What they saw:
German citizens were well aware of the inhumane treatment that was directed towards the Jews and other non-Aryan races during the Holocaust. Jewish businesses and buildings were set on fire for nearly anyone to see. The fire department would put out these fires, not for ethical or moral reasons, but rather to simply protect the homes and businesses of the non-Jewish families. German citizens would often watch Jews get removed from their houses. Rather than protesting or sticking up for the Jews, Germans would line up and pick through imprisoned or dead Jew's belongings to claim as their own. These people knew where the Jews were being sent and they allowed it to happen. In fact, German citizens even looked at pictures of the piles of dead bodies from extermination camps. Some Germans witnessed the deaths of Jews and had to bury their remains. Sometimes, Jewish children were too short to get killed by the bullets being fired at them, so they clutched their deceased family members as they fell into the pit and got buried alive. The Germans saw the innocent children wriggling and trying to escape from inevitable death, but did nothing. The people of Germany did not look to assist or stand up for the Jews, simply because they feared the consequences. How many deaths would have been prevented if German men and women alike had protested against the immoral treatment of the Jews?
Why Blame The German Citizens for The Holocaust?
Why Blame The German Citizens for The Holocaust?
The German bystanders may not have physically harmed or mistreated any Jews or non-Aryan races during the Holocaust, but at the time, turning a blind eye to the evident persecution that Jews were subjected to was harm enough. The Germans knew just how poorly the Jews were treated; they knew of the horrible ghettos, concentration camps, and extermination camps that Jews were sent to. They witnessed the horrific murders of many, listened to the blood-curdling screams of those who were shot, and watched thousands of Jews being taken out of their own homes, and what did they do? Nothing. The Germans could have stood up for the Jews and offered them a helping hand. They could have objected to the antisemitism that flooded Germany, but rather they allowed this behavior to go on until it escalated into one of the largest genocides in all of history. Did the Germans not care about the well being of the Jews, or did they fear what would happen to themselves if they stood up for the Jews? No matter the reason, the lack of action from the German bystanders contributed greatly to the Holocaust. The question still lies unanswered; Can the bystanders be held at fault for the Holocaust?
The video above shows the tragedies that occurred in nearly all concentration camps,
many of which German bystanders knew about.
many of which German bystanders knew about.