The Sonderkommando (Daniel)

10/5/2024

The Sonderkommando were a group of mostly Jewish prisoners forced to help operate the crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau (the largest of the Polish Nazi death camps). The Sonderkommando, as a topic, are the root of notable moral controversy. People who hold themselves and others to tiers of remarkably high morals (usually people who I would assume have never been in similar situations), will "judg[e their work] as collaborationist"(¶ 21), in spite of the fact that these Sonderkommando were actually the primary leaders in one of the large scale breakout attempts at Auschwitz-Birkanau; they coordinated with the Polish Underground, and deliberately buried evidence of the Nazi cruelties they were suffering for the Red Army to find later. Their 'silent' and enduring assistance in the mass execution of other Jews is seen, by some, as permitting the genocide to happen, collaborating with it, even. The few Sonderkommando survivors tried to dispute these claims, pointing out that their options were helping, or death, and that they did in fact try to institute uprisings, and fight the mass murder in more subtle ways. Are they (or any like them) right in "collaborating" horrendous actions in order to preserve their lives? Where do you think the Sonderkommando, or perhaps any similar examples you might think of, sit on the spectrum of 'right and wrong?' I ask this, admitting that we are probably too far removed from the horrors of WWII to actually make appropriate calls here. My own opinion is that, while standing for, fighting for, and even dying for, causes of nobility is preferable to any way furthering evil works such as those of the SS, I am likely one of those people imposing my 'high moral standards' having never been in any similar situation. I commend every resistance effort undertaken by the Sonderkommando. Ultimately, I feel too inexperienced and removed from the death camp hellscape to pass any judgement on these people one way or another.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/sonderkommando-uprising-auschwitz-birkenau

30 Comments

Nicolas Sessions

10/6/2024 02:49:05 pm

I believe that one must know the context of a situation before casting judgement. In the example given they were prisoners who were not given a fair choice: they can either kill and burn the bodies of their fellow prisoners or not and be killed themselves. None of us have ever been faced with a choice of this grave magnitude, so how can we know how they felt or what they thought as this happened. They did what they could with what they were given; they were silent but used that to place evidence of the atrocities they were forced to take part of, as well as planning to retaliate against the SS. I believe that there is not always just right and wrong; the context behind brings into focus the reasoning of a choice. Hearing, for example, that someone was stealing from others sounds bad but upon learning that he was stealing from the greedy rich to give to poor peasants it changes our perspective of those people. So in conclusion I feel that context is extremely important in casting Judgements.

Mariah

10/6/2024 06:22:30 pm

I agree that context is very important for this. Context for each individual is very important as well. We cannot judge this whole group as one because each person might've had different intentions. One person may have decided, "Well this is better than dying, might as well do it" while another person may have done this because they knew they could plant evidence or help people escape.

Kennedi

10/6/2024 07:21:30 pm

You say that we have to understand the situation before casting any judgment, but I’d have to disagree with that. There is no level of understanding that I think we could obtain without truly living through what they did. I do agree that there is not just right and wrong though, but then we are stuck with what that line is.

Briella Pace

10/6/2024 07:32:37 pm

Great point! Judgment without context is human nature, but evidently very flawed. I would even go further to say on your point that good and bad are too limiting ideologies by saying that we as a society are enamored by them far too much. They are honestly a grim reaper of topics, once they are labeled one or the other the conversation dies, and the complexities are ignored entirely

Emylee Perkins

10/6/2024 07:41:54 pm

I love how you highlighted that we cannot judge those who have been in a situation we are unfamiliar with. The atrocities everyone involved was faced with are numerous, and no one should have to be hurt or make a choice like that. I also agree that context is extremely important, as there are so many factors in what can be considered right and wrong.

Brylee Ganske

10/7/2024 08:18:40 am

I agree, they had either no choice in the matter or very little if they wanted to survive this horrendous event.

Emylee Perkins

10/6/2024 03:11:25 pm

These people had no choice other than to either kill others or let themselves get killed. I am going to be completely honest and admit that if I was in this situation, and I was literally being forced, I would most likely go through with it. This is because I believe that most people who swear up and down they would rather die than kill others when being FORCED into this situation are either lying because of the feeling of guilt. Or, perhaps they do firmly believe they would sacrifice themselves, but the odds are that if you were really in this situation and not hypothetically you would change your mind. The contributions they made to the effort of evacuating as many people as they could is honorable and the right thing to do. The real evil is in the perpetrators, known as the Nazis in this specific event. I think authors really like to romanticize and gloss up the "inherent evil" within all humans. I disagree with these interpretations because if you're placed in an arena with an innocent person and the master forces you to either kill them or the master kills you, you will either survive by killing the other person or you will both die. It's bleak, and it's disgusting, and it's horrendous. The evil is not in the humans who were forced into the Sonderkommando, who were forced to kill others and live with the guilt. The evil is in the Nazis who try to play a corrupt version of God that decides not only who gets to live and die, but who gets to be forced and condemned by others to an eternity in Hell.

Emylee Perkins

10/6/2024 03:24:34 pm

I would also like to add that if you're a Christian, you most likely believe in free will. Taking away this free will from the equation by forcing someone to kill others is an unnatural and morbid manipulation of the intended plan of life. It is wrong to kill others if not under the circumstances of being forced. It is wrong for others to be killed, and it is equally wrong for yourself to be killed. You may choose whether to make a great sacrifice for others or to preserve yourself, but neither of these actions, I believe, are morally incorrect. This is because when you are forced to kill others, you are not actively exercising free will and employing morals in the heat of the situation. You are a victim of psychological torture and the judgment of those who were never forced to endure this. In this case I propose the following thesis; under the jurisdiction of Christianity, the absence of free will in the forced decision between two choices invalidates the moral goodness or evil of the action taken by the individual, and the damnation is placed on the "master" governing the affair.

Nicolas Sessions

10/6/2024 05:58:55 pm

I agree, they were forced to do these actions. It goes against human nature and one cannot judge them because they were in a situation that we have never come close to.

Mariah

10/6/2024 06:27:03 pm

I agree with this. Your example of killing someone or be both be killed by a master reminds me of the Hunger Games. Also combining Nic's reasoning of needing context, while all the kids were forced into the arena, some were more innocent than others and we just need context for their situations. Yes the capitol forced the career tributes into the arena, but they killed with greed and purpose, meanwhile the other tributes killed out of self-protection and defense. We can all tell ourselves, like Peeta did, that if we were in this arena, we would stick to our morals and die rather than try to kill another tribute, however, our instincts would kick in and most of us probably would attempt to fight another person.

Mariah

10/6/2024 06:20:13 pm

Because the Holocaust is such a large mix of "right" and "wrong" actions, I do believe that this is such a very hard topic to properly judge. Although I do think that this is unethical and that many people during this war died for what they believed in, I wonder what I would do in this situation. I would love to believe that I would accept my fate if it meant I did not aid in the deaths of fellow jews, would being faced with my actual death scare me enough that I would do the job of the Sonderkommando? Their job definitely goes against all my morals, but I am in no place to properly judge them for their actions without ever being in this situation myself.

Nicolas Sessions

10/6/2024 06:30:30 pm

I was thinking the same thing while writing my response, I hope that I would be brave enough to stand against the Nazis but obviously I’ve never been in that situation so I don’t know how things would go. So I agree that we can’t judge them.

Kennedi

10/6/2024 07:27:42 pm

You and I both had similar responses when it comes to what we’d hope we do. It’s bamboozling that we even have to consider what happened to them, because it’s not just a story, It’s real life! I hope that we keep these people’s memories alive forever and remember how horrific it really was.

Deanda Lamping

10/6/2024 07:33:57 pm

I hope something as heartbreaking as the Holocaust never happens again and I hope we never have to go through that. Unfortunately there are still other wars going on in the world today, where people are dying all around, and this post makes me remember all the loss we fortunately have not had to bear. So I agree with you. I hope a decision like Sonderkommando had to make never meet me, because I don't want to know what I would do.

Briella Pace

10/6/2024 07:00:11 pm

I appreciate your self awareness, and believe you are right about most of us who have never seen such atrocities. I think we get too swept up in the intrigue of the morally grey, the actual morally horrendous things get overlooked. Why spend so much time and energy trying to blame the victims instead of reprimanding the abusers. Even if the outcome is most important, we do have to consider intent. These people of course did not want to have this part to play in history, in fact they resented it. Not only did they feel abused they also had to be ashamed, which is an awful fate. Not to mention to rebel they have to be alive, they would be no good to their fellow man massacred. The best thing they could’ve done is go along until they had a chance to strike. But there is still a problem with this line of reasoning, in life or death people can’t be expected to think about anything above survival instincts. The betterment of humanity is a liberty for those who have hope to spare.

Deanda Lamping

10/6/2024 07:27:03 pm

Briella, the way you have with words is so captivating. It completely paints the picture you are trying to give, I admire that. I wholeheartedly know exactly where you are coming from and I agree with your statement. I think we had similar viewpoints to Daniel's post.

Emylee Perkins

10/6/2024 07:45:31 pm

I absolutely love the way that you phrased this! Place the blame on the abusers, not those affected. The Jewish being forced never wanted to do anything wrong in the first place, but there is also no level of apology we could ever give to make it up to the people who suffered and died during the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Kennedi

10/6/2024 07:17:54 pm

I agree that this is one topic that I almost don’t feel that my answer should even be heard. The horrendous acts that occurred are absolutely unfathomable, so does my opinion even manner? If I were put in there place I would almost hope I wouldn’t leave myself to destroy my own people. I know that the other option was most certainly death, but wouldn’t that almost be better? I truly think that to begin, I would probably take the job, but with everyday I would wish to be dead. I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong when it comes to back then. Do you live to frustrate the Nazis or die and save yourself from unwanted and resentful memories? I am just glad I did not have to make that decision.

Briella Pace

10/6/2024 07:44:07 pm

You’re points really make me think - topics such as these edge on such a fine line. I think many points happen to be simultaneously correct and wildly wrong. It’s important to educate ourselves on these topics, and talk about it so the atrocities can be properly addressed, and the victims can be recognized. It’s good for us to empathize and put ourselves in their shoes to better understand their pain, but at the same time do we deserve that? To use the horrendous unjust things that happened in their life as a tool to better and feel better about ourselves. What say do we have to even imagine ourselves in their shoes. It poses an interesting moral dilemma.

Abby Williams

10/6/2024 08:04:27 pm

I agree. This is such a difficult topic. The circumstances that they faced make it so hard to judge their choices. It's true that the decision between living with guilt or choosing death is one that none of us can comprehend unless we've been in that situation. The fact that they had to make such choices is a testament to the horrors they endured. It’s natural to feel conflicted about what you would have to do in their place. But it’s very important to understand and recognize the strength it took to live each day. Like you said there isn’t really a right or wrong answer and it is a relief that we don’t have to live and make decisions like they had to.

Deanda Lamping

10/6/2024 07:22:39 pm

I think that this topic is extremely heavy but I also think that the way it was presented was very humble and honest. I agree that all of us are too far separated from WW11 to have an understanding of what all happened. What I do know is that we are all humans, we do things to preserve ourselves and where I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, I do know that it never feels good going against what you believe in. I think that the Sonderkommando were forced into a position that could save their lives. And where my moral compass is shouting saying that that is wrong I also emphasize with them. I don't want to imagine myself in this war let alone their position. But I also know they were punished just enough by being racked with guilt; knowing they were the cause to their own destruction. In a world of kill or be killed they chose the latter, and in the talk of war thats not always wrong, but I hope they found peace in the end.

Chanci Phillips

10/6/2024 07:50:45 pm

I also think that being forced in that position caused so much guilt that it was worse than death. If I were in their place I would take the position to keep my family safe, just thinking about it makes me feel guilty.

Abby Williams

10/6/2024 08:10:49 pm

I totally agree! It is such a heavy topic to understand and it is hard to know what all they went through. it is tough to judge but knowing their struggles and hoping they found peace is really compassionate.

Brylee Ganske

10/7/2024 08:11:18 am

I agree with this, many of the Jews were forced to do things against their beliefs in order to survive.

Megan

10/7/2024 09:19:48 am

I also agree with your point!

Chanci Phillips

10/6/2024 07:43:52 pm

As humans, our basic instincts tell us to survive at all cost. Personally I think us newer generations have no right to judge the morality of those who suffer. We haven’t gone through anything close to the Holocaust, all we can offer is sympathy and the guilt of human flaw. They did their best just to survive to the next day. They were trying to survive from their own kin, while everyone else just turned their head while neighbor killed neighbors. The Sonderkommando did what they could to help, even if it was by a little act.

Abby Williams

10/6/2024 07:56:33 pm

I agree, the moral complexities that the Sonderkommando faced are hard to fully grasp from our point of view. It is important to notice they were forced to make those decisions and that there were very limited options when making other choices. It is easy for us to impose high moral standards because we live in a time of safety. Understanding what they went through and the terrible choices that they had to make helps up appreciate what we are given. Their efforts to fight against such circumstances shows their courage and determination in this time of life. It is unfair of us to judge without living in a time of life that they did.

Brylee Ganske

10/7/2024 08:00:26 am

I feel like when it comes to the Jews that were in the concentration camps like that of Auschwitz-Birkenau, there is no right and wrong, there is only what is necessary to survive. Many things that were done was done for survival, and all of these things would've been wrong in any other sense like stealing from your family or at times killing your family, but we can't truly blame them for doing these things because who knows what we would've done put in the same position.

Megan

10/7/2024 09:17:05 am

I agree with you point I believe that they did what they could to survive. It is hard to imagine anything like that happening to us in this generation.

Megan

10/7/2024 09:15:27 am

I also feel like they had no choice, they had to prioritize themselves resulting in killing themselves or others. Some people don’t realize how bad the holocaust was and how it still affect people today. It gives us more of an understanding that we should not judge someone if we don’t know what they have been through. In terms of survival, I feel like people will put themselves first no matter the cost.

The Sonderkommando (Daniel)

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories