While preparing for my DC trip with Pat and Ronnie, I’ve been checking out the current exhibits at the United States Holocaust Museum. It is amazing how much more information is currently being shared on-line than ever before. I came across this short video series that delves into the use of propaganda—-how it can contribute to genocide, but also asks the difficult, anti-democratic question of whether using “good propaganda” can help a country heal after a genocide.
Other interesting exhibits include: A gallery of Nazi propaganda images (check out “The Poisonous Mushroom” an antisemitic children’s book that was read in schools); Mapping the Holocaust which helps students understand geography, which is important when you consider the Holocaust spanned 20 countries; American response to the Holocaust–for better, but often for worse; and others that deal with Kristallnacht, Nazi persecution of the handicapped and homosexual and children’s experiences during the Holocaust.
Check some or all of these sites out and report back on what you have learned by commenting here.
16 responses so far ↓
1
Julie Tevenan
// Apr 22, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I can’t believe that there were children’s books that encouraged antiSemitism. That just shows you that it went way too far when kids were taught to discriminate Jews. The map that shows where the Holocaust affected people was also interesting. Have fun in D.C. Ms. Buell!
2
adam paczuski
// Apr 24, 2009 at 9:29 am
I also agree with Julie that it is surprising that antisemitism was encouraged in so many countries. But there is a part that confuses me. I understand why Germany was antisemetic but not why it was anti-roma. I am not sure if i spelled it corectly but why was Germany not that great towards gypsies?
3
Steve Tobin
// Apr 26, 2009 at 11:57 am
I think it is incredible how far antisemitism went. I mean to put it in childrens books is a little too far I think. The map showing how far antisemitism actually spanned is very helpful in understanding where it sprad throughout the world.
4
Shannon Conneely
// Apr 28, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I think its ridiculous how long the rest of the world, like the U.S., let this go on for. I know that its hard for us to understand, because of the way we were brought up. Hitler was crazy, but he was smart. It made sense to put these ideas in children’s books. It would make it easier to convince future generations. I never really understood how much of Europe Hitler actually took over either. The Google Map thing really helped.
5
Tyler Mulcahy
// Apr 28, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Its easily understandable why they used childrens books though. at an early age the human brain is like a sponge and more easily imprinted with thoughts and ideas. So obviously they were preparing generations of antisemitists and expected the tradition to carry on for a very long time.
6
Nick Maffeo
// Apr 28, 2009 at 2:57 pm
tylers right.. if kids grow up thinking its ok to treat people that way then they will pass it down to their children. if i were someone back then trying to wipe out an entire religion i would have to agree and say thats one of the best ways to brainwash people.
7
Belinda Bechtold
// Apr 28, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I agree with Nick and Tyler… It’s an evil but brilliant idea. Hitler was planning for the future with that one. But I really can’t believe some of the horrible things that happened during the Holocaust that most people don’t even know about.
8
sara gilberto
// Apr 28, 2009 at 9:49 pm
i think in the video where the man was talking about propaganda generating a negative connotation was very true. its not a good thing because there definitely can be good propaganda but after people have taken advantage of it and manipulated it, people dont always trust it .
9
Zack L.
// Apr 28, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I can’t believe that some people deny that the Holocaust ever happened. Either they’re in denial, or they’re just plain ignorant. They can even find the proof that has been open since the 40’s in those childens books.
10
Damaris S.G
// Apr 30, 2009 at 5:01 pm
wow…. and all because of one, little, man…? poor Jews nowonder they hate Germans so bad.
11
Jenna Sartucci
// Apr 30, 2009 at 6:49 pm
http://www.comcast.net/video/auschwitz-victims-message-found/1108026965/Comcast/1108220654/
I was looking at my comcast homepage and saw this video. It relates to exactly what we are learning about the Holocaust in class, and the black and white video footage looks just like what we saw in that documentary. I don’t know if the link will work but you can just go to comcast and search auschwitz message in a bottle or something like that to find it.
12
buell
// Apr 30, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Interesting link Jenna, thanks. But, can you imagine going to school in a building that used to be a concentration camp? Perhaps we’ll hear more about the message writers when they track down the one living survivor.
13
michelle cronin
// May 2, 2009 at 9:35 pm
i agree with adam and julie, it’s kind of shocking how much encouragement for antisemitism there was. everything was taken way too far. the map is very interesting as well.
14
adam paczuski
// Jun 4, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I just thought that I should tell the story of my other grandmother and how she had gone to school in Warsaw. She still remembers what the city looked like after the Nazis went through. I was told that there were no buildings left standing. And that she had waited in her basement until the noise was all gone. After when she went up and out of her basement she saw that her house had been destroyed and saw that Nazi tanks were in the streets of the city in which she had been all her life. At that time she was 5. Soon after though there was some construction and she was required to learn German and when she had gone to school the teachers would “embarass” any of the children who even spoke a word of Polish. And that German propoganda used on the children was one of the stories that she was forced to read. But she did not think much of it. She had told me that it was a story that told the reader to watch out for people that did not seem to fit in and that to watch out for people that would ask for so much because they will trick you. She told me that the mushroom in the story was the bad person that you had to watch out for because kept trying to trick people into eating him even though he was poisonous.
15
buell
// Jun 4, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Ok, that makes sense—thank you, we were all wondering what “The Poisonous Mushroom” was about, very sneaky stuff. Your family sure has experienced a lot of all this “history” first hand. Thank you for sharing! Are you finding, Adam, that as you learn more about World History the more you understand your parents’ and grandparents’ perspective?
16
Stephanie Giuffrida
// Jun 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Promoting antisemitism in childrens books has taken things one step too far. Then again men and women were naming children after Hitler and praised him like he was a god. As for adams grandmother it is good she didnt give into bein embarassed or the stories she was forced to read. she stodd for what she believed was right and wrong.
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