HISTORY
OF THE
HOLOCAUST
Jewish
Studies 3521/Religious Studies
352l/History 3727 Fall, 2004
Dr. Stephen Feinstein, Director, Center
for Holocaust and Genocide
Studies
Hist 3727W/RelS 3251/JwSt 3521 sec
001 11:15-12:30PM TTh
350 Anderson Hall
(1)
Note
also that this course does not count
toward fulfilling the historical
perspectives requirement of the
Department of History. Consult with an
advisor in the History Department to
clarify this issue.
Goals of the Course:
(2)
"The Holocaust cannot be thought
because it cannot be exhausted by
historical narration. It remains
elusive, uncontained, a putative
mystery because the categories by which
such immensities are grasped seem
inadequate and trivial." Arthur
Cohen, The Tremendum.
(3)
"I was there for about two years. Time
there is not the same as it is on
earth. Each moment there moves at its
own speed. The inhabitants of this
planet had no names. They did not dress
as we dress here. They were not born
here, nor did they give birth. They
breathed by other laws of nature. I
believe with all my heart that as in
astrology, the stars influence our
fate. So the ash-planet Auschwitz
stands over this earth and influences
it."
Ka-Tzetnik 135633 on Auschwitz
From "The 81st Blow," film from
Lochemai Hagetaot.
(4)
Despite the introductory statements
which indicate the difficulties in
understanding the Holocaust, this
course will attempt to document and
analyze this event and what it
represents--in particular, the
background, development and systematic
extermination of European Jews by the
Nazis. Not only were Jews affected by
Nazi policy, but others labeled
"undesirable" or "subhuman" were also
exterminated in this process--gypsies,
political and religious opponents,
homosexuals. If one studies the history
of the second World War, one might come
away believing that the extermination
of the Jews was simply a footnote to
history. Recent historical thought,
however, has suggested that the very
reason for the War might be directly
linked to Hitler's desire to kill Jews.
In this course, particular attention
will be given to the phenomenon of
anti-Semitism, in both its religious
and secular forms, to the relationship
between mass murder or genocide and the
growth of bureaucracy and technology,
and to the challenges posed by the
Holocaust for religious and humanistic
beliefs and values.
(5)
Because of recent events in the
post-Cold War World, there is a certain
potency to studying the Holocaust as an
event, as it may now be said to
foreshadow the destruction of human
beings that has begun anew in the
former Yugoslavia and famine and
politically-linked killing in Africa
and Asia. In this course, however,
it is hoped to make a definitive
definitional line between genocide and
Holocaust, as the latter word is
often misused. The Holocaust may be
called the event that produced the word
genocide, invented by Raphael Lemkin in
1944. However, it may be said
that the word "holocaust" has been so
misused that it now has to be modified.
At his trial in Milwaukee a few years
ago, serial killer Jeffrey Dalmer
said "I created a real Holocaust."
Anti-abortion activists have used the
phrase "holocaust of the unborn."
Whatever your views on the subject, it
is important for each movement to
create its own vocabulary and not to
appropriate words and imagery from
another movement. The word "holocaust"
was in use well before World War II, as
it means a "burnt offering,"
having religious connotations. Popular
use of the word before 1945 usually
meant a terrible accident, as in a
train crash. Now, using the word
"Holocaust" for events other than the
destruction of the Jews banalizes this
and other events. The Roma/Sinti
community (gypsies) has its own word to
describe their fate in World War
II-porrajmos. They are generally
considered victims of the Holocaust.
So, part of the course will implicitly
deal with the changing vocabulary
associated with genocidal events.
The course will depend on several
techniques:
1. Lectures for basic introduction and
explanations.
2. Class discussion&emdash;insofar as
possible in a large class.
3. Reading books on syllabus for paper
writing and some analtyical thought
about the meaning of the Holocaust.
4. Utilization of films and video taped
materials which will hopefully raise
more questions and provide some graphic
illustrations of the Holocaust's
dimensions.
5. Utilization of guest speakers--in
particular, a Holocaust survivor.
PLEASE NOTE: The work expected on the
papers and the questions on the final
exam are based upon the idea that
students will attend class. If you
cannot come to class on a regular
basis, please do not take the
class.
Please note: this course has been
designated as writing intensive. See
below for requirements.
Writing-intensive (W-I) courses
integrate writing with course content
and provide a variety of formal and
informal occasions for students to
write. In the course "The History
of the Holocaust" special attention is
payed to formal writing characteristic
for the field of history.
Students are asked to write papers in
which they critically reflect on
different aspects of the Holocaust
discussed in class and the assigned
books. In the papers students
should make a topic-related statement
which they follow consistently. Great
attention is also payed to the
organization, content, wording, and
citation techniques of the
paper.
What makes a course
W-I?
- On
one (1) assignment, students receive
feedback on a paper that can be
revised before submitting it for a
final grade. Before updating the
paper, students should consult
either with the instructor during
office hours or the teaching
assistants. Do not just correct
the errors pointed out in the
text. Read all comments and
assess if there is some fundamental
issue that needs to be corrected.
Students have time to rewrite one
paper until December
14.
- The
course grade is directly tied to the
quality of the student's writing and
to knowledge of the course
content.
What
can I expect in a W-I
course?
- Opportunities
to get feedback on
writing.
- Writing
assignments that help you learn
course material.
- Writing
assignments that help you learn
about the way scholars in various
fields write and think.
Events
and guest speakers involving the
Holocaust will be announced. Check web
site for the Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies for events and useful
information, especially via links, on
issues raised in this course.
Please note that the policies of most
universities and professors is not to
"debate" whether the Holocaust took
place or not. Deniers would enjoy this
game. It is not a question of equal
time, nor free speech. The Turkish
government denies the Armenian Genocide
of 1915 and Serbs and Croatians in the
Former Yugoslavia deny mass rape as a
weapon in Bosnia and Kossovo during the
1990s.
Required texts: Available from
the bookstore for purchase. Used
copies may be available at local
bookstores.
You can also order on line from
Amazon.com and other providers.
Yehuda Bauer. A
History of the Holocaust. 2nd
edition. ISBN 0531-15576. Watts
Publishers.
Primo Levi.
Survival in Auschwitz. (Free
Press/Scribner $12.00) Scribner; ISBN:
068482680
Charlotte
Delbo, Auschwitz and After.
(Yale). ISBN 0-300-07057.
Christopher
Browning. Ordinary Men. (Harper
Collins $14.00) Harperperennial
Library; ISBN: 0060995068
Alan S.
Rosenbaum. Is the Holocaust
Unique? Westview Publishers. ISBN
0-8133-2642-7
Books may be available cheaper
and in used editions or faster
via:
Amazon.com
ABEBOOKS.COM
Second Hand Books&emdash;several
Twin Cities locations
Midway Books, Snelling and
University, St. Paul
Requirements for the Course:
Students are expected to attend
class regularly and to read
assigned material ahead of
time. The degree of preparation
that you bring with you will have an
obvious relationship to the quality of
your participation in the class
sessions. The reading above may appear
extensive, but several books are very
short. In addition, as this is a 3
credit course, it is presumed that much
of the learning is from reading and
critical writing. In case you
think you already know all that is to
be known about the Holocaust, try to
discard that view and search for new
ideas and truths.
There are three writing
assignments for this class. There
will be an in-class final
exam, but no
mid-term. Students should read
the weekly reading assignments in
advance as it may add to your
understanding of the material and also
to the class discussion. We will have
some discussions of the books in class
when they are due for
reports. Participation in
class discussion can have a positive
impact of your grade.
Please read a copy of the University
regulations regarding late assignments
and missed examinations. Late
assignments will be graded
down. For every week late,
the paper will be downgraded one letter
grade. All assignments are
expected to be handed in.
Remember a late assignment is better
than no assignment. Incompletes
are given only for bona fide illness or
absence related to a University event.
This is in fairness to other students
in the course. If you have such a
problem situation and need an "I,"
please give me short note so I won't
forget about it. If you have
difficulties with the assignment,
please be in touch in person during
office hours or by email. If you notice
problems during your writing process,
please consult your teaching assistant
or the instructor in time.
Note
following:
1st Note: In order to have a scale of
fairness in grading, papers should be
handed in when due. Lateness allowed
only for illness or family-related
matters of significance.
2nd Note: If you intend to not come to
class, do not count on doing well. If
you prefer to sleep in class, I hope it
is not because of the lecture and
discussion, but better to sleep
somewhere else.
3rd Note: Graded papers are brought
to class twice only. After that time,
it is your obligation to pick them
up.
4th note: Keep files of all papers
until you have received graded papers
back.
CLASS WEB PAGE: There is also
a WEB CT PAGE FOR THIS COURSE:
WEBCT3.umn.edu and then log on with
your id for the server. The WEB CT will
have all handouts from class that may
serve as outlines for studying and for
understanding certain themes.
You are automatically registered with
classweb, and will be shown what
classes you are eligible to access,
which is this case is either JWST 3521,
RELST 3521 or HISTORY 3727. If you have
problems accessing the site, please
call 624-HELP (624-4357). The site will
have class outlines, downloadable
assignments, calendar of events and
other items of interest.
Assignments:
This course has been designated
as writing intensive and fulfills that
requirement. Under the guidelines for
writing intensive courses, one paper
may be rewritten if the grade falls
below an "A." Consultations are also
available with the instructor or
teaching assistants for the course.
(Please note that all rewrites of
papers must be accompanied by the
original when turned in as a
rewrite.)
If you are inexperienced in writing
essay papers, please consider spending
some time at the writing
laboratory. A short experience
there may ease the burden of writing
and help with performance on all levels
of your university career.Concerning
the content and organization of the
paper visit with writing tutors of
the History Department (Social
Science Building, First Floor). If you
need improvement of your writing
ability, visit the Student Writing
Center in Lind Hall
(http://swc.umn.edu/tutor.htm).
Please note that updates may be given
in class. Therefore, the syllabus is a
tentative guide and attending class is
critical to correct fulfillment of the
assignments.
Please understand that the proposed
questions below are meant to stimulate
your own critical thinking. You do
not have to answer all these
questions but should focus on
one or two larger topics which are
addressed in the assigned books.
a. RE: Browning: Write
a 6-8 page paper on
Browning's book about Ordinary
Men. Some suggested investigative
lines: What does Browning's
work say about institutions and
individuals we may take for granted, as
well as human behavior? Who might
become a perpetrator? How would you
define heroism and resistance after
reading this book? What does the book
say about Nazism and "ordinary
Germans?" What type of resistance
to the mass murder took place
among Police Battalion 101? How did it
manifest itself? What issues are
brought forth here that you understood
already? What perspectives are new? Why
is resistance a hard issue to deal
with? DUE : SEPTEMBER 30
b. RE: MEMOIRS: Students are to
write a 8-10 page report/analysis
utilizing the works by Levi
and Delbo bringing together
the main ideas and arguments in a
contrast arrangement. Levi speaks as an
Italian Jew and male survivor who was
in Auschwitz-Buna (Camp 3);
Delbo speaks as a French non-Jew, a
politicalprisoner because of arrest,
deportation and survival also at
Auschwitz. Focus on how the
accounts are similar, and how they
differ. What does each work teach about
the Holocaust, about the camps, and
about survival? How does gender affect
the texture of the writing? How does
each work contribute to our
understanding of the Holocaust.
You may include some personal responses
to these works in the text, and you may
focus on several issues or questions
that intrigue you. You need not
summarize the book, but focus on some
critical approaches. DUE:
OCTOBER 28
c. RE: Rosenbaum Is The
Holocaust Unique? raises the
question of how one views the Holocaust
in a comparative framework with the
word genocide. You may have been
thinking about other genocides during
the semester and how the extermination
of the Jews relates to Native American
Genocide, recent events in Cambodia,
Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo, plus other
groups victimized in Europe and Asia:
Poles, Ukrainians, Roma/Sinti,
Armenians, evens in Asia during World
War II and political-religious groups.
View this work as a provocation on many
levels, and respond to the issues
raised about the "uniqueness of the
Holocaust," how the study of the
Holocaust may have been an inspiration
for the study of other genocides, and
the problems which occur when one gets
into comparative suffering. Keep in
mind that the academic study of the
Holocaust is not interested in
comparing numbers of victims. Does this
book in any change your understanding
of the Holocaust? Length of paper
recommended: 7-9 pages. DUE:
November 23.
Discussion sections will afford
students to talk about issues in
writing the papers as well as more
extended discussions of elements in the
class.
Note:
Under writing intensive rules, you are
permitted in this class to rewrite one
paper. Procedure is as
follows:
- consult
with a TA about the paper and the
grade and how it may be
improved.
- go
over points that need improvement.
The rewrite should not only include
changes on areas of the original
that are marked with
questions.
- you
may want to consult the writing
center.
- hand
in the revised paper
Grading
proportions:
each paper is 25% plus 25% for the
final examination.
TENTATIVE
SESSIONS: Reading chapters indicated
below will keep you ahead of the
lectures. Note some topics may go
longer, some shorter. Take special note
of maps and images in Bauer
TOPICS
ARE FOR THE WEEK OF: (two sessions per
week)
Week
1: September 7 &
9 Introduction and
assignments Some discussion about
the Holocaust and genocide, and the
uniqueness of the Holocaust. Beginning
of discussion of background, who is a
Jew?, various types of anti-Judaism and
anti-Semitism through the ages
Week 2: September 14 and
16: Religious anti-Judaism and its
relationship to the Holocaust. Martin
Luther and the Jews. The condition of
German and East European Jews in the
l9th century; the rise of racism. Race
versus religion as a factor in the
Holocaust. Read: Bauer, Chapter 2. Read
Christopher Browning.
Week 3: September 21 and
23: Imperialism and the Armenian
genocide as precedent. World War
I and afternath, Weimar Republic. Rise
of Nazism, legalization of terror in
Germany. Film: Selection from Nazi
propaganda film, "The Eternal Jew."
"Europa, Europa"-5 minute out-take.
Read: Bauer, Chapters 3 and 4.
Week 4: September
28 and 30:The structure of Nazism,
consolidation of power, leadership and
bureaucracy, formation of the Jewish
question in German history and Hitler's
mind and writings. The beginnings of
the Holocaust and the War against the
Soviet Union. Bauer, chapter 5 Read
Browning. First paper due
SEPTEMBER 30
Of interest: Borderlands Conference,
Center for German and European Studies,
CHGS, Center for Austrian Studies and
IGS.
Week 5: October 5 & 7:Who is
the perpetrator? Psychological aspects
of authority and obedience. Film: "The
Milgram Experiment." Discussion
of Nuremberg Laws, 1935.
Bauer, 6. Jews as a Public Health
Problem: Biomedical ethics and the
Holocaust.
Excerpts from film on Euthanasia
program/T-4. Begin reading Levi and
Delbo if you have not already done
so.
Week 6: October 12 and 14:
Discussion of selection, victimization
process. Reading for the
week: Excerpt from
film about medical killing. Read
Bauer, Appendix p.383. "Himmler's
Reflections on the Treatment of the
Peoples of the East." Film
about Primo Levi.
Week 7: October 19 and
21: Analysis of sections of
Claude Lanzmann's film, "Shoah." Class
participation and response is
essential. Escape routes and the
world's reaction. Bauer Chapter
7, 8
Week 8: October 26 &
28: The war in Poland and the
USSR.. Discussion of selection and
victimization process. The Final
Solution. Analysis of text of Wansee
Protocol. Architecture and central
planning at Auschwitz. Einsatzgruppen
in Russia. Life in the
Ghetto. Bauer 7/8/9
Second paper due October
28
Week 9: November 2 and
November 4: Discussion of Primo Levi
and Charlotte Delbo. Students
should think about questions relating
to: representation of the camps;
memory; how memory is formed;
forgetting; styles of writing and
approaching the Holocaust; gendered
memoirs; Jews and non-Jews in the
camps; other
questions. Start
reading Rosenbaum.
November 4: Guest speaker-Holocaust
survivor
ALSO VOTE FOR SOMEBODY!
Week 10: November 9 and
11: The destruction
of Jews in Western Europe and Southern
Europe: Norway, France, Italy, The Low
Countries, Croatia and
Serbia. Issue of "multiple
genocides." Perpetrators and their
actions. The language of Nazism. What
the world knew and how it
responded.
Week 11: November 16
and 18: Rescue issues and
Bystanders. Was "rescue" possible once
the war started? Film about
Rescue in Denmark and Altruism and
religious based responses and
Resistance :Film: "Weapons of the
Spirit." (Rescue in Le Chambon
Sur Lignon, 30 minute version).
Bauer, 10, 12.
(6)
Week
11: November 23: No
class November 25. Resistance in
the ghettos and camps, the role of the
Judenrat, problems of survival after
the end of the War. Jewish complicity
or inaction during the Holocaust? Other
victims of Nazism: Gypsies, question of
victimization of the Poles.
Homosexuals, Communists, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Priests. Bauer chapter
11.
Third paper due on November
23.
Week 12: November 30 and
December 2: Nuremberg trials and
hunting war criminals, some of the
issues that affect life in the l990s
and beyond. The DP camps, post-war
refugee questions, and establishment of
the State of Israel. Ongoing questions
of German responsibility and
reparations. Bauer 13.
Week 13. December 7
and 9: Post-Holocaust Theology I: The
theological and philosophical
implications of the Holocaust on modern
Christian and Jewish thinking. Issues
of "death of God" and "reasons for
God's silence. Readings
from Christian sources may be handed
out.
Week 14: December 14
and 16: Other post-Holocaust issues: DP
camps, memory of the Holocaust and
memorialization Aftermath and
relationship of the Holocaust to
creation of State of Israel. Holocaust
Denial and the contextualization of
other genocides. Bauer
14. Other genocides and
post-Holocaust questions about
representation and historiography.
Revised paper for WI Requirement due
by December 14.
FINAL
EXAMINATION: 01:30pm - 03:30pm
Wednesday, December 22.
Finals schedule can be found at:
http://onestop.umn.edu/registrar/calendars/fall_finals.html
See study sheet on Web
CT.
OPTIONAL DISCUSSION (TRAILER)
SECTION: Because of student
requests from past semesters, there is
an optional 1 credit discussion
section available and has just been
added. Students interested should also
register for HISTORY 3970, SECTION 4
(10:10-11AM TUESDAYS, FOLWELL HALL 326)
OR SECTION 6, THURSDAY, 10:10-11 AM
SOCIAL SCIENCES 1383.
STUDENTS IN DISCUSSION SECTION SHOULD
SEND TO THE INSTRUCTOR BY EMAIL TWO
QUESTIONS BEFORE EACH SESSION. THERE IS
ALSO A WEB CT SITE FOR GENERAL
DISCUSSION
Dr.
Feinstein's telephone: Office:
626-2235. EMAIL:
feins001@tc.umn.edu.
Feel free to ask questions or make
appointments via email. Don't bother
calling if you are doing so to inform
me you are missing class. Office
Hours: On Class days before class
or by appointment. I am in my
office every day of the week, usually
between 10AM and 4PM. Mail box
100 Nolte West Entrance Papers may be
delivered only into the letter drop
there.