A guy I work with recently talked to his Ukrainian grandmother, an Auschwitz survivor, about her childhood. It struck him how matter-of-factly she said, "First Stalin came and they put us in the camp (during the Holomodor, the intentional killing of an estimated 7 million by starvation in 1932-33). Then Hitler came and they put us in the camp."
Dachau
- Thread starter steveno
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A guy I work with recently talked to his Ukrainian grandmother, an Auschwitz survivor, about her childhood. It struck him how matter-of-factly she said, "First Stalin came and they put us in the camp (during the Holomodor, the intentional killing of an estimated 7 million by starvation in 1932-33). Then Hitler came and they put us in the camp."
Ogandydancer
Member
My FIL fought in WWII and he would tell stories of the nice parts but he would never mention anything like that.
kozmic
Member
I read 20 to 40% of millennials have no knowledge of the Holocaust. That is a frightening statistic. IMHO, it reflects poorly on their parents, their schools and their own awareness of world history and the magnitude of pure evil man can willingly inflict on his fellow man.
All I did was kiss my wife on the forehead and gave her a hug last night. Nothing needed to be said.
All I did was kiss my wife on the forehead and gave her a hug last night. Nothing needed to be said.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
We toured several nazi camps, and they all had horrible lessons to teach, with unforgettable imagery. There was one non-descript pond in Poland that was the most powerful of my remembrances.
Near the end of our visit to Birkenau, walking along the railroad tracks between Dr. Mengele's "selection" platform and the gas chambers/crematorium ruins, something stopped me in my tracks. I felt overwhelming sadness and burst into tears. A short distance away was a marker, explaining that the pond I was stopped in front of was the settling pond for ashes from the crematorium and held the settled ash remains of Birkenau's murder victims.
It felt like the souls of the million entombed in the mud at the bottom of the pond, had reached out to stop me, to make sure I never forget. I never will.
Near the end of our visit to Birkenau, walking along the railroad tracks between Dr. Mengele's "selection" platform and the gas chambers/crematorium ruins, something stopped me in my tracks. I felt overwhelming sadness and burst into tears. A short distance away was a marker, explaining that the pond I was stopped in front of was the settling pond for ashes from the crematorium and held the settled ash remains of Birkenau's murder victims.
It felt like the souls of the million entombed in the mud at the bottom of the pond, had reached out to stop me, to make sure I never forget. I never will.
blues7
Member
When I visited with a cousin in Paris some years ago, (a prominent French attorney), he told me a story that is both chilling and ironic.
His father was a Jew, his mother Catholic. They lived in Paris.
In 1942, my cousin was only months old, his elder brother 4 years old when French police working in concert with the Vichy government and the Nazis captured his father when he had come out of hiding to try to spend some time with his family whom he had been forced to leave behind.
He was deported to Drancy, on the outskirts of Paris, where he was held with other Jews and "undesirables" and then sent on to Auschwitz for extermination, where he was murdered.
A few years after the war, my cousin's mother married an American soldier and eventually he moved them to Germany during the post war occupation.
His adoptive father was stationed at Dachau, which garrisoned U.S. troops for close to thirty years following the war.
My cousin, who was raised a Catholic by his mother, received his Confirmation at the chapel at Dachau. An ironic twist of fate to have this as the site for his own rite of passage, given that his father had lost his life in just such a camp some years earlier.
Out of respect for my cousin and his murdered father I visited the Holocaust memorial in Paris with my wife while I was there, and it sent chills up my spine to see his name inscribed there.
It is hard to express both the sadness and the anger / hatred that were generated on that hallowed ground.
My cousin was educated in both Paris and in the States and went on to a very successful career in the law.
His late brother spent his life as a career officer in the U.S. Army.
Their father would, I am sure, have been very proud of the two men they each grew up to be.
Never again!
His father was a Jew, his mother Catholic. They lived in Paris.
In 1942, my cousin was only months old, his elder brother 4 years old when French police working in concert with the Vichy government and the Nazis captured his father when he had come out of hiding to try to spend some time with his family whom he had been forced to leave behind.
He was deported to Drancy, on the outskirts of Paris, where he was held with other Jews and "undesirables" and then sent on to Auschwitz for extermination, where he was murdered.
A few years after the war, my cousin's mother married an American soldier and eventually he moved them to Germany during the post war occupation.
His adoptive father was stationed at Dachau, which garrisoned U.S. troops for close to thirty years following the war.
My cousin, who was raised a Catholic by his mother, received his Confirmation at the chapel at Dachau. An ironic twist of fate to have this as the site for his own rite of passage, given that his father had lost his life in just such a camp some years earlier.
Out of respect for my cousin and his murdered father I visited the Holocaust memorial in Paris with my wife while I was there, and it sent chills up my spine to see his name inscribed there.
It is hard to express both the sadness and the anger / hatred that were generated on that hallowed ground.
My cousin was educated in both Paris and in the States and went on to a very successful career in the law.
His late brother spent his life as a career officer in the U.S. Army.
Their father would, I am sure, have been very proud of the two men they each grew up to be.
Never again!
I visited Dachau in 1962 before it was open to the general public. I was stationed in Augsburg and ran parts between Augsburg and Munich for the 724th Maint. Bat. I used to take the back roads because the countryside in Bavaria is beautiful to see. Dachau was on the route and I stopped in one day and asked if I could look around and they gave me permission. At that time it was still in a dilapidated condition and I got to see everything but the barracks. It was pretty much just as it was when it closed after WWII. I still remember the photos that were hanging on the wall in one of the buildings and the smell . I only regret that I didn't have a camera. It is something I'll never forget.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I seen videos of a bulldozer pushing dead bodies into graves
Triathloncoach
Member
Since the beginning of time history is chock full of genocide. It still goes on today in parts of the world. The Nazis only industrialized it. Evil is in our DNA.
I was really moved by the exhibit full of shoes.... thousands of shoes.....
Been there and that's the part that got me too.
People tend to forget that all that evil prevailed less than 80 years ago. Don't for a minute believe that it can't happen again.
Been there and that's the part that got me too.
People tend to forget that all that evil prevailed less than 80 years ago. Don't for a minute believe that it can't happen again.
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went there a couple of times in 83/84 time frame while I was in Germany. quite moving to say the least. lee
the ringo kid
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Ive never been there but wish to visit, the place has to be remembered as well as those who died.
I remembered when I bought my first WWII German piece of militaria that had a swaz on it. I felt ashamed about it for a long time. It was a simple wound badge in black.
I remembered when I bought my first WWII German piece of militaria that had a swaz on it. I felt ashamed about it for a long time. It was a simple wound badge in black.
Doug M.
Member
I grew up in an area with a substantial Jewish population. Some relatives of friends of mine had camp tats. We had refugees from other parts of the world, too - a lot of Eastern Europeans who had fled the Russians in the 50s. That stuff made an impression on me and is part of who I am.
The ignorance of millennials: I remember that many of us knew at least a bit about the other religions and cultures around us. I was neither Jewish nor Catholic, but had at least some idea of what certain holy days meant and why, some references to religious practices, etc. I rarely see such now.
I can remember "Blues Brothers" came out when I was in college, and I was home visiting friends for our New Years gathering (the less said the better). The scene came on in which ... Belushi, I think, commented on how he hated "Illinois Nazis", and all my friends made sure I was in the room to see it.
The ignorance of millennials: I remember that many of us knew at least a bit about the other religions and cultures around us. I was neither Jewish nor Catholic, but had at least some idea of what certain holy days meant and why, some references to religious practices, etc. I rarely see such now.
I can remember "Blues Brothers" came out when I was in college, and I was home visiting friends for our New Years gathering (the less said the better). The scene came on in which ... Belushi, I think, commented on how he hated "Illinois Nazis", and all my friends made sure I was in the room to see it.
You shoulda run with your first impression.
rkittine
Member
When I was 12 (many years ago) I became obsessed with the Holocaust. Long story, but since then I have visited all 6 of the German Extermination Camp sites, one not operated by the Germans and more than 30 of the over 850 other camps that operated during the war, including Dachau. I have become good friends with the owner of the company that created the Washington DC Holocaust Museum as well as many other Holocaust Museums, and my Girl Friend, Significant Other, Fiance' or 20 years is the Chief of Staff there. My next door neighbor is the Author or How Could This Happen and I have two close friends who's parents were both Auschwitz survivors, two of the four still being alive today. More should be taught about this and other genocides, so that maybe it will not happen again. Though not Jewish, I always wanted to be a part of the capture of some Nazis War Criminal, but it was not to be the case.
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