LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) — Among the iconic images of the Holocaust the ubiquitous sign “Arbeit macht frei” (work makes you free) is easily among the most recognizable. Erected at the entrance of major concentration camps like Dachau, Sachsenhausen and Auschwitz, the sign constituted a cruel taunt to prisoners who had little hope of ever being set free. The sign poses a puzzle to anyone who ponders the role of forced labor in Nazi Germany and its occupied territories.
How did the exploitation of men, women, and children in countless camps across Europe and North Africa fit into National Socialist ideology? What was the role of fascism in this ideology? And how did the victorious allies punish the Nazis for imprisoning and enslaving hundreds of thousands of people? All too often these questions are sidelined by the understandable focus on mass murder. Despite major advances in Holocaust historiography over the last several decades, however, scholars still grapple with these issues.
This year’s series of public events explores the topic of labor and exploitation from various angles. At the core of the series stands the enigma of how individuals can be made to oppress, imprison and exploit their fellow human beings.
Series Opener
Soviet Judgment at Nuremberg: A New History of the International Military Tribunal after World War II with Francine Hirsch. Wednesday, October 12 | 5 p.m. PT | Virtual
The International Military Tribunal, colloquially known as the Nuremberg Trials, constituted a remarkable conclusion to the “grand alliance,” the tenuous collaboration of the Americans, British, and Soviets to defeat Nazi Germany. For understandable reasons, Westerners tend to see the tribunal through American eyes. A Soviet perspective shifts the focus on a little-known aspect of postwar history: the unexpected contribution of Stalin’s Soviet Union to the development of international law. Registration is open and required.
Registration information coming soon!
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 2, 2022 | 5 p.m. PT: Eyewitness Djelfa: Daily Life in a Saharan Vichy Labor Camp featuring Aomar Boum
January 18, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT: What’s Fascism Got to Do With it? The Ideological Origins of the Holocaust featuring Federico Finchelstein
February 8, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT: The Wave: Experiencing Fascism in the Classroom featuring Joel Dimsdale, Ron Jones, Mark Hancock and Philip Neel
March 8, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT: Love in the Shadow of Genocide: The Intimate Life of German Jews after the Holocaust featuring Christian Bailey
March 29, 2023 5 p.m. PT: Details Forthcoming
April 26, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT: My Name is Staszek Surdel: The Improbable Survival of Nathan Poremba featuring Joel Poremba
May 17, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT: Profits and Persecution: German Big Business and the Holocaust featuring Peter Hayes
All events are free and open to the public. Please register for each event by clicking on the relevant link. To register by phone, call (858) 534-3061 and leave a message that includes your first and last name, the first and last names of any guests and your email address. You will be sent an email confirmation once your registration is confirmed. Reminders will be sent before each event.
For more information, contact project manager Susanne Hillman at shillman@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-7661. You may also visit our website at library.ucsd.edu/hlhw.
*
Preceding provided by the Holocaust Living History Workshop at UC San Diego