My Paper on The Holocaust
Introduction
As I went to the Holocaust meeting, I realized that it was a lot more horrifying then I thought it was. I signed up to learn more and I did. I listened to three different people but one stuck out the most, Gerda Weissmann Klein. As I listened to her story, I felt as if I was there. The smells, the feeling, it was intense as if I was in a horror film.
The Story
As the war started, time stopped. Hitler began to turn the heads of the citizens of Germany. He said that he had a plan, a plan to help everyone. But he said there were people standing in the way; Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah Witness, homosexuals, the handicapped, and so much more. He convinced them that they would stop them.
After the Jews, Gypsies, etc. heard this, they did exactly as Hitler planned and told the citizens, they objected. The Nazis started off small, they had everyone write down things about them; their religion, their name, where they live, etc. They were very reassuring and persuasive. They went little by little; limited stores, curfews, when to sleep, when to eat, they had everyone in the palm of their hand.
But that wasn’t enough. They had to go further. First, they started burning books, everything that represented those people. Then, when that didn’t crack them, they started burning buildings; shops, houses, and apartments. They wanted them to feel as if they had nothing left.
Next, the names started, the badges, they couldn’t even walk on the sidewalk. They weren’t good enough. Nazis wanted them to feel lower than a human being, lower than dirt. If someone wanted something you had and wouldn’t give it to them, they had the right to shoot you.
After that, the Nazis felt they didn’t have the right to live in the area so they created the “ghetto”. It was an area separated from everyone else. In every room there were two bunks and they had to fit over twelve people in each. Some were transferred from the ghetto to concentration camps otherwise known as death camp. Thousands were forced into cattle areas for three days with no food or water and only a few buckets for restrooms.
The lucky ones were the ones who stayed in the ghetto during the war. Amazingly, one ghetto was able to hold off the Nazis for three days until they broke in with tanks and machine guns and took their power back. When people were unloaded at the concentration camps they were divided into people who couldn’t work and people who could. The people who couldn’t work were taken to an area and told to strip down and given a bar of soap. They assumed they were going to take a shower but instead they were guided into a gas chamber where they were killed within minutes. The people who could work were also told to strip down but they actually were allowed to shower. Afterwards, they were handed a razor and told to shave their head and armpits. Then they were given clothes that didn’t even fit them for work clothes.
The rooms in the camps were the same as the ones in the ghetto. Every night they would hear dogs barking, screaming, gunshots and the popping of the fire that burned the dead bodies nonstop. Many people witnessed the Nazi’s dancing around the fire. If someone made the Nazis mad, they would throw them into the fire. For fun the Nazis would throw babies in the air and use them as target practice. They had no heart.
When word came the Americans were coming the Nazis made the Jews march for 350 miles. They started on January 29th with 2,000 people and ended on May 7th ending with only 120 people left. This became known as the death march. If a person was unable to continue marching they were killed on the spot. 6 million Jewish people died from this tragedy and 5 million of others.
This was pronounced WW2. Hitler and his wife locked themselves in a house and they both took poison and Hitler also shot himself when they found that the U.S. army was coming after them.
~Shayla
posted by Shayla at 4:57 PM
1 comments
Sam: Dear Mr. Lashlee I am In awe!! I have never had anyone be so honest about there feelings! THANK YOU! Fern’s are very comforting to many people. I admit that I myself once had a fern named Ronald. He was green and very healthy. Don’t feel weird. Buy another fern so the first can have a friend. Sincerely, SAM ( tree specialist ). 
That was one of her boyfriends and she has had two so far. My favorite and will always be my favorite was Sean. They were perfect together. Here are my favorite pictures. *hint: there are alot*
