Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Commemorating shameful acts
How can we help young generations to understand unthinkable acts? Is this train journey a good way to do it? What about the book? Why do you think the Holocaust is such a popular theme for books and films? Or, is there a tendency to gloss the Holocaust over, or at least Slovakia’s part in it? How can a nation (such as Slovakia, or Germany, or the United States for that matter) come to terms with its past crimes and involvement in shameful acts?
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I definitely believe that a train trip to Auschwitz would prove to be quite an efficient way to raise awareness about the Holocaust. It is, in my opinion, substantially better at accurately depicting the aftermath of the Holocaust than any other form of media – books, presentations, television. It is namely one’s presence and immediate proximity to the concentration camp that helps leave an imprint. During the trip one can not only see and hear about the Holocaust and the camps, one could also feel the grim atmosphere about the place. In that regard, I believe such trip would have a great impact on the views of teenagers and their preconceptions about the Holocaust, and would provide them with a more accurate representation of what life used to be like during those times. The information gained through books and other media could easily be overlooked and ignored by a Holocaust-unaffiliated teenager due to the missing direct link with the actual events and places.
ReplyDeleteThe only real thing I do not quite agree with in the organization of this so-called project would be the involvement of concentration camp escapees and relatives of Holocaust victims. I don’t think it’s fair to them having to relive a number of nightmares and awful memories connected with the camps, even if they were willing to do so. It is evident that their presence will add more realism to the trip, yet I cant help but find it rather inappropriate for obvious reasons.
I agree with almost everything that you said. Although the most common way of finding out about the holocaust is undoubtedly through films and from school, the former often provides highly biased and inaccurate facts. As you said, the train ride would be an entirely new experience for the people and would teach them something about the Second World War that they probably knew little about and the fact that they would be, figuratively, stepping into the shoes of WW2 prisoners would give the whole experience a whole new degree of authenticity.
DeleteOn the second issue, I believe that it should be entirely up the the people who are directly connected to the concentration camp to decide whether they want to experience the train ride. Little is the chance that the journey would mentally scar them or be even a tenth as bad as it as for the original people who were taken to the camps and at the same time the experience they would get from it, and the understanding they would come to possess would be of a much higher value. Personally, I would love to take this train trip.
I disagree with Lachezar that it’s a not a good thing to involve the victims of holocaust and their relatives. I personally think that for the victims and the relatives it’s a great way, how to deal with their pain. The best way how to get over a tragic memory is to remember it and deal with the feeling or it will eat you up from the inside. The train trip to Auschwitz is definitely, not only beneficial for the visitors, but also for the victims and their relatives. However, in a way, I do understand why Lachezar. Going to a concentration camp is very depressing and emotional.
DeleteI share Lachezar’s opinion, that the train trip would raise the awareness about Jews in the Second World War. Moreover, I really like the fact, that the escapees can share their experience with the ones, who cannot understand how holocaust could happen. The most important thing is, that they can teach little kids, teenagers and young adults that it’s a bad thing to discriminate people according to their race and that every human being has equal rights.
At the end, because of the fact that my grandfather is Jewish, I am very interested in the Jewish culture and history. I went to several Jewish summer camps, I read dozens of books about victims and I listened to my grandfather. Though, I only realized how hard it had to be for the Jews, after I went to a concentration camp where I felt in a way connected to the people, who had to live in these concentration camps. As it is mentioned in the article, it is common to put a stone on a big memorial in the concentration camp to honor all the victims of holocaust and I think this experience was better than any book or movie about holocaust.
Round 70 years ago, when the war was already in its full “bloom,” a certain group of people put into an action one of the most devilish plans in the history of mankind. The extermination of a whole race, Jews. Sadly, they were able to execute it, and the victims of the holocaust, which is a word almost exclusively associated with the Nazi Germany, are counted in millions. Six millions of Jews, and six millions of others, also targeted by the Nazi regime, for instance mentally disabled and Gypsies. The assumptions of fatalities of the whole World War 2 top at 80 million mark. Of course, of which majority were civilians.
ReplyDeleteIt is not long ago that I have come around an idea (not mine), whether the holocaust actually happened, if it is not only a story made up by Zionists. I think it is pretty obvious from the second part of that sentence, who had spread such rumor. I was shocked. Some of the very victims of the extermination camps are still alive, carrying message of human atrocities for the next generations, for them to acknowledge the twisted potential of a man’s ability to pursue one’s goal. All this, in order to avoid repetition of the history in future. The ignorance to deny those witnesses, to deny those years of unimaginable horror, has no place in this world, and is the one which should be exterminated.
I love History, and I also take History courses. Therefore, I may be a little biased when talking about whether it is important to teach children about it. However, it does not by any means cut on its importance (pun intended). An idea of a train following the tracks of a death train is a brilliant way of doing so. I did not know that Poprad is commemorating the event for several years, and this year’s addition is exactly how I would imagine getting to know more about the holocaust. Unfortunately, I have not had yet the chance to experience the concentration camps personally, but from the sayings of people I have to agree that is a huge strain on a person’s psychic. Everything about holocaust is extremely emotional, and extremely hard to process. I’m not saying we should force every kindergarten child to watch a factual movie about holocaust, or to visit the concentration camps, but I believe it is an enriching experience, and everybody who has the chance should do it. I imagine that people outside Europe are not much concerned with this issue, but I think it is essential, even for them, to know about all the appalling things mankind once gone through. Just a note, one lesson for each of the most horrible things would be enough. This way, the children would be familiar with it, and we would prevent cases of denial of such historically important event as holocaust.
On a final note, I think the author made an interesting claim. She said: “But I hold firm in my belief that the women on the first transport were not only victims – if we remember them and use their stories to enrich our own, if we can stop the cycle of prejudice and racism that perpetuates genocides of any people, then they are victors.” I have never thought of it in this way, and I am a bit ashamed. Now, however, I think likewise. We cannot bring the dead back to life, but if we move forward, if we develop thanks to them, it will make their deaths less pointless. To see the victors in them, to get most out of it, it is a small satisfaction, but indeed one.
I basically agree with everything what Michal said. He pointed out his opinion and I follow his ideas. The own experience is definitely the best way to understand and to learn. That’s why I recommend the visit of Auschwitz. However, it’s not easy to walk there, to feel its air and to see its buildings. Unfortunately, it’s the original evidence of what was being committed there. I have just one little addition to Michal’s comment. He said, children should go there and see it. I wouldn’t recommend this visit for young children. Actually, I wouldn’t allow children to visit such a camp at all. Only teenagers (maybe older than 15) should be allow to visit it. I base my argument on my own experience. I know that Michal didn’t suggest the visit for such young children; I’m just making his comment more clear and appropriate. Moreover, I did little research about the allowance of visiting the Auschwitz. I found out that everybody can enter the camp; only children under the age of 14 are not recommended to come. So it’s up to parents and teachers whether they take younger children on such trip or will prefer to take older ones.
DeleteI feel really strange after reading this article. It revives me my memories of Auschwitz. Since I was there when I was quite young, about 12 maybe, it affected me to a great extent. I felt really sad after that “trip.” I hadn’t known lots of facts about the World War 2 and Nazi regime and so I was quite shocked by the whole Dead Camp. When I saw crematorium, gas chambers, photos, tools, buildings and fence, I was really confused. I wouldn’t be able to understand or imagine such atrocity but without being there and feeling its atmosphere. You can read many books, watch lots of TVs, but personal experience is the strongest one. That’s why I think, it’s a good idea to organize such a train in order to commemorate the anniversary. I completely agree with Dune Macadam statement. People are not able to understand lots of things only because they can’t imagine it or feel like they were in that situation. That’s a noticeable weakness of human beings. I do not totally disagree with Kamenc’s statement, but he said something which is not completely true. He said that there are other ways to broaden knowledge about holocaust not only the train trip, but in my opinion, the own experience is much more powerful than a reading of some prose.
ReplyDeleteI think events like this are a good way to show young people the facts and teach them about the mistakes made in our past. The emotions are very important in our decision making process, and so if we do not want to repeat same mistakes, we cannot forget how our forefathers felt.