Holocaust victims and the camps
Tutorial Paper
Question:
How did the hierarchy and structure of the camps determine survival?
Word Count: 2030
How did the hierarchy and structure of the camps determine survival?
During the events of World War II the Nazi party began the systematic destruction of minority groups, in particular the Jewish people, in what became known as the holocaust. This genocide has since become the blue print of all other genocides and even prompted the coining of the word itself. To aid in the systematic killing of the Jewish people, the Nazi regime setup death camps which became notorious for their dehumanisation and efficiency in exterminating innocent people. Within these camps the Nazi regime would institute a social structure or hierarchy among the camp prisoners which Primo Levi describes as a sinister ritual which promotes moral collapse1. This structure was used to both aid in the administration of the camp but also as a method to bring those oppressed closer to the perpetrators through degradation and guilt. Glicksman divides this structure into five groups of ‘organisers’, the highest being those closest to the SS with the greatest benefits, known as the notables and the lowest being the majority of the camp2. The top administrators of the camp, with the highest benefits, were those known as the ‘Kapos’, they would often be common criminals sometimes drawn from prisons and were put in place to reduce the workload on the SS. Many people were selected to ‘organise’ for the SS due to a distinct skill set that they possessed such as nurses or intellectuals and others managed to maintain a role as a small ‘organiser’ through various ways within the camps. Although many people were selected for certain roles due to the skill set they possessed, some were also selected for horrific roles such as that of the Sonderkommando, those bestowed with the task of running the gas chambers.
Question:
How did the hierarchy and structure of the camps determine survival?
Word Count: 2030
How did the hierarchy and structure of the camps determine survival?
During the events of World War II the Nazi party began the systematic destruction of minority groups, in particular the Jewish people, in what became known as the holocaust. This genocide has since become the blue print of all other genocides and even prompted the coining of the word itself. To aid in the systematic killing of the Jewish people, the Nazi regime setup death camps which became notorious for their dehumanisation and efficiency in exterminating innocent people. Within these camps the Nazi regime would institute a social structure or hierarchy among the camp prisoners which Primo Levi describes as a sinister ritual which promotes moral collapse1. This structure was used to both aid in the administration of the camp but also as a method to bring those oppressed closer to the perpetrators through degradation and guilt. Glicksman divides this structure into five groups of ‘organisers’, the highest being those closest to the SS with the greatest benefits, known as the notables and the lowest being the majority of the camp2. The top administrators of the camp, with the highest benefits, were those known as the ‘Kapos’, they would often be common criminals sometimes drawn from prisons and were put in place to reduce the workload on the SS. Many people were selected to ‘organise’ for the SS due to a distinct skill set that they possessed such as nurses or intellectuals and others managed to maintain a role as a small ‘organiser’ through various ways within the camps. Although many people were selected for certain roles due to the skill set they possessed, some were also selected for horrific roles such as that of the Sonderkommando, those bestowed with the task of running the gas chambers.