Today, there are 350,000 survivors still alive today. In 1945, the troops started to liberate most of the camps. The hidden children was not well known until 1991. This is when the first international gathering of hidden children was. If you were found trying to escape, it often ended with death. The survivors of the concentration camp are depressed, but most of them are likely to share there experience. People who survived the concentration camps usually survived by being liberated, hiding, or escaping.
It was a struggle for the people in the concentration camps. Bloeme Evers-Emden, a prisoner during the holocaust, would fetch water for the weaker women to drink and bathe with (Evers-Emden). She would strengthen the group(Evers-Emden). “Bloeme, I listened very carefully to what you said yesterday. It’s really true. You’ll see, we will survive. We have to be very strong and help each other. Then we will live to see liberation”(One of the woman in Bloemes group). In 1944 Soviet soldiers began liberating camps in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuanian(Liberation). They made their way to Auschwitz in 1945. (Liberation) The British liberated Neugngamme, and after that they then liberated Bergen – Belson in April 1945(Liberation). No, the prisoners will never forget that moment of freedom.
This is a picture of some holocaust survivors. That reunited together.
Many people would not allow a victim to hide in their home (Rosenberg). Jeannine Burk was a hidden child (Menszer). She was hidden in a woman’s house for a year (Menszer). Burk was not mistreated at all, yet she was never loved (Menszer). Not until 1991 was the first international gathering of Hidden children (Rosenberg). Many survivors feel guilty that they have survived. For instance, Jeannine Burk states,” I didn't observe anything...for the longest time I did not believe in God. So for me it was really not a problem until I became older and I realized that...you see, I think a lot of survivors feel very guilty about surviving. For the longest time I kept asking myself, "Why am I alive? Why is my father dead? Why did 6,000,000 die and I am alive?"(Menszer)
This image portrays an emotion that a hidden child would have felt.
During the holocaust, many people decided to escape the concentration camps. For instance, the prisoners had to build a wall. They then would leave gaps in the walls for escapes. If they were caught they were often killed. Eva Galler escaped on a death camp train, she was shot at, but the bullet never hit her( Menszer). Also, Kalman Perk escaped on a cattle car on the way to a concentration camp (YadVashem). His father pushed him through and out the barbed wired window (YadVashem). Many people escaped because of the treacherous conditions. ” The snow was falling like today. We were dresses in stripes and some of us had bare feet.These were the horrible times"(Kazimiez Orlowski).
This is a picture of the barbed wire that some people would escaped through, or find holes.
References
. Liberation. United Streaming. Discovery Education, 2000. Web. 6 May 2010. <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=262F1AA9-F54D-4820-904D-7CCFCE9DF548&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US>. Source 7
Evers-Emden, Bloeme Evers-Emden. “Surviving the Nazi concentration camps.” assd. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/VOS/Textbook_Links/SS/7th/docs/175.pdf>. source 3
Henry, Patrick. “Irena.” Middle Search Plus. Commonweal, 2009. Web. 3 May 2010. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com>. Source 2
“In quotes: Auschwitz anniversary .” BBC NEWS. N.p., 27 Jan. 2005. Web. 6 May 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4212671.stm>. Source 8
JasonPC. Train Carriage. 31 Jan. 2010. Flickr. Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/26476983@N04/4319259085/>.
Menszer, John. “Escaping the Death Camp Train.” Holocaust Survivors. N.p., 1999. Web. 2 May 2010. <http://holocaustsurvivors.org>. Source 1
Pcotterpix. Holocaust. 24 Apr. 2010. Flickr. Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcotterpix/4548217396/>.
Rosenberg, Maxine B. Hiding to Survive. New York: Clarion Books, 1994. Print.
TLW Photography. The Wires. 9 Sept. 2009. Flickr. Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlw_photography/2843896763/>.
Wisconsin Historical Images. Group Portrait of Holocaust Survivors. 21 Dec. 2009. Flickr. Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/whsimages/4203441011/>.
YadVashem. Holocaust Survivor Describes Escape from Cattle Car. YouTube. N.p., 24 Apr. 2008. Web. 5 May 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5kqZd1IAKw>. Source 5
- - -. Twin Holocaust survivors describe arriving at Auschwitz. YouTube. N.p., 21 Apr. 2009. Web. 5 May 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWJyjAYyF8E>. Source 9
- Gretel