The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

1
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• Mr. Manley
• 1/30/12

2
Bellwork

• List everything you know (or think you know)
  about World War II or the Holocaust.
• After 5 minutes, stand and share what you know
  with your classmates.

3
Historical Fiction

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a historical
  fiction novel set in Berlin, Germany and
  Auschwitz Concentration camp during the Holocaust
  of World War II.
• Whats historical?
• The war, the concentration camp, the Holocaust.
• Whats fiction?
• Bruno and his family, Shmuel his friend, the
  house at the concentration camp.

4
Background Knowledge

• Today, as we review some historical facts, keep
  track of at least 5 facts that you think will
  help you understand The Boy in the Striped
  Pajamas.
• List at least five important facts in your
  journal.

5
Primary Sources

• The images you will see today are called primary
  sources. They were taken during the World War II
  and the Holocaust, and they provide a physical
  record of life there.
• These come from the United States Holocaust
  Memorial Museum website
• http//www.ushmm.org

6
The Rise of the National Socialists

• In the aftermath of Germanys loss in World War
  I, the Nazi Party preached a doctrine of
  anti-semitism and promised to restore Germany to
  greatness.
• Led by Adolf Hitler, the Nazis blamed the loss of
  World War I and Germanys economic troubles on
  Jews, whom they believed were inferior to Aryans
  (non-Jewish people of Northern European descent
  blond haired, blue eyed.)

The text reads, Hitler Our last hope.
Therefore, come to us.
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Nazis take control

• By 1933, the Nazis had gained enough power and
  support that they could take control of the
  German government. On Nov. 9, 1938, German
  anti-semitism culminated in a series of riots in
  which 1,000 synagogues were burned and Jewish
  businesses and homes were destroyed. This was
  known as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken
  Glass.) The Holocaust had begun.

The interior of Hechingen synagogue after
Kristallnacht.
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What is a Holocaust?

• A holocaust is a mass ethnic cleansing
  (Hitlers words.) The Nazis attempted to
  eliminate all Non-Aryans and other groups they
  considered to be inferior to Aryans (homosexuals,
  Gypsies, non-Jewish Polish citizens, Russian
  prisoners of war, and political dissidents.)

A railcar used to transport people to the
concentration camps is installed at the Holocaust
Museum in Washington, D.C.
9
Concentration Camps

• Jews and other inferior people were executed
  using firing squads, gas chambers, and
  starvation. Much of this happened at
  concentration camps like Auschwitz.
• Nazis placed these people on trains, sent them to
  camps, and forced them to work, to starve, and to
  die.
• The bodies were disposed of using a crematorium
  or a mass grave.

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The Beginning of WWII

• When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, World War
  II began.
• Germany joined with Italy and Japan to form the
  Axis Powers. They sought world domination.
• World War II lasted until 1945, when the Axis
  Powers were defeated by the Allies (United
  States, France, Brittain, and Russia, among
  others.)

American and Soviet generals pose on the banks of
the Elbe River in Germany. This was the first
meeting of Allied soldiers.
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Write in Response

• You will soon see several pictures of the
  concentration camp at Auschwitz. After looking
  at these pictures, you will write for 10 minutes.
  Use this writing to ask important questions,
  describe what you see, or express how the
  pictures make you feel.

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The Jews uniform at Auschwitz
The hat was worn by Karel Brumel. The patch was
his registration number.
13
The entrance to Auschwitz
Arbeit Macht Frei means Work will make you
free.
14
Awaiting Selection
This Jewish man waits for selection. The guards
at Auschwitz decided who was fit for work and who
would immediately be executed.
15
Children at Auschwitz
Children soon became separated from their parents
and siblings.
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Death March
Women and children walk to the gas chambers at
Auschwitz.
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The Door
This is an entrance to one of the gas chambers at
Auschwitz.
18
Evidence
Bales of hair shaved from the heads of prisoners
at Auschwitz, and a massive pile of hairbrushes
taken from the prisoners.
19
Liberated Prisoners
These inmates survived Auschwitz and were rescued
by Allied soldiers.
20
What are you thinking?
In your journal, write for 10 minutes about the
images that you have seen. What are you
thinking, questioning, or feeling? What are your
reactions?