A German soldier stands on a toppled monument in Poland. Students can consider who the picture was taken for, when it was taken, why it was taken, and what it shows about the way the Nazis viewed the Polish people. In this picture, the Germans have conquered the necessary space for the German people to expand into a new territory.
A Polish priest is about to be murdered in a forest.Once the Nazis conquered the physical space they needed in Poland, they also created the space in leadership positions in Poland by killing those in positions of power, such as priests and teachers. This picture could be used by honors or advanced level students, but may not be the right choice for basic or standard level students.
Janusz Piotrowski (Born Plock, Poland, June 21, 1919)
This is an ID card for a member of the Polish intelligentsia who was arrested and imprisoned during the Holocaust. Good as a context piece for another of the pieces of evidence.
This is a late 1939 postcard proclaiming "Danzig is German." Danzig, now the Polish city of Gdansk, was a free city, separated from Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, until the Nazis recaptured it after invading Poland. The sun peeking through the clouds (on a church) suggests that even the heavens approve of Hitler's conquests.
Polish Camp Song andBadge--The music and text were written in April 1945 at Falkensee, a subcamp of Sachsenhausen. The piece was associated with a clandestine "camp patrol" that prisoners, including Koczanowicz and Zuk-Skarszewski, formed in 1945. As their liberation neared, the patrol stole arms from a camp arsenal to defend themselves against camp guards.
POSSIBLE EVIDENCE FOR SOVIET PRISONERS OF WAR
Anti-Bolshevik Poster; Translation: “Europe’s Victory is Your Prosperity” 1941—This poster portrays the Nazi quest for space for their people. The message is clear and the graphics are engaging for students. The fist pounding Stalin is usually the first thing that students notice. Good for an evidence piece.
View of a camp for Soviet prisoners of war, showing the holes dug into the ground that served as shelter. The camp was located south of Hamburg in northern Germany. Wietzendorf, Germany, 1941-1942. Staatsanwaltschaft Hamburg This picture can be used to show what the Nazis thought of the people that they were displacing of their homes; can be used as a context piece.
