The Holocaust: Significant Tragedy Of The Modern Era

The Holocaust

The Holocaust is recognized as the most significant tragedy of the modern era. The phenomenon was driven by religious discrimination, dictatorship, and the general hatred toward Jews by the Nazi party. The term “Nazi” is an acronym for “Nationalsocialistishe Deutsche Arbeiterpartei” which means National Socialist German Workers’ Party. It was the only political party thriving in Germany at the time. The mass murder defined the furthest boundaries of evil known to mankind by the guiltless genocide of nearly an entire ethnic race. Within a matter of years, over nine million innocent people were massacred. The term “Holocaust” is of Greek origin. Broken down, the word means a “sacrifice by fire”. The name for the mass murder
Jews and other undesirables that were brought to the labor camps did not face immediate death, but worked long, unreasonable hours and were denied a sufficient amount of rest each night. The barracks in which they were housed were uncomfortably cramped. The lack of sanitation posed a real problem when it came to personal hygiene and scavenging for leftover food in the sewage pipes. Comparing the two distinct types of camps and the fate each one held, a person looking from the outside in might prefer a quick death to life at a labor
Those who were not as fortunate were forced out of their homes and moved to specific areas of large cities called ghettos. The biggest ghetto was in Warsaw, Poland accommodating close to four hundred forty-five thousand Jewish inhabitants by 1941. Life in the ghettos was appreciably better, but the prisoners still were not free to make choices of their own, let alone decide what time they went to bed at night. Anti-Jewish decrees were a series of restrictions that limited the freedom of Jews. These laws were put into effect in 1933. Curfews were placed on all Jewish families similar to what a mother would do for her toddler. Ration cards were distributed amongst the families and the people ate according to what they were given. Jews had marked seats on buses, trains, and even public benches. By 1934, all Jewish shops had the word “Juden” written on the window to identify them. Public access was only granted with the consent of the German officers on duty, and the golden Star of David was required to be visible on clothing at all times. Furthermore, Jews lost their right to be German citizens and marriage between Jews and non-Jews was no longer permitted. The Jewish population in Europe faced drastic changes to their lifestyles during World War