Transcript Night Powerpoint Presentation

Historical Background:
Auschwitz Concentration Camp
0 Was originally built by Hitler to house Polish political
prisoners or anyone considered a threat to the German
occupation of Poland.
0 The Nazi’s wanted to makes Poles a nation of slaves.
0 The camp provided slave labor to nearby factories
0 Lime, water, coal which were main ingredients in rubber and
fuel for war effort .
0 Hitler had plans to invade Russia and exterminate large
sections of the Soviet population.
0 Within 9 months of invasion
0 3 million Soviet prisoners were taken
0 2 million killed
0 1 million were working at Auschwitz
Auschwitz Cont.
0 Hitler blamed Jews for losing WWI.
0 Encouraged Germans to rise up against them by
spreading propaganda in the daily news.
0 By the time the Jewish population ended up at
Auschwitz the Germans had no qualms about killing
them because they believed the Jews had cheated the
Germans and there families.
Prisoners of Auschwitz
0 They had “standing cells,” where many prisoners were
crammed into one cell leaving only enough room to stand.
0 “Starvation cells” where they were locked up until they
died of starvation.
0 Prisoners feared if they resisted or attempted to escape
their entire family would be tortured or murdered.
0 A few did escape due to the Polish Underground (a large
group that resisted these practices). This is how allies
learned about Auschwitz and what it was being used for.
Liberation
0 Many of the Allies would not step forward to destroy
the camps or the railways that led there, claiming
plans were needed elsewhere.
0 The Americans did bomb the factories nearby.
0 By the end of WWII, a total of ten million people had
been murdered at Auschwitz and the other
concentration camps.
0 Six million were Jews.
Important People of the
Holocaust WS
Author Biography: Elie Wiesel
WS
Discussion Starters
0 1) It is always best to speak the truth, no matter what the
consequences may be.
0 2) People tend to reveal their true selves in difficult
situations.
0 3) People don’t change.
0 4) Mankind is basically good.
0 5) Our basic human instincts dictate to us that we must
protect ourselves first in times of trouble.
0 6) When someone is influenced by others to do something
against their natural tendencies, it is really their choice, not
peer pressure.
0 7) When faced with something we disagree with, it is almost
always best to stay quiet and accept it.
Holocaust Identity Day
Telling the Jewish story…
0 Grab a persona as you walk in. This is WHO YOU ARE
today. Please navigate toward your group number that is
located on the top right of your persona.
0 We will be rotating groups every 10 minutes
0 For tomorrow, come in with your experience reflection
sheet completed.
Auschwitz Virtual Tour
0 Virtual Tour
Why Elie Wiesel wrote Night
0 Words too can become a prison...
Elie Wiesel Tour of Auschwitz
0 Interview