other holocaust victims
There were many different groups that were persecuted during the Holocaust. Even though we mostly talk about the Jews being persecuted, 6 million of the approximate 11 million were Jewish. The other 5 million included Homosexuals, Poles (Polish People), Gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses , and others. These groups were killed and tortured because in the Nazis' eyes they saw that they were inferior to the "Aryan" race because they were inferior, racially, physically, or mentally. The Nazis' used many different types of torture and mass murder. This included gas chambers, shootings, and exhaustion.
Facts
Different Groups that were persecuted
Poles (Polish People)
Poles (Polish People)
- The Nazis thought that people from Poland were racially inferior to the "Aryan Race."
- In September, 1939 , the Nazis stated a campaign of terror. They rushed to kill Poland's leaders to create an atmosphere of fear in the population, this discouraged resistance of the Holocaust.
- They killed many of the teachers, educators, and priests because they believed that education was power.
- Poland citizens started a rebellion against the Holocaust but the uprising was quickly crushed by Nazi forces
Homosexuals
- Gay organizations were banned when the Nazis came to power.
- Books about sexuality were burned .
- The Nazis believed that Homosexuals were physically inferior and were weak and unfit to be soldiers.
- Homosexuals inside of the Nazi organization were killed.
- The death rate of Homosexuals in concentration camps were estimated at a high of 60%.
- Some Homosexuals were even re-arrested after the Holocaust ended.
- Even after the Holocaust, countries did not recognize Homosexuals as Holocaust victims until 2002.
- Homosexuals were forced to wear a pink star in concentration camps.
Jehovah's Witnesses
- Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted because in the eyes of the Nazis, they were religiously inferior.
- An estimated 1,450 of Jehovah's Witnesses died during the Holocaust. About 1200 died in custody and about 250 were executed.
- The persecution in 1933 included public and governmental persecution.
- On April 1, 1935, Jehovah's Witnesses were even banned by law.
- They expelled teachers as well as students from public schools from attending.
- Writers wrote about this and the Nazis tried to prevent the writings to go public but they did.
- All countries under Nazi rule dismissed all of Jehovah's Witnesses from jobs, homes, and anywhere else. They did this because they did not salute to Hitler's rule.
- In concentration camp Buchenwald, 12 percent of the victims there were Jehovah's Witnesses
Gypsies
- The Nazis felt that Gypsies were undesirable and racially inferior.
- Also called "Roma."
- Established a commission to coordinate police action against them.
- The Nazis believed that they had "alien blood."
- Gypsies were Christian.
- The Nazi believed that they were once part of the "Aryan Race" but had been corrupted by lesser peoples.
- Believed to have criminal characteristics.
Connection to "night' by elie wiesel
In the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel, the author survives the Holocaust. One connection from "Night," and my topic is how Jews faced all of the same punishment as other victims of the Holocaust. Without the persecution of these other groups, Elie might not have survived in the Holocaust. This was because the other groups contributed numbers and without them, more Jews would have been chosen to die and one of them could have been Elie. Another example is how the other groups were forgotten due to the sheer numbers of Jews that were killed during the Holocaust. This makes the prime example of victims, Jews, and not many people note the fact that others were also killed in the horrific, unforgettable tragedy of the Holocaust.