Table of Contents |
Photo credit: Main Commission for the Investigation of Nazi War Crimes, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives. |
One of the most famous pictures of the Holocaust. German stormtroopers force Warsaw ghetto dwellers of all ages to move, hands up, during the Jewish Ghetto Uprising in April-May 1943. |
| Overview Materials |
Although historians often disagree among themselves on what happened
and when, the
Holocaust has become one of the most extensively documented subjects
in history. And
even though professionals in the field of Holocaust studies often disagree
on the
interpretation of events and on what emphasis to place them in the
context of world and
Jewish history, a study of the Holocaust can provide universal lessons
about human nature
and society. For example, American history also contains disturbing
chapters of genocide
and mistreatment of “different” groups of people: the American
Indians, slaves, and
Japanese-Americans. World-wide there continues to be incidents of genocide
and “man’s
inhumanity to man”: Apartheid in South Africa, the Pol Pot regime in
Cambodia,
poisonous gas attacks on civilian populations by Iraq, and the tribal
wars in Rwanda and
Burundi, to name just a few. Unfortunately, these incidents are not
just chapters in history
books, but front-page daily headlines. Thus, a study of the Holocaust
can be an
examination of tyranny and injustice and, perhaps, the lessons learned
could be applied to
today’s situations and provide solutions so that, truly, such things
might be “never again.”
| Timeline
Nazi Rise Nazification Ghettos Camps Resistance Rescue Aftermath |
People
Victims Perpetrators Bystanders Resisters Rescuers Liberators Survivors |
Arts
Literature Music Visual Arts |
Primary Sources: Primary sources are original documents written or created thatare useful in historical analysis. These may include statistics, diaries, and letters.Secondary Sources: Secondary source material are books that pull information
from primary sources. biographies, texts, and non-fiction works fall into this category.Other Sources: More than 50 years after the Holocaust, it's still possible to find survivors and liberators to interview about their experiences. Visits to museums and other educational institutions could lead to a wealth of material.
Evaluating Sources: Researchers need to distinguish between fact,opinion, and fiction; between primary and secondary sources, and between types of evidence such as court testimonies, oral histories, and other written documents.Consider why a text was written, who the intended audience was, whether there were any biases inherent in the information, any gaps in discussion, whether any gaps in certain passages were inadvertent or not, and how the information has been used to interpret various events. Because scholars often base their research on different bodies of information, varying interpretations of history can emerge. Consequently, all interpretations are subject to analytical evaluation. As you practice this type of questioning, you will become a researcher who evolves into a reader who discern the difference between legitimate scholars who present competing historical interpretations, and those who distort or deny historical fact for personal or political gain.
155- psychological aspects
200-ethical, religious and moral issues
305-human rights issues (ethnic cleansing, genocide)
343-legal issues (e.g. Nuremburg war crimes trials)
809-literature (poems, short stories, essays)
940.5318-historical information, diaries, memoirs
Fritze, Ronald H., et al. Reference Sources in History: An Introductory
Guide. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1990.
An annotated guide which organizes, describes, and evaluates
the basic reference
works of interest to historians. Each section covers a type of reference
tool or group of
tools, such as guides, handbooks, and manuals; bibliographies; book
review indexes;
periodical indexes and abstracts; etc. Emphasizes materials written
in English.
(016.9 F919r 1990)
Norton, Mary Beth, ed. The American Historical Association’s Guide
to Historical
Literature. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
An annotated guide to selected reference works, bibliographic
aids, and general
studies books and articles from every field of historical scholarship.
Includes only printed
materials, primarily in English. Divided into sections according to
geographic area and
time period. (016.9 A512 1995)
Bloomberg, Martin. The Jewish Holocaust: an Annotated Guide to
Books in English.
New York: The Borgo Press, 1991.
This bibliography presents a selected body of literature on the
Jewish Holocaust.
Coverage includes the historical development of European anti-Semitism,
the pre-war
background of European Jewish civilization, the Holocaust years, and
the war crimes
trials. (016.9405318 B623j 1991)
Cargas, Harry James. The Holocaust: An Annotated Bibliography.
2nd ed. Chicago:
American Library Association, 1985.
This bibliography of nearly 500 titles includes only books written
in English and
published in the United States. The list does include some out of print
titles that may still
be found through interlibrary loan. The book also has a research guide
for students in the
back. (016.940531503924 C191h 1985)
Schulman, William L. Holocaust Reference Guide: A Comprehensive
Listing of
Media for Further Study. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press
Inc., 1998.
This volume offers a guide to the resources for the study of
the Holocaust
available at the time of printing. It incorporates standard works on
the subject as well as
some of the latest books and multimedia materials. (016.9405318
S562r 1998)
Gutman, Israel, ed. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. 4 vols.
New York: Macmillan,
1990.
This encyclopedia deals in depth with the sources and motivations
for all aspects of
the Holocaust. The purpose of the encyclopedia is to provide comprehensive
and
up-to-date information on the Holocaust: it’s background, it’s history,
and it’s impact.
This reference tool is written by leading scholars and experts in Holocaust
studies from all
over the world. (940.531803 E56 1990)
Roth, Cecil, editor in chief. Encyclopedia Judaica, v. 1-16.
New York: Macmillan
Company, 1971-72.
This Jewish encyclopedia is inteneded for both Jewish and non-Jewish
readers.
Provides a comprehensive look at all aspects of Jewish life. The article
on the Holocaust is
a great starting point for an overview of the subject. (296.03 E56
1971-72)
Edelheit, Abraham J. and Hershel Edelheit. History of the Holocaust:
A Handbook
and Dictionary. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994.
The purpose of this handbook is threefold: 1) To provide the
reader with a general
overview of Jewish history during the Nazi era; 2) To tabulate all
data on the Holocaust
that can possibly be reduced to a table or graphic; and 3) To gather
in one source as many
terms dealing directly or indirectly with the Holocaust as possible.
(940.5318 E21h 1994)
Epstein, Eric Joseph and Philip Rosen. Dictionary of the Holocaust:
Biography,
Geography, and Terminology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press,
1997.
A handy reference book to supplement introductory readings about
the Holocaust.
The dictionary has a disciplined focus and is a research tool for serious
students of the
Holocaust. (940.5318 E64D 1997)
Historical Atlas of the Holocaust. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1990.
This atlas presents in specific detail, the evolution of the
Holocaust.
(940.53180223 H629 1996)
Martin, Gilbert. Atlas of the Holocaust; completely revised
and updated. New York:
William Morrow and Company, 1993.
This volume of 316 maps is a comprehensive record of the Nazi’s
attempt to
annihilate the Jews of Europe during World War II. (940.53180223
G 374at 1993)
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust:
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/Holocaust/
This site provides an excellent overview of the people and events of
the Holocaust. Extensive teacher resources for Holocaust education are
included.
The United States Holocaust Museum
http://www.ushmm.org/
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Web site contains online
versions of several of the Museum's exhibits. Visitors can also search
a database of historic photographs and display the results. The Museum's
Archives and Library are also searchable, but only titles, not the documents
themselves, are displayed. Teachers should review the Museum's "Guidelines
for Teaching the Holocaust" page.
Cybrary of the Holocaust:
http://remember.org/
This moving site has images, interviews, children's essays and artwork,
and discussion forums. Also included are online books by survivors, education
resources, and much more. This site is maintained by Michael Dunn.
The Nizkor Project
http://www2.ca.nizkor.org/index.html
"A collage of projects focused on the Holocaust, and its denial." This
site ncludes FAQs, Features, Holocaust Web Project, Holocaust Search Engine,
and Shofar FTP Archives.
The Holocaust/Shoah Page
http://www.mtsu.edu/~baustin/holo.html
This well-organized site includes sections on Organizations, Archives
& References, Personal Responses, Educational Projects & Tools,
List & Conference Archives, Survivors & Rescuers, and The Third
Reich. The listing of archives & references is especially useful. This
site is maintained by David Dickerson.
The Mining Company/Holocaust
http://holocaust.miningco.com/education/history/holocaust/
This excellent site "features original articles about the Holocaust,
a bulletin board and chat room for online discussion, a timeline, a glossary,
and a continually growing collection of annotated links for research and
study." This site is maintained by Jennifer Rosenberg.
The Jewish Student Online Research Center
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/holo.html
A nice listing of links, this site also includes some documents.
H-Holocaust Home Page
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~holoweb/
This site exists so scholars of the Holocaust can communicate with
each other using this innovative and exciting new technology, and makes
available diverse bibliographical, research and teaching aids. Includes
archives of all past discussions, review projects, academic announcements,
resources, and Internet links. The links are more academic than those listed
in the Cybrary of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust History Project
http://www.holocaust-history.org/
"The Holocaust History Project is a free archive of documents, photographs,
recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including direct refutation
of Holocaust-denial."
Bauer, Yehuda and Nili Keren. A History of the Holocaust.
New York:
Franklin Watts, 1982.
This work examines the origins of anti-Semitism and Nazism as well
as the history of Jewish-German relationships. One of the most readable
general histories for high school students. (940.53150392 B326h 1982)
Baynes, Norman H., ed. Speeches of Adolf Hitler. London: Oxford
UP, 1942.
This work includes translated extracts from Hitler's major speeches.
(This work would need to be requested by Interlibrary Loan)
Berenbaum, Michael, ed. Witness to the Holocaust: An Illustrated
Documentary History of the Holocaust in the Words of its Victims, Perpetrators
and Bystanders. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997.
This collection of documents, letters, diaries, and testimony presents
in detail the evolution of the Holocaust. (940.5318 W7811 1997)
Berenbaum, Michael. The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust
as Told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1993.
This comprehensive work, written by the project director of USHMM,
tells the story of the Holocaust with words and photographs. It can be
used in conjunction with a museum visit or on its own. (940.5318074753
B451w 1993)
Bhom-Duchen, Monica, ed. After Auschwitz: Responses to the Holocaust
in Contemporary Art. Sunderland: Northern Centre for Contemporary Art,
1995.
This volume contains representations of artwork from the camps and
Holocaust art for the following fifty years. It includes artists' statements
and documented essays. (704.03924 A258 1995)
Cohen, Arthur A., ed. Arguments and Doctrines. New York: HarperCollins,
1970.
A Jewish theologian has collected essays from the 1960’s on Jewish
thinking following the Holocaust. (296.08 C66 1970)
Conot, Robert E. Justice at Nuremberg. New York: Carroll &
Graf, 1984.
Details and preparation for the Nuremberg Trials are discussed.
(341.6902684321 C763j 1984)
Davidowicz, Lucy S. The War Against the Jews: 1933-1945. New
York: Bantam Books, 1986.
This book is probably the best general introductory work on the Holocaust
currently available. The central theme of Nazism was its anti-Semitism.
The author poses this question: How was it possible for a modern state
to carry out the systematic murder of a whole population. (940.5315039
24 D322w 1986)
De Pres, Terrence. The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death
Camps.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
The stories of survivors of the death camps are analyzed in an
attempt to understand what these people endured and how they survived.
(940.5472 D46 1976)
Dinnerstein, Leonard. America and the Survivors of the Holocaust.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.
The fate of the Jewish displaced persons following the end of the war
is the subject of this book. An interesting look at Americans’ duality
of indifference and generosity. (325.73 D617am 1982)
Engelmann, Bernt. In Hitler's Germany: Everyday Life in the Third
Reich.
New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.
This Holocaust survivor uncovers the details of "normal" life
under Hitler. (943.086 E57i 1986a)
Ezrahi, Sidre De Koven. By Words Alone: The Holocaust in Literature.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.
The author examines post-Holocaust literature in the framework of a
“Jewish Lamentation tradition.” She observes that the Lamentation tradition
is rooted in scripture, that the center of reference is the people and
history of Israel, and that the Holocaust is perceived as a formative historical
event. (809.93358 E99b 1980)
Fleming, Gerald. Hitler and the Final Solution. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1984.
Fleming pays attention to detail and uses documents and interviews
to prove his thesis: Hitler not only knew of but initiated the attempt
to annihilate European Jewry. (940.531503924 F629h 1984)
Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Pocket Books,
1958.
This book is probably the best known eye-witness account of the Holocaust,
written by a young Dutch girl who spent two years hiding in an attic from
the Gestapo. (940.5315 F85a 1958)
Friedlander, Albert, ed. Out of the Whirlwind: A Reader of Holocaust
Literature. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1968.
This anthology contains excerpts by Elie Wiesel, Alexander Donat, Primo
Levi, and others. It includes memoirs, reflections, imaginative literature,
music and poetry. (808.803 F91 1968)
Friedlander, Henry. The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia
to the Final Solution. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina
Press, 1995.
This book examines how the Nazi program of secretly eliminating the
mentally and physically disabled evolved into the systematic destruction
of the Romani and the Jews. (943.086 F913o 1995)
Friedlander, Saul. Nazi Germany and the Jews, Volume 1: The Years
of Persecution, 1933-39. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Making extensive use of new documentation, Friedlander shows how one
the world’s most culturally and industrially advanced nations embarked
on a path that led toward the extermination of the Jews. One of the most
important works on the subject to date. (940.538 F913n 1997 v. 1)
Gilbert, Martin. A History of the Jews in Europe during the Second
World War.
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1986.
Gilbert combines historical narrative with personal testimonies. An
invaluable tool for providing supplementary material on any aspect of the
Holocaust. (This book would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Gordon, Sarah. Hitler, Germans, and the “Jewish Question.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.
This study covers the background of Nazi racial policies and the development
of a radical, racial anti-Semitism starting in the Weimar period. (305.8924043
G658h 1984)
Grant, R.G. The Holocaust. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn,
1998.
A new perspective book, this volume begins with the gas chambers and
looks back at the early persecution of the Jews in Germany, the Nazi’s
rise to power, the concentration camps, and other historical events surrounding
the Holocaust. (940.5318 G767h 1998)
Hartman, Geoffrey H., ed. Holocaust Remembrance: The Shapes of
Memory. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1994.
Collection of essays on the historiography of the Holocaust regarding
testimony and memory. (940.5318 H741 1994)
Helmreich, William. Against All Odds: Holocaust Survivors and
the Lives they Made in America. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.
This book is the story of Holocaust survivors who learned to live and
trust again. (940.5318092273 H369ag 1992)
Hilberg, Raul. Perpetrators, Victims, Bystanders: The Jewish Catastrophe,
1933-1945. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Hilberg includes rescuers and Jewish resisters, but his main
focus is on the destruction of European Jewry and those who are responsible
for it. (940.5318 H542p 1992)
Kestenberg, Judith S. and Fogelman, Eva, eds. Children During
the Nazi Reign: Psychological Perspectives on the Interview Process.
New York: , 1994.
This book examines the effect of persecution on children who survived
the Holocaust and the effect of indoctrination which led to prejudice.
The first section deals with the interview process. The second part focuses
on the effect of the interviews on the survivors, and the last section
details the effects of listening to such personal histories on the interviewees.
(155.935 C437 1994)
Klee, Ernst, Dressen, Willi, and Riess, Volker. "The Good Old
Days": The Holocaust as Seen by it Perpetrators and Bystanders. New
York: The Free Press, 1991.
This collection of diaries, letters home, and confidential reports
written by the executioners and sympathetic observers of the Holocuast
is illustrated with numerous photographs they took as "souvenirs" of
their work and "achievements." (940.5318 S371g 1991)
Klein, Gerda Weissman. All But My Life. New York: Hill and
Wang, 1995.
This autobiography and testimony of the Holocaust is also a powerful
love story. (940.5318092 K672a 1995)
Landau, Ronnie S. The Nazi Holocaust: Its meaning for All the
World’s Peoples -- And its Moral, Ethical, and Psychological Implications.
Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1994.
This book addresses the historical, moral, and educational significance
of the Nazi Holocaust. While written primarily for students of history,
it is also intended for use by students of psychology, philosophy, sociology,
religious and moral studies, humanities, and literature. (940.5318 L231n
1994)
Levin, Nora. The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry
1933-1945. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968.
This volume is a well-written, popular survey of the Holocaust. Part
I is the background and preparation for the “Final Solution” and Part II
describes the mass deportations and killings which were the culmination
of the “Final Solution.” All European countries are covered. (940.5315
L57 1968)
Lewin, Rhoda G., ed. Witnesses to the Holocaust: An Oral History.
Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.
Transcripts of the testimonies and remembrances of survivors and liberators
of the Holocaust death camps are the text of this book. (940.5318 W781
1990)
Morrison, David. Heroes, Anti-Heroes and the Holocaust: American
Jewry and Historical Choice. New London, NH: Milah Press, 1995.
What did our leaders know and when did they know it? Whose were the
voices trying to sound the alarm? What did they accomplish? These are just
a few of the questions the author poses in this volue which sheds light
on these and many other questions surrounding the Holocaust. (940.5318
M834h 1995)
Morse, Arthur. While Six Million Died: A Chronicle of American
Empathy.
New York: Random House, 1967.
This work takes a critical look at the American response to the events
that were unfolding in Europe before and during the Holocaust. (940.5315
M83 1968)
Newton, Verne W. FDR and the Holocaust. New York: St. Martin's
Press,
1996.
Verne Newton examines both the role of the Roosevelt administration
in WWII and the American reaction to the Nazis' persecution of European
Jews. (This book would need to be requested through interlibrary
loan)
Patterson, Charles. Anti-Semitism: The Road to the Holocaust and
Beyond. New York: Walker, 1982.
The author’s point is that the Holocaust had its roots in the past.
He traces the history of the persecution of the Jews, discusses how the
Nazis built on that anti-Semitism, and looks at the post-Holocaust evidence
of continued anti-Semitism. (305.8924 P277an 1982)
Rogasky, Barbara. Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust.
New York: Holiday House, 1988.
This book examines the causes, events, and legacies of the Holocaust
which resulted in the extermination of the Jews. (940.531503924 R63s
1988)
Rosenfeld, Alvin. A Double Dying. Bloomington: Indiana University
Press, 1980.
The author’s thesis is that Holocaust literature should be read on
moral grounds as well as artistic. He applies this thesis to literature
he considers to have merit (e.g. writings of Wiesel and Levi) and to literature
he considers “inauthentic” (e.g. Sophie’s Choice). (809.933 R724d 1980)
Tolly, Nelly. When Memory Speaks: The Holocaust in Art. Westport,
CT: Praeger, 1998.
This volume is collection of artwork created during the Holocaust and
after with accompanying essays. (704.9499405318 T577w 1998)
Rothchild, Sylvia, ed. Voices From the Holocaust. New York:
New American Library, 1981.
This work is a collection of Jewish survivor accounts discussing
life before, during, and after the Holocaust. (943.086 V87 1981)
Welch, David. The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda. London:
Routledge, 1993.
David Welch explores Nazi propaganda and the various public reactions
to it, and arrives at certain conclusions about the effectiveness, and
limitations, of Hitler's manipulation of the masses. (This book would
need to be requested through interlibrary
loan)
Yahil, Leni. The Holocaust: The Fate of European Jewry, 1932-1945.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Material is grouped into three broad time periods. Major emphasis
is placed on Hitler's "Final Solution." (943.5318 Y1h 1991)
British Journal of Holocaust Education
Christian Jewish Relations
History and Memory: Studies in Representation of the Past
Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Holocaust Studies Annual
Patterns of Prejudice
Simon Wiesenthal Center Annual
Yad Vashem Studies
INFOTRAC is a database which includes full-text articles. This database can be accessed in the library by clicking on “Sources For Doing Research.” It is also available on the Web at <www.tulsalibrary.org> Again, click on “Sources For Doing Research,” click on the button which indicates you are accessing the databases from outside the library. Click on INFOTRAC and enter your name and library card number at the prompt. The authorization number is 100141541. Within INFOTRAC, The Expanded Academic Database is an excellent source for scholarly articles. The following subject search - Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - will yield articles from 1996 to the present. Also conduct the same search in INFOTRAC’s backfile for additional articles from 1980 -1995. If you already have a good idea of how you are going to narrow your topic or are looking for possible topics for a narrower focus, then you might find the subdivisions that INFOTRAC has provided for this subject helpful. Also check out the related topics for more information.
Bosnick, Anthony. “America and the Jews: 1933-1948.” America,
Nov 15, 1997 v177 n15 p23(4).
The periodical America kept readers informed of the persecution of
Jews during the periods before, during and after World War II. Articles
and editorials printed during the 15-year period from 1933-1948 are discussed.
Gerlach, Christian. “The Wannsee Conference, the Fate of German Jews,
and Hitler's Decision in Principle to Exterminate All European Jews.” The
Journal of Modern History, Dec 1998 v70 i4 p759(1).
Recent research and newly uncovered documents have enabled a fuller
appreciation of the significance of the Wannsee Conference, held on January
20, 1942. Evidence suggests that Hitler had decided in early December 1941
to pursue the extermination of all Jews in Europe. The Wannsee Conference
was initially intended to resolve differences concerning the treatment
of German and western European Jews. The conference was postponed, however,
and Hitler's decision concerning the liquidation of all European Jews changed
the context, resulting in the beginning of systematic planning for the
extermination of Jews in Europe.
Kellenbach, Katharina von. “Breaking the Silence.” ReVision,
Summer 1999 v22 i1 p28.
The article describes the exhibition titled War of Destruction: Crimes
of the German Army and the controversy it elicited when opening in Munich,
Germany. Reasons for interest in this subject, the psychological aspects
of historical silence, and the role of ordinary citizens in the Holocaust
are explored.
Morgan, Peter. “Bureaucracy of Evil: Quietly and methodically the
assets of murdered Jews were disposed of by the Nazis - only now are the
records of those
carefully ordered transactions coming to light.” Index on Censorship,
March-April 1999 p73(4).
The historical debate about how much ordinary Germans know of the Holocaust
have been revived by Dr Wolfgang Dressen's research. It has also emphasized
the issue of what sort of details should be released about the recent past,
and who should have control of access to such documents. Dressen's exhibition
features documents detailing the plundering of Jewish assets. The exhibition
shows different stages of the confiscations and how they were a public
affair. (this article is not full-text so you would need to make an
interlibrary loan request.)
Michaelsen, Jacob B. “Remembering Anne Frank.” Judaism: A Quarterly
Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, Spring 1997 v46 n2 p220(9).
History has relived itself in the publications and documentary
film depicting the life of Anne Frank, which brings into focus the concepts
of Jewish identity and the horrors of the holocaust. The commemoration
of this historical event was made possible by the discovery of Anne Frank's
diary, where accounts of Jewish struggles and persecutions can be noted.
Attempts have been made to analyze the main reason which led to the holocaust,
and arguments have been raised on its implications on the centrality of
Judaism.
Motola, Gabriell. “Children of the Holocaust.” TriQuarterly,
Spring-Summer 1999 i105 p209(2).
Those who were children during the Jewish Holocaust of 1939-1945 remember
their experiences of the dead and the dying bodies quite differently from
those who were adults at that time. For example, Simon Srebnick, who relates
his experience in the film 'Shoah,' considered his job of feeding the dead
bodies to the ovens as something that is normal because he did not understand
then what he was doing. Other children of the Holocaust such as writers
Norman Manea and Danilo Kis relate similar experiences.
Peterson, Merrill D. “Responding to the Holocaust.” The Virginia
Quarterly Review, Wntr 1999 v75 i1 p151(1).
The first official international response to the 'Holocaust' way before
it was given a name was in the Nuremberg War crimes trial of 1945-1946.
The terms 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' were coined by the tribunal
but the specific crime that had been committed against the Jews was not
on trial at Nuremberg. Crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide
are generic crimes. However, the magnitude of the Jewish tragedy is unprecedented
in history and called for a proper noun to designate it. Many books on
the Holocaust have been published but they are rituals of remembrance.
It may well be true that those who remember too well imperil the future.
(This article is not full-text so you would need to make an interlibrary
loan request.)
Teichman, Milton. “How Writers Fought Back: Literature from the Nazi
Ghettos and Camps.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and
Thought, Summer 1998 v47 i3 p338(1).
Many Jewish writers living in ghettos and camps during the Holocaust
documented the crimes committed by the Nazis and the sufferings that Jews
went through in the hope that future readers of their writings would seek
justice after the war. Their literary activities disproves the thinking
that Jews responded with passivity, paralysis and submission to Nazi terrorism.
Although their writings did not diminish the powers of the Germans and
saved the Jewish people, they provide irrefutable evidence to the destruction
wrought by the Nazis to the Jews.
Wajnryb, Ruth. “The Holocaust as Unspeakable: Public Ritual versus
Private Hell (reprinted from Generation: Australian Jewish Life and
Thought, vol. 6.3, 1997) Journal of Intercultural Studies, April
1999 v20 i1 p81.
None of us coming to the Holocaust afterwards can know these events
outside the ways they are passed down (Young, 1988, p. vii)
This article concerns the unspeakability of the Holocaust. Using a
linguistic lens, it approaches the survivor's act of telling about the
Holocaust as a speech event. The roles of speaker and listener are `unpacked'
in order to demonstrate that there is an essential frailty built into the
role relationship of teller and listener. It is argued that proximity to
the experience of the Holocaust makes the attempt-to-tell a highly personal
and essentially fraught event, which can easily dismantle and disintegrate
into incommunicability. It is expected that the passage of time will render
the event less personal and more public: as time moves the Holocaust into
the arena of public knowledge, telling will become more ritualized and
more safely communicable. The article places particular emphasis on the
impact on the second generation of Holocaust survivors' attempts-to-tell.
Young, James E. “Toward a received history of the Holocaust.” History
and Theory, Dec 1997 v36 n4 p21(23).
This article examines both the problem of so-called postmodern history
as it relates to the Holocaust and suggests the ways that Saul Friedlander's
recent work successfully mediates between the somewhat overly polemicized
positions of "relativist" and "positivist" history. What can be done
with what Friedlander has termed "deep memory" of the survivor, that which
remains essentially unrepresentable? What shall we do with the living memory
of survivors? How will it enter (or not enter) the historical record? The
author attempts to extend Friedlander's insights toward a narrow kind of
history-telling called "received history" - a double-stranded narrative
that tells a survivor-historian's story and the reader’s own relationship
to it. Together, they would compose a received history of the Holocaust
and its afterlife in the author's mind - my "vicarious past."
CQ Researcher is a full text weekly publication
(online) that covers the most current and controversial issues of the day
with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies
and more. Users may search by keyword for articles dating to November 1991.
Try the keyword “holocaust” and you’ll get approximately 20 results. The
most promising is an issue dealing with reparations and restitution for
Holocaust victims and their families.
Electric Library is a full-text database which searches in six
categories: magazines and journals; newspapers and newswires; TV, radio,
and government transcripts; books, reports, and reference collections;
photographs and images; and maps of the world. Content includes technology
and science, current events, health, business, general interest, and children’s
materials.
Brown, Cherie. “Beyond Internalized Anti-Semitism: Healing
the Collective Scars of the Past.” Tikkun, A Bi-Monthly Jewish Critique
of Politics, Culture and Society, March/April 1995, pp. 44-46.
The author discusses the psychological effects of “remembering” centuries
of persecution and, in particular, the Holocaust on children a generation
or two removed from the event. She posits that her generation is blinded
to the “possibility” of the present because of the fear of the past.
Gilbert, Martin. “The Unfinished Business of the Holocaust.” Jerusalem
Post, April 27, 1990, p. 10.
The author makes a plea for continuing the work of gathering the testimonies
and stories of survivors and victims of the Holocaust, as well as gathering
the names of all the victims.
Leipciger, Nathan. “Remembering the Holocaust: A Concentration Camp
Survivor Recalls His Liberation.” Maclean's Magazine, Jan. 23, 1995,
pp. 22-23.
Toronto Consulting Engineer Nathan Leipciger, 65, and his father, Jack,
endured three months in Auschwitz, the first in a series of concentration
camps to which they were sent. His mother, Leah, and sister, Blima,
perished there. In this reminiscence, Leipciger chronicles the last four
months of his Incarceration before the Allies forced Germany's surrender
on May 7, 1945.
Ringelheim, Joan, ed. Oral History Interview Guidelines. United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1998.
Oral history interviews provide glimpses into the history of the Holocaust
that cannot be obtained from documents or written records. This guide provides
practical help in conducting oral history interviews to supplement textual
documents. (Y3.H 74:8 H62)
US Holocaust Memorial Council. Night of Pogroms: “Kristallnacht”
November 9-10, 1938.
This booklet is intended for the student or layperson who seeks to
understand this event and its historical significance. It includes a brief
historical background, primary documents, a brief bibliography and filmography.
Included are Nazi government official actions, responses of US diplomats
in Germany, eyewitness accounts of victims, and public reaction in the
United States -- politicians, educators, religious leaders, etc. (Y3.H
74:2 P75)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Teaching About the Holocaust:
A Resource Book for Educators.
This booklet includes teaching guidelines, an annotated select bibliography,
an annotated videography, FAQ’s, a historical summary, a section of children
and the Holocaust and a chronology. It provides a brief overview of the
Holocaust that anyone could use. (Y3.H 74:2 T22)
The Complete Maus
By: Voyager Publishing. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. The Pulitzer
prize winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, enriched with conversations
with Art Spiegelman, audio interviews of his father, and other original
documents from which this work is evolved. (Available: Tulsa City County
Library)
Historical Atlas of the Holocaust
By: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Media: CD-ROM
version for Windows. Experience the sights and sounds of the Holocaust
through this interactive CD-ROM Examine maps of countries, ghettos, and
forests. More than 230 full-color maps with accompanying text chronicle
the history of the war from 1933 to the make-up of postwar Europe in 1949-50.
(Although not available through TCCL, we decided to list this item which
might be available from other sources.)
The Holocaust
By: Quanta Press CD-ROMS. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. Graphic
documentation of the shocking conditions discovered by the Allied soldiers
who liberated the concentration camps. In the foreground: mind-searing
photographs from more than 15 camps, each photo explained by a brief caption.
In the background, original Holocaust-themed artwork by modern-day artists.
Also, archival newsreel footage (with the original soundtracks) looks at
Gestapo methods, the "Paris torture chambers," forced evacuations, the
Warsaw Ghetto uprising, prewar Nazi activities, and scenes from the Nuremberg
trials. A text reference section contains a wealth of original documents,
including interviews with liberating soldiers, correspondence from camp
prisoners ("letters from the doomed"), and the Nuremberg Tribunal Report.
Finally, a slide show of photos illustrates "Jacob's Song," an original
song about the Holocaust by composer Jerry Rau. All photos and text can
be printed out or copied to the clipboard. (Although not available through
TCCL, we decided to list this item which might be available from other
sources.)
Lest We Forget: A History of the Holocaust
By: Endless Interactive, Logos Research Systems. Media: CD-ROM version
for Windows. Lest We Forget: A History of the Holocaust is a powerful testimony
to an event in history which cannot be comprehended but must be retold.
Rare archival film footage, historical speeches, original music and documentary
photographs elicit powerful emotions which writing alone cannot achieve.
(Available: Tulsa City County Library)
The Yellow Star
By: Kush Multimedia. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. This CD-ROM
tells the story of the persecution of the Jews in Europe from 1933 to 1945.
After an introduction by Simon Wiesenthal, the viewer is presented a virtual
book with a timeline of events related to the Holocaust. Each page contains
a photo, text, and a movie. An index and glossary are also available from
the control bar. (Although not available through TCCL, we decided to
list this item which might be available from other sources.)
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Length: 2 hr., Color. Based on the filmmaker's own experiences, this
film documents the story of a Catholic schoolboy and his Jewish friend
who is being sheltered from Nazi authorities by a courageous priest. In
French, with subtitles. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)
The Camera of My Family
Source: Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York,
NY 10017; phone 800-343-5540. Length: Documentary, 20 min., Color and B/W.
Catherine Hanf Noren discovers family photographs that belonged to her
grandparents. Finding the photographs motivates her to research her family
history, an upper middle class family that had lived in Germany for two
hundred years. This video shows how one family was changed forever by the
Holocaust. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Daniel's Story
Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg
Place SW Washington, D.C. 20024-2150; phone 202-488-6140. Length: 12 min.,
B/W. Photographs, authentic footage, and a child narrator tell the story
of Daniel, a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany. This child-centered
video helps make the Holocaust more understandable to a school-age audience.
(this item would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
The Diary of Anne Frank
Length: 180 min., B/W. This video portrays the life of a young German
Jewish girl, Anne Frank, and her family. They live in hiding for two years
in very cramped quarters in Amsterdam. The play is based on the diary that
Anne kept while in hiding, which recounts her experience while hiding from
the Nazis. Unfortunately, only Anne's father survived the Holocaust; he
published her diary to educate the world about the events in Europe. Anne
Frank's story is a classic, appropriate for all ages. (Available: Tulsa
City County Library)
Europa, Europa
Length: 115 min., Color. The story of Solomon Perel, a courageous
German-Jewish teenager who survived WW II by concealing his true identity
and living as a Nazi. In German and Russian, with subtitles. (Available:
Tulsa City County Library)
Eyes from the Ashes
Source: Ann Weiss, c/o Eyes from the Ashes, P.O. Box 1133, Bryn Mawr,
PA 19010; fax 610-527-9334; e-mail annweiss@dolphin.upenn.edu. Length:
12 min., B/W. This film explores life before and during Hitler's rise to
power by featuring dozens of personal photos belonging to families deported
to Auschwitz. The confiscated photos remained in Auschwitz until a photojournalist,
Ann Weiss, discovered them. (this item would need to be requested by
interlibrary loan)
The Führer Gives a City to the Jews
Source: National Center for Jewish Film, Brandeis University, Lown
102, Waltham, MA 02254; phone 617-899-7044. Length: 23 min., B/W.
This video is a restoration of the propaganda film made by the Nazis about
the Terezín ghetto. Upon its completion, the director and most of
the cast members were shipped to Auschwitz. (this item would need to
be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Genocide
Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center, Media Dept., 9760 W. Pico Blvd, Los
Angeles, CA 90035; phone 310-553-9036. Available online from the Simon
Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Bookstore. Length: 83 min. This film
combines historical narrative with actual stories of ordinary people caught
up in the Nazis' reign of terror. Winner of the 1981 Academy Award for
best documentary feature. Narrated by Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor.
(this item would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth
Source: Zenger Video, 10200 Jefferson Blvd. P.O. Box 802, Culver City,
CA 90232-0802; phone 800-421-4246. Length: Documentary, 30 min., Color
and B/W. A former member of Hitler Youth, Alfons Heck, tells the compelling
story of how he became a Nazi fanatic. The documentary footage vividly
demonstrates how songs, speeches, youth camps, and education turned millions
of young Germans into fervent and loyal Hitler followers. Heck is now a
US citizen dedicated to Holocaust education. (this item would need to
be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Holocaust
This television mini-series chronicled the story of Hitler’s “Final
Solution.” James Wood and Meryl Streep star in this production. (Available:
Tulsa City County Library)
Image Before My Eyes
Length: 90 min., Color and B/W. Life in Poland prior to the Holocaust
is the subject of this work. It combines the resources of photographs,
interviews and home movies. Everyday experiences such as school, markets,
entertainment, and religion are shown. (Available: Tulsa City County
Library)
I Never Saw Another Butterfly
Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg
Place SW Washington, D.C. 20024-2150; phone 202-488-6140. Length: 30 min.,
B/W. Based on the book of the same title, this film presents poetry
and drawings of children at the concentration camp. The film is told by
"Anya," one of the few children of Terezín who survived. (this
item would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Liberation
Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center, Media Dept., 9760 W. Pico Blvd, Los
Angeles, CA 90035; phone 310-553-9036. Available online from the Simon
Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Bookstore. Length: 100 min.,
B/W. With a combination of film footage, period music, and radio broadcasts,
this video tells the story of the Holocaust from the height of Hitler's
power, 1942, to the dramatic liberation of Paris, the Benelux countries
and the death camps, through to V-E Day. (this item would need to be
requested by interlibrary
loan)
The Life of Anne Frank
Source: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Inc. PO Box 2053, Princeton,
NJ 08543-2053; phone 800-257-5126. Length: Documentary, 25 min., Color
and B/W. This film provides historical background to the story of Anne
Frank. Some topics discussed are anti-Semitism, persecution of Jews in
Holland after the German conquest, and concentration camps. The film covers
the family's secret existence until it was betrayed and Anne was deported.
(this item would need to be requested by interlibrary
loan)
Memory of the Camps
Length: 60 min. Documentary footage filmed by Allied Forces cameramen
when they entered the Nazi death camps and only recently discovered in
the archives of the Imperial War Museum in London. Scenes are from Bergen
Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald, and other camps. (Available: Tulsa City
County Library)
Return to Life
Source: Ergo Media Inc., 668 American Legion Drive, PO Box 2037, Teaneck,
NJ 07666-1437. Length: 60 min., Color and B/W. This documentary film addresses
the problem one and a half million Jews, European refugees, and other displaced
persons faced at the end of WWII. (this item would need to be requested
by interlibrary loan)
Schindler's List
Length: Approximately 3 hours, Color. Directed by Steven Spielberg,
this film is used to tell the story of Oskar Schindler. Schindler owned
a factory where concentration camp inmates were sent to work. While associating
with the Nazis, he secretly hid and saved over a thousand Jews. (Available:
Tulsa City County Library)
SHOAH: A Film
Length: Five video cassettes, 570 min. This film, directed by Claude
Lanzmann, is considered by many to be one of the greatest Holocaust films
ever made. It includes interviews with death-camp survivors and Nazi functionaries;
It also shows a present-day view of some of the concentration camps. Interviewees
speak in their own languages with a French translation and English subtitles.
It was originally produced as a motion picture in 1985. (Available:
Tulsa City County Library)
To Bear Witness
Length: 41 min., video, color and B/W. At the First International Liberators
Conference in 1981, survivors and liberators from 14 nations gathered to
testify about their experiences during the Holocaust. Interspersed with
captured Nazi footage and official U.S. Army film, the testimony of these
witnesses provides an authentic account of what some nations and their
peoples did to prevent the Holocaust, what others did to abet those charged
with crimes against humanity, and the lethargic pace at which Western leaders
acted to halt the genocide. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)
Triumph of Memory
Source: PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698;
phone 800-344-3337. Length: Documentary, 30 min., Color. This film is based
on survivor testimony and helps to uncover facts about life in the camps.
The film is divided into three parts: initiation to the camps, daily life
in the camps, and genocide. (this video would need to be requested by
interlibrary loan)
We Must Never Forget: The Story of the Holocaust
Length: 35 min., color. The Holocaust is still relevant, according
to this program, because we must never forget what prejudice and bigotry
can do to people. Driving home its points with vintage photographs and
historic news footage, the narration summarizes how Hitler’s “Final Solution”
became accepted by the German people. The human consequences of that bigotry
are described by survivor and eyewitness Rosa Katz, who tells what she
saw in the Warsaw Ghetto and how she escaped death at Auschwitz. (Available:
Tulsa City County Library)
Witness to the Holocaust
Source: Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York,
NY 10017; phone 800-343-5540. Length: 130 min. (seven 17-20 min. segments),
B/W. This series of videos contains seven volumes, each segment covering
a different topic. The segments are 17-20 minutes and serve as a great
starting point for class discussions. (this video would need to be requested
through interlibrary loan)
Visit the United States Holocaust Museum's videography page for a much more extensive listing. A good discussion of issues related to using videos in Holocaust education is also available at this site.
A pathfinder is an ordered collection of resources to a specific topic area. Try to imagine the processes and resources that a student researcher would need in a specific topic area and create a complete resource of electronic and paper resources in that topic area.By Cris Richardson and Karen Harris