The Savior - A Hidden Holocaust Epos
- Date: 2009-10-05 - Word Count: 944
Share This!
Study of the history of the Holocaust is flourishing. In schools and universities worldwide, young people, Jews and non-Jews alike are engaged in profound examination of the mass slaughter of European civilians and especially Jews by the Nazis during World War II. Extermination sites in Poland are extensively toured.
Recently, in a regular autumnal working day, the site of Auschwitz was crowded with dozens of groups of students, delegations in uniform, families and single visitors. The background noise was so loud that meditating on the victim's suffering was impossible. Since the Communist Empire collapsed, many thousands of young descendants of Holocaust survivors joined their grandparents for roots' tours to their ancestors' native towns and villages in East Europe. In every town and small village, the functioning manners of action throughout the Nazi occupation had been substantially examined.
Hence, could a researcher surprise you with an unknown Holocaust epos? My new book presents a narration of an unusual and sophisticated rescue operation that was initiated by a young agronomist from the city of Drohobych, Naftali Backenroth. During the Nazi occupation Backenroth built up mutual trust with the Gestapo and set up a vast project that occupied hundreds of Jews clustered at Drohobych and its vicinity, saving many of them from extermination. In all the territories occupied by the Nazis, I know of no organized effort to rescue Jews as sophisticated as that. To the best of my knowledge, the story of Backenroth's rescue enterprise is unfamiliar even to experienced holocaust historians.
The German Wehrmacht conquered the Polish territory of Galicia (today part of Ukraine) in June 1941. A few days later the Gestapo took control of the Jewish communities by appointing in each location a Judenrat, council of Jews tasked with running community affairs. These bodies, acting on Gestapo orders, supplied quotas of Jews for forced labor, set up Jewish police forces to maintain order and enforce the Gestapo's commands, handed over lawbreakers, and at a later stage, prepared the lists of those to be transported to their deaths.
From the first days of the Nazi occupation, Naftali Backenroth had grasped that there was a trap inherent in the very existence of the Judenrat, and he fought against that form of Jewish cooperation with the Nazis tooth and nail. There was nothing exceptional about that. Deep controversy broke out in most Jewish communities around the issue of the Judenrat. In every city and town there were rebels against the system, who used various methods to resist it, mostly without any real success. But Backenroth was unusual in one thing: no other Jew sidestepped the Judenrat, consistently building up a relationship of trust with the Gestapo heads by encouraging their dependence on his own people.
In order to maintain a satisfactory standard of living, the Germans required various types of service personnel. The Gestapo needed chambermaids, janitors, cleaners, constructors, gardeners and handymen.
The army needed technicians and engineers to operate and maintain the region's oil wells and refining facilities. Backenroth came to an important conclusion: He had to gather a serious group of skilled and diligent workers and professionals independent from the Judenrat, and to supply the Germans with whatever services they wanted, at the highest possible level, thereby making themselves indispensable and possibly saving themselves and their families. That perception brought about the Backenroth's labor force - hundreds of men and women that waited on the Nazis, pampered them, accustomed the Gestapo officers and the German officials to a high standard of living and of service, and succeeded in damping their eagerness to carry out explicit orders to send the workers to liquidation sites. Some of the German officers and officials did indeed become dependent on his team. Backenroth's workers collected information about the Nazi units and exploited it by using 'divide and rule' methods.
He himself made friends with some of the Nazis and encouraged dissension among others. He looked the Nazis in the eye and did not kowtow to them, and, most important, he cossetted them, improved their service conditions, and provided them with a great deal of comfort. Absurd as it may seem, Backenroth and his work teams added a little color to the drab military life of the Germans and to their boring routine in occupied Galicia.
In the course of this strange experiment, Naftali identified several good Germans and provided them with the opportunity to prove their humanity. The rare combination of Backenroth's qualities - courage and creative thinking - and the sympathy which several of the German conquerors felt for their Jewish victims accounted for his success. When the Drohobych ghetto was liquidated and all the Jews sent to death camps, many of Naftali's work teams remained at their jobs.
Backenroth's rescue enterprise had been assisted by three good Germans, officials serving the occupation administration: Eberhard Helmrich, his wife Donata Hardt-Helmrich and Berthold Beitz. All three Germans were recognized by Yad Vashem - the Holocaust memorial and museum located in Jerusalem - as "Righteous Among the Nations" - the title bestowed on gentiles who helped save Jews during the Holocaust.
Backenroth's activities under the German occupation were so amazing, that several of the Jews whom he rescued have told me that they truly believe that he was sent by divine providence. Even for the secular among them, Backenroth seemed a 'miracle-worker'. No other Jew succeeded in bringing hundreds of his fellow-Jews safely through the war in one of the worst places for Jews. His audacity and daring knew no bounds. Even that renowned savior of Jews, Oscar Schindler, whose story was filmed by Steven Spielberg, did not display as much courage, ingeniousness and creativity as Backenroth, if only because Schindler was a German.
(Originally published at GoArticles and reprinted with permission from the author, Michael Karpin).
Recently, in a regular autumnal working day, the site of Auschwitz was crowded with dozens of groups of students, delegations in uniform, families and single visitors. The background noise was so loud that meditating on the victim's suffering was impossible. Since the Communist Empire collapsed, many thousands of young descendants of Holocaust survivors joined their grandparents for roots' tours to their ancestors' native towns and villages in East Europe. In every town and small village, the functioning manners of action throughout the Nazi occupation had been substantially examined.
Hence, could a researcher surprise you with an unknown Holocaust epos? My new book presents a narration of an unusual and sophisticated rescue operation that was initiated by a young agronomist from the city of Drohobych, Naftali Backenroth. During the Nazi occupation Backenroth built up mutual trust with the Gestapo and set up a vast project that occupied hundreds of Jews clustered at Drohobych and its vicinity, saving many of them from extermination. In all the territories occupied by the Nazis, I know of no organized effort to rescue Jews as sophisticated as that. To the best of my knowledge, the story of Backenroth's rescue enterprise is unfamiliar even to experienced holocaust historians.
The German Wehrmacht conquered the Polish territory of Galicia (today part of Ukraine) in June 1941. A few days later the Gestapo took control of the Jewish communities by appointing in each location a Judenrat, council of Jews tasked with running community affairs. These bodies, acting on Gestapo orders, supplied quotas of Jews for forced labor, set up Jewish police forces to maintain order and enforce the Gestapo's commands, handed over lawbreakers, and at a later stage, prepared the lists of those to be transported to their deaths.
From the first days of the Nazi occupation, Naftali Backenroth had grasped that there was a trap inherent in the very existence of the Judenrat, and he fought against that form of Jewish cooperation with the Nazis tooth and nail. There was nothing exceptional about that. Deep controversy broke out in most Jewish communities around the issue of the Judenrat. In every city and town there were rebels against the system, who used various methods to resist it, mostly without any real success. But Backenroth was unusual in one thing: no other Jew sidestepped the Judenrat, consistently building up a relationship of trust with the Gestapo heads by encouraging their dependence on his own people.
In order to maintain a satisfactory standard of living, the Germans required various types of service personnel. The Gestapo needed chambermaids, janitors, cleaners, constructors, gardeners and handymen.
The army needed technicians and engineers to operate and maintain the region's oil wells and refining facilities. Backenroth came to an important conclusion: He had to gather a serious group of skilled and diligent workers and professionals independent from the Judenrat, and to supply the Germans with whatever services they wanted, at the highest possible level, thereby making themselves indispensable and possibly saving themselves and their families. That perception brought about the Backenroth's labor force - hundreds of men and women that waited on the Nazis, pampered them, accustomed the Gestapo officers and the German officials to a high standard of living and of service, and succeeded in damping their eagerness to carry out explicit orders to send the workers to liquidation sites. Some of the German officers and officials did indeed become dependent on his team. Backenroth's workers collected information about the Nazi units and exploited it by using 'divide and rule' methods.
He himself made friends with some of the Nazis and encouraged dissension among others. He looked the Nazis in the eye and did not kowtow to them, and, most important, he cossetted them, improved their service conditions, and provided them with a great deal of comfort. Absurd as it may seem, Backenroth and his work teams added a little color to the drab military life of the Germans and to their boring routine in occupied Galicia.
In the course of this strange experiment, Naftali identified several good Germans and provided them with the opportunity to prove their humanity. The rare combination of Backenroth's qualities - courage and creative thinking - and the sympathy which several of the German conquerors felt for their Jewish victims accounted for his success. When the Drohobych ghetto was liquidated and all the Jews sent to death camps, many of Naftali's work teams remained at their jobs.
Backenroth's rescue enterprise had been assisted by three good Germans, officials serving the occupation administration: Eberhard Helmrich, his wife Donata Hardt-Helmrich and Berthold Beitz. All three Germans were recognized by Yad Vashem - the Holocaust memorial and museum located in Jerusalem - as "Righteous Among the Nations" - the title bestowed on gentiles who helped save Jews during the Holocaust.
Backenroth's activities under the German occupation were so amazing, that several of the Jews whom he rescued have told me that they truly believe that he was sent by divine providence. Even for the secular among them, Backenroth seemed a 'miracle-worker'. No other Jew succeeded in bringing hundreds of his fellow-Jews safely through the war in one of the worst places for Jews. His audacity and daring knew no bounds. Even that renowned savior of Jews, Oscar Schindler, whose story was filmed by Steven Spielberg, did not display as much courage, ingeniousness and creativity as Backenroth, if only because Schindler was a German.
(Originally published at GoArticles and reprinted with permission from the author, Michael Karpin).
Michael Karpin is an Israeli author and investigative journalist. His new book: Tightrope - Six Centuries of a Jewish Dynasty recounts an epic tale that, though exceptional, has resemblance to that of most of the European Jewish families that migrated to the United States. Visit Karpin's website: Michael Karpin. Karpin's e-mail address: Michael.karpin@gmail.com.n
n Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Asia Should be Careful Real Intention of the United States
In the two-day monetary policy meeting, Federal Reserve 4 am Beijing time, as expected, announced a - What Was Good About 9-11?
It is the American dream, I suppose, starting with nothing and working hard to build a successful bu - Sing For Tibet
In 1911, a revolution overtook China. The movement went across the country. By the next year, they - The Blending of Anti Terrorism Training and Military Intelligence Training
Military intelligence not only aids in the formulation of military operations, but it also plays a s - Getting an Entry Level Intelligence Job
Many people are drawn to careers in intelligence because they are portrayed as being filled with int - Military Rules of Engagement in Peace Mission
To say that the rules of engagement in every peacekeeping mission be reviewed is an understatement. - Holidays And Celebrations Across The World
It's a well-known fact that people around the globe celebrate in many different ways and for a wide - Protecting and Saving Tigers in India
The Indian government is running a campaign to save the tigers. Tiger is a charismatic animal playin - Preparing For 2012 - Some Practical Precautions
Many people believe that according to the ancient Mayan calendar, the world is coming to an end in 2 - Can GM Crops Feed and Save the World?
GM crops and the great debate has been around for 10 years and are people any closer to working out
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Ghoulish Games For Halloween
Halloween is a fun time for children. Adults presume that the plethora of sugary treats is what make - Exotic Vacations In Venezuela
Many families rely on the familiar when they are picking a vacation destination. Places like Disneyl - Unique Christmas Cards
Christmas cards come every year. You put them on the mantle and the TV or the refrigerator. At times - The Secrets Of Teaching Disaster Preparedness
Headlines are full of hurricanes, earthquakes, bird flu, terrorism, and other dangers of the world i - Bolivia, The Poorest South American Economy
People who reside in Bolivia are faced with having to overcome the fact that they live in the poores - Farc - The Revolutionary Armed Forces Of Colombia
The FARC is an organization that has long been active in Colombia. Currently numbering in the thousa - Book Review: Thanks For The Memories: Love, Sex And World War II
World War II changed things, "the lives of American men and women would never be the same. The Unite - World Globes-When Ordinary Just Won't Do
Traditional world globes are not typically found on many shopping lists. But, shopping during the ho - Global Warming Causes
One of the most serious environmental crises facing us today is global warming. It is the gradual in - Buying Property In France
At first glance it is easy to see why France is one of Europe's top tourist attractions, from the el