“..power that comes from daring to continue to be vulnerable.” Erica van Beek.
It merely takes a thought and I am asking myself questions which should have been answered during the period of the Jews most direst need. A Woman I consider a very good friend, her communications to me were both inspiring and awful memories of a past she declined to leave behind. She had Survived what her Mother was not allowed to, Hitler’s intention for all Jews. I recall an apology I made for the language I used to instil into memory what the Jewish Survivor knows all too well. Intimately. Terms like Slaughtered, Liquidation, Extermination, Annihilation, Evisceration, Destruction all illicit a provocation of what horror the terror on 6,000,000 Jews must have been. Erica was quite assured though. The World cannot know these terms of intention while we ameliorate its sensitivity to what was perpetrated and what was allowed to happen.
So we reached agreement. What I continue to find difficult is in what Erica assured me was a lasting memory of the last sight of her Mom, within Birkenau’s last assault upon the Hungarian Jewish population. You see. Erica’s Mother had been Murdered on Tuesday September 8th. 1942 in Birkenau. If this wasn’t tragic enough. Erica pinned her hopes upon the memory of an image of a Woman whose extraordinary likeness kept Erica believing her Mother lived till 1944 when the Hungarian Transports arrived at Birkenau, in 1944. Who am I to dismiss should a hold the past has upon a fractured memory, an immense loss which compelled her to hope, both images were of the same Mom she knew, loved and had taken from her to be devoured within Birkenau. So I continue to write, and here in particular upon Hungarian Jewry so as to allow many other’s to know, the Jewish experience was more than Death, even Killing or Murder.
It was a more atrocious end of 6,000,000 innocent People, and all because the were Jews, Even Erica’s Mom, Olga Bock, taken too soon, and from a Child who continued to Remember her long after she had been Slaughtered. In all I wish to add to Erica’s memory, there is no need for me to ever trust the status of any nation whose Jews were impacted within all terms associated with, The Holocaust. For whatever reason, and sovereignty seemingly provides the best excuse for deniability, complicity and even the duplicitous deceit in covering this all up, the abandoned Jews were cast aside. We are all aware of what Denmark was capable of, and what other states should have sought to achieve in all manner of humanitarian concern. However, of this fact which allowed for 6,000,000 Jews, who were merely pawns in an unsavoury display of pretence, by immobile concern, and which saw their systematic Slaughter, The Holocaust accuses the World of such indifference, it stacks high amongst what antisemitism confirms. Hatred for the Jews as Jews.
There is this continuous and constantly cynical ploy, in accusing Jews of going tamely into The Final Solution. While choosing carefully to ignore the fact that those Jews were civilians, we cannot allow this to distort what confronted innocent Jewish People. If Hitler’s Wehrmacht could overrun all of Europe in weeks, and against Military trained armies what was it that the Jews could do. Back in time, while we know that from August 16th. 1941, when the Atlantic Charter sought a commonality of purpose for all People everywhere, that fact was rather mislaid. This did not include the Jews of Europe facing extinction as Death Camp after Death Camp came upon stream and the brutal efforts of der Einsatzgruppe continued. On August 25th. 1941, and with more than 15,500 Jews expelled from Hungary to Kamanets-Podolsky, we know Hungarian Jewry is now under an immediate and deadly threat. These Hungarian Jews in Kamanets are Slaughtered within days.
Once more, and on December 13th. 1941 Goebbels diary confirms again Hitler’s final solution and intention for World Jewry. This is fully endorsed when, on December 16th. 1941 Hans Frank affirms Hitler’s resolve for Jewish extermination. Further on, The Wannsee Conference on January 20th 1942 concentrates the coordinated effort of the entire Reich upon the continued effort to the murders of a further 11,293,300 Jews of Europe. On April 16th. 1943 Hitler fully briefs Hungarian Regent, Admiral Miklos von Nagybania Horthy on the progress of The Final Solution. This murderous effort was to be relentless, and even as Hitler’s War was certain of Allied victory, Hitler’s resolve for the Jewish People never wavered, never dipped and continued toward a total solution. On January 19th. 1944, as the Germans take control of Hungary, it is more precarious than 800,000 to 900,000 Jews fully knew.
On March 15th. 1944 “..Hitler also objected to ..fact that Hungary has not yet introduced ..steps necessary to settle ..Jewish Question. We are accused, therefore ..of ..crime of not having carried out Hitler’s wishes ..and I as charged with not having permitted ..Jews to be massacred.” Miklos Horthy.
The Nazis implement its tried and tested practices of dealing with the Jews by defining them, by the confiscation of their property, by the temporary process of ghettoization, and by the final deportation to of them all death camps. This then is the implementation of the Final Solution of the Jewish Question in Hungary and will take less than four months to reach such a crescendo of Slaughter as Birkenau had not witnessed before. Remember in this also, and specifically, if we are dealing with either 800,000 or 900,000 Hungarian Jews, we cannot be accurate with the total loss to any of these Hungarian Jews, even when accepting the immense loss is an incalculable one. On March 16th. 1944 Admiral Horthy accepts Hitler’s Policing control of his country as Hungary fully accedes to the Jewish deportations.
“..I feel again at one with ..persecuted ..oppressed ..that is where I belong. Among ..Jews ..Jewish Marx ..as well ..all oppressed peoples that come up in revolt who flash through my mind.” Erica van Beek.
On March 18th. 1944 Hitler orders more German troops into Hungary and when, on March 19th. 1944 Hitler sends his 6th. SS Panzer Army forces into Hungary, and this is purportedly to stem the flow of Russian advances, the Jewish Question is closer to being resolved here. As all of Hitler’s forces within Hungary are surely coordinated to ensure the continuance of this final resolve, the Slaughter of Hungarian Jewry reaches another unprecedented level of atrocity. This then is the precursor to ensuring all of Hungarian Jewry does not evade The Final Solution to Hitler’s Jewish Question. As many as 900,000 Hungarian Jews now stand transfixed before the delivery of them all toward Birkenau. There is a congress that was held on the 3rd and 4th of April, 1944, in Krummhuebel, and was organised by Rudolf Schleier, and this was drawn up so that nothing would distract from that final resolve.
Even whilst the personnel propping up the Death Camp gates, legions of these mass killers, divisions of them, could have better served the Axis power in shedding less quickly its young. There was no let up or easing of The Final Solution to that Jewish Question despite the blistering degrading of Germany even as an entity. Elsewhere, and away from Krummhuebel, Eichmann was busy orchestrating the final removal of the largest remaining Jewish grouping in Europe, Hungarian Jewry. On April 4th. 1944 itself, as US Reconnaissance Aircraft photograph Auschwitz and Birkenau, we are left to ponder. As the mass deportation of Hungarian Jewry has yet to begin, can we not imagine if only, and instead of Film, Bombs were dropped to prevent any further transports reaching Birkenau.
On Friday April 7th. 1944 “..Cautious estimate of ..number of ..Jews gassed ..Birkenau ..April 1942 ..April 1944 by Country of origin
..Poland ..transported by truck 300,000 Jews
..ransported by train 600,000 Jews
Holland 100,000 Jews
Greece 45,000 Jews
France 150,000 Jews
Belgium 50,000 Jews
Germany 60,000 Jews
Yugoslavia }
Italy }
Norway } 50,000 Jews
Lithuania 50,000 Jews
Bohemia }
Moravia }
Austria } 30,000 Jews
Slovakia 30,000 Jews
Camps foreign Jews in Poland 300,000 Jews
Total 1,765,000 Jews.” The Auschwitz Protocols.
This Auschwitz Protocol was composed by Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, just two more escapees from the Birkenau Death Camp wishing to inform of the truth for the Jews, disbelief met with incredulity and even hostility toward such a factual truth. Integrity only ever mattered when the truth could be somehow swallowed by disbelief and a continuing belief in the humanity within mankind. On April 16th. 1944 the Hungarian Government registers Jews as the Hungarian Government confiscates Jewish property. Hungary deported its Jews and those were all brought from surrounding Villages Botiza, Falien-Glod, Glod, Ieud, Kechnia, Rozavalea, Sacel, Salistea, Strimtura, Sieu, Slatina and a further 3 other smaller villages to the Dragomiresti Ghetto 3 days after Easter Sunday April 9th. 1944. Dragomiresti is now declared Judenrein as 40 cattle trucks with some 90 to 100 Jews to each are transported toward Birkenau.
This is the precursor to the planned extinction of some 800,000 to 900,000 Hungarian Jews and even as Hitler’s reich is in tatters, The Final Solution of The Jewish Question has still to be fully resolved and is given every resource necessary to accomplish its horrifying terror. It is clear there will be no let up in the progress to achieve Hitler’s prescient claim upon All Jewish life. On April 29th. 1944, with a transport of 1,800 Jews from Budapest, Hungary, Hungarian Jewry is being deported toward extermination at Birkenau. On April 30th. 1944, a further transport of 2,000 Jews from Backa-Topola, Hungary are deported toward Birkenau. At this time the relentless progress toward the Slaughter would feed the inferno in Birkenau without cessation. On May 2nd. 1944 two transports from Budapest and Topola, Hungary arrive at Birkenau for processing. 1,102 of these Jews are given a temporary reprieve as forced labourers, both Jewish Men and Jewish Women, the remaining 2,698 Hungarian Jews, Men, Women and Their Children are Gassed.
The mounting Slaughter of Hungarian Jewry is escalating in earnest an unprecedented atrocity within the most unprecedented, uniquely unequalled terror in all of History. As with all things such as consideration related to the 6,000,000 Slaughtered Jews, who are The Holocaust, differences and opinion constrain reasoned assertion in every biased sense against those Jews totally targeted for extermination. The truth, as evoked within the fully demanded terms of the science of History, holds sway over distortion, and especially must push back consistently against denial. Always, and as we approach those anniversary’s, be it of the threat to Hungarian Jewish existence, or all of European Jewry, dates will always alter the emphasis to be placed upon Hitler’s effort to add over 800,000 or 900,000 of Hungary’s Jews to The Final Solution.
We are barely into 1944 and tomorrows date will see the day when Wisliceny informed the Jewish leadership of the impending approach of their devastation. On May 8th. 1944 Dieter Wisliceny informs Rudolf ‘Rezso’ Kasztner that all of Hungarian Jewry is to be deported. On May 12th. 1944 at Munkacs, plans for Hungarian Jewish removal toward The Final Solution is completed. On May 15th. 1944 Eichmann, with the assistance of his own Kommando and the Hungarian Gendarmerie, begins the systematic deportation of the vast bulk Hungarian Jewry in estimates well above 50% of all Jews there. From May 15th. 1944 until July 9th. 1944, and over a 55 day period, there are 147 Transports averaging 3,419 Jewish People in each of these transports totalling 502,491 Hungarian Jews delivered to Birkenau for Destruction.
The full scale horror of the deportation of Hungarian Jewry steps up its murderous pace, and as Rabbi Dov Weissmandel is made aware that there are 10,000 Jews being Slaughtered every day within Birkenau, Hoess is fully prepared. It is yet to be recognised exactly what this transportation means for the vast majority of All Jews. What is certain though is their fate is sealed in cattle wagons en-route to the worst experience within humanity’s experience. But for these Jews, removal to some other destination is a new start, a work place for the Jews to be concentrated. How tragically such an assertion would become for all thos Jews who still believed, even moderately, in the goodness in mankind. Put on a transport on May 24th. 1944, the Jews of Bilke, from the Carpatho-Ruthenia region of Hungary, are then to be seen arriving at Birkenau Death Camp.
These Jews are those very Jews who haunt our lasting memory of the conduct of hatred which fed what is presented in The Auschwitz Album on May 26th. 1944, as a vast tragedy to humanity. It is also, and again for the Jews of Hungary, being continuously deported toward Birkenau, a more murderous wreck to humanity. On May 29th. 1944, as these next Jews arrive on May 31st. 1944, they are amongst those Jews to be witnessed alighted toward extermination as three photographs taken by the American Air Force. 3 days after the arrival of the deportation documented in the Auschwitz Album, we are now witnesses to an atrocity beyond compare. What these glimpses reveal to us also compliment the Lili Jacob’s Album as Hungarian Jewry is an image of their final moments gifted to us. On June 7th. June 1944, the completion of the removal of Carpatho-Ruthenia’s Jews is realised as Jewish Community after Jewish Community within Hungary is decimated.
“..If I have ever had ..illusion that humanity has become wiser and better ..it is now absolutely over. ..I still had hope. Ethnic ..Nationalist wars ..in ..civilized ..Europe have broken out ..make me realize ..humanity has learned nothing.” Erica van Beek.
For me, and with Erica still holding out some form of hope, but there are people who will use the definition of numbers to promote a cynical game. The instance of Poland is typical and as there were 35,100,000 of the Polish population during World War II, we recognise with the 3,650,000 of these were Polish Jews. When we are reminded that there are 7,232 Righteous of Poland, this represents just 1 in every 400 Poles who sought to save their Jews. We know this to be the extent of the Jewish abandonment within Poland of over 1,800 years of a Jewish presence with Poland’s borders. The loss of in excess of 3,000,000 Polish Jews, Slaughtered while Poland looked on, is an even greater Polish calamity than is admitted to. In comparison to this, there were 8,729,000 of the Dutch population during World War II overtaken by Nazi Germany.
“..at ..time. At each address it must look as if I belonged. And a child who complains about when Mutti was returning ..was a danger for her surroundings. ..questions and even ..memory was so very quickly suppressed and eliminated by ..mental and physical coercion from outside. And ..multitude of impressions ..all relocations and new environments and ..induced fears ..memories indeed disappeared. Nobody ..apart from my Father ..had ever talked with me about my Mother.” Erica van Beek.
Erica van Beek, my Friend, and her Mother Olga Bock were amongst the 140,000 or so of these Dutch Jews, pretty much unassailed by Hitler’s anti-Jewish slogans or threats. There are 5,982 Righteous of Holland and they stand against the loss of about 1 in every 20 of the 102,000 Dutch Jews Slaughtered. Erica van Beek was one of the lucky few, and while her Mother Olga was not so fortunate, it is not clear to me how long Erica held onto the tangible hope that her Mother would some day return. Even though gifted to Erica was the hope that the image in the birch wood before Birkenau might have presented an impression which resembled her own Mother, how was there hope that she would even survive what Birkenau had in store for over 1,100,000 Jews of Europe, including Olga Bock, Erica van Beeks’ own Mother.
Jacob
I have known you- and not known you my child
I have a picture of you, that is called Jacob;
An image of rebellion, fury and suffering
That binds you to my past.
I have built a picture of you, my child,
That put his arms around me and held my hand.
Not the boy who destroyed his life
But one who finds life fearful and unlivable.
That scared and angry and on the run
in life never found a shelter
and disbanded from his fear by his death
I loved you, my child that we knew.
And powerless, I watched how you
have wounded yourself so deadly.
Who wants to hear how trumpeter grief
Who will not run away for my nocturnal crying.
Hear how the land shakes under my feet thumping looking crying
Screaming for my children their hunters continue to be injured
And flee for my boundless grief
About him and his name can turn around
Flights as I approach come seeking solace
I want their names not know him forget
Never love again no more do not be complicit
Do not come closer I liked you even trust
Again memories should be to what was.” Erica van Beek.
Thanks Patrick.