A Trail of Nazi Genocide

 A Trail of Nazi Genocide

Mass Murder in Europe

This post provides an index of places associated with the Nazis’ reign of terror across Europe.

The Nazis intentionally and systematically murdered about 17 million people identified as enemies of the German people or undesirables. The largest and most targeted group were the Jews but many others were specifically targeted as well. 

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There are four sections to this post.

  1.  An index with links to posts of places I have visited associated with the genocide

  2.  A brief description of the scope of the genocide

  3.  A timeline of select events by year, month, date.

  4.  Resources: Books and Films I have reviewed and a selection of articles I have read.

1. An A to Z index of Nazi Terror: Museums, Memorials, Sites

Anne Frank museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Auschwitz 1, Poland; concentration camp

Auschwitz II (Birkenau) Poland; concentration camp

Bergen-Belsen, Germany; concentration camp

Euthanasia Memorial (Aktion T4), Berlin Germany

Hitler's Bunker site, Berlin, Germany

Gleis 17 Memorial Berlin, Germany

Holocaust memorial, Berlin, Germany

Krakow Ghetto, Poland

Nuremberg Coliseum, Zeppelin Field, Courthouse (Nazi trials)

Operation Anthropoid, Assassination of Heydrich in Prague

Oskar Schindler Factory Museum Krakow Poland

Roma & Sinti Memorial Berlin, Germany

Sachsenhausen camp, Oranienburg, Germany

Shoes on the Danube Memorial, Budapest, Hungary

Terezin (Theresienstadt) camp, Czech Republic

Topographies Des Terror Museum, Berlin, Germany

United States Holocaust Museum, Washington, DC

Wannsee Conference Memorial -  Likely site of the Final Solution - Murder of the Jews

Westerbork Transit Camp, Netherlands

Museums with Related Information

Imperial War Museum, London, UK

World War II Museum - Road to Berlin, New Orleans, Louisiana USA

2. A Brief Description of Nazi Genocide 1930s to 1945

The Nazi worldview identified groups of people unworthy of life in the German Reich. As they rose to power in Germany in the 1930s and throughout their war, they systematically dehumanized targeted groups and passed laws to discriminate against them. In the 1940s, Nazi terror increased. Millions were brutally terrorized, tortured, and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. The nazis focused most of their efforts on the extermination of the Jews, who were identified as the primary enemy of the German people. By 1945, the Nazis and their collaborators had murdered some 6 million Jews. Although the term holocaust can mean the systematic murder of a group of people, it is commonly used to mean the extermination of the Jews most evident in the large-scale gassing and burning in the death camps.

I use the term genocide to include all people murdered by the Nazis and their sympathizers, which has been estimate at around 17 million (O’Neill, 2024, August 9). Additional groups of people murdered by the Nazis and their supporters included those in the list below (see the Holocaust Encyclopedia).

  Africans or Blacks

  Homosexuals (the older and insulting term for gays)

  Jehovah’s Witnesses

  People with disabilities

  Poles

  Political enemies and members of the resistance

  Roma and Sinti called gypsies

  Social outcasts identified as asocials, professional criminals

  Soviet POWs

The Nazis murdered millions by shootings, lethal injections, mobile gas units, starvation, brutal beatings, nontreatment of diseases, deadly experiments, and life-threatening work assignments. In 1941 to 1942, they built killing centres where Nazis and their collaborators gassed and burned Jews.

3. A Timeline of select events

1933 

January 30: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. 

March 22: The first concentration camp, Dachau, is established.

Law passed to sterilise unfit people (Law for the prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring)

1935 

April 30: Jews cannot display the German flag.

May 12: Antisemitism increases in Poland after dictator Pilsuduski died

June 26: Law amendment requires abortion of unfit fetuses up to 6 months.

September 15: Nuremberg Laws are enacted, stripping Jews of their citizenship and rights.

November 15: Christian churches cooperate to identify Christians.

1936

February 4: Polish Cardinal August Hlond advocates discrimination against Jews.

September 7: Jewish assets taxed at 25%

September 23: Sachsenhausen concentration camp opens.

1937

April 24: Pastor Martin Niemoller "it is unfortunate that God perimitted Jesus to be born a Jew." (HC, P. 117)

July 15: Buchenwald concentration camp established

1938 

January 21: Romania Jews lose their citizenship

March 12: German laws govern Austria after the troops arrive

April 23: Jews in Vienna rounded up and forced to eat grass

May 3: Concentration camp at Flossenburg established

June 4: Dr. Sigmund Freud left his Vienna home for London with his wife Marth and daughter Anna.

July 25: Germany cancels licenses of Jewish doctors

August 10 destruction of The Great Synagogue, Nuremberg

November 9-10: Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), a violent pogrom against Jews in Germany and Austria.

1939 

September 1: World War II begins with the invasion of Poland. 

September 6, Nazis enter Krakow, Poland

September: Murder of people with disabilities began (T4 Programme)

October 8: Establishment of the first Jewish ghettos in Poland.

1940 

May 20: Auschwitz concentration camp is established. 

October 12: Warsaw Ghetto is established.

1941 

June 22: Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, begins. 

September 3: First mass murder at Auschwitz using Zyklon B (c 600 Soviet, 250 Poles)

September 29-30: Babi Yar massacre, where over 33,000 Jews are killed in Kiev. 

December 8: Chelmno extermination camp begins operations.

1942 

January 20: Wannsee Conference, where the "Final Solution" is planned. 

March 01: Auschwitz begins operation

March 17: Belzec extermination camp begins operations. 

May 4: SS selection/ murder begins at Birkenau

May 27: Czechs attack Reinhard Heydrich, he dies soon after

July 23: Treblinka extermination camp begins operations.

July 29: Edward Schulte, informs allies 499 Jews murdered at Auschwitz, Himmler present

April 19: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. 

September: Dr. Viktor Frankl began four-camp imprisonment at  Theresienstadt

October 14: Sobibor extermination camp uprising.

1943

February 26: Gypsy camp set for "Gypsies"

1944 

February 28: Corrie ten Boom arrested (The Hiding Place story)

May 15: Deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz begins. 

May: Hungarian Edith Eva Eger deported to Auschwitz (later became a psychologist; published The Choice in 2017)

July 10-12 Nazis murder 7,000 Jews at Theresienstadt

October 7: Auschwitz-Birkenau Sonderkommando uprising.

December 31: Corrie ten Boom released

1945 

January 17: Death march begins c 60,000 from Auschwitz

January 21-26: Nazis blow up gas chambers and crematoria at Birkenau

January 27: Liberation of c 7,000 at Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet forces. January 27 is Holocaust Memorial Day

February: Approximate date, Anne Frank died from Typhus, age 15

April 15: Liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British forces. 

May 5: Liberation of Mauthausen by American forces. 

May 8: Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe.

June 26: London Conference-decisions on procedures for Nazi trials

November 20: Nuremberg trials begin for 24 Nazis

1946

October 1: Nuremberg trials end

1947

April 30: Karl Rahm, commander of Theresienstadt found guilty, hanged

4. Resources

Books and Films

Inheritance: A Legacy of Hatred and the Journey to Change It (film)

Man's Search for Meaning by survivor, Victor Frankl

Schindler's List (film)

The Choice: Embrace the Possible by survivor and psychologist, Edith Eger

The Light of Days

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness,  by Simon Wiesenthal

Articles

O’Neill, A. (2024, August 9). Number of victims of the holocaust and nazi persecution 1933-1945, by background. statista.com. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071011/holocaust-nazi-persecution-victims-wwii/

Stone L. (2019). Quantifying the Holocaust: Hyperintense kill rates during the Nazi genocide. Science advances, 5(1), eaau7292. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau7292

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About me...

Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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Notes

HC The Holocaust Chronicle ON AMAZON

Checkpoint Charlie Berlin Germany

 

Checkpoint Charlie is a symbol of the Cold War period (1945 - 1991) when East and West Berlin were separated. The American sector was on the West side and the Soviet sector on the East side.

The American guard house is a popular tourist attraction. The name Charlie refers to border crossing checkpoint "C."

The checkpoint is the location of the Berlin Crisis in 1961 when US and Soviet tanks faced off against each other on either side of the border. The border wall was erected in 1961.

The site has been featured in several films:

  1983 Octopussy (A James Bond film)

  1965 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold  (Richard Burton, Claire Bloom)

  2015 Bridge of Spies (Tom Hanks)

  2015 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.   

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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Google Map showing the location of the checkpoint and the related museum nearby.

Grosvenor Square London England

 Grosvenor Square is a garden park in Mayfair, which is a district in Westminster, London. The park is named after the Duke of Westminster.

A statue honours president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. People all over the UK contributed to the memorial, which was unveiled by Mrs. Roosevelt  with King George VI on 12 April 1948.

In 2023, Grosvenor hosted Mayfair's Coronation Garden Party.

More history

John Adams was the first to establish an American presence nearby in 1785. The house is still there on the corner of Brook and Duke Streets.

A memorial honours Eagle Squadron--244 Americans served in the Royal Air Force before the US entered WW II.

Eagle Squadron/ Grosvenor Square
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Later, General Dwight D. Eisenhower established his quarters at 20 Grosvenor Square. The building was used by the US Navy until 2009.

For years, the US Embassy was nearby until they moved to their new location.

There's a commemorative stone placed on the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

And there's a memorial garden to the 67 British victims of 11 September 2001.

Google Map of Grosvenor Square London

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Historic St Charles Missouri

St Charles Christmas Market 2022 /suttong.com

St Charles Missouri was Missouri's first State Capitol between 1801 and 1826.

We stopped by for the annual Christmas market and parade. Parking at the historic Lewis and Clark Boathouse, pictured below, soon filled up.

Further along by the river is the old railroad station.

The Missouri River runs parallel to Main Street where locals and visitors gathered to watch the parade event between shopping and eating.

St Charles MO / G Sutton 2022

A vendor sells chestnuts and wassail.

St Charles MO/ G Sutton 2022

The sign to the left marks the old trail to Fort Osage, established August 25, 1808. General Clark and his men were guided by Nathan Boone, son of Daniel Boone as they headed west.

We saw a variety of Christmas gifts and lots of food-- a sample.

You can hear these women sing in the video below.

The Mistletoe Misses

The English Shop got my attention--but I think they should call it British.

At the end of the parade, Santa appeared.

There's a touch of international flavour.

Here's a video of the Christmas parade we watched 4 December 2022.

About St Charles, Missouri

St. Charles, Missouri, has a rich history that dates back to 1769 when it was founded by French Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette as Les Petites Côtes (The Little Hills). The city was initially under Spanish control and later became known as San Carlos Borromeo before finally being renamed St. Charles.

In 1804, St. Charles gained historical significance as the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The city also served as Missouri's first state capital from 1821 to 18262. Throughout the 19th century, German settlers contributed to the area's development, establishing a thriving wine region and bringing their culture and commerce.

Today, St. Charles is known for its historic sites, charming downtown, and annual festivals that celebrate its rich heritage. It continues to be a vibrant community with a deep appreciation for its history.

One of their biggest festivals is Heritage Days -- a re-enactment of Lewis & Clark's 1804 camp.

St Charles is less than a half-hour west of St Louis where we visited other sites during our Christmas getaway.

Click for Google Map

See other St Louis Area posts

Wild Lights at St Louis Zoo

GLOW at Missouri Botanical Gardens

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Southampton, England, UK

Southampton 28 July 2022/ Geoff Sutton

Southampton is a deep water port in the historic county of Hampshire, which is on the south coast of England.

Here's an aerial view created with Bing in 2023. Southampton is a busy port with hundreds of visits by cruise ships each year.

We arrived by train at Southampton Central and took a ferry to the Isle of Wight as part of our pre-cruise plans.

After two days on the Isle of Wight where we toured the historic Queen Victoria and Albert's Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle, we returned to Southampton and walked about the historic waterfront area.

The Mayflower Memorial built in 1913 for the 300th anniversary celebrations. The transatlantic voyage of the Mayflower and the Speedwell began near here 15 August 1620.

There are two plaques. One for the Wampanoag -- The People of the Dawn-- who were residents of the area where the ships landed for some 12,000 years. The other is for the many migrants who came through Southampton or made it their home.

Historic Tavern and Old City wall, Southampton

The wall dates to about 1350.

Platform Tavern, Southampton, 1873

God's House Tower built in the 1400s to protect the sluice gates.

In the 1700s, it was a debtor's prison and felon's gaol.

Street art, Southampton

Southampton Old Bowling Green--the World's oldest bowling green dating to about 1299 (which sounds older than about 1300).

Related posts

Cruising the UK

Visiting London Sites

Places to visit in the UK

Please check out my website   www.suttong.com

   and see my books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Also, consider connecting with me on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   X @Geoff.W.Sutton    

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Travel Notes

We purchased a return (roundtrip) ticket on a direct train from Waterloo station in London after flying into Heathrow.

Visitors may save money with a UK Railcard Pass.

In 2022, you could board a National Coach at Heathrow airport to Southampton.

There are two ferries to the Isle of Wight. One is only for passengers. The other is for passengers and vehicles. It makes a difference where you want to go on the island.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, which was within walking distance to the ferry and cruise terminals.

 

Castletown D-Day Centre Portland UK

Castletown D-Day Centre is a recreation of the Portland Dockyard in 1944. Thousands of US troops of the 5th US Corps and US 1st Infantry began their brave and treacherous journey to Normandy.

I stopped by after visiting Weymouth on my way back to the cruise ship. The local shuttle bus stops at the nearby Portland Castle.

The real equipment and full size figures give a sense of the action in the Spring of 1944.

Before embarking at Portland, many Americans were encamped  about 20 miles away at Wardon Hill, Dorset where my father and others had built camps.

Related Links

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

HMS Belfast, a D-Day ship on the Thames in London

Imperial War Museum- Manchester

Imperial War Museum- London

Index to World War II sites

Learn more at ddaycentre.com

Visit notes

There is an entrance fee

Storyboards are on the walls.

You can get in or on a lot of the equipment.

There's a small snack bar.

In 2022, toilets were in a nearby building-request the key.

Nearby

Portland Castle

Weymouth Town and Beaches

See more Places in the UK

Visit my website  suttong.com

Enjoy the cultural differences between the UK and the USA in language and activities.

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