January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

"Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."

- Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5; Yerushalmi Talmud 4:9, Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 37a.

Nazi Germany - 1941 to 1945 - World War II.

In 1941 the Nazi's decided that merely sending certain individuals to prison / concentration camps was no longer a viable option. The SS then decided to do testing on methods to "erase" certain groups of people from the face of the planet. Those groups were Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, certain prisoners of war (mainly Russian), etc.

In 1942 Reinhard Heydrich, head of the SS-Gestapo, held a conference in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee. 15 high ranking officials from the military (SS), the Nazi government, the general government of Poland (occupying government) etc were tasked with finding a "final solution to the Jewish question". The result of that meeting determined the fate of European Jews, who would be "evacuated" to the eastern territories.

During the discussions non military persons at the conference learned that the SS had been testing various forms of industrial murder and used the T-4 program as a template (T-4 was the eradication of individuals with medical / mental disorders). The group also learned the SS had already set up extermination camps and that "evacuations" were already occurring. Those extermination camps were -

Auschwitz II
Bełżec
Chełmno
Majdanek
Maly Trostinets
Sobibór
Treblinka

Jews were forced to surrender all their personal belongings, including cash, valuable and their residences. They were transported in cattle cars to the east with many dying while in transit. They were placed into Ghettos in eastern occupied cities awaiting transport to the death camps. Many died while in transit to the death camps and the unlucky ones, which is to say the ones who did not die during transit, were either murdered immediately upon arrival (in the first few hours) or were worked to death as slave labor for the Nazis. Businesses who made items the Nazis needed for the war "hired" Jews to work in factories. The businesses were forced to pay the SS for use of the slave labor.

Up until the end of the war the Nazis had murdered about 10-12 million people in their concentration / death camps, with approximately 6 million of them being Jews. The other groups -

Jews 5.93 million
Soviet POWs 2–3 million
Ethnic Poles 1.8–1.9 million
Roma 90,000–220,000
Disabled 150,000
Jehovah's Witnesses 1,400 to 2,500
Gay men unknown

In total there were more than 42k camps / concentration camps / ghettos in existence from 1933 to the end of the war. When the allies began advancing into German held territory the first death camp was discovered by advancing Soviet forces. That camp was Majdanek. As more camps were discovered Eisenhower gave orders to document the camps with video as he felt without documented evidence it would be difficult for people to accept the reality of the Nazi death machine. German citizens were forced in some areas to help bury the bodies and to see what was done in their name by the Nazi government.

In the end the allies began prosecuting individuals for war crimes / crimes against humanity / etc. Even today, January 27th 2018, there are still Nazis who are actively being pursued to bring them to justice.

During all the death and destruction there were brave individuals who risked their own lives to try and help the Jews. Oscar Schindler was one of those individuals, who shielded his workers from the SS brutality. Another person is Sir Nicholas Winston who risked his life by protecting and smuggling Jewish children out.

Both people are honored by Israel with the title the "Righteous among the Nations". The honor is bestowed on individuals who were not Jewish who risked their own lives to save Jews. Many Many people risked their lives, and many gave their lives, in order to resist what the Nazi's were doing and to protect those the Nazi's targeted. A memorial tree is planted in their honor in Jerusalem. While WW2 occurred many decades ago it is very much relevant today and just because it is history does not mean it wont ever happen again.

The groups who were systematically exterminated by the Nazi's must be remembered so we will "never forget" and so it will "never again" happen.

All videos listed below are safe - They highlight those who saved lives and do NOT show any graphic content

While not graphic the video clip below depicts actual events and is from the movie Schindler's List. Some people may find it difficult to watch.

Additional resources -
* - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
* - Global List of Holocaust memorials and museums
* - Simon Wiesenthal Center

If anyone wants to deny the holocaust happened DO NOT post in this thread. Start your own thread.

According to a lot of righwingers and neonazis, the holocaust never happened. That´s the world we have to live in, with such ignorant "fellow earth citizens".

originally posted by: DerBeobachter
According to a lot of righwingers and neonazis, the holocaust never happened. That´s the world we have to live in, with such ignorant "fellow earth citizens".

They drive me nuts with that viewpoint. The nazis kept records of their crimes and those in the Nazi military units have testified to what they did while carrying out those activities.

If anyone wants to deny the holocaust happened DO NOT post in this thread. Start your own thread.

originally posted by: DerBeobachter
According to a lot of righwingers and neonazis, the holocaust never happened. That´s the world we have to live in, with such ignorant "fellow earth citizens".

Right-wingers??

A LOT more of that meme comes from the left, sir, not the right. It is the 'right' that supports Israel, not the left.

The statement is an outright fabrication.

a reply to: Xcathdra

If anyone wants to deny the holocaust happened DO NOT post in this thread. Start your own thread.

Springer agrees with you and made it a site policy a few years ago - **ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS:** We don't like Hitler at ATS, not even a little bit.

Owners and admins have experience of the Holocaust through their families. Any pro-Hitler posts will be removed on sight and Holocaust denial will be treated likewise.

This early reminder should save some members from the temptation of posting otherwise.

a reply to: Kandinsky

He didn't even imply such a thing. He was commenting on the ignorance statement. That they knew what they were doing and so did their citizens, I'm betting.

a reply to: nwtrucker

I was clearly supporting Xcathdra's request that Holocaust deniers steer clear of this thread.

It's a site policy.

a reply to: Xcathdra

"Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."

Wise words that perhaps should be pondered on by Jews and non Jews alike.

originally posted by: Xcathdra

Soviet POWs 2–3 million
Ethnic Poles 1.8–1.9 million
Roma 90,000–220,000
Disabled 150,000
Jehovah's Witnesses 1,400 to 2,500
Gay men unknown

Just to empathise seeing a most people seem to forget that likely as many non jews as jews died and holocaust is not simply a Jewish event.

Its just other those other groups dont comprise aggressive nations that use it to cover their own crimes......well except maybe the soviets.

Ya see our dads told us when we were just little ones that in nazi Germany they registered the arms first and then went and picked em up door to door, son don't let that happen again......

That's why we want our arms.....we honorable and noble country boys from Texas,....we call the need for arms and ammo of all sorts as blocking any chance of tyrranny, but we are assuredly waiting for evil to rear it's ugly head......or any semblance of THE START OF any overentitlement of choosing who deserves human rights.....and that will be our que to go for broke and we will no doubt waylay all pell mell into evil's path....no matter what....( Texas has done this before ) with aforesaid arms right down evil's throat.....that's where we'll put em....IN THE FINE TEXAS TRADITION. promise till then

a reply to: Xcathdra

Jews 5.93 million
Soviet POWs 2–3 million
Ethnic Poles 1.8–1.9 million
Roma 90,000–220,000
Disabled 150,000
Jehovah's Witnesses 1,400 to 2,500
Gay men unknown

You left out political dissidents, i.e., anyone who disagreed with the State.

All told the "Holocaust" known as WWII killed some 58 millions of persons, the most were killed in Eastern Europe and Russia as a result of aggressive warfare and the famine, disease and death resulting from it.

The number killed in camps was small, by comparison.

a reply to: intrptr

I didnt leave them out. They were not categorized as a part of the holocaust. Political dissidents / those who opposed the Nazis were dealt with in the German legal system and not by the SS. While those groups were sent to camps they were differentiated by symbol and color and were treated differently than those listed for the Holocaust.



Those Germans who opposed the Nazis were tried in civilian courts (see Roland Freisler) and those who were sentenced to death (see Sophie Scholl) had their sentence carried out, usually, immediately (either by hanging or guillotine).

While you are absolutely correct in the fact the Nazis murdered a lot of people, for reporting purposes the other groups are not listed among holocaust numbers.

a reply to: Xcathdra


I am going to guess the "repeat" markings where not used too often.....

a reply to: Xcathdra


"One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."
- Joseph Stalin

It's hard to wrap my head around the numbers. It is beyond horrific.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Xcathdra


"One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic."
- Joseph Stalin

It's hard to wrap my head around the numbers. It is beyond horrific.

Kill 50 million ands its just a china doing some economic rearrangement.....

a reply to: Xcathdra

There's one thing wrong in the second video, in the part about Aristides de Sousa Mendes: contrary to what the video says, Portugal was never allied with Germany, Portugal was neutral during the whole war.

originally posted by: Theprodicalson
a reply to: Xcathdra


I am going to guess the "repeat" markings where not used too often.....

Not for those in the death camps. The camps had neutral zones where if a prisoner even stepped across it they would be shot immediately. Deaths were reported (hidden) as work accidents, health problems, escape attempts etc.

Sobibor death camp, located in Poland near the Russian border, was an exception. Prisoners (Jews and Russian soldiers) staged a revolt when they found out the camp was scheduled for all prisoners to be murdered. The camp was run by SS and were supplemented by Ukrainian guards. The revolt started with the quiet killing of the SS officers which proceeded smoothly at first but eventually things went off the rails.

600 prisoners were able to flee in the revolt however most were killed by either guards or in the minefield that surrounded the camp. Those who did reach the woods were eventually rounded up and killed. Only 58 people who managed to escape survived the war.

Himmler gave orders for the camp to be destroyed completely with no trace of it left behind. Compared to other death camps today Sobibor only has a large memorial present as everything was destroyed and trees planted to hide what occurred.

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: Xcathdra

There's one thing wrong in the second video, in the part about Aristides de Sousa Mendes: contrary to what the video says, Portugal was never allied with Germany, Portugal was neutral during the whole war.

Thank you and good to know. I like history however I admit I dont know that much about Portugal during WWII. One of those countries that really didnt seem to make the history books.

a reply to: nwtrucker

I didn't know Neo Nazi's were left wingers. Oh wait, reality check, they aren't. They are big time Trump supporters.

As far as Israel is concerned, I don't see the Left saying Israel shouldn't exist, instead the Left is against Israel's Right wing gov't and policies. Big difference there.