Thursday, September 20, 2007

Having a good time at Auschwitz: SS photo album


The New York Times has a story on a photo album of the SS at Auschwitz relaxing, hiking, lighting the Xmas tree, enjoying blueberries and engaging in a singalong. It is striking in its banality.

Even if you read the story in the actual paper, it's worth going on line and clicking on the multi-media box [Auschwitz slide show] to see the rest of the pictures and hear the curator at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum talking about it. You can also click here.

On some level these pictures are more chilling than those of the victims. Take a look you will see why.

2 comments:

Ben Miller said...

Unbelievably haunting. Amazing that these "human beings" could continue their daily lives while millions will being murdered by and around them. This album is almost as chilling as the photos of emaciated victims in camps.

FAIIRPLAY said...

Whilst viewing these photos I had an overwhelming urge to machine gun all the German officers and guards shown. In one photo there's Otto Moll, this is the man who shot in the head the young girl who had just been removed still alive from a Birkenau gas chamber. A million to one chance. Then you have Go to the Left - Go to the Right Dr?Mengele 'The Human Eye Collector', who once killed a father and son whose skeletons he thought 'Could be interesting to examine.' All these people knew the acts they were committing were highly illegal, that the illegally held prisoners were innocent of any offences against the State and society, yet, they continued this insane work, criminal acts based on myth, rumour and a madmans obsession. E Wilson Leeds UK