Reflected and written by Dr. Sunny Jeong
Reflecting on our visit to the concentration camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, and Stutthof has profoundly impacted my understanding of the sheer brutality inflicted during World War II and the indomitable spirit of the human soul. These camps were among numerous facilities established across Europe as part of a systematic effort by the Nazis to annihilate Jews, political prisoners, Roma, religious leaders, homosexuals, and various other groups. It is estimated that six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, along with millions of others, including Roma, disabled individuals, and political dissidents (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d.).
The number of concentration and extermination camps throughout Europe was staggering, with over 40,000 facilities, including smaller subcamps, ghettos, and forced labor sites (Megargee & White, 2018). Treblinka and Auschwitz are among the most infamous, serving as grim reminders of the extent of human cruelty, leaving anyone who visits feeling overwhelmingly sickened.
Walking through these camps, I was struck by the daily deprivations the prisoners faced. Basic human needs, such as quenching their thirst, satisfying their hunger, having socks or warm clothes to cover their bodies in winter, taking a shower, and having access to bathroom and clean clothes, were simply unattainable.
Yet, despite the overwhelming brutality including daily tortures and fears, there was a persistent human spirit that refused to be extinguished. This resilience was evident in many narratives and stories collected in museum exhibits.
Prisoners fashioned mirrors from canteen tins, painted, wrote poems, and played music. Dolls were crafted from scraps of material they could find for children. These acts were not merely ways to pass the time; they were profound assertions of humanity in a place designed to strip it away (Klein, 1982).
"The resistance movement in the concentration camp was not only about political and sabotage activities but included all forms of organized actions by prisoners aimed at preserving the lives of their fellow inmates and maintaining their physical and mental health through a spirit of solidarity. In this sense, the resistance movement encompassed self-help, cultural and educational work, reading and discussing newspapers, talks and lectures, secret teaching, artistic and sporting events, religious activities, ideological work, and sabotage. All these forms of action united the prisoners, supported the weak, helped the sick, fed the hungry, and uplifted those in despair." – Teodor Musioł, Stutthof Camp
Keepsakes, done by female inmates, for camp children (picture taken during the visit of Stutthof)
I observed this spirit in the smallest acts of defiance and creativity. In Auschwitz, an orchestra composed of female prisoners played classical music, marches, and other pieces under the direction of Alma Rosé, a renowned violinist before the war. Although the orchestra was forced to play for the Nazis and used for roll call as prisoners returned from forced labor sites, the act of making music provided a measure of psychological resistance and solidarity among the musicians (Fénelon, 1977).
The poetry of Paul Celan, such as “Death Fugue,” captures the coexistence of beauty and terror, while Avrom Sutzkever’s poem “To My Brother” expresses longing and grief over the loss of his sibling (Celan, 1948; Sutzkever, 1991). Artists like Bedřich Fritta and Leo Haas produced powerful drawings and paintings depicting the suffering and resilience of the ghetto’s inhabitants (Klein, 1982).
[Translation of this poem] Picture taken during the visit of Stutthof
“Through our hearts, fate binds us, Crashing like a blessed song, Despair and grief intertwine, Echoes of pain stroke orphaned fate.
Strong in hope for a brighter tomorrow, We will endure the hostile times. A quarter of bloody days will fade like dreams, Let the song of happiness echo in your mouth, Victory for the strong and proud spirit."
Fragment of the poem written in the camp by a prisoner
Under the pseudonym of Stanko.
“Portraits and cards, illegally drawn on this camp area” (picture taken during the visit of Stutthof)
Drawings of camp sites (picture taken during the visit of Stutthof)
Even on their way to the gas chambers or forced labor sites, where they would be tasked with building more of the infrastructure of their own oppression, I am sure there were moments of acknowledging the beauty of the natural world—the crystal blue sky, the wildflowers growing defiantly in the dirt, and the birds singing overhead. These provided a stark contrast to the horrors below and perhaps a small measure of comfort to those suffering.
I can only imagine and hope that these glimpses of nature helped make their painful reality more bearable, offering a momentary escape from the relentless brutality of camp life. In the face of unimaginable suffering, these small signs of life and beauty were testaments to the enduring human spirit.
This reflection serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the essence of humanity—our creativity, resilience, and ability to find beauty and meaning—can persist. The prisoners in these camps showed that even when every comfort and right is stripped away, the human spirit remains unbroken, seeking light in the darkest of places.
As we remember the atrocities committed, we must also honor the strength and resilience of those who endured them. Their stories remind us of the importance of maintaining our humanity, even in the face of overwhelming darkness.
As a final thought, I like to share one particularly moving testimony was given by Samuel Willenberg, who escaped from Treblinka. He was taken to Treblinka in 1942 when the Opatów ghetto was liquidated. Willenberg participated in the Treblinka uprising on August 2, 1943, managed to escape, and later joined the Polish underground, taking part in the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944 as part of the “Ruczaj” battalion of the Home Army. After the war, he moved to Israel and became a prominent figure in Holocaust remembrance, creating a series of sculptures depicting scenes from Treblinka.
Father helping his son take off his shoes before entering the gas chambers at Treblinka (2002)
"I saw it happening!... Every time I made a sculpture, I saw the scene – I lived it. The scene with the boy and the father before entering the gas chamber - And then afterwards, the scene was always before my eyes… He tells his story, too – he has told it to groups in Treblinka more than 30 times. He talks to groups in Israel that come from all over the world."
Now, a boy and the father with no names came alive and tell their untold stories to us, and Willenberg is giving voices to those who had no opportunities to voice out. That’s what I believe makes a human a human to others around us.
References
Celan, P. (1948). Death Fugue.
Fénelon, F. (1977). Playing for Time. Syracuse University Press.
Klein, M. (1982). Drawing the Holocaust: Art and memory in Theresienstadt. Art Journal, 42(1), 15-22.
Levi, P. (1958). If This Is a Man. The Orion Press.
Megargee, G. P., & White, J. R. (Eds.). (2018). The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945, Volume III: Camps and Ghettos under European Regimes Aligned with Nazi Germany. Indiana University Press.
Sutzkever, A. (1991). Burnt Pearls: Ghetto Poems. The Jewish Publication Society.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). Holocaust Encyclopedia: Introduction to the Holocaust. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust
Willenberg, S. (1989). Revolt in Treblinka. Tel Aviv: Yad Vashem.
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