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The Holocaust and its Importance
It is important for today's society to fully grasp the understanding and meaning of the Holocaust. I am sure we all learned about Anne Frank and maybe even watched a movie pertaining to this event. Many things about this event have been covered up and left behind.

Let's dive in and learn more.

1. Useful Information.
The word Holocaust comes from the Greek words “holos” meaning whole, and “kaustos” meaning burn. The Holocaust was the mass murder of over 6 million European Jews alone, not counting millions of other people, but including Homosexuals and Gypsies. These mass murders led by the Nazi and Adolf Hitler were due to the communal belief that the Jews posed a threat to the community and racial purity in Germany. Hitler's "final solution" was the mass killing of these innocent people.

2. When did it begin and end?
The Holocaust started in January of 1933 once Adolf Hitler got his long-desired power. All the pain and power came to an end on May 8, 1945. The plan of the genocide was developed on January 20, 1942, at the Wannsee Conference. More than ten Nazi officials held this meeting so they could discover a plan to get rid of the Jews at last. They would call this their "final solution." It was Reinhard Heydrich who came up with the plan to "round up" the Jews and send them to extermination camps. Once World War II had begun, all of the Jews were now required by the Nazis to wear a yellow Star of David so they could be easily picked out of the crowd. The remembrance day for the Holocaust is on January 27. On January 27, 1945, soldiers who were fighting against the Nazi's took over the biggest concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau and were able to free prisoners that were still alive.

3. There is a difference between extermination and concentration camps.
Nazi's did not expect the imprisoned Jews to survive more than a couple of hours after arrival to the extermination camps. Concentration camps were more popular up until 1942. Those at the concentration camp died due to starvation and torture.

4. Genocide
In the beginning, genocide was carried out initially through mass shootings. The shootings were proved to be too psychologically damaging to those pulling the trigger. Their second method of genocide was bombs or explosives. This did not work out too well so they moved on. They eventually came to the conclusion that gassing the prisoners would work best. The gas used was normally carbon monoxide but on occasion, they would use a pesticide that was cyanide-based. The gas chambers that they utilized could hold up to 20,000 people and kill them at once. Victims may die immediately but it could take up to 20 minutes. The Nazi's were the first to come up with the idea to have a place that solely existed to kill in mass.

5. Medical Experiments
Children often became guinea pigs in extermination and concentration camps. They were used for medical experiments that occasionally resulted in death. From things such as amputations and trying to change eye color, these kids were tortured.

Why learning about the Holocaust is important
Throughout history, many camps have been overlooked and things have been left out. Many people know the basics of the Holocaust, but not what really happened and the extent of suffering the Jews endured.

As for why learning about the Holocaust is important, let's get started.
Studies have been shown that visiting sites that are emotional helps students become more aware socially and morally that the consequences of exclusionary policies may turn out to worse than expected. Researchers have found that educated students lack the knowledge and a real understanding of the Holocaust. Educating future generations is so vital because they are the future leaders of the world. Survivors are slowing fading away with time, and without them, all that is left is remembrance sites.

It demonstrates how fragile societies are and how they can turn against part of society as a whole.

It shows how human behavior can affect all societies as a whole.

It demonstrates the dangers of dehumanization, discrimination, and prejudice.

1. It is an example of racist and prejudiced beliefs.
Throughout history racism has been a problem, that is no surprise. The Holocaust revealed the scary result of prejudice put on and carried out by the government. It is vital to know that it was not just the Jewish who were impacted; it was also the Polish, homosexuals, gypsies, and other religious minorities. Anti-Semitism was one of the main causes of the Holocaust. Anti-Semitism is racism towards Jews. It all started after enduring the Great Depression and then Germany faced hyperinflation after paying for the Treaty of Versailles reparations. Jews were stereotyped to be the ones in control of money and banks, they became easy targets.

2. It is an example of genocide.
As stated previously, genocide is the mass killing of a group that belongs to a particular ethnic or religious group. The Holocaust is not the only genocide to ever happen, but its brutality was an example of how humans treat one another in terrifying ways. The ghettos, concentration, and death camps were used to exterminate the Jews as part of the 'Final Solution.' Those in the camps endured terrible living conditions that eventually resulted in death. The estimate for those killed during this time is up to eleven million in total, but of that eleven, six million were Jewish people. Approximately 11 million people died during the Holocaust and of that number, about 1.1 million were children. In total, two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe were killed by the Nazis.

3. Focus on Human Rights
After World War II and the Holocaust came to an end, the United Nations was formed in 1945 to focus on getting nations to cooperate, and stressing the importance of human rights. Many countries wanted to avoid another world war and any event like the Holocaust. The United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Countries then adopted the document in hopes of being able to create a list of human rights that nations would all agree on. The Holocaust led to more emphasis on human rights. The world would not be the same had this not happened.

Timeline of the Holocaust
January 30, 1933 : Adolf Hitler becomes the Chancellor of Germany. Keep in note that the Jewish population in Germany at this time was 566,000.

February 27, 1933 : Soon after Hitler's appointment as Chancellor, he has already created the "Nazi" group and they burn the Reichstag building. They did this to create a fearful atmosphere.

March 22, 1933 : Dachau, the concentration camp, is opened. These are various concentration camps all over Germany.

March 24, 1933 : The Enabling Act is passed by the German Parliament, granting Hitler with dictatorial powers. This was a pivotal part in Holocaust History.

July 14, 1933 : Fast forward, now the Nazi Party is the only legal party in Germany and a law is passed by the Nazis that stripped German citizenship from Jewish immigrants from Poland. Also, German citizens with congenital disabilities were forced to be sterilized.

September 29, 1933 : Here comes the start of it all. The Jews are not allowed to own land, and soon after at the beginning of October, they are prohibited from being editors of newspapers.

November 24, 1933 : A law passed by the Nazis allows habitual and dangerous criminals to be taken to concentration camps. In that population taken were beggars, the unemployed, and the homeless.

1934 : All in one year, many things happen. Jews are banned from the German Labor Front in late January. Come May, they are not allowed to have national health insurance. In July Jews are now prohibited from getting legal qualifications. Hitler becomes Führer in August and receives a 'yes' vote from 90% of voters which approved his newly obtained powers. This year proved to be one of the most impactful years for the Jews. Many things were taken away from them which brought a lot of fear.

1935 : Another year of laws passed affecting Jews. They can no longer serve in the military and now the Jewish artists and performers are required to join Jewish Cultural Unions.

1936 : Nazis take over the Rhineland and the German Gestapo is now placed above the law. In August, the Olympic games began in Berlin. Lastly, The Four Year Plan is made public.

1937 : Now Jews are banned from a variety of professional occupations including teaching, accounting, and dentists. Also, they are now denied child allowances and tax reductions. The concentration camp Buchenwald is established.

March-July 1938 : Troops from the Nazis enter Austria which has a Jewish population of 200,000. Austria is now annexed. Nazis order Jews to register property and wealth. They prohibited the Jews from trading and providing specified commercial services. Jews over age 15 have to apply for an identity card from the police and will be required to show it on demand from any police officer. Jewish doctors can no longer practice medicine legally.

August-October 1938 : August starts off with the burning of the synagogue in Nuremberg. Jews are now required to add Sarah to girl names and Israel to all boy names, allowing for easier identification for the Nazis, to all legal documents. They are also banned from all legal practices and are required to get their passports stamped with a red "J." Approximately 17,000 Polish Jews living in German are sent back to Poland, and Poland ends up denying them entry, leaving the Jews near the Polish border called 'No Man's Land' for many months.

November-December 1938 : New economic laws are put in place by the Nazis. Jewish children are now prohibited from going to public schools.

1939 : World War II begins with Germany invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Two days later, Austria, South Africa, and many more countries declare war on Germany. Come September 17, Poland is invaded by the Soviets. That results in Poland being divided by the Soviets and Germans. The very first ghetto makes an appearance in Poland. Now Jews in Poland have to war the Star of David. Gas vans are used by the Nazis to get rid of German patients who have mental disabilities.

1940 : Germany invades Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands all in two months. Another ghetto is sealed.

1941 : Greece and Yugoslavia are invaded by Germany. More ghettos are sealed. On June 23, the Einsatzgruppen start mass killings of Jews. They started with the men and as time went by women and children were also killed. In Iasi, Romania, the "Iron Guard" kills at least 1,500 Jews. When Germany goes to occupy Lvov in Poland, more Jews are killed. It is estimated that 4,000 were killed in just this one incident. Yet, another ghetto is established. In August, 50,000 jews are occupying the Bialystok ghetto in Poland. On September 3, 1941, the scary stuff begins. Experimental gassings take place at Auschwitz. Come November 30, 30,000 Latvian Jews are arrested and shot. December 8 brings the first killing operation at Chelmno extermination camp in Poland.

1942 : The start of 1942 brings the deportation of Jews from Lodz to the Chelmno extermination camp. The Belzec extermination camp starts up on March 17. The first mass killing in the Sobibor extermination camp takes place. In June, Auschwitz receives the first group of Jews from the Drancy transit camp. A mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to Treblinka takes place. This horrific year ends with Germans being condemned by The Allies for conduction mass murders.

1943 : Auschwitz-Birkenau receives its first group of transports from Sinti-Rome. Come April 19, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising starts. It is time to fight back. An uprising at Treblinka and Sobibor begins. A ghetto is liquidated days before some Danish Jews are rescued.

1944 : Hungarian Jews are transported in large groups to Auschwitz. Hitler is almost assassinated but the attempt failed on July 20. By August 7, two ghettos have been liquidated. An uprising at Auschwitz begins October 7. Gassings are ordered to stop at Auschwitz on November 25.

1945 : The final year of it all. January begins with a death march from Auschwitz. Approximately 60,000 prisoners are forced to march and those that did not keep up were killed instantly. The month ends with the Soviets liberating Auschwitz. Come April, the United States Army takes over Buchenwald and the British liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The battle ends with Hitler committing suicide with Eva Braun on April 30, Berlin being occupied by the Soviets, and Germany finally surrendering.

Wrapping Things Up
In summary, the Holocaust is important and needs to remain important. As the years pass, the less emphasis there is on this series of events. One would think that such a pivotal time in history would get lots of attention, but it does not anymore. Future generations that are not directly impacted will think less of it, but little do they know that they are impacted by it. Laws and moral beliefs are shown more attention.