Heroes and Villains of the Holocaust
Holocaust
The word “Holocaust” elicits a sickening response in almost all that know about the atrocities caused to European Jews and other minorities during World War II. During the Holocaust, millions upon millions of people were removed from their homes, trucked to work camp prisons (if they were deemed healthy enough for work, otherwise, their lives were terminated on the spot), and worked to near death to support the Hitler-German war effort. Life in the work camp prisons was beyond description. Living conditions were brutal and food provided to the work camp prisoners was nearly inedible. If one did not work, one did not live. Medical experiments were performed on the prisoners in the most brutal manner, some to benefit the war effort (e.g. investigating soldier resilience) and others were performed out of sheer sickening curiosity. Three doctors, Mengele, Goeth and Oberheuser are noted in the history of the Holocaust for their utter brutality. Despite these atrocities, some were not as hard-hearted and actually worked to free Jews and the other minorities from this devastation. Schindler and Göring are noted for their bravery in this freedom movement.