Good Ole Days: The Holocaust As Seen By Its Perpetrators And Bystanders

In writing the book “The Good Ole Days: The Holocaust as Seen by its Perpetrators and Bystanders”, Ernst Klee successfully illustrates, historically, that the citizens of Nazi Germany played many roles, had similar motives for participating, and mostly had an awareness of the cruelty and barbarity of their actions during the Shoah. Ernst Klee, through first-hand accounts in diaries, photographs, letters and reports, successfully exposes the events of the holocaust and the actions of the persons involved.

In accordance with the title, Klee highlights that there were many roles that individuals played during the Shoah including perpetrators which can be subdivided into those who gave orders and those who followed them, bystanders, and the very few who stood against the regime. Klee includes accounts and diary entries from individuals such as Otto Ohlendorf who was head of Einsatzgruppe D, police officials from many sections including one from

Klee illustrates that some these individuals followed orders and slaughtered Jews, although they realized the wrongness of their actions, because they did not want to be considered a cowards by there peers. For example, there are accounts included that illustrate peer pressure and pressure from those in authority and by peers upon soldiers who hesitated to carry out orders. A teleprinter engineer Kiebach of Einsatzgruppe C describes his experience as a member of a firing squad in Rovno, who was given orders by a staff officer to shoot a group of Jews. He states, “I began to feel unwell, I felt as though I was in a dream. Afterwards I was laughed at because I couldn’t shoot any more.” (Klee, 62) Lastly, this perpetrator also mentions that he was not reprimanded for his refusal to continue that