Anja's Diary

 Anja's Diary: A collection of a few diary entries I thought would be interesting to see from Anja's point of view.
1935
Today my classmate introduced me to a very charming man. He said he was his cousin named Vladek. It was so very embarrassing when I learned that he too could speak English! I think I like him very much but I have also heard rumors about some girl named Lucia...hopefully there is nothing to the rumors. After all, you can never trust what you hear on gossip

1936
The other day Vladek learned of my involvement in Communist messages. He even threatened to call off our marriage. I was just trying to help out and be useful for once, and then everybody ends up getting hurt. Miss Stefanska ended up being thrown in jail because I stupidly trusted her with the documents. I just hope that she will be able to get out. I am just so mad right now, I was just trying to help out a friend! Hopefully Vladek will forgive me, and all will be forgotten.

 1937
 My beautiful little son Richieu was born a week ago. It was wonderful and I am so happy that Vladek and I have had our first child together. Hopefully many more follow along the way. Unfortunately Vladek has not been home in a while, due to his new factory in Bielsko. He has even started living there! I know he is supporting us but it is beginning to get very lonely with just me and Richieu around.

1950
Little Art just turned 2 today. He is growing up so fast, I almost wish it could stop. It is hard to see him this age, he just reminds me so much of his older brother. If Richieu was here today he would be 13. Oh it was absolutely devastating when Vladek and I learned of Tosha's suicide. I cried for weeks and weeks. We never even got the chance to properly mourn at the time, since we were on the run. I still cry if I even begin to think about it.

1956
Today Artie asked who was in the picture over our bed. I started sobbing out of grief. He didn't know what was going on and got scared and ran to Vladek. I just hope that I can start being a better mother to Artie soon. I miss Richieu so much but I just have to remember that he is watching over us.

Holocaust Blog #2

Night, pages 93-95

Music-Violinist playing for children in Westerbork

The photo of a violinist in the transit camp of Westerbork reminded me of the scene in Night where Juliek plays his violin on last time to an audience of dead men. Juliek was a violinist that Eli met at the Buna camp, and saw him again and for the last time upon his arrival at Gleiwitz. I haven’t been able to forget this passage in Night, because it is so hauntingly sad, yet it also shows a little bit of hope and rebellion in it. People were laying dying and dead in the snow when Juliek manages to find his way out from under the bodies to play his violin. Eli falls asleep while he is playing and wakes up to see Juliek’s body with his trampled violin next to him. Many camps had prisoner orchestras such as the one Eli met in Buna, and photos in the music section of our presentations showed this as well. This man in the photograph was probably playing so the children could be happy for a few minutes, and forget their troubles. Juliek was doing this too when he played for the last time. He was also playing for himself though, playing a forbidden Beethoven piece since he knew he was going to die anyways.  “The darkness enveloped us. All I could hear was the violin, and it was as if Juliek’s soul had become his bow. He was playing his life. His whole being glided over the strings. His unfulfilled hopes. His charred past, his extinguished future. He played that which he would never play again.” (Wiesel, 95) Music can give hope to people, and make them forget their troubles. Even though the SS officers allowed the prisoners to have orchestras and bands, it still feels like a little rebellion. Some common themes between Juliek's last song and the man playing the violin is the hope that they install in others, and the beauty that their music was. 

Holocaust Blog #1

Essential Question: How can something like the Holocaust happen?

Many people wonder how an event as horrific as the Holocaust could happen in a modernized country in Europe during the 20th century. These people overestimate the will of the bystanders. The Holocaust mainly happened because of immense propaganda, bystanders, and the brainwashing of an entire generation.

Artifact #1: (Propaganda) - The Poisonous Mushroom

Propaganda played a large part in creating the Holocaust. Hitler was able to transform the minds of regular people and children with propaganda posters and books from him that made it seem like the Jews were vermin. The book The Poisonous Mushroom by Julius Streicher's Der Stürmer-Verlag was written for children and families, instilling an abundance of stereotypes into its pages. The book warns against the Jewish people and compares them to vermin which need to be eliminated. This book was marketed towards children to start them off right away. The children may read this book, and later when they join Hitler Youth, which was required by German law, they would accept the genocide.

Artifact #2: (Poetry) - First They Came

This poem by Martin Niemoller highlights many reasons why the Holocaust happened. Many people just thought that it did not affect them. Niemoller was a German priest who was bystander at the beginning of the Holocaust, until he started speaking up against it and was thrown in a concentration camp himself. “First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-because I was not a Jew” Many bystanders felt this way. They would do nothing because they did not want to risk their own lives or their families lives to help. “And then they came for me-And there was no one left to speak out for me”

Artifact #3: (Hitler Youth) - Knife

Hitler Youth was the brainwashing of an entire generation of German children. During the time Hitler was in power, they had to join Hitler Youth camps starting at the age of 10 where anti-semintist ideas would be grounded into their heads. The children would also learn how to be soldiers and nurses so they could help out Germany in the war. These kids were brainwashed through school, propaganda, Hitler Youth, and probably parents that Jewish people were “vermin.” The knife itself makes it seem such as something a boy scout or a girl scout would have, and makes the whole concept seem innocent.