Dehumanization

Nazi Cattle car used to transport holocaust victims from all over Europe.

As the days go on in Poland, the class has visited Auschwitz I three times and Auschwitz II Birkenau once. Throughout these experiences the most prominent thing for me as been the dehumanization of all prisoners of these two camps. My first realization of this dehumanization was my first time seeing one of the cattle cars which is placed on the tracks outside of Auschwitz II Birkenau. This vessel used for transporting live stock was used to transport hundreds of humans to the location their lives would end. I shortly there after realized that all these people were to the Nazis Cattle and they were going to the slaughter factory to be processes. This evil twisted ideology is what allowed this to continue for so many years. These were not cattle these were people with families and homes from which they were so far. Throughout the class we learned the dehumanization is what made killing more simple for the Nazis, but not until seeing the cattle car did the class lesion make the full connection. After walking into the Nazi Death Camp I had my second realization of dehumanization. The barracks where the prisoners stayed looked like farms, I had noticed this but I figured it was an easy design and probably the quickest way to construct so many buildings. However, while that may indeed still be the case, no longer believe that is the reason the Nazis chose this design. After walking in our guide brought out attention to metal rings twisted into the foundation of the barrack, for which I could not imagine a purpose. The rings were stable rings for tying horses down in their stalls. The barracks we were standing in were horse stables. They road in on trains meant for cattle and were living out of stables meant for animals. They were packed into one barrack with approximately 700 other inmates with nine prisoners per bed. The prisoners lived like farm animals beside rodents and lice. Further, the Nazis would shave the prisoner’s heads. For many women, their hair acts as a major part of their identity. This is exactly what the Nazi’s desired to do: steal innocent people’s identities.

The irony of all of it is the true animals were the ones not in striped pajamas, but in uniform. The animals were controlling the humans: a new breed of animal called the SS. Sitting in a class room and learning about how the Nazis treated the victims is incredibly important and I believe all should know how the Nazis dehumanized the victims of the Shoah. However, I do not know if my words here will truly allow people to understand what went on in these camps just as my professor’s words could have never made me truly understand. No one, but the survivors themselves could imagine the atrocities that took place and the way these innocent people were treated. I do hope that no human ever again will be treated even half as poorly as the victims of the Shoah were treated. Through those who immerse themselves in education regarding the Shoah and Jewish-Christian relations, perhaps we can stop history from repeating itself.