The Holocaust, the mass murder of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, resulted from the antisemitic initiative of Adolph Hitler and the German Nazi Party. Areas affected included all German-held territories. Herr Hitler not only targeted the Jewish people, but also those with disabilities, Polish and Soviet citizens, gypsies, and homosexuals. Nazi soldiers dragged people from their homes, separated them from their families, and forced them into concentration camps. Upon arriving at these camps, people were forced into hard labor or put to death. From 1939-1945, almost two-thirds of Europe's Jews were put to death. At the end of the was, those responsible were punished, numerous survivor accounts were written or recorded, and disturbing works of art were created.
The individuals responsible for their parts in the Holocaust were punished accordingly. Although most of the world believed there was no punishment that would justly serve those accused, the Nuremberg Trials began. Some of the most influential people in the Holocaust next to Hitler received the most hatred. Hermann Goering, high in rank in the Nazi Party, was sentenced to death by hanging; however, he managed to escape the sentence by committing suicide in his cell. Rudolph Hess was next in line to Goering, he served as Hitler’s deputy minister and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Hess served over 40 years of that sentence at Spandau Prison and committed suicide in 1987 at the age of 93. Wilhelm Frick became a member of the Nazi Party in 1923 and served as the Nazi Minister of the Interior until from 1933 to 1943. Frick also had a significant part in the formation of Nazi racial laws and anti-Semitic legislation, including the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 and 1938. He was put to death by hanging. There were many others involved in the hateful crimes of the Holocaust including guards, Gestapo, and the government officials.
Over six million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust, however many of those that survived wrote books on the events that happened during their time in the concentration camps. Some of the most well known novels that give firsthand accounts of the Holocaust include; The diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Night by Elie Wiesel, The boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyle, and Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally. All five of those popular books give reports of inhumane treatment and engrave “the lowest point humanity has ever descended to” in all their readers.
The Holocaust caused many issues with works of art created before the time period. This was due to the large amounts of work that were looted by the Nazis from Jewish art collectors and dealers, either through theft or fire sales under pressure. Although the original owners passed away during the Holocaust, many of their relatives survived, and wanted to retrieve their family heirlooms. The current owner is not able to keep the artifact from the family and has to return it back to its rightful owner thus taking a loss on the piece. In turn, any work of art that existed prior to 1945 has a potential provenance problem. This is a serious obstacle for anyone who currently collects pre-1945 European art, so to avoid wasting thousands or even millions of dollars, they must verify that future purchases were not stolen by the Nazis from a Holocaust victim.
The Holocaust will forever remain in history as one of the most tragic events to ever occur. Not only were millions of lives lost, but the artwork created during that time era will always cause potential problems for buyers. The individuals responsible for the Holocaust were punished during the Nuremberg trials with either death by hanging or imprisonment. Some of the major offenders during the Holocaust include Hitler, Hermann Goering, Rudolph Hess, and Wilhelm Frick. Some of the survivors of the Holocaust went on to share with the world a firsthand account of what actually happened. They wrote novels that gave readers an insight on the war. The Holocaust shaped future relationships between countries and serves as a reminder of man's potential cruelty.
The individuals responsible for their parts in the Holocaust were punished accordingly. Although most of the world believed there was no punishment that would justly serve those accused, the Nuremberg Trials began. Some of the most influential people in the Holocaust next to Hitler received the most hatred. Hermann Goering, high in rank in the Nazi Party, was sentenced to death by hanging; however, he managed to escape the sentence by committing suicide in his cell. Rudolph Hess was next in line to Goering, he served as Hitler’s deputy minister and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Hess served over 40 years of that sentence at Spandau Prison and committed suicide in 1987 at the age of 93. Wilhelm Frick became a member of the Nazi Party in 1923 and served as the Nazi Minister of the Interior until from 1933 to 1943. Frick also had a significant part in the formation of Nazi racial laws and anti-Semitic legislation, including the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 and 1938. He was put to death by hanging. There were many others involved in the hateful crimes of the Holocaust including guards, Gestapo, and the government officials.
Over six million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust, however many of those that survived wrote books on the events that happened during their time in the concentration camps. Some of the most well known novels that give firsthand accounts of the Holocaust include; The diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Night by Elie Wiesel, The boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyle, and Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally. All five of those popular books give reports of inhumane treatment and engrave “the lowest point humanity has ever descended to” in all their readers.
The Holocaust caused many issues with works of art created before the time period. This was due to the large amounts of work that were looted by the Nazis from Jewish art collectors and dealers, either through theft or fire sales under pressure. Although the original owners passed away during the Holocaust, many of their relatives survived, and wanted to retrieve their family heirlooms. The current owner is not able to keep the artifact from the family and has to return it back to its rightful owner thus taking a loss on the piece. In turn, any work of art that existed prior to 1945 has a potential provenance problem. This is a serious obstacle for anyone who currently collects pre-1945 European art, so to avoid wasting thousands or even millions of dollars, they must verify that future purchases were not stolen by the Nazis from a Holocaust victim.
The Holocaust will forever remain in history as one of the most tragic events to ever occur. Not only were millions of lives lost, but the artwork created during that time era will always cause potential problems for buyers. The individuals responsible for the Holocaust were punished during the Nuremberg trials with either death by hanging or imprisonment. Some of the major offenders during the Holocaust include Hitler, Hermann Goering, Rudolph Hess, and Wilhelm Frick. Some of the survivors of the Holocaust went on to share with the world a firsthand account of what actually happened. They wrote novels that gave readers an insight on the war. The Holocaust shaped future relationships between countries and serves as a reminder of man's potential cruelty.