Elie Weisel’s Night

Overview Elie Weisel’s Life The Holocaust

1928 Born in Sighet, Romania Population of 15,000 Jewish souls before World War II Only a handful of them live in the town today

1944 Deported to Auschwitz - Auschwitz was a Nazi death camp during the Holocaust Over 4 million Nazi prisoners died Mostly Europeans of Jewish decent Prisoners were transported there from 20 different countries. Elie Weisel’s family perished while at the death camp Liberated by Russian troops on January 27, 1945

1958 Night is published 1986 Awarded Nobel Peace Prize Brings attention to a topic that had previously been considered hard to address. Caters new approach to studying the Holocaust 1986 Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Holocaust Not one event, cause or person, it was a movement. Collection of Fascism, irresponsible civic leadership, strong propaganda and economic depression. Systematic persecution and eventual murder of the Jewish population in Europe. Anyone not considered perfect: gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, Catholics and mentally retarded and/or handicapped and disabled people were all victimized. Hitler is responsible for the death of OVER six million (6,000,000) Jewish people, alone.

January 1933 The National Socialists Party overthrew the German government with a plan to take over the rest of Europe. Their ideas about government were extremely radical and violent. They blamed much of their country’s problems on immigrants and the Jewish population. January 30, 1933 – Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, his National Socialists Party gains control of the government three months later.

1939-1940 Jewish people were forced to where a yellow star on their clothing at all times and in the window of their homes and businesses.

1941-1944 Arrested Jewish people being transferred to a train station to be sent to a concentration camp.

1944 -1945 Concentration camps were a way for Hitler and his Nazi party to systematically remove Jewish people from Germany and the countries under his power. Never in the history of man has there been such an organized way of genocide. Pictures like this one help us remember so it won’t happen again. Picture of some of the dead outside the crematory in Dauche, a concentration camp near Munich

March 1945 Women prisoners waiting to be registered in the Bergen-Belson concentration camp. Prisoners in Auschwitz Concentration Camping

May 7, 1945 Germany surrenders May 7, 1945. May 8 is considered Victory in Europe Day or VE Day!