The Mysterious Major

In class today we read a short story called "The Mysterious Major". The story is about a holocaust up- stander named Schmahling. Schmahling was the Nazi occupation governor of the Haute-Loire district (including Le Chambon). Schmahling helped hide Jewish people and gave calls to various districts before the Nazi raids. This was done to alert all the people in danger of being taken away and give them time to hide. Schmahling had a few experiences that led to his choice in helping the Jews and not joining in with the discrimination.

When Schmahling was a teacher, he had an experience with one of his students. He was teaching a class on Lions when one of the boys in his class stood up and said "Yesterday, yes, yesterday I saw a rabbit. Yesterday I really saw a rabbit.", Schmahling looked at the student, angry for interrupting the class, and said "Sit down, you little jackass". Schmahling's actions caused him to crush something inside of himself. I think that Schmahling meant that he crushed his kindness, respectfulness and his good nature. By Schmahling saying this he also crushed the boys freedom of thought and speech. He destroyed this young child's self confidence. The boy may of believed that what he had to say was not worthwhile and not important. This was similar in what the Nazi's were doing to the people they ruled/controlled. The Nazi's made people that they found "not good enough" feel like their opinions and ideas were not worth hearing and that what they had to say was not important.

Victory by Sonia Weitz

Victory is a poem, written by holocaust surviver Sonia Weitz. The poem is about finding a glimmer of hope in such a dark and dreadful place. Sonia sneaks into her fathers barracks to see him, and he asks her to dance with him. This is their first and last dance together. Sonia says her dance with her father made it seem as if "The ugly barracks disappeared. There was no hunger.....and no fear."

The part of the poem that really stood out for me was the last line/quote, " There are no tools to measure love and only fools would fail to scale your victory." I think this quote really outlines love and the poem. Even though the conditions were terrible, their love for each other overcame it. This line aslo explains why the poem was named "Victory". It was their victory in a sense that they overcame the odds and reunited with each other for one, last dance. The love they had for each other and the special moment they shared while dancing was not going to be spoiled by the impending demise they would suffer.

A connection I have about this poem was one I had with my grandfather. I was around seven and my grandfather in Melbourne, Australia was in hospital very ill. He had severe diabetes and was having two of his toes amputated. He was in a great deal of pain and I was worried about whether he would cope with his balance and walking again. I was also scared that his life would shortened through suffering diabetes. I visited him daily in hospital and played crazy 8s, a card game which he enjoyed playing. I felt the hour or so we played each day, helped him to forget his pain and the condition he was in. I also felt that I was sharing a special time with my grandfather as I was not sure whether he would return to 100% health after the operation. For that one hour we played, it was like he wasn't ill as we laughed and chatted together. I also was worried that I may not see my grandfather again as he was quite old and I live here in KL.

As it turned out, he had to walk with a cane after the surgery and I did see him one more time when he and my grandma stopped to visit me in KL. I will always remember my grandfather laughing and playing Crazy 8s in the hospital with me. I think this is similar to the dancing dancing scene in the poem where a special and unforgettable moment can be created even though the situation seemed doomed and hopeless.

VICTORY BY SONIA WEITZ:

I DANCED WITH YOU THAT ONE TIME ONLY.

HOW SAD YOU WERE, HOW TIRED, LONELY…

YOU KNEW THAT THEY WOULD “TAKE” YOU SOON…

SO WHEN YOUR BUNK-MATE PLAYED A TUNE

YOU WHISPERED: “LITTLE ONE, LET US DANCE,

WE MAY NOT HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE.”

TO GRASP THIS MOMENT… SENSE THE MOOD;

YOUR ARMS AROUND ME FELT SO GOOD…

THE UGLY BARRACKS DISAPPEARED –

THERE WAS NO HUNGER… AND NO FEAR.

O WHAT A SIGHT, JUST YOU AND I,

MY LOVELY FATHER (ONCE BIG AND STRONG)

AND ME, A CHILD…. CONDEMNED TO DIE.

I THOUGHT: HOW LONG

BEFORE THE SONG

MUST END

THERE ARE NO TOOLS

TO MEASURE LOVE

AND ONLY FOOLS

WOULD FAIL

TO SCALE

YOUR VICTORY……..

Germany 1918-1933 Germany 1918-1933

Hitler and the Nazi's took advantage of several issues and events in Germany. He opportunistically exploited situations that were of great importance to the people of Germany. Germany still owed reparations to other nations due to WW1'S Treaty of Versailles, upsetting many German citizens. They were upset by the treaty , as it caused loss of land, jobs and money. Unemployment benefits were scarce and not enough to live on. The loss of money caused major economic crises in Germany. The Weimar Republic was in power when hyperinflation hit Germany. People thought that the Weimar Republic was to blame for hyperinflation, as they believed in maintaining and following through with the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazi's saw this as an opportunity for them, as people did not have faith that the Weimar Republic was helping Germany in a positive way. People thought that maybe a change in Government may help Germany. The Nazi's promises and propaganda led German citizens to believe that if the Nazi's were voted into power that things would change and Germany would be a better place. Hitler focused on the majority of German citizens, which were working class and unemployed. Farmers, miners, blacksmiths and factory workers were all promised better living conditions, including food and money, for them and their families. Unemployment benefits were touted to include more money and food. The combination of promises and propaganda led to an increase in Nazi party votes, putting them in close popularity to the Communist party in the year 1932 with 37% of the vote. As the Nazi's still had not won the majority, they desperately tried to find anyway possible to put the communists in a bad light. The Nazis published smear campaigns and provoked the Communists in every way possible. They blamed the Communists for bad events or choices. A prime example was the Reichstag Fire. The Nazi's led people to believe that the Communists were to blame and it was their wrong doing.

All the Nazi's work and propaganda paid off. Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933 and from there Hitler's popularity increased, therefore gaining Nazi votes. Following Paul von Hindenburg's death, Hitler became his successor as the of Head of State and the Head of Government. With his new position of power Hitler started changing Germany into his ideal vision which imposed anti-semitism on Germany. This delusion of righteousness led to the start of World War Two.

The Nuremberg Race Laws

Here are some answers to several questions regarding The Nuremberg Race Laws:

1. Who could now be defined a Jew.

For a person to be defined a Jew, they did not have to practice the religion themselves. If a person had had three or four Jewish grandparents or if the rest of their closer family were Jewish. People who had previously practiced Judaism and had not for a long time were also considered a Jew, even people who had had family members who had converted from Judaism to Christianity were also considered Jewish.

2. What was meant by "Aryanizing" Jewish Businesses?

German Businesses were avoided and given unfair treatment by the Nazis. Workers and Managers were left without jobs, and in most cases the buisness was taken over by the Nazis and sold to other non- Jewish Germans for a fixed, Nazi price.

3. How were Jews who were professionals (lawyers, doctors etc.) restricted?

All Jewish Doctors were not allowed to assist, medicate and practice on non-Jewish citizens. Jewish Lawyers were not allowed to operate law practices or practice law.

4. What did Jewish identity cards need to include now?

All Jewish Identity cards had to have a large red J stamped on them. Also all Jewish people were to have a new middle name. For males it was Israel and for females it was Sara. These changes were to help Nazi identify Jews more easily.

5. What was the "Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" (sum up in your own words)?

The "Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" required all marriages to be approved and certified as legal. A certificate of "Fitness to Marry" was handed to the couples when their marriage was approved. No person with contagious illnesses or "Hereditary Diseases" as they were worried that it would affect their offspring or affect each other and ruin the non-Jewish German Citizens. They wanted all non-Jewish Germans to be healthy and proper.

Civil Rights During The Holocaust

Civil rights are rights that help people maintain privacy, give freedom of speech and allow people to have and express an opinion. Civil rights are put in place to protect people from discrimination and pressure. Civil rights are meant to help give a person privacy/protection from others and the government. Below, is what I see as some of the major civil rights of humans that were broken during the Holocaust. These articles come from the “United Declaration of Human Rights”.

· Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

· Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

· Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

· Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

· Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

· Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

· Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

I think that some people may of seen Hitler’s push to remove civil rights in a positive way. They were lead to believe that the non-Germans were stopping them from rising as a country. The rights of Germans were improved and the others were punished and had all their rights taken from them. It didn’t affect the majority of the Germans, so it was good in their point of view. Some people may have seen it as necessary to remove certain civil rights in order to remove Germany’s current government and change the way the country was run. Some may of seen it as a positive change in the country.