Buzz
The Holocaust, undeniably marked by the tragic loss of over 10 million lives at the hands of the Nazis, also tells a story of perseverance. It showcases the remarkable efforts of the persecuted to resist and survive.
10. Beetroot Juice
Prisoners in concentration and labor camps were subjected to starvation, grueling work, and inadequate clothing, leaving their bodies frail and ghostly, resembling living skeletons. In Auschwitz, during medical checkups, prisoners would use beet juice (and at times, their own blood) to artificially redden their cheeks and appear healthier.
Failing the medical exam meant certain death, so the “blush” on their cheeks provided a critical advantage, deceiving the doctors into thinking they were in better health than they truly were.
9. Hair Coloring
At the start of the Holocaust, the Nazis specifically targeted those with mental disabilities and the elderly. Many of the victims destroyed their birth certificates in an effort to evade the Nazi soldiers, but one detail still exposed them: their age. Older individuals, typically over the age of 40, often had partially or completely gray hair.
To appear younger, they would dye their hair. Hair dye quickly became scarce in major Jewish cities due to the growing number of people needing it to conceal their age.
8. Fake Identification and Birth Certificates
The Nazis often relied on birth certificates, passports, and other forms of identification to locate and persecute Jewish individuals and others. Many Jews had previously worked in creating legitimate identification documents, and when they went into hiding, they used their skills to assist others in avoiding the same fate.
They forged hundreds of fake documents for Jewish people in danger, sparing them from the death camps and Nazi persecution. Those who received these counterfeit papers often fled to countries like Switzerland and Denmark. Adolpho Kaminsky, one of the most renowned forgers from that era, spent years creating false documents for Jews after he narrowly escaped deportation to a death camp.
7. Kindertransport
During the Holocaust, many of the persecuted individuals prioritized the safety of their children over their own well-being. The Kindertransport was a secret evacuation route that allowed minors, under the age of 18, to escape from Germany between 1938 and 1940. During this period, children were smuggled out of Germany, Poland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to countries that were willing to offer them refuge.
The United Kingdom accepted nearly 10,000 children during these two years. These children were given fake identification papers to avoid detection if they were stopped on their journey. Upon reaching their destination, they were assigned to live with foster families. While many children received kind care, others were met with hostility. The Kindertransport ended in 1940 after the fall of Poland and the enforcement of stricter travel regulations by the Nazis.
6. Survival
While it may seem repetitive, this was one of the most effective forms of survival.
Once the persecuted were taken to camps, they realized that their chances of survival were minimal, and each moment of life had to be treasured. The prisoners at Sobibor, a notorious death camp, embodied this mindset. While confined to the camp, they performed their assigned tasks during the day but lived their own lives at night.
They frequently socialized, shared meals and drinks (with what little was allowed), and even maintained intimate relationships. Many survivors from this camp, when interviewed, shared that living “normal” lives was their way of resisting the Nazi regime.
5. Uprising
The prisoners at Sobibor death camp tried to maintain a sense of normalcy within the camp—until they overheard camp leaders discussing the camp’s impending liquidation.
In the summer of 1943, some prisoners eavesdropped on a meeting where camp leaders outlined their plans for the near future. All prisoners were to be exterminated, and the camp was to be dismantled before the Russian liberators could arrive. Around 600 prisoners decided to take action and plan a revolt against the camp.
They systematically eliminated guards over the span of a single day and managed to break through the barbed wire fence, running through a minefield toward the nearby forest. Only about 200 of the prisoners survived. The site where Sobibor once stood is still accessible to visitors today.
4. Concealment
Many persecuted individuals were sheltered by non-Jewish families and concealed in various locations. Possible hiding places included unused basements or attics, hidden crawlspaces within walls or floors, and secret compartments like hidden bookshelves or fake windows, among others.
One of the most famous hiding stories is that of Anne Frank and her family. They sought refuge in a small apartment above her father’s office, where a family friend supplied them with food and other necessities. Tragically, they were eventually discovered before the war ended and sent to different camps, where only the father, Otto, survived.
3. Corruption
It may sound unbelievable, but individuals from high-society were sometimes able to bribe their way out of persecution. Many wealthy Jews paid large sums to secure their freedom.
Nazi soldiers, driven by greed and a desire for wealth, were often open to bribery in exchange for lifting the burden of persecution. Many Jews who managed to buy their freedom ended up spending all their money on it, leaving them destitute and without essential supplies, but at least they were alive.
2. Assisting Nazi Soldiers
An unconventional survival method, particularly among Jews, involved offering various services to Nazi soldiers. One of the key services (for men) involved locating other Jews and betraying their whereabouts to the Nazis. These Jewish men would infiltrate secret organizations, discover where other Jews were hiding, and then inform the Nazis in exchange for their own lives.
Another service involved acting as comfort women for Nazi soldiers. They would establish brothels in Nazi-occupied territories, where these women were often treated better than the average female prisoner and generally lived longer.
1. Physical Activity
As previously mentioned, many of the camps where the persecuted were taken required prisoners to pass medical exams to survive. In addition to using beet juice to appear healthier (increasing heart rate, a flushed face, etc.), prisoners often exercised in their barracks before these exams.
They would run, perform pushups, and sometimes even argue with one another in the hope of presenting themselves as healthier to the doctors during the examinations.
