people. That sounds absolutely barbaric. Then they just expelled the Jews from the town to a ghetto. It was interesting to learn that they used this camp for movie scenes though. Amon Goeth sounds like he was a really awful person. How could someone be so sadistic and hungry to murder people. The part where it said that he never started his breakfast without shooting at least one person is sickening. It is hard to imagine how dark and twisted his mind was. Reading about all of the awful things done to the prisoners and seeing all of the pictures was really disheartening. It still confuses me how an entire country and other world leaders put up with the Germans’ behaviour.
ReplyDelete-Mac Patterson
After reading the article, I couldn't believe that the Nazis would build their camp on top of a Jewish cemetery like was it to strike the Jews with fear? One thing that stood out to me was how you said the clothes of the dead were brought into camp and that that one man had seen his wife and kid's clothes brought in; also how the bodies were piled so high really just stood out to be because it just showed that the Nazis had no respect for the dead. I actually do think it's funny how the officer who killed so many Jews in the camp was actually killed in the camp as well. - Lawson Swisher
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Shindler’s List and I feel like that may have helped me gain more perspective while reading this blog post. However, I don’t need the movie to understand that building a camp of any type on top of a cemetery is insanely messed up. I wonder if the “prisoners” knew that this was the case. It’s crazy to me that people can still think that any SS commandant was a victim of the Nazi regime. Goeth is a perfect example of why this is not true. To be an SS, you had to truly and deeply hate Jews for the fact that they are Jewish. I am glad that Goeth received the death penalty, and I hope that Jews were allowed to watch as he died. That seems like a good way of making up for seeing their loved one’s dead bodies carted away. How did any Nazi remain loyal to the Nazi regime after carting away heaps of dead bodies? I seriously hope that the two prisoners who escaped lived to see the end of the war. Because if not, then their risk was not worth the consequences.
ReplyDeleteNate Reiney
While reading this post, I found myself shocked by the intense hate Amon Goeth expressed towards the Jews. I don’t know how you justify the killing of every tenth prisoner for two days straight. Additionally, I don’t understand how they were able to hide their horrors from the Russians. It is interesting to learn that Goeth got what he deserved. I am surprised to discover that he was arrested by the Germans, which leads me to assume he was one of the worst people. I am curious as to how bad you would have to be that your own people arrest you. Samuel Stoeger’s story brought a rough image to mind about what it would be like to find only your families clothes knowing that they were likely killed. I would not be able to handle the pressure of knowing that my family was killed and there was nothing I could do about it. I find it extremely ironic that the fields where people were buried has a lot of butterflies. It’s contrasting the harsh reality of what really lies there with something that’s meant to be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how Amon Goeth held so much hate within him. He made thousands of people stand up for two days straight. I could not do that, and if I thought I could, I would encourage myself to try it and see the failure I would achieve after a few minutes. I do not know much about Oskar Schindler because I have never seen the movie, but I do know that he saved lives. A Nazi man saved Jewish lives, and anyone who says he only saved them because they were his employees is wrong because Schindler spent his entire life fortune on keeping them from being murdered. I find it awesome that nobody is buying that "leader" Goeth's house; it is nice to see that people still follow through with this tradition. I want to visit these places in real life to see what types of feelings are created from being around all of these places. I also respect the man who testified against Goeth with a passion because it takes a lot of guts to look at the man who beat up your wife while you were powerless and then killed her and your child. I just don't see how severely beating a mother for trying to stay with her child is consolable. I mean, would you not want your wife to do the same thing? All of these Nazis are hypocrites; how can you kill Jewish people yet be attracted to another? Goeth has some explaining to do because that just doesn't make sense. In some ways, I believe some Nazis only do this to make themselves feel better about themselves; Mengele had a bone disease and would murder anyone who wasn't physically perfect. It just sounds like he is trying to deny his disease right there. The Nazis saw how their comrades treated and killed the Jews, and I am interested to see what some of them would say when asked how they would feel if they were in the Jewish people's position.
ReplyDeleteRyan Szeker
I can't wait to learn more about Oscar Schindler in our lessons! I tried to watch the movie a couple of weeks ago, and I become very confused. I figured it was better to wait for your lesson, Miss. Stone. I thought that Helena was so brave in her actions. She repulsed Goeth, even though she knew that she would probably be punished. Goeth himself was obviously very mentally disturbed. Does he have a role in the movie? He is one of those Nazis that I don't think deserves forgiveness. I mean seriously, he was having people humiliated and killed all the time. I totally agree with you Mrs. Stone, I hope his death was painful.
ReplyDeleteIt shocks me that so many different people agreed to such a horrible “solution.” It’s not that they weren’t intelligent people, they all had substantial ranks in the government and were relatively respected during this time. I just don’t understand how such people could all agree to commit such atrocities. It also shocked me that the entire meeting only lasted 90 minutes. It only took 90 minutes for these men to decide to attempt to destroy an entire religion, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. It’s just terrible to think that these people’s fates were sealed so quickly. The statement about gassing being the most “humane” solution also shocked me. This is in no way humane, and and I am dumbfounded at how they could think that it was. Many of the pictures also had a great impact on me, especially the one of the Nazis cutting the Rabbi’s hair. His hair was in no way affecting the Nazis, but it was part of his tradition. I’m baffled by why the Nazis felt the need to take this away from him when it was in no way harmful to them. The people’s expressions in this picture also shocked me. The Nazis looked so happy to be doing this to the Rabbi and didn’t seem to care how he felt. I know that after the Holocaust many Nazis claimed that they didn’t want to go along with what they were ordered to do, but the majority of the Nazis in this picture look perfectly content humiliating the poor Rabbi.
ReplyDeleteClaire Porier
^sorry ignore that I posted the wrong one
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe fact that out of the 3.5 million Jews living in Poland, only 500 lived to become members of the Krakow JCC shocks me. It also shocks me that the Nazis were cruel enough to create a camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. The part about Goeth shooting a Jew every morning before breakfast sickened me. The way he wore white to seem more like God reminded me of Mengele in. They were also very similar because they were very apathetic towards their victims and went to gruesome lengths to kill innocent people. I’m glad that he was hung, he definitely deserved it after shooting all of those innocent Jews. It’s ironic that he was killed in his own concentration camp, though. Samuel Stoeger’s story was horrible, it must be almost unbearable to have your entire family killed all at once.
Claire Porier
It sickened me to read about the King who blamed the fire on the Jews and sent them away. I remember that you told our class that Poland has some of the worst Anti Semitism in Europe, and this story shows how far these derogatory views go back. Reading about Amon Goethe disgusted me. Especially how he would not eat breakfast without killing a Jew and he would wear white to represent him acting as God. This reminded me of Mengele and why he was called the angel of death. It is amazing to me how Helena was able to refuse Goethe and stay strong even after she was punished for her disgust. The story about how he separated the family and the husband found out his wife and child were dead by finding their clothes broke my heart. It baffles me how anyone could purposefully inflict pain like this unto another human being.
ReplyDelete-Jane Jeffries
I can not believe that the Nazis purposefully built the concentration camp on top of the Jewish cemetery. The Nazis who built this camp surely knew this so they must have built this here just to torture the Jewish people in the camp. I think that Goeth is truly a person who represents all that is evil in the world. Nothing he did was good. The fact that he had to shoot someone before having breakfast is just disgusting. I could never imagine one person killing so many others. I find it sort of ironic that he was imprisoned by the Nazis. I hope his house gets torn down and he is suffering right now.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Robinson
I've never seen Schindler's List, but this post got me interested. This expands on the extreme disrespect the Nazis had towards Jews. It's just so terrible that they purposefully built the camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. They not only tortured the Jews that were alive at the time, but they disrespected the graves of those who had already died. Reading about Amon Goeth reminded me of the book Unbroken and The Bird. The Bird beat and punished prisoners ruthlessly, but Goeth went as far as to kill them for no reason. I can't imagine how he could toss the lives of human beings around so carelessly.
ReplyDelete-Brian Ramsey
It makes me really upset that Jews were not only tortured in this camp, but they had to live knowing that they were breaking a huge rule in their religion. I don't think it would even be the fact that it was a rule, but it is so disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in sixth grade, we read the book Boy on the Wooden Box, which I remember I learned a lot from about Schindler's List. However, that was a really long time ago, and I don't really remember what Schindler did; I'm looking forward to learning about that again.
I don't think I will ever understand the motivations of Goeth. It will never make sense to me why he would choose to kill Jews for no reason. Why would you want to choose whether people died or not like a god?I don't even want to understand because even thinking about it makes me feel sick. It is astonishing that anyone was able to survive the conditions in that camp. The amount of near-death experiences that Stoeger must have had during his time there must have been astounding.
Moriah Campbell
What happened in Krakow sounds exactly like the Holocaust, which is scary because it may happen again. I couldn't believe it when I read about the SS soldier who would shoot at least one person before eating breakfast. I wonder what happened to the Jews that didn't die- where they killed or were they let go/did they escape? It is so crazy that sometimes they had to stand for two days- I could never imagine that.
ReplyDeleteIts crazy to think that the population was once one-fourth Jewish then it went all the way down to 500. It seems like they were doing a lot for the community just for them to be blamed for fires. When I read about Amon it sickened me. How could someone get to morally low as to kill someone before he eats breakfast? How could someone tear a child from their mother and beat it in front of her? Seeing the different images were interesting. From abandoned synagogues to torture houses being rented, it didn't fail to befuddle me. It's insane imagining how much people were swayed when it came to this point.
ReplyDelete-Carson Bahr
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ReplyDeleteWrong and inhumane. The sites of the camps are ever degrading towards the Jewish community. Tortured physically and psychologically to the point where anyone would feel more like an animal. Its disturbing to know that the officers always tried to play God but in the camps it was almost fact that they were. They decided who lived and who's time has come to an end. Goeth and his nature sounds like something that comes from a dark film. He started off his day not with breakfast but with shooting someone. He's where monster met man and became one. I find it also odd that the very house where lord knows how many Jews and people in general were tortured is now Jewish owned. Maybe it was rented out of necessity but I find it hard to be believe they don't that fact if it's in this blog.living there might be uneasy for them and I'd have my own speculations as to if the house was haunted.
ReplyDeleteDavid P.III ^
ReplyDeleteI can't believe they put the Nazi camps over Jewish cemeteries. That is so morally wrong on multiple different levels. I don’t know how the Jewish people kept their faith throughout the Holocaust. I would have lost faith pretty earlier, I think it’s pretty amazing that people could keep their faith throughout the Holocaust. It’s truly amazing that people got stronger faith coming out of the Holocaust where God seemed to not be present at all.
ReplyDelete- Brad McKewon
- Clay Tobin
ReplyDeleteAs I began to read this blog I wondered how many Jews from Poland survived World War 2 and if they did what percent of them moved somewhere else after World War 2. When I was reading SS Commandant Goeth sounded a lot like Mengele in his sadistic treatment of the Jews. I thought that this was surprising until I thought about it because there were many more sadistic Nazi’s in places of power. As I was reading this I also remember watching Schindler’s List and seeing Goeth shot one of the Jews from his balcony before breakfast. I also think that the leader of a camps attitude toward the Jews can really decide the tone and how the guards act toward the Jews. For example, if a camp commander is more compassionate and wants the Jews to survive more I feel like his subordinates would have a more compassionate attitude as well. This also applies to if a camp commander is sadistic and violent toward the Jews I think that his subordinates would act more like that. However there are cases of Nazi leaders being reported by there subordinates for being to compassionate toward the Jews. What did surprise me is that the Jews were forced to stand for 2 DAYS. The willpower and hunger to stay alive and the Nazis didn’t find the escapees. I also think the Jews were happy to be standing because it meant that 2 Jews escaped hell and had a chance at freedom.
The first comment that you made that stuck out to me was when you told of the dropping Jewish population. It is absolutely crazy that over 99 percent of the population left the country. Based on the amount of anti-Semitism you described feeling there, I can see why barely any Jewish people live there. Another piece of information that I found interesting was when you spoke about Schindler’s List. You mentioned Schindler’s Enamel Products Factory so now I am interested to find out the story. Lastly, something else that caught my eye was the picture that you took of the butterfly over the grave. This reminds me of the book that we read called Sunflower because Simon talked about how butterflies visited graves and whispered to the dead and comforted them and let them not be alone. I hope this is what is happening to the Jewish people in this mass grave.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Shindler’s List and I feel like that may have helped me gain more perspective while reading this blog post. However, I don’t need the movie to understand that building a camp of any type on top of a cemetery is insanely messed up. I wonder if the “prisoners” knew that this was the case. The Nazis don't care about the Jews at all or clearly they wouldn’t have built a camp on a cemetery. It is just shocking to me how the Jews were being blamed even before World War II. It’s just very draw dropping to me how the Jews were treated and how some still clinged on to hope. If it was me in there and if I was there for awhile I know I would’ve lost all hope. What had also gotten my attention was how Amon died in the same place he hurt Jews.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Schindler's List but I'm looking forward to it. I recall you mentioned that we might see it in your class. I've heard good things about it, and the rabbi mentioned it as well. No person should have such power over other's lives, and Amon Goeth is a perfect example of that. It reinforces that Nazis are beyond redemption. It is disgusting that Amon Goeth is referred to someone almost akin to a god dictating life and death. The sadism and cruelty of the Nazis knows no bounds. Mass murder of children on this scale is near impossible to truly comprehend. Also it's interesting to me that almost no Jews live in Poland now. But it makes sense. I wouldn't want to live next to people who called for my death mere years before. Some actions are irredeemable.
ReplyDelete-Ely Altman
It is crazy to me how monsters such as Amon Goeth existed. All of the camp heads seemed to be psychopaths. The story that you told about Samuel Stoeger and his wife and child was heartbreaking. What kind of monster would beat a mother just for wanting to be with her child? I cannot imagine the pain he must've felt when he saw the clothes of his family in the pile of clothes. I thought that the photo of the Monument of Torn Hearts was very powerful because it represented the way that throughout a continent of hatred and torture, the Jews persisted and still triumphed with love in their hearts. They were determined to survive.
ReplyDelete- caroline Mecia
DeleteI wouldn't expect Poland to have such a high population of Jewish people considering they're one of the most anti-Semitic countries today. It's crazy that people blame an entire religion for things like fires, and then attempt to expel them or even try to expunge them! It's so disrespectful to make the concentration camp over the Jewish graves. Not only is this just wrong, it's also against the Jewish Law. In comparison to the time, there's practically no Jews in Poland and rightfully so. -Jayden Childress
ReplyDeleteHearing about Amon Goeth made me think of how mentally unstable a human has to be to commit the same crimes he did. The Jews feared for their life each time they saw him. The story of him shooting every 10th person in line until the escapees returned made my heart sink. It sounded too easy for him to kill people. Learning about Samuel Stoeger's testimony painted a clear picture of what really happens as families are separated. Stoeger's experience must have scared him for life especially after find his wife and daughters clothes before they were killed. I still don't understand how Goeth was arrested just for theft at first and then released! Did Germany not have a running list of Nazis to arrest? Thank goodness for the US troops for capturing him and bringing him to justice.--Marin Boulware
ReplyDeleteWhen you hear about people like Amon Goeth, it raises the question how these kinda of Nazi's aren't brainwashed. How does someone wake up each day and have the need and want to kill before they even eat. That is unthinkably immoral and again shows just how crazy these men were. Also, I would even begin to fathom what those Jews were thinking when they had to stand for two whole days. Its remarkable that some of them even managed to do that with the strength and energy they had left. I think it goes to show the strength and willpower the Jews had to survive. On the contrary, I wonder how those Jews felt about the two prisoners who ran away. On one hand, I think most people would try and escape if they had the chance to succeed. however I recall that the Jews knew the consequences to the other Jews if they had left.
ReplyDeleteIt was awful to read about Amon Goeth. He seems like a truly disgusting, non-human thing. How could someone enjoy torturing other humans? It especially disgusted me that he enjoyed playing God and deciding whether the Jews got to live or die. It reminds me of an immature little boy playing with action figures and controlling who wins a fight. The fact that someone could be so barbaric makes me question humanity itself. One thing that stood out to me was the white butterfly that you saw over the Jews’ grave. Maybe it symbolized Goeth in his white sweater and is God’s way of showing us that he’s powerless now and can only hover around the Jews, doing nothing. Or maybe the butterfly represents the minuscule good in Goeth, protecting graves in the afterlife. It’s difficult to think that Poland is still antisemitic after all these years. If the effects of the Holocaust didn’t help stop anti antisemitism, what will?
ReplyDelete- Ava Clark
Amon Goeth sounds like a true devil. I have not before heard such atrocities in such detail except for maybe Mengele sewing the twins together. I think that the citizens of Poland ought to tear down the house of Goeth and build a memorial to the victims of Goeth's atrocities. I can not believe that Hitler brainwashed the Nazis because actions like this have to come from a deep sadistic core within Goeth. I think it was truly fitting that Goeth was killed mercilessly just as he killed mercilessly.
ReplyDeleteCooper Owens
DeleteYou rarely learn about individual Nazis who commit these terrible crimes besides Hitler and the bigger names. When reading about Goeth I was repulsed that an ordinary man with a family and a nice house was able to shoot at least one person before he began his day. The conduction of the roll call caught my attention. I could never imagine standing still for two days straight, yet these people survived this and much worse. I was astounded that Goeth wanted every 10th person shot until they found the escaped prisoners. Since they were never found, I am assuming that 1/10 of the camp’s population was shot. It is impossible to put yourself in this situation because we will most likely never experience something this cruel, but even thinking about it happening to other people makes you fear what the world is capable of. -Macey Smith
ReplyDeleteIt was truly shocking to read about Goeth, a seemingly ordinary man, and to learn of the atrocities he had committed. If the it is true that he would shoot someone before each day, then it makes me wish that their was some worse death than by hanging for this monster. The story of Samuel Stoeger was also truly heart-wrenching, as him and his wife fought to the limits they could to stay together, only for Stoeger to never see her or his child again, not even able to find closure in seeing their bodies being buried. Goeth's death seems fitting for him, however, as not even the afterlife wanted him the first 2 times.
ReplyDelete-Filip Weil
I hate the conditions the jews were put in because of the hate the Nazis felt towards them. I think that the Jews didn't try to escape because they knew that there friends would be punished in their absence. Having t stand for two days straight is physically straining and I think your knees would be ruined after that. I also find it strange how the Jews owned that cellar and rented it out. Who would rent out a building knowing it was previously a torture chamber. Taylor Fleeman
ReplyDeleteI am surprised how there were so many Jews in Poland, and yet they were still discriminated against constantly. They make up a majority of the population, yet they are still blamed for various disasters. Also, reading about Goeth shocked me because of how abusive he was to Jews. All the Jews knew of his reputation and his white sweater gives me chills. I can't image fearing a man like that every day in a death camp. Also learning about the Jew who lost his family only to find their clothes later saddens me.
ReplyDeleteHow evil people can be still surprises me. The Holocaust paints a picture of hate that is unlike any other. The fact that Amon could commit such horrendous crimes and still be looked at as a hero by many is jaw dropping to me. Reading about him makes me sick, but when I see Schindler's name I am given some hope. I remember watching the movie "Schindler's List" and being disgusted by what I saw all his comrades doing, but I was thankful that not all people were monsters. If only there had been more upstanders like him.
ReplyDeleteAilish Coughlin
It is not very common to hear names other than Hitler as he attracts most of the historical attention. When reading about Goeth, I was disturbed to find that he thought of himself as a god and would shoot someone every day before breakfast. Another piece that caught my attention was that people had to stand up in lines for many days in a row if in inmate had escaped. I don't think I could do this, even in perfect health. I am glad that I will most likely never have to endure the suffering these people did, but the history serves as a sobering reminder of what the world is capable of at its worst moment. The pictures are extremely beneficial in understanding the mood of the setting and add depth to your blog. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt puzzles me how the Jewish community could be cut off from society and put into prison just because of their religion. I don't understand how millions of people can be expelled and severed from society, and put into prison based off their beliefs. The severity of these prisons are mind boggling. The strenuous conditions the Jewish community was put through has been hard for me to wrap my head around, and is the definition of wrong. - David Hanley
ReplyDeleteKrakow seems to be the worst concentration camp that we’ve learned about. The horrors for me begin at the location of the camp. A GRAVEYARD! I don’t know much about the Jewish faith, but from what I can tell, their dead are very important to them. The Nazis had to have known this or else they would’ve chosen a different place for the camp. Another thing that disgusted me about the camp was the lead Nazi, Goeth, and his cruel, violent ways. He made the Jews stand for 48 straight hours, wore a white sweater, which indicated his godliness while killing innocents, and he beat a man's wife. I strongly believe that Goeth’s violent death was karma for the life he lead.
ReplyDelete~ Savannah S.
I will never understand how a community, a civilization, where one fourth of citizens are Jewish, can turn on their own people, blame them for something they are clearly not responsible for, and banish them to a torturous concentration camp. This puts into perspective that something like this could happen at any time in the modern day, which is a scary thing to think about. This camp in particular seems rather violent. Goeth, the SS officer, would not serve breakfast without shooting at least one person!? That's sick. Despicable. Goeth got what he deserved when he had a violent death. It's funny how the tables turn like that.
ReplyDelete-Giuli Iannitti
Krakow may be one of the worst concentration camps I know about just because of the man in charge, Goeth. He showed no mercy and no remorse to anyone. When he wore white he believed himself to be a god. The location of the camp just makes it x10 worse; the concentration camp is literally built on top of a graveyard. By the Nazis picking this location for a concentration camp further more shows their hatred toward everything Jewish. It really isn't a coincidence the Jews got blamed for the large fires. The Jewish community has been getting blamed for uncontrollable and irrational things since people can even remember and they still constantly are being blamed and accused in present day. Taylor H ABSENT
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that Amon was an arrogant, sadistic monster. He thought himself God, above all. How could he be so arrogant? Yes, he controlled life and death. No, he was not a god. He controlled life and death because he and the other Nazis controlled who was sent to the camps. They controlled whether or not someone would live because they were the ones who killed them. I agree with you, Mrs. Stone. I hope he suffered. I hope he had just a strong enough neck to keep him alive for days. Anyone who kills people with such pleasure deserves the same treatment tenfold.
ReplyDelete-Ethan Fronapfel
It’s hard to imagine that there are still 500 Jews left belonging to the JCC of Krakow. It's so sad to see that racism in Poland essentially forced all Jewish people out of living there. Amon Goeth sounds like horrendous person, not the kind of guy who could blame his violence for "brainwashing." His violent behavior like lining up people for two days and shooting every tenth person until two people who escaped were found is just completely and purely evil. What worries me is that there have been individuals like this in the past and perhaps some that still remain. When he tries to become a divine figure by deciding who lives and who dies is the worst of it. This shows the mentality that even if someone wanted to stop him, he felt they couldn't do it because he was so egotistical and thought so highly of himself that all of his morals were completely eradicated.
ReplyDelete-Sunil Mehta
As all of the other blogs are, this blog was very interesting and moving. The first thing that I thought was very interesting is that in Krakow, every fourth person was Jewish. It makes me believe that this city had to have been completley devastated by the Holocaust. Not devastated in a way where they were sad, devastated in a way that their city was destroyed in population. It is also shocking that the Jews were blamed for the fires in Krakow. What is their reasoning for blaming them. Were Jews always the automatic scapegoat? That is pretty much what I have gathered from this blog and this whole unit. It absolutely disgusts me that Goeth would shoot somebody every day before breakfast and that he would play god and determine life or death. You just can’t do that! It is offensive to god and the people who follow him. Getting to read Samuel’s story makes me feel hatred toward Goeth even more. I can just imagine him taking Samuel’s kids from his arms. It is heartbreaking and terrifying that there were such horrible people in our world. The last thing that I thought was crazy was that the Jews would stand for selection for nearly two straight days. Sometimes I complain about standing for at least a couple hours but not any more! I am glad that Goeth was captured and hung by Americans because he deserved nothing less.
ReplyDelete-------Emi Jones-------
My initial reaction while reading this was very surprising. It’s crazy to think of every fourth person being Jewish. I only know around a dozen Jewish people, so it’s strange to think about knowing way more. When I read over the part about Goeth shooting at least one person before breakfast, I was completely disgusted and horrified. I can’t imagine a real person wanting to kill someone just for the fun of it. I mean, how twisted do you have to be to find thrill in taking someone’s life away from them? It also horrified me to learn about every 10th person being shot until the runaways were found. It wasn’t their fault that their fellow Jews had run away, so why should they be punished? What makes it even worse is that the runaways were never found, so that means a ton of innocent people were murdered for the actions of others. How cruel and inhumane does one have to be? How disgusting.
ReplyDelete-Sam Wofford
The Krakow ghetto and concentration camp had to be one of the worst, besides Auschwitz. It was technically a work camp but it might as well been a death camp. Goeth was what made Krakow so unholy and terrible. He thought of himself as a God among men, deciding who lives and who dies. His constant hatred of the Jews made merely living a total nightmare. On top of all this, the camp itself was built on top of a cemetery, which is against Jewish religious law. I wonder what could've made that man hate Jews with such an ungodly passion.
ReplyDelete-Evan Pratt
It is awful that Goeth was so cruel to the Jews in the concentration camps. It is awful that he had no mercy for others and their sufferings. Also, the fact that he viewed himself as a 'god' is simply absurd. Another thing that was absurd was that fact that the camp was on a Jewish cemetery. The Nazis purposefully disrespected the Jewish religion and this is extremely inconsiderate. What person in their right mind would do something like that and torture people in such ways that are extremely harmful to their emotions? This reinforces that fact that the Nazis had no sense of humanity and morality.
ReplyDeleteAva Harrell
Soren Gautam
ReplyDeleteAmon Goeth appears to be and was completely awful and inhumane. Then again, he was another Nazi who represented the Nazi regime as he killed tons of Jews sadistically. I'm rather pleased that he's been caught and I'm terribly relieved that he's now gone from our world. I can't fully understand why he would do things like make them look out for a roll call for two days. It's also quite funny that he desired his maid even though she was a Jew since it was illegal for Germans and Jews to do anything together as it went against the law. I also don't particularly like how he just rented out the property where Jews were murdered as it is quite disgusting and unethical to think about. I don't understand why they're not taking the house down either as it serves no purpose and is home to the place where many Jews were killed.
Gillian Morano
ReplyDeleteEnglish
4th Block
12/18/2019
Upon reading about the Krakow Ghetto, I was initially surprised that Jews were mistreated almost four and a half decades before the Holocaust. Despite their innocence, Jews have been targeted and blamed for tragedies such as the Krakow fire in 1492. It amazed me that conditions seen in the Holocaust weren’t all that new to the Jewish population. Ghettos existed way before the Holocaust, and prior to reading this, I would have assumed that Ghettos originated from the Holocaust. It disgusted and horrified me to read that Amon Goeth woke up and started his day by killing a Jew. The fact that a person could be so inhumane and instill great fear in people just by wearing a white shirt is sickening. Krakow displayed conditions that were later shown during the Holocaust and the brutality like making prisoners stand for 2 days was extremely harsh.
I was surprised that Jews had been welcomed for some time in Poland but was not shocked to learn they were then blamed for everything happening. I was also not surprised to hear how the jews were expelled to a ghetto in order to seperate them from the rest of society. I think it is horrible how they purposefully put a camp on top of a cemetery as a way to disrespect the Jewish tradition of not wanting to disturb the dead. I find it interesting how it seems that in each camp there was at least one specific officer who was even more cruel and sadistic than the others. Amon Goeth seems to be extremely inhumane, such as how he would have to kill at least one jew before starting his day. It is very sad to hear how so many families would get split up and how they would either be sent to labor camps or gas chambers.
ReplyDeleteEmary Gordon
I did not realize that there was such a large Jewish population in Poland during World War II. It is frustrating to hear of the many times the Jewish people were blamed for things clearly beyond their control. It is not surprising that there are so few Jews living in Krakow today. I imagine the survivors were eager to move to other places. The Nazis were malicious in every way. To build on a site with the intention of disrespecting the people and the dead is consistent with their continuous displays of cruelty. Amon Goeth sounds like a horrible person. The thought of him executing a person each day before breakfast makes me sick. I can only imagine the terror in the camp when he wore his white sweater. This is another story that shows the brutal nature of the Nazis and the courage and determination of the Jewish people. I am glad that no one has purchased Goeth's house. I can't imagine living in the former home of such a sadistic murderer. I was also thinking about the roll call where they had to stand in line for two days. I don't think I could do that. I guess when your life is on the line, you can probably do things that sound impossible.
ReplyDeleteStanton Bryson
The fact that the labor camp was purposefully built on Jewish cemeteries disgusted me, but quite honestly I was not surprised that the Nazis would do something like that. Intentionally disrespecting Jewish religion was an awful form of physiological torture. Goeth reminded me a lot of Mengele. They both believed they had the power of God when deciding who would die and who would live.Trying to cover up and hide evidence of a labor camp by burning the bodies disturbed me greatly. How could so many people agree to dig out the bodies of those they had killed and then burn them again? They were killing the Jews all over again. I am glad that Goeth was captured and paid for his actions. He did not deserve to continue living. I do not understand how a Jew could buy a piece of property where Jews were tortured and killed.
ReplyDelete- Ashley Szymonski
Wow, Amon really is like you said, “the devil himself.” The kinds of things that he did, for no reason at all, are horrifying. I just don’t even have a clue how someone can do that to another person. When I read the part about him not being able to eat breakfast in the morning until he killed someone I was in shock. How can someone be so cruel and inhumane. But as I kept reading, I saw how he died. I believe he deserved that after all of the suffering he caused. I like to see the best and people and try to give a second chance. In this situation though, I could care less if he endured suffering. He deserved it. If I had been one of the escaped Jews and heard about what happened to my fellow prisoners, I have no idea what I would do. I know that I could not live with myself knowing that my freedom cost many people their lives. I wonder if the escaped Jews found out what happened after they left or if they did not survive.
ReplyDelete- Lillian Smith
I’m stunned that Poland would send one fourth of their population to a seperate city. How could the Jews even be blamed for fires anyway? I’m not surprised that a camp was built on a Jewish cemetery, so the prisoners would be breaking their values just by being there. Amon Goeth reminds me of Dr. Mengele as they would both wear white and determine life or death of the inmanes. I can’t believe naked corpses would be sent in heaps on these vehicles. This was probably so scarring to their loved ones who would have had to desperately search through the naked bodies to see if they recognized any. Their clothes were in a separate pile, so why didn’t the Nazis just let them keep their clothes on. I’m surprised that the prisoners were even able to stand for two straight days as they were weak and malnourished from the camp.
ReplyDelete- Jordan Browning
It is horrible that the Jews had to work over the Jewish cemeteries. It would sadden me and make me unable to work if I knew the fact that I was working over the graves of my family and friends. It is encouraging how the Jews still worked and rebelled against the Nazis while all of this was happening. It is sickening that Amon Goeth would not eat breakfast until he shot and killed someone. It is also terrifying that Amon would shoot every 10th person in the line until the person who escaped was found. It's also shocking how the Jew population in Poland went from 1 to 4 to just 500 Jews. I question what made the Germans so hateful of the Jews.
ReplyDelete- Sebastian Zarta
One of the most surprising things that I read was that Goeth can’t make it through breakfast without shooting at least one Jew. I cannot believe how sick Amon Goeth was and his actions are just flat out cruel. I am glad that Goeth’s house has not been sold or turned into a museum because it does not deserve any love. Goeth’s actions are illogical. He should not shoot every 10th Jew until the culprits are found. Also I am shocked by how much the population decreased in pooland. It went form every fourth person to 500 people. This shows how terrorizing the concentration camp must have been. The Nazis were so cruel that they had to build a concentration camp on a Jewish cemetery. The Jewish law says that you should not disturb the death of others and the Nazis are doing exactly the opposite.
ReplyDelete-Emma Grace Parker
The amount the Jewish population decreased by was shocking! I am not surprised the Nazis built the concentration camp on top of a Jewish cemetery. It was disrespectful toward the Jews because that is against their religion, so already everyone should have known nothing ethical or virtuous was gonna be built on a forbidden building ground. The fact that Amon Goeth wouldn’t start his breakfast without shooting a HUMAN shows how severely ill this man was. I cannot imagine how the Jews could have stood up for two days without breaking, especially in the weak conditions they were; now that I think about it, most of them probably didn’t. The fact that he shot every 10th person was unfathomable! You mentioned he never found the culprits, so when did Amon know when to stop shooting people? When there weren’t any more people left to shoot? I also found it extraordinary how the butterflies were surrounding the Jews’ mass grave.
ReplyDelete-Lila Barenberg
To learn that the Jewish population had decreased so drastically to the point that there were only 500 Jewish members in the entire Jewish Community Center was appalling. It’s hard to believe that so many innocent, individual lives were lost so quickly. When I read that the head SS officer was so wicked that he couldn’t eat breakfast before shooting an innocent human, it was disturbing to say the least. The fact that the majority of these officers and murderers got away without any punishment and never faced any sort of consequence for their actions is unbelievable (thankfully Amon was punished). As I continued to read about Amon, I became convinced that he couldn’t be human. I don’t think it’s possible for one person to be so sick. To see a picture of him casually reading next to a pool was infuriating. It’s saddening to know that people are reminded of the terrors of the Holocaust everyday by the monuments, but it is necessary to remember these atrocities to ensure that nothing like this will happen again.
ReplyDeleteLeo O'Neill
Makayla Gathers
ReplyDeleteIt makes absolutely no sense that the Jewish population of Poland went from 1 out of 4 people were Jews to 500 Jews. I don’t understand why people would be upset at more competition. Did people think the Jews weren’t worthy competitors? Were they scared that Jewsih people would be able to be more successful than them? A lot of economies are built on the notion of competition so it doesn’t make sense that they were scared of it. The fact that in 1494 the Jews were sent to a “ghetto,” shows that history not only will repeat itself, but since the previous wrongs weren’t corrected, they paved the way for the issues Jews face today. I think Schindler’s List is a very good movie. I had to watch it recently because the first time I watched it, I wasn’t able to understand everything. I didn’t know that the camp was built there because they wanted to disturb the dead, but that is so disgustings and evil. I always wonder what told people like Amon Goeth that they had the power and right to take another human’s life. These Nazis knew what they were doing was wrong, and that’s why they tried to hide the evidence. The account of Samuel Stoeger was very upsetting because his hope faded as he saw that all that remained of his loved ones were their clothes. The monuments and artifacts that are still present hold powerful stories that should never be forgotten.
“Why? Because there's no more Jews in Poland!”
ReplyDeleteThis exclamation hit me the hardest. Every time I read one of your blogs, something does. Every time I read one of your blogs, I go into it expecting monstrosity. But every time I read one of your blogs I find the sheer number of deaths incomprehensible. “No more Jews in Poland!” This is, to me, absolutely insane. Genocide, massacre, murder of that scale is simply too much for me to imagine. To think that 3.5 million Jews were either forced to emigrate or KILLED is horrifying. I cannot understand the dehumanization that the Nazis were able to apply to their targets. How could they ever feel justified? I will never understand.
-sophie thrasher
It makes no sense to me that a Jew can start a whole series of fires to occur. The statement about Goeth not eating breakfast until shooting at least one persons makes me want to throw up. The fact about him wearing a white sweater reminds me of Mengele and his white sweater. Him and Mengele are also alike for determining who dies and who lives at the camps. I can’t believe that the concentration camp soldiers really thought they could hide the camps existence by setting it on fire and taking the remaining prisoners on a death march because that sounds nearly impossible. I can not even picture the dead bodies the Stoeger says he saw piled up at Karkow. I also can not begin to imagine how Stoeger felt when finding the clothes of his wife and child in a pile of clothes of dead people. This really makes me sad. It still does not make sense to me why other people were tortured when a prisoner escaped. The picture of the synagogue in Poland is BEAUTIFUL. It is weird that to me, Amon Goeth’s house looks scarier than the torture chamber. No wonder people don’t want to rent it out. It is ironic though that the Jews rent out a chamber where their relatives were possibly tortured or killed. It is nice to see the beauty that has taken over such a gruesome place.
ReplyDelete- Emma Groves
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this blog post on Krakow, I have definitely formed my own opinions. One thing that really stood out to me while I was reading this post was the mention of Amon Goeth. People like him are pure evil. I do not understand what exactly would motivate someone to murder every day. It also makes me so mad that he was so egotistical and used this power to scare and hurt others. I also noticed that he wore a white shirt, similarly to mengele who wore all white. Both of these men had the power to decide who lived and who died. It is appalling that horrible men like them were given so much power over the lives of millions. I was so shocked when I read that when the Plaszow camp was being approached, the Nazis exhumed the bodies and burned them. I think the least the Nazis could do was leave the Jews to rest. They had already been through so much.
-Lexi Amedio
When you wrote the camp was known for notorious terrors, I didn't think one could be much worse than the others we have already read about. I was wrong. Amon was a digusting "human" being, and even in his death, he didn't get what he deserved. Not only is it disgusting that this camp was built on top of Jewish burial grounds, but it was later burned down. The Jewish people didn't even get a burial but were in a way cremated which goes against their customs. When I read they stood in role call for two days straight my legs hurt. Not only did they just have to stand there but every 10th person was shot because no one found the two who escaped.
ReplyDeleteSofia Christofaro
I was saddened to learn that a camp was built on top of a cemetary. The Nazis purposely did this to anger the Jews even more. Then I learned that the leader of the camp would decide how many people he would kill that day because of the sweater he was wearing or how he was feeling that day. After the war, no one wanted to buy the house that he lived in so it has sat vacant for years. This house countinues to remind people of the trageties that happened during the Holocaust. The town was home to many Jews, but then it was turned into a ghetto. Then the town was home to one of the worst concentration camps. I also cannot believe that after the war Jewish people would want to buy the houses around the camp. I also think that they wanted to get back the property that was theirs before the war. The camp was destroyed and is now a grassy field. There are many museums surrounding the area today.
ReplyDeleteAnn Slegelmilch
Chidimma Umerah
ReplyDeleteImagine a man so sick, so cruel, and so evil that he had to start his day with MURDER. It's so questionable how the Germans considered the Jews to not be human. They're the monsters. How could they not see that? They knew the Jews did nothing wrong. They knew it! They knew that they were just using them as scapegoats. The fact that this man treats death as another aspect of his day is truly disgusting and to be frank, quite terrifying. Every time I read these blogposts I get concerned. What if there are people like this still There definitely are. The only reason we haven't seen any episodes of mass murder is because they've never been in a position of power. I can only pray that world never allows such a vile person to become powerful ever again. Imagine watching a pile of your dead comrades, friends, and family be rolled past you without you even being able to recognize them. That's sickening. I have a weak stomach so even reading that just made me feel so uneasy.
Chidimma Umerah