Language:
German
Year of publication:
2000
Titel der Quelle:
Geschichte in Wissenschaft und Unterricht
Angaben zur Quelle:
51,12 (2000) 727-741
Keywords:
Stroop, Jürgen,
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Sources
;
World War, 1939-1945 Photography
;
Warsaw (Poland) History Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1943
Abstract:
Discusses the series of photos accompanying the Stroop report on the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto. These were apparently selected and arranged by Stroop himself to show his efficient execution of the operation. They show Jews not as resistance fighters but as helpless victims, and reinforce stereotypes of their subhuman character. The picture of the little boy at the head of a column of Jews driven from a building is an exception: the Jews look clean and orderly. Analyzes the composition of this picture, asking whether its aesthetic qualities help account for its psychological impact and its status as a central icon for the Holocaust. Points to the danger of accepting pictures as icons, and those depicted in them as mere symbols of the victims (or perpetrators) without an individual identity and a life history. Suggests ways for teachers to use the picture of the little boy to reverse this process by stimulating pupils' imagination and empathy.
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