Starvation in the Ghettos
Starvation during the Holocaust led many people to painful, everlasting days and eventually death. Not only was it the supply of food, but it was the type of food that bothered them the most. The limited amount of food took a toll on them mentally and physically to a point where some could not even walk. Finally, about 2 million children and adults died during the Holocaust on the behalf of starvation and illness.
The amount of food provided in the Ghettos during the Holocaust was scarce. “Hunger was one of the greatest problems. The meagre rations were merely intended to keep the prisoners alive” (“Daily Life” 5). In the morning, they would get tea or coffee, and maybe some watery soup. They were only allowed four slices of potatoes in their soup. Some would place a screen over their bowl so when the soup was poured, the potatoes would get stopped and they could see if they actually did get four. Their lunch consisted of a piece of black bread along with a piece of sausage or cheese if they were lucky. For supper, they were given a single piece of bread that was also supposed to last them till their next meal in the morning. “The rations were smaller every time. Smaller and smaller” (Whipple 2).
Even though they received food, it was not very appetizing. The soup was the worst part, it contained rutabaga, rye flour, Avo food extract, some groats, and potatoes. To newcomers, the soup seemed very unpleasant, guiding them to not eat it. Next is the
(pg. 113) For them, food was equivalent to freedom. They fought aggressively like animals for a crumb of bread. It was unfair that prisoners were given a bit of soup or a slice of bread and shot at for being outside on sight .
The Jews would not get fair rations of soup, and eating the same thing every day and having very little portions is not good for your health. “We had forgotten everything--death, fatigue, our natural needs. Stronger than cold or hunger, stronger than the shots and the desire to die, condemned and wandering, mere numbers, we were the only men on earth.” They weren’t treated as human beings so they forgot their basic needs to live. In their mind, this was bigger than starvation or death, they were the only men on
As we can see from the German Soldiers as they showed gratitude, “Each man has another mess-tin full for the evening; and, what is more, there is a double ration of sausage and bread. That puts a man in fine trim. ”7 The German Army got better food, and sometimes received double rations. They also received cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco which was considered a luxury at the time.
The Holocaust is the most significant historical event that I have studied so far. This tragic event took place during World War II and only very few survivors lived to share their shocking experiences. I have read a few of these survivor’s stories, such as Night, by Elie Wiesel and it has personally impacted me and influenced my thinking in various ways. The Holocaust was the greatest act of hate, violence, and anti-semitism.
Lucky prisoners would find food lying around the camps or they would have people in their workplaces sneak them food. At night, prisoners would be given bread and a small piece of meat or cheese. The bread they were given was supposed to last them all night until the morning, so people would try to hide them in their beds, while they were asleep. The small rations were just meant to keep the prisoners alive so they weren’t completely starving. Many thousands of prisoners died from starvation or the illnesses caused by the lack of nutrition.
The traumas he had endured at the various concentration camps have completely drained him of every drop of his spirituality. At this point he could only be bothered by the development of starvation. The only worries he had was wondering when his next meal would be or if he’ll even have a next meal. “Hunger was tormenting us; we had not eaten for nearly six days except for a few stalks of grass and some potato peels found in the grounds of the kitchens.” (p.114)
This was one of the many ways the Nazis dehumanized Jews. The Jews in concentration camps were given only small portions of unsubstantial food. This made the prisoners weak and exhausted, while they were expected to still perform hard labor. “Bread, soup-these were my whole life. I was a body.
There were very small amounts of food and most people had to search the streets for any little food they
(227). They believed they were purchasing nutritious meats and feeding their families with foods that will sustain them. These sausages had no nutritional value. They may as well have been eating cardboard. This was a problem with living in poverty.
It seems as if they were test subjects because they had been given that name. Also, they received rations of bread and soup, but it was most likely far less than the leaders of the camp, and most likely the food given wasn’t that healthy being that they were in a concentration camp. “The Hungarian Police made us get in- eighty people in each car. We were left a few loaves of bread and some buckets of water”, Wiesel stated on
But taking away one of man’s most important needs: food and water, is not going to make one last too long. Poor nutrition is one of the main causes for death around the world and this was demonstrated in various situations in the memoir. Not just the protagonists but all the characters in the story were given very little food, thus decreasing their energy and making them very weak. In the beginning of the story, people thought they could handle this injustice but as the story goes on, the situation becomes too heavy for Jews to handle and they start to kill their own kind as they are desperate even to get a little crumb of bread. “Some workers amuse themselves by throwing pieces of bread into the open wagons and watching the starved men kill each other for a crumb” (Wiesel 59).
Closed ghettos consisted as the most common ghettos during the Holocaust. Most closed ghettos existed in German-occupied Poland and the occupied Soviet Union. It closed off by walls or by fences with barbed wire for isolation. Epidemics and high mortality rate became effects from starvation, chronic shortages, winter weather, and unheated housing.
Soldiers in the prisons did not get enough rations of a food. Each day or week they only got a handful or spoonful. So this means that the government didn’t take good care of their
The Holocaust was one of the most devastating times for all of the world. It strained the world’s economy and resources; death tolls were tremendously high and injuries were severe. This was one of the worst events in our world’s history. For the 12 years that Germany was ruled by the Nazi Party, a central belief was that there existed in society, certain people who were dangerous and needed to be eliminated for German society to flourish and survive (Impact of the Holocaust).
Daily Life at Concentration Camps Starving, cold, unclothed, sick, and hard working people were all put in concentration camps and treated horribly. The Jewish workers worked hard all day everyday or else they would get killed. The way the Nazi’s treated the Jews was extremely bad, the Jews would not get food, clothes, beds, and other necessities. There were all types of camps that had all kinds of jobs, you were assigned a job and didn 't get to pick a job. The Jews had a very compact schedule, they were busy all day, never any time to waste.