9
BBC interview (from
Timewatch: Himmler, Hitler and the End of the Reich
, Jan. 19, 2000, Detlef Siebert, producer; Laurence Rees, executive producer).
10
Quoted in
Timewatch: Himmler, Hitler
.
11
BBC interview (from
Timewatch: Himmler, Hitler
).
12
BBC interview (from
Timewatch: Himmler, Hitler
).
17
Gunnar S. Paulsson,
Secret Garden: the Hidden Jews of Warsaw
(Yale University Press 2002). Approximately 28,000 Polish Jews escaped (or never entered) the Warsaw ghetto, with 11,000 surviving the war. This often was thanks to the help of the non-Jewish Polish population.
22
Tom Segev,
The Seventh Million
(Hill and Wang 1994), 147â49
23
Segev,
The Seventh Million
, 140â46.
24
This pioneering research was conducted by David List of the BBC History Unit.
25
Rupert Butler,
Legions of Death
(Hamlyn 1983); Captain Cross to Colonel Felix Robson (curator, Intelligence Corps Museum), Museum of Military Intelligence, Chicksands.
27
Rudolf Höss,
Commandant of Auschwitz
(Phoenix Press 2000), 166.
28
BBC interview, quoted in Laurence Rees,
Horror in the East
(BBC Books 2001), 119.
29
Lasik, “The Apprehension and Punishment of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Staff,” in
Auschwitz 1940â1945
(Auschwitz State Museum 2000), 5:99â119.
30
Lasik, “Apprehension and Punishment,” 116.
31
These figures were supplied by Professor Piper of the Auschwitz State Museum.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Insert 1:
Heinrich Himmler with Rudolf Höss:
Yad Vashem
Adolph Hitler:
Walter Frentz Archive
Reinhard Heydrich:
Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz
Hans Friedrich:
Hans Friedrich
An execution somewhere in the East:
Ullstein Bild
Street scene in the Åódźghetto in Poland:
Jewish Museum, Frankfurt
Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski:
Jewish Museum, Frankfurt
Rumkowski talking with Himmler:
Jewish Museum, Frankfurt
Jewish men and women weaving baskets:
Jewish Museum, Frankfurt
Children working in the Åódź ghetto:
Jewish Museum, Frankfurt
Himmler studying plans:
Yad Vashem
“
Himmler was well pleased with the progress”:
Yad Vashem
Insert 2:
Auschwitz prisoners employed at workshop:
Auschwitz Museum
Auschwitz prisoners digging drainage ditches at Birkenau:
Auschwitz Museum
“
Canada”:
Yad Vashem
Oskar Groening:
Oskar Groening
Kazimierz Piechowski:
Kazimierz Piechowski
Therese Steiner:
Wendy Davenport
Helena Citrónová:
Helena Citrónová
A transport of Hungarian Jews arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau:
Yad Vashem
Separation by sex of the Hungarian Jews:
Yad Vashem
Completed separation of the sexes:
Yad Vashem
A line of male Jews being assessed by a Nazi doctor:
Yad Vashem
A family of Hungarian Jews selected to die:
Yad Vashem
The ovens in the Auschwitz crematoria:
Auschwitz Museum
Crematorium 4:
Auschwitz Museum
Crematorium 3:
Auschwitz Museum
Rudolph Höss in captivity:
Yad Vashem
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is a book that developed from a television series I wrote and produced, and so there are many people whom I must thank.
The television series (and therefore this book) exists because of the initial enthusiasm and commitment of Mark Thompson, then Director of BBC Television. It says a lot about how long it takes to finance, develop, and make a project like this that, in between Mark's authorizing the series and its eventual broadcast, Mark left the BBC, took the job of running Channel 4, was appointed Director General of the BBC, and returned there.
Many others in BBC Television also supported the series, notably Jane Root (then controller of BBC2), Glenwyn Benson (Control of Factual Commissioning), and Emma Swain (Commissioner of Specialist Factual Programmes). In particular, my immediate boss, Keith Scholey (Controller of Specialist Factual), was extremely understanding and full of good advice.
Many distinguished academics contributed to the project. The series historical and script consultant, Professor Sir Ian Kershaw, brought an extraordinary level of insight to the seriesâit is no accident that he is a scholar laden with honors. I owe him a huge debt, both for his scholarship and for his friendship. Professor David Cesarani was also massively influential in shaping both my views and the television series, as was Professor Christopher Browning. It would be difficult to find two more eminent experts on the Nazis' “Final Solution.” Professor Robert Jan van Pelt was of enormous assistance in helping us understand the architecture of the camp.
The directors, scholars, and administrative staff at the AuschwitzâBirkenau State Museum in Poland were also hugely helpful. Those at the museum that I must thank in particular include Igor Bartosik, Edyta Chowaniec, Adam Cyra, Jadwiga DÄ
browska, Dorota Grela, Wanda Hutny, Helena Kubica, MirosÅaw Obstarczyk, Krystyna Oleksy, Jozef Orlicki, Dr. Franciszek Piper, Wojciech PÅosa, Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz, Kazimierz SmoleÅ, Dr. Andrzej Strzelecki, Dr. Henryk Åwiebocki, Jerzy Wróblewski, and Roman Zbrzeski.
Also in connection with our Polish research, we received great assistance from Kazimierz Albin (head of the Society for the Protection of Auschwitz), WÅadysÅaw Bartoszewski (former Polish foreign minister), Halina Elczewska, Abraham and Ester Frischer, Dr. Józef Geresz, Bernadetta Gronek, John Hartman, Alicja KoÅcian, Edward Kopówka, Dr. Aleksander Lasik, Anna Machcewicz, the OÅwiÄcim Mayor's Office, Mariusz Jerzy Olbromski, Åucja Pawlicka-Nowak (director of the CheÅmno Museum), Robert RydzoÅ, Hubert Rogozinski, Jacek Szwic, Dr. Marian Turski (International Auschwitz Council), and Michalina Wysocka.
On the Channel Islands, Frederick Cohen gave us the benefit of his unique historical knowledge, and in France Serge Klarsfeld and Adeline Suard were of great assistance. Particular mention should be made of the help afforded to us at Israel's Yad Vashem by Dr. Gideon Greif, and elsewhere in Israel we benefited greatly from the work of Nava Mizrachi. In Slovakia, Ivan Kamenec and Dr. Eduard Niznansky helped us; and in Germany we were aided by Dr. Andrej Angrick, Martin Cueppers, Wolf Gebhardt, Niels Gutschow, Peter Klein, Michaela Lichtenstein, Dr. Bogdan Musial, Dr. Dieter Pohl, Dr. Volker Reiss, Robert Sommer, Dr. Frank Stucke, and Peter Witte. In Russia, Dr. Sergey Sluch was a good friend to the project. In Hungary very useful help was provided by Dr. Krisztina Fenyo; and in the Ukraine by Taras Shumeiko. In the United States, Adam Levy did a terrific job for us.
Obviously, I owe a huge debt to the production team of the TV series. In particular, I must thank Detlef Siebert, who not only brilliantly directed the drama sequences across the whole series but also offered incisive criticism and advice for the rest of the content. He possesses an exceptional mind. The two documentary directors, Martina Balazova and Dominic Sutherland, also did a first-rate job, often working with our faithful camera team of Martin Patmore and Brian Biffin. Dominicâa tower of intelligence and good sense during the post-production of the seriesâalso supervised the graphic content with the help of the Moving Picture Company and John Kennedy. Alan Lygo, the best film editor in television, made a substantial contribution in the cutting room. Tanya Batchelor did an excellent job as an assistant producer on the series and Anna Toborska was outstanding as our specialist Polish researcher. Declan Smith gathered the archive
for the series, and Rebecca Maidens and Cara Goold were the production coordinators; all of them made important contributions. Emily Brownridge could not have done a finer job as production manager, and Anna Mishcon and Laura Davey were always supportive as production executives. My own assistants, first Sarah Hall and subsequently Michelle Gribbon, also were always willing to help.
Special mention must be made of the excellent guidance I received from our American co-producers, KCET. Karen Hunte, Al Jerome, Mary Mazur, and especially Megan Callaway all contributed to this work, as did Coby Atlas at PBS. Sally Potter and Martin Redfern at BBC Books were model and supportive publishers, as were Peter Osnos, Clive Priddle, and Kate Darnton at PublicAffairs in New York. As usual, Andrew Nurnberg gave fine advice.
My own familyâmy children, Benedict, Camilla, and Oliver, and my wife Helenaâhelped me more than I can say. It is not necessarily always pleasant to live with someone whose head is full of information about Auschwitz and the Nazis, and my family tolerated that and more besides.
However, my most profound thanks must go to the hundred or so eyewitnesses who allowed themselves to be interviewed for this project. Their memories are priceless. I hope they will forgive me for expressing my thanks to them collectively hereâtheir names are already noted elsewhere in this book, as are their insights.
INDEX
Aachen prison
Abt, Else
Abwehr
Africa, deportation of Jews to
agriculture
Agudas Israel World Organization
Alexander, Vera
Alinka
Allies
Auschwitz bombing and
Brandi-Grosz mission and
Nazis vs.
Ambros, Otto
American Union of Orthodox Rabbis
Anschluss (annexation)
anti-Semitism
in Germany
Hitler and
Nazi
post-war
propaganda and
Stalin and
See also
Jews
Antonescu, Ion
Arlt, Fritz
Artamans
Auschwitz
agriculture and
Auschwitz
beginning of
black market of
Block
Block
brothels (Block 24) at
Buna plant in
“Canada” and
as concentration camp
corruption in
crematorium at
culture of
as death camp
death march from
discipline in
disposal of bodies at
dual function of
escapes from
forced labor and
French Jews at
Groening and
Höss and
health at
industrial production and
Kapos system and
killing techniques at
liberation of
life in
medical experimentation at
purpose of
release from
servants at
Slovakian Jews at
Soviet POWs and
SS (Shutzstaffel) in
starvation at
sub-camps of
survivors of
See also
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Auschwitz-Birkenau
administration of
crematorium at
development of
dismantling of
Höss and
Hungarian Jews at
Kapos system at
killing process at
“The Little Red House”
“The Little White House”
purpose of
size of
Sonderkommando and
Soviet POWs and
See also
Auschwitz
Auschwitz Protocols
Austauschjuden (“exchange Jews”)
Austria
Anschluss (annexation) with
Greater Geman Reich and
Bach-Zelewski, Erich von dem
Baker, Else
Ballastexistenzen
Bartoszewski, WÅadysÅaw
Battel, Albert
Bayer company
BBC.
See
British Broadcasting Corporation
Beaune-la-Rolande concentration camp
Becher, Kurt
BeÅźec death camp
categories of workers at
development of
gassing at
Belarus
Belgian Jews
Bendera, Eugeniusz
Benjamin, Ernest
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Auschwitz death march to
Berger, Oskar
Berlin Wall
Bernadotte, Folke
Bessarabia
Best, Werner
Biebow, Hans
Bielecki, Jerzy
Bier, Rudy
Big Three
Bischoff, Karl
Blatt, Toivi
post-war treatment of Jews and
Sobibór resistance and
Bormann, Martin
Bousquet, René
Bracht, Fritz
Brand, Hansi
Brand, Joel
Brasse, Wilhelm
Breder, Linda
Britain
Auschwitz Protocols and
Final Solution and
Jews from
Soviet Union and