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Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account
When the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944, they sent virtually the entire Jewish population to Auschwitz. A Jew and a medical doctor, the prisoner Dr. Miklos Nyiszli was spared death for a grimmer fate: to perform "scientific research" on his fellow inmates under the supervision of the man who became known as the infamous "Angel of Death" - Dr. Josef Mengele. Nyiszli was named Mengele's personal research pathologist. In that capactity he also served as physician to the Sonderkommando, the Jewish prisoners who worked exclusively in the crematoriums and were routinely executed after four months. Miraculously, Nyiszli survived to give this horrifying and sobering account.
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
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About the author
Miklós Nyiszli
3 books48 followersMiklós Nyiszli (June 17, 1901 in Szilágysomlyó, Hungary – May 5, 1956) was a Jewish prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Nyiszli, along with his wife and young daughter, were transported to Auschwitz in June 1944. On arrival, Nyiszli volunteered himself as a doctor and was sent to work at number 12 barracks where he operated on and tried to help the ill with only the most basic medical supplies and tools. He was under the supervision of Josef Mengele, an SS officer and physician. Mengele decided after observing Nyiszli’s skills to move him to a specially built autopsy and operating theatre. The room had been built inside Crematorium 2 (Crematorium 1 being in Auschwitz Town camp), and Nyiszli, along with members of the 12th Sonderkommando, were housed there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,890 reviews
March 23, 2018
To the Holocaust denier, Dr. Miklós Nyiszli's eyewitness account to the hell that played out at Auschwitz would read like a remarkable work of fiction. To those of us living on planet earth the truth is relentless, unbearable, and should never be forgotten. All the youngsters who neglect history, and keep whining on about life need to read this.
I had a pretty good idea how this was going to read, but that didn't make it any less painful. It hurt. There was just no let-up, the Nazi conveyor belt of death moving continually twenty-four-seven. Even though I knew beforehand, the amount of Jews mass murdered I still simply cannot and will not ever fully grasp, how could man do this? it's just beyond my realms of thinking. My blood runs cold just thinking about it. I am numb. For Romanian born Sonderkommando Physician Miklós Nyiszli, every second spent working under the watchful eye of S.S. Dr. Josef Mengele was sacred, death could have been waiting for him at any given time. One mistake, and it's certains. So many moments arose when he thought, that's it, only to be spared. Had he not been able to perform autopsies at the hands of the Reich, this book wouldn't exist.
Hope had no place here, every Sonderkommando work unit had a life span, the new would Cremate the old. Nyiszli witnessed this twelve times during his stay, before catching sight of the last S.S. coward leaving the camp for good, closing the Iron gates, cutting off the lights, Nyiszli seeing this enormous cemetery of European Judaism sink into darkness. His eyes lingered for what seemed like an eternity, through the barbed wire fence of the camp, the rows of barracks stood out against the night sky. This cemetery of millions, without a single grave.
With a racing heart, he was on the path to freedom...
It all began for Nyiszli, specializing in forensic pathology and carrying out medical duties for both the police and the courts, gaining valuable experience in identifying unusual or disputed deaths in the corpses he examined. Of course this being before war broke out. Little did he realise this would not only help to save his life, but also pass on valuable knowledge in the Reich's evil machine during the final solution. He was left with little choice. After being rounded up, shipped off, to then an unknown destination, who can guess what went through his mind. Surely not this? Nyiszli lived and breathed the stale air, surrounded by the ghosts of the dead and the men of the Sonderkommando throughout his time in Auschwitz. And for a long time his account of the day to running of Auschwitz was virtually the only record of what really happened behind the gates of hell. He had many duties, from patching up prisoners and S.S. men, to later working for Josef Mengele as a pathologist. Mengele had a specific interest in anthropology, and had Nyiszli look closely at the bodies of many sets of twins, ranging from infants to those older, in the hope of learning more genetically. It also becomes apparent Mengele engaged in sadistic often fatal experiments on the living, which grossly violated commonly accepted ethical standards of medicine and clinical research. I thought this man would be as bad as it gets, who could be lower ? I was wrong. As another truly evil monster was waiting, Oberscharführer Mussfeld.
At least Mengele showed the smallest amount of emotion, whilst Mussfeld was void of any. A human killing machine, the worse of his kind, who liked to put a bullet in the back of the neck of his victims, some not killed outright, left to suffer. It's off the scale thinking numbers wise, but it didn't in the least bit bother him to exterminate hundreds of screaming prisoners of all ages at a time. So along with the gas, there was the bullet, and later on not to my surprise, the flamethrower,
typical Nazi mentality, no one gets an easy death, even those attempting suicide were bought back, only to end up like the rest. In fact Nyiszli helped save a member of the Sonderkommando, who tried to put himself to sleep. Others begged him to let the man go peacefully, away from this hell on earth, he didn't listen, and deeply regretted his decision.
On gaining more trust with Mengele, and not talking on subjects other than work, Nyiszli, with an air of confidence simply asked one day 'when is this all going to stop?', Mengele replied 'never, it goes on and on and on'. Nyiszli knew, that if he dared to raise his voice or act with criticism and doubts, his life might well be forfeit, and the descriptions in his accounts here show how careful he had to be in regards his relations with Mengele. He walked on a fine tightrope. Never to over step the boundary of his status. He needed to remind himself from time to time that despite having extra privileges, he was still a dead man walking, it was only a matter of time.
He writes as a doctor, or in other words, as a dispassionate clinical observer, perhaps this was the only way of escaping his torment, and the numbing horrors that were carried out not far from his room. The clinical, factual nature of events gives this account added value. It's written in a way that shows self-control rather than an out pouring of grief and pain. But this is clearly hard to contain, as many times you feel he just wants to break down, who can blame him? It's all about what his eyes witness, not the mind, his own thoughts are second nature, although his wife and daughter remain close in his heart, he had little time to dwell on the chimneys of doom, or the screams of the many, having become so use to them. What good would it have done anyway? All he could do was please the S.S with his work, carry on living, until he didn't.
But a breakthrough came when an attack by kommando rebels claimed one of the four crematorium as well as many S.S. This was the beginning of the end, and the Reich knew it. With the Red Army approaching, the S.S. destroyed as much of the camp as they could before fleeing, and for the first time since his arrival, Miklós Nyiszli was filled with hope of getting out alive. And thus telling the world about the worst atrocity to hit the 20th century.
Miklós Nyiszli died in may 1956, I hope his final thoughts were filled with love and his family, not the barbaric bastards who held him captive.
I had a pretty good idea how this was going to read, but that didn't make it any less painful. It hurt. There was just no let-up, the Nazi conveyor belt of death moving continually twenty-four-seven. Even though I knew beforehand, the amount of Jews mass murdered I still simply cannot and will not ever fully grasp, how could man do this? it's just beyond my realms of thinking. My blood runs cold just thinking about it. I am numb. For Romanian born Sonderkommando Physician Miklós Nyiszli, every second spent working under the watchful eye of S.S. Dr. Josef Mengele was sacred, death could have been waiting for him at any given time. One mistake, and it's certains. So many moments arose when he thought, that's it, only to be spared. Had he not been able to perform autopsies at the hands of the Reich, this book wouldn't exist.
Hope had no place here, every Sonderkommando work unit had a life span, the new would Cremate the old. Nyiszli witnessed this twelve times during his stay, before catching sight of the last S.S. coward leaving the camp for good, closing the Iron gates, cutting off the lights, Nyiszli seeing this enormous cemetery of European Judaism sink into darkness. His eyes lingered for what seemed like an eternity, through the barbed wire fence of the camp, the rows of barracks stood out against the night sky. This cemetery of millions, without a single grave.
With a racing heart, he was on the path to freedom...
It all began for Nyiszli, specializing in forensic pathology and carrying out medical duties for both the police and the courts, gaining valuable experience in identifying unusual or disputed deaths in the corpses he examined. Of course this being before war broke out. Little did he realise this would not only help to save his life, but also pass on valuable knowledge in the Reich's evil machine during the final solution. He was left with little choice. After being rounded up, shipped off, to then an unknown destination, who can guess what went through his mind. Surely not this? Nyiszli lived and breathed the stale air, surrounded by the ghosts of the dead and the men of the Sonderkommando throughout his time in Auschwitz. And for a long time his account of the day to running of Auschwitz was virtually the only record of what really happened behind the gates of hell. He had many duties, from patching up prisoners and S.S. men, to later working for Josef Mengele as a pathologist. Mengele had a specific interest in anthropology, and had Nyiszli look closely at the bodies of many sets of twins, ranging from infants to those older, in the hope of learning more genetically. It also becomes apparent Mengele engaged in sadistic often fatal experiments on the living, which grossly violated commonly accepted ethical standards of medicine and clinical research. I thought this man would be as bad as it gets, who could be lower ? I was wrong. As another truly evil monster was waiting, Oberscharführer Mussfeld.
At least Mengele showed the smallest amount of emotion, whilst Mussfeld was void of any. A human killing machine, the worse of his kind, who liked to put a bullet in the back of the neck of his victims, some not killed outright, left to suffer. It's off the scale thinking numbers wise, but it didn't in the least bit bother him to exterminate hundreds of screaming prisoners of all ages at a time. So along with the gas, there was the bullet, and later on not to my surprise, the flamethrower,
typical Nazi mentality, no one gets an easy death, even those attempting suicide were bought back, only to end up like the rest. In fact Nyiszli helped save a member of the Sonderkommando, who tried to put himself to sleep. Others begged him to let the man go peacefully, away from this hell on earth, he didn't listen, and deeply regretted his decision.
On gaining more trust with Mengele, and not talking on subjects other than work, Nyiszli, with an air of confidence simply asked one day 'when is this all going to stop?', Mengele replied 'never, it goes on and on and on'. Nyiszli knew, that if he dared to raise his voice or act with criticism and doubts, his life might well be forfeit, and the descriptions in his accounts here show how careful he had to be in regards his relations with Mengele. He walked on a fine tightrope. Never to over step the boundary of his status. He needed to remind himself from time to time that despite having extra privileges, he was still a dead man walking, it was only a matter of time.
He writes as a doctor, or in other words, as a dispassionate clinical observer, perhaps this was the only way of escaping his torment, and the numbing horrors that were carried out not far from his room. The clinical, factual nature of events gives this account added value. It's written in a way that shows self-control rather than an out pouring of grief and pain. But this is clearly hard to contain, as many times you feel he just wants to break down, who can blame him? It's all about what his eyes witness, not the mind, his own thoughts are second nature, although his wife and daughter remain close in his heart, he had little time to dwell on the chimneys of doom, or the screams of the many, having become so use to them. What good would it have done anyway? All he could do was please the S.S with his work, carry on living, until he didn't.
But a breakthrough came when an attack by kommando rebels claimed one of the four crematorium as well as many S.S. This was the beginning of the end, and the Reich knew it. With the Red Army approaching, the S.S. destroyed as much of the camp as they could before fleeing, and for the first time since his arrival, Miklós Nyiszli was filled with hope of getting out alive. And thus telling the world about the worst atrocity to hit the 20th century.
Miklós Nyiszli died in may 1956, I hope his final thoughts were filled with love and his family, not the barbaric bastards who held him captive.
April 1, 2012
This was a short and gripping read, and tells a story that must never be forgotten.
I am writing this review not to comment on the story itself, but in response to some of the criticisms I have read about the book.
Criticism #1: Dr Miklos Nyiszli was at Birkenau rather than Auschwitz, and there are several inconsistencies in the book between Auschwitz and Birkenau.
Response: Auschwitz and Birkenau were part of one larger complex collectively called Auschwitz. I believe that perhaps the colloquial references to the name of the camp heard while living there are just simply unclear to those of us who weren't there. I sometimes found the descriptions of the layout of the camp in the book confusing, but I believe they made sense with Dr. Nyiszli's recollection of Auschwitz-Birkenau when he was there.
Criticizm #2: The doctor's descriptions seem detached, therefore the book may have been written by someone else.
Response: Technically, the TRANSLATION was written by someone else. I think the phrase "lost in translation" may describe the feeling some readers have expressed.
My Criticism: I felt throughout the book that Dr Nyiszli probably was responsible for more of the medical "experiments" (atrocities) than he claimed responsibility for in the book, and pointedly left out details for what he was not proud of. Dr. Mengele was a really bad dude, and I don't think the author would have established the level of trust with Mengele that he did without being more menacing himself. That being said, whatever the doctor did certainly saved his life, and shocking readers with more details of gruesome medical experiments would have people shun the rest of the story. I don't think this book was published until several years after the doctor's death, and I would not be surprised if I found out that someone close to the author edited out gruesome parts of the manuscript before publication. If that happened, it may also explain some of the disconnectedness some readers felt about this book.
Overall, I think this was a VERY worthwhile read.
I am writing this review not to comment on the story itself, but in response to some of the criticisms I have read about the book.
Criticism #1: Dr Miklos Nyiszli was at Birkenau rather than Auschwitz, and there are several inconsistencies in the book between Auschwitz and Birkenau.
Response: Auschwitz and Birkenau were part of one larger complex collectively called Auschwitz. I believe that perhaps the colloquial references to the name of the camp heard while living there are just simply unclear to those of us who weren't there. I sometimes found the descriptions of the layout of the camp in the book confusing, but I believe they made sense with Dr. Nyiszli's recollection of Auschwitz-Birkenau when he was there.
Criticizm #2: The doctor's descriptions seem detached, therefore the book may have been written by someone else.
Response: Technically, the TRANSLATION was written by someone else. I think the phrase "lost in translation" may describe the feeling some readers have expressed.
My Criticism: I felt throughout the book that Dr Nyiszli probably was responsible for more of the medical "experiments" (atrocities) than he claimed responsibility for in the book, and pointedly left out details for what he was not proud of. Dr. Mengele was a really bad dude, and I don't think the author would have established the level of trust with Mengele that he did without being more menacing himself. That being said, whatever the doctor did certainly saved his life, and shocking readers with more details of gruesome medical experiments would have people shun the rest of the story. I don't think this book was published until several years after the doctor's death, and I would not be surprised if I found out that someone close to the author edited out gruesome parts of the manuscript before publication. If that happened, it may also explain some of the disconnectedness some readers felt about this book.
Overall, I think this was a VERY worthwhile read.
August 11, 2008
Unfortunately, it seems to me that Holocaust memoirs can at this distance in space and time become something they were not meant to be, something disreputable, something akin to the torture porn of modern horror movies like Saw or Hostel. If you read a number of these memoirs you get to be a connoisseur of atrocities. When you find yourself being able to explain why Mauthausen was worse than Dachau, and how Treblinka and Chelmno differed from Stutthof and who Irma Grese was, and you are not yourself a professional historian, it may be that you should stop reading them.
June 18, 2021
This is hair raising account of what really happened at Auschwitz as seen through the eyes of a doctor who witnessed the horrors first hand. Between April 1944 till 1945 when Auschwitz was finally liberated Miklos Nyiszli was assistant to Dr. Joseph Mengele. He was forced to help Doctor Mengele with his weird and unscientific experiments. There is hardly any other book that manages to pack the darkest moments of human history within such a short book. Extremely moving there are several parts that will move you to tears. The book poses a question- How can a society stoop so low and participate so wholeheartedly in killing helpless and innocent human beings?
October 19, 2011
I have read a number of books about the holocaust, mainly from those who were imprisoned in Auschwitz or several of the other concentration/death camps. This was the only book from the perspective of a "prisoner" who received special treatment because he was selected to assist Dr. Joseph Mengele.
The emotion didn't hit home with me. Although Nyiszli explained what happened in the camp, he didn't impart a personal feeling of terror. What's more, he sanitized his role in medical experiments, indicating that, although his "subjects" were just killed before he examined the bodies, he never took part in their execution. When you know the facts, that people were tortured to death by Mengele by cutting out body parts without anesthesia, or slowly killing victims with electrical shocks, or freezing them in ice water, it's odd that none of this came out in this book, as if Nyiszli downplayed many of the horrors that he must have not only encountered but for which had been involved.
Although this was a good read, the story is told by someone with special privilege, even though he was a Jew in a place where every other Jew was starved, beaten, tortured or gassed to death.
The emotion didn't hit home with me. Although Nyiszli explained what happened in the camp, he didn't impart a personal feeling of terror. What's more, he sanitized his role in medical experiments, indicating that, although his "subjects" were just killed before he examined the bodies, he never took part in their execution. When you know the facts, that people were tortured to death by Mengele by cutting out body parts without anesthesia, or slowly killing victims with electrical shocks, or freezing them in ice water, it's odd that none of this came out in this book, as if Nyiszli downplayed many of the horrors that he must have not only encountered but for which had been involved.
Although this was a good read, the story is told by someone with special privilege, even though he was a Jew in a place where every other Jew was starved, beaten, tortured or gassed to death.
September 23, 2024
روایتی از اردوگاه کار اجباری مخوف آشوئیتس که به روایت دکتر نیسلی هزاران یهودی درآن توسط اتاق های گاز کشته شدند و در نهایت در کوره های جسدسوزی سوزانده شدند. این کتاب روایت لحظه به لحظه ای است از دکتر نیسلی که چگونه همراه با خانواده و همکیشان خود به آشوئیتس منتقل شدند، چه اتفاقات وحشتناکی را سپری کرد، چطور بخاطر تخصص پزشکی که داشت به اتاق کالبدشکافی رفت و اتفاقات مختلفی که برای خود، خانواده و یهودیان و اطرافیان می افتد.
در انتهای کتاب هم خاطرات یکی از افسران نازی ها که محکوم به اعدام شده بود بازگو میشود که ادعاهای نویسنده کتاب را تایید کند.
در انتهای کتاب هم خاطرات یکی از افسران نازی ها که محکوم به اعدام شده بود بازگو میشود که ادعاهای نویسنده کتاب را تایید کند.
May 10, 2012
Really, I probably need a few days to digest this book before I review it, but here are some of my thoughts:
1. I've read many books about the holocaust, but this is the first personal account of life directly within a death camp that I've read. Though I knew some of the horrors that went inside, I had no idea how atrocious they were, or that they were committed in the name of science. I'm sure there was much omitted from Dr. Nyiszli's account, but this book gives the reader a fairly good idea of just how demented members of the Third Reich were.
2. Some have criticized the lack of emotion in the book. First off, Nyiszli states right off that he is writing as a doctor and not for literary acclaim. That in and of itself warrants a more detached narrative. Secondly, to have done what he did and survived with even a shred of sanity he would have had to almost completely detach himself from the situation he found himself in. Finally, I was grateful for the clinical way Nyiszli wrote of his experiences. Perhaps I am just extremely sensitive, but the book had a profound effect on me as is. I do not think I would have been able read the book in its entirety had it contained more emotion.
3. I thought that it was a book worth reading - one that made you think and ask questions. How could this have happened? At what point does what would normally be considered unethical become Okay or even an act of mercy? Is survival a good enough reason to assist in such heinous experimentation, even with the rationalization that the Nazis had already killed the victims and he was just following orders where disobedience meant death? What would I have done had I been in Nyiszli's shoes? Would my decisions have been any better if placed under the same strain. I would like to think that I could and would have died with honor instead of living with regret, but who knows what my mental state would have been in the same circumstances.
1. I've read many books about the holocaust, but this is the first personal account of life directly within a death camp that I've read. Though I knew some of the horrors that went inside, I had no idea how atrocious they were, or that they were committed in the name of science. I'm sure there was much omitted from Dr. Nyiszli's account, but this book gives the reader a fairly good idea of just how demented members of the Third Reich were.
2. Some have criticized the lack of emotion in the book. First off, Nyiszli states right off that he is writing as a doctor and not for literary acclaim. That in and of itself warrants a more detached narrative. Secondly, to have done what he did and survived with even a shred of sanity he would have had to almost completely detach himself from the situation he found himself in. Finally, I was grateful for the clinical way Nyiszli wrote of his experiences. Perhaps I am just extremely sensitive, but the book had a profound effect on me as is. I do not think I would have been able read the book in its entirety had it contained more emotion.
3. I thought that it was a book worth reading - one that made you think and ask questions. How could this have happened? At what point does what would normally be considered unethical become Okay or even an act of mercy? Is survival a good enough reason to assist in such heinous experimentation, even with the rationalization that the Nazis had already killed the victims and he was just following orders where disobedience meant death? What would I have done had I been in Nyiszli's shoes? Would my decisions have been any better if placed under the same strain. I would like to think that I could and would have died with honor instead of living with regret, but who knows what my mental state would have been in the same circumstances.
January 23, 2008
My uncle reccommeded this book to me because my grandfather liberated this camp when he was in the war. At the end of this book it tells about how a US light tank comes in to set them all free and my grandpa was in that tank. For years I have heard throught the family about that day so for me this was a great book with lots of insight so I was able to make the connection between what was happening in the camps up to the point of where my grandfathers stories start.
September 23, 2024
Aceasta carte este , in egală măsură , un manuscris extraordinar de interesant și înspăimântător și cred ar trebui să știe toată lumea ! Sunt de acord cu vorbele spuse de Eleanor Roosevelt
A descris foarte bine ororiile unui război inutil , care niciodată nu este soluția la problemele omenirii
A descris foarte bine ororiile unui război inutil , care niciodată nu este soluția la problemele omenirii
September 23, 2024
Cât de multe cărți despre Auschwitz nu aș citi, creierul meu nu va percepe niciodată ororile petrecute în acei ani, dar detaliile din cartea de față au fost prea de tot. Nu mi s-a întâmplat niciodată așa ceva, dar au fost momente în care am vrut să vomit (rog de mă iertați).
O carte cu milioane de vieți arse sub ochii unui medic...
O carte cu milioane de vieți arse sub ochii unui medic...
March 12, 2007
Despite the incredibly difficult subject matter, this book was a surprisingly fast read. Equally horrifying and compelling, both my roommate and I read it cover to cover within 24 hours. Nyiszli's story is remarkable, as a man who survived certain death by systematically aiding in the killing of his own people, bringing into question the true cost of survival. His narrative is invaluable, as it preserves a virtually clinical dictation of what truly transpired from within the ranks. This preservation undermines the Nazi aim of concealment, exposing every last inhumane and evil act committed by the regime and the author himself.
January 25, 2014
How does one rate a book like this? It doesn't tell a story, it's a memoir and an account of witness. It's a telling that needs to be told but it's not a comfortable read. The people in this book, those who can't tell their stories, need to have their story told. But it's not easy (and it shouldn't be).
Five stars for the courage to tell the story. Five stars for remembering those who can't tell their story.
The author tells his story in an unemotional way. As I read his account I began to understand that when one is surrounded by these atrocities and witnesses them, when one's own life hangs on a whim of another, that one would/could distance oneself from that immediate horror and emotion would slip into one's interior space. One would witness but perhaps not feel on the surface of one's being but somewhere deep inside instead, where its hidden from view. It's a survival mechanism; a way to stay sane. Even after liberation, allowing one's emotions to the surface would be devastating to the battle of trying to live again in some "normal" way. The unemotional aspect of survival & guilt hits home about half way through this book. It's horrifying, really.
At times, there seem to be jumps in time and/or thought from one paragraph to another. It sometimes reads a bit disjointedly. Some things may be missing from the telling or perhaps the translation isn't the best. However, the details provided are enough to demonstrate the horrors and terror of living inside the crematorium, knowing that you can't be allowed to live because of what you've been forced to see and do.
This story is horrific. I'm glad I read it. I'm glad that people such as Miklos Nylszli had the courage to tell the story of those who can't do so.
Five stars for the courage to tell the story. Five stars for remembering those who can't tell their story.
The author tells his story in an unemotional way. As I read his account I began to understand that when one is surrounded by these atrocities and witnesses them, when one's own life hangs on a whim of another, that one would/could distance oneself from that immediate horror and emotion would slip into one's interior space. One would witness but perhaps not feel on the surface of one's being but somewhere deep inside instead, where its hidden from view. It's a survival mechanism; a way to stay sane. Even after liberation, allowing one's emotions to the surface would be devastating to the battle of trying to live again in some "normal" way. The unemotional aspect of survival & guilt hits home about half way through this book. It's horrifying, really.
At times, there seem to be jumps in time and/or thought from one paragraph to another. It sometimes reads a bit disjointedly. Some things may be missing from the telling or perhaps the translation isn't the best. However, the details provided are enough to demonstrate the horrors and terror of living inside the crematorium, knowing that you can't be allowed to live because of what you've been forced to see and do.
This story is horrific. I'm glad I read it. I'm glad that people such as Miklos Nylszli had the courage to tell the story of those who can't do so.
February 25, 2018
Do not read the forward by Bettelheim. Overall, this is the first memoir of the Holocaust that I would not recommend. I have no right to judge his experience, but time and time again I was confronted by Nyiszli's astounding lack of empathy. I did not learn or grow from this story, I encourage you to read Eli Wiesel instead.
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September 23, 2024I don’t even know how to rate this book. . .
The most difficult read of my entire life. And yet so important. The author is a hero in my eyes, having to suffer through what he did, and surviving in the end and bearing witness to the evils carried out in Auschwitz. . .
The most difficult read of my entire life. And yet so important. The author is a hero in my eyes, having to suffer through what he did, and surviving in the end and bearing witness to the evils carried out in Auschwitz. . .
September 18, 2023
A first person account of a doctor who worked under Mengele at Auschwitz. The fact that he survived, to a great extent due to his privileged position at the camp, was very lucky. His account of the atrocities inflicted on the people there is powerful. I have visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and this book brought back some of the most harrowing memories of my visit.
February 25, 2017
Wow. Very difficult read because of the gruesome events recorded. The only thing the kept me reading was wanting to find out how the author survived. It was worth the read.
I've read quite a few books about the holocaust, but this one stands out. The author is so detached and clinical in his descriptions that it makes me believe them even more than when authors add emotion in order to put their own meaning to it. But I value this version because I could discover my own interpretation. Kind of like when comedies don't have a laugh track...feels more honest.
I wanted to know more about Dr. Nyiszli's inner life after he regained his freedom. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much.
The only thing that felt discordant was Bruno Bettelheim's foreword. He brings up something I believe most people wonder: Why didn't more holocaust victims (and German citizens, for that matter) defy the regime? But he glibly concludes the were just weak. I don't believe that is the only, or even major reason. They were systematically broken down for weeks and months. It's like telling someone who is clinically depressed to just smile and you'll feel better. That attitude of Bettelheim's made me want to learn more about him, as I recalled that he was a child psychologist who used to write advice columns in women's magazines. It was hard for me to understand how a person in that profession could be so judgmental and devoid of understanding. Sure enough, he was a controversial peronality, who has been accused of abuse in his own rehab department, as well as lying about his credentials.
I've read quite a few books about the holocaust, but this one stands out. The author is so detached and clinical in his descriptions that it makes me believe them even more than when authors add emotion in order to put their own meaning to it. But I value this version because I could discover my own interpretation. Kind of like when comedies don't have a laugh track...feels more honest.
I wanted to know more about Dr. Nyiszli's inner life after he regained his freedom. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much.
The only thing that felt discordant was Bruno Bettelheim's foreword. He brings up something I believe most people wonder: Why didn't more holocaust victims (and German citizens, for that matter) defy the regime? But he glibly concludes the were just weak. I don't believe that is the only, or even major reason. They were systematically broken down for weeks and months. It's like telling someone who is clinically depressed to just smile and you'll feel better. That attitude of Bettelheim's made me want to learn more about him, as I recalled that he was a child psychologist who used to write advice columns in women's magazines. It was hard for me to understand how a person in that profession could be so judgmental and devoid of understanding. Sure enough, he was a controversial peronality, who has been accused of abuse in his own rehab department, as well as lying about his credentials.
September 23, 2024
Kauhea mutta tärkeä kirja siitä mitä järjestelmällisestä epäinhimillistämisestä seuraa. Ikävä kyllä ajankohtainen kirja. Todella raskas ja kuvottava vaikkakin nopea lukukokemus.
September 23, 2024
Faptele sînt cutremurătoare, din păcate autorul nu are prea mare talent narativ.
September 5, 2024
5✩
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
"The minute I entered this place I had the feeling I was already one of the living-dead. But now, in possession of all these fantastic secrets, I was certain I would never get out alive."
I cannot phrase into words how grateful I am for being able to read this. So many Jews have died in such an inhuman, tragic way and for Dr. Miklos Nyiszli to survive this horror to tell us this story is truly a miracle!
"Everybody here had a past which he looked back on with sorrow, and a future he contemplated with despair"
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
This book widened my knowledge about Auschwitz and life as a doctor working alongside the Angel of Death (Dr. Mengele). Before reading this I already knew a lot about Nazi Germany and how Jews were killed and tortured during WWII. However after reading this book I now know in extreme detail the events in the horrid camps from beginning to end. Talking about the details, oh my goodness, this was so precisely written I could follow every single step, every journey, every day and night of pure suffering even every conversation with Dr. Mengele was all depicted in such a detailed manner I could visualise it, as if being in the writer's body. This book really dug WAY deeper under the surface than other books I have previously read and I gained so much new knowledge and facts after reading this. Especially the scientific aspect was something I rarely read about and I am seriously grateful for this doctor to survive and be able to tell us all about it. I know I shouldn't get excited and giddy because this is such a serious topic, but I have to admit reading this and being able to gain so much more than I expected really made my curiosity increase by the page. 👀
"Death stalked our every move, in the form of the lethal machine guns manned by our guards. We wanted to live. We wanted to get out of here. But even if most of us failed to make it, even if only one or two escaped, we would still have won out, for there would then be someone to tell the world about the dark mysteries of these death factories."
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
Everything that happened in this eyewitness account was so cruel. The Nazis were ruthless. At times I was in such pure shock I did not move a muscle and just sat in my seat contemplating if it was a good idea to continue reading. I'm glad I did though, because WWII has interested me since I was in 4th Grade and I can never get enough of these books because I want to listen to the voices of the survivors and gain more realistic beyond-the-textbook knowledge.
"For even after the worst was over, I had yet had to give first aid to two SS noncoms who five hours earlier had kicked and struck me unmercifully and then waited, their guns aimed at my head, for
the signal to pull the trigger."
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
If you are interested in Nazi Germany and how life was like in Auschwitz Concentration Camp, this book is for you and I guarantee that you will find whatever you were looking for and SO much more after reading this. The details and descriptions are VERY intense at times so be sure to read this in a calm state of mind. My head was swimming at times after reading this so this is some pretty serious stuff! 😵
We should never forget the Holocaust and we should learn as much as we can about it to maintain peace in this chaotic world.
"The sun was shining brightly when, at nine o'clock, an American light tank, with three soldiers aboard, arrived and took possession of the camp. We were free."
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
"The minute I entered this place I had the feeling I was already one of the living-dead. But now, in possession of all these fantastic secrets, I was certain I would never get out alive."
I cannot phrase into words how grateful I am for being able to read this. So many Jews have died in such an inhuman, tragic way and for Dr. Miklos Nyiszli to survive this horror to tell us this story is truly a miracle!
"Everybody here had a past which he looked back on with sorrow, and a future he contemplated with despair"
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
This book widened my knowledge about Auschwitz and life as a doctor working alongside the Angel of Death (Dr. Mengele). Before reading this I already knew a lot about Nazi Germany and how Jews were killed and tortured during WWII. However after reading this book I now know in extreme detail the events in the horrid camps from beginning to end. Talking about the details, oh my goodness, this was so precisely written I could follow every single step, every journey, every day and night of pure suffering even every conversation with Dr. Mengele was all depicted in such a detailed manner I could visualise it, as if being in the writer's body. This book really dug WAY deeper under the surface than other books I have previously read and I gained so much new knowledge and facts after reading this. Especially the scientific aspect was something I rarely read about and I am seriously grateful for this doctor to survive and be able to tell us all about it. I know I shouldn't get excited and giddy because this is such a serious topic, but I have to admit reading this and being able to gain so much more than I expected really made my curiosity increase by the page. 👀
"Death stalked our every move, in the form of the lethal machine guns manned by our guards. We wanted to live. We wanted to get out of here. But even if most of us failed to make it, even if only one or two escaped, we would still have won out, for there would then be someone to tell the world about the dark mysteries of these death factories."
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
Everything that happened in this eyewitness account was so cruel. The Nazis were ruthless. At times I was in such pure shock I did not move a muscle and just sat in my seat contemplating if it was a good idea to continue reading. I'm glad I did though, because WWII has interested me since I was in 4th Grade and I can never get enough of these books because I want to listen to the voices of the survivors and gain more realistic beyond-the-textbook knowledge.
"For even after the worst was over, I had yet had to give first aid to two SS noncoms who five hours earlier had kicked and struck me unmercifully and then waited, their guns aimed at my head, for
the signal to pull the trigger."
.・゜゜・✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* .・゜゜・
If you are interested in Nazi Germany and how life was like in Auschwitz Concentration Camp, this book is for you and I guarantee that you will find whatever you were looking for and SO much more after reading this. The details and descriptions are VERY intense at times so be sure to read this in a calm state of mind. My head was swimming at times after reading this so this is some pretty serious stuff! 😵
We should never forget the Holocaust and we should learn as much as we can about it to maintain peace in this chaotic world.
"The sun was shining brightly when, at nine o'clock, an American light tank, with three soldiers aboard, arrived and took possession of the camp. We were free."
August 23, 2013
This is not an easy book to read. it concerns the eyewitness account of a Hungarian Jewish doctor who was able to survive in Auschwitz by using his skills to assist the German doctors there, led by Josef Mengele, the notorious "Angel of death." he tells how the doctors would wait for the arrivals, and choose whether they would live or die-right-life by labour, left-immediate death in the gas chambers. because he Uses his medical skills are used to care for the Sonderkommando, the Jewish prisoners forced to work in the crematoriums and who were always killed after 4 months of work. He also worked as a pathologist for Mengele. Before I continue, Dr. Nyiszli must be considered with eyes that see "you have to walk a mile in a man's shoes before you judge him." Should he have refused or continued to save his life? It is a question that is difficult to answer unless you have experienced this yourself, and very few have. would his death had made any difference either way? Of course not. If he had said no he would just have become another body fed to the ovens. The only fact that might have saved him mentally was that he was used to dealing with dead bodies. In order to justify to himself what he is doing, he decides to do everything he can to survive and tell the world what happened.
Most methods of extermination have been discussed many times, but I found one used on the Sommerkommando group near the end of the war to be one of the most horrific I have ever read, and new to me. This group was taken out into the woods and killed by flame throwers. However, even horribly burned, some lived to suffer horribly before a mercy shot was given. This has to be one of the most inhumane ways of killing that I have ever seen. I believe this book should be required reading for every college student today. We must never forget this horror perpetuated by the Nazi's, yet today, many deny these things happened. Highly recommended for those who can take it.
Most methods of extermination have been discussed many times, but I found one used on the Sommerkommando group near the end of the war to be one of the most horrific I have ever read, and new to me. This group was taken out into the woods and killed by flame throwers. However, even horribly burned, some lived to suffer horribly before a mercy shot was given. This has to be one of the most inhumane ways of killing that I have ever seen. I believe this book should be required reading for every college student today. We must never forget this horror perpetuated by the Nazi's, yet today, many deny these things happened. Highly recommended for those who can take it.
September 23, 2024
5+⭐
După atâtea cărți citite despre ororile săvârșite în lagărele de concentrare credeam că nimic nu are să mă mai surprindă... Cât de mult m-am înșelat! Memoriile medicului M. Nyiszli sunt cu siguranță cele mai barbare, groaznice, crude și zguduitoare pagini de istorie pe le-am citit vreodată! Unele pagini erau pline de atâta cruzime și violență că-mi venea să urlu de durere, dezgust și neputință...Și mă tot întreb de fiecare dată: Cum a fost posibil oare să se întâmple astfel de lucruri? Cât de inuman și lipsit de compasiune trebuie să fii să săvârșești astfel de crime?
După atâtea cărți citite despre ororile săvârșite în lagărele de concentrare credeam că nimic nu are să mă mai surprindă... Cât de mult m-am înșelat! Memoriile medicului M. Nyiszli sunt cu siguranță cele mai barbare, groaznice, crude și zguduitoare pagini de istorie pe le-am citit vreodată! Unele pagini erau pline de atâta cruzime și violență că-mi venea să urlu de durere, dezgust și neputință...Și mă tot întreb de fiecare dată: Cum a fost posibil oare să se întâmple astfel de lucruri? Cât de inuman și lipsit de compasiune trebuie să fii să săvârșești astfel de crime?
March 13, 2017
Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account by Miklós Nyiszli
My Rating: I find myself incapable of rating this testimony of the excruciating horrors inflicted by human beings on fellow human beings and I decided to only write my thoughts rather than a review
Dr. Miklós Nyiszli has categorically specified that this is not meant to be a literary piece (although the account must be the bravest non-fiction so far – if it is to be seen only through a reader’s point of view - coming from an eye-witness who was present on the camp for 12 laborious months) but it is only meant to be a first-hand testimony for the world to know what happened to their fellow human beings behind those hard-wearing camps in Auschwitz.
He was appointed as one of the infamous Sonderkommando, prisoners who worked for the German forces to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims or to aid with other work related to extermination of the millions of innocents who came to the Auschwitz whose life span is not more than a meager 4 months themselves. Here he was made to perform experiments on the corpses of the various fatalities for a pathetic research (racial and pathological) that was being conducted by a demented monstrous doctor called Dr. Menegle.
Dr. Nyiszli, describes in detail, the horrors that went on inside the camp. The gas chambers, the bullet in the neck, the pyres, the experiments, the dissections. He tells us the journey from his arrival till his freedom – about how he narrowly stole himself from the jaws of death, about how he had to turn his heart into stone in order to keep his sanity intact, about how in some way he strived to make sure that the savagery happening inside the barbed fence wires of Auschwitz goes out in the open and be known to the world outside, about how out of desperation a fellow group of human beings started feasting on the flesh of fellow human beings. He tells us how in the events such as these it becomes extremely important to save one’s own life than take pity on others. He wasn’t strong willed. He was not hopeful of his own survival either. He was just one of those lucky ones who had a good degree and a better advantage above others. Had that not been he would have been one of the “Thirteenth Sonderkommando”s who had to give up on life in the most disastrous ways after their 4 months of service. He was the one who lived to tell his tale.
P.S.: I browsed through some more literature about this book and I found a quite detailed introspection about the authenticity of Dr. Nyiszli’s claims. (http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v20/v20n1p20_p...). A careful analysis of the book reveals certain discrepancies in what has been written by Dr. Nyiszli, as compared to what really happened, as is expected for a gargantuan phenomenon such as Holocaust and The Final Solution. Facts starting from Dr. Nyiszli’s existence till the factual descriptions of Auschwithz’s crematoriums and chambers were investigated several times and in this particular study conducted by Charles Provan, it is seen that Dr. Nyiszli did exist at Auschwitz during the mentioned period, however suspicions of his having collaborated with Germans (especially his SS superiors for certain favors) have been expressed and none have been able to completely demolish them. So whether Dr. Nyiszli wrote the book out of guilt and shame or whether he really has undergone the torture and later set free is yet to be established.
I do not know the truth either and I do not know whether after decades of the horrendous past it would be feasible for the ENTIRE truth to be uncovered. I only know that the atrocities were real. The horrifying details of the millions of innocents exhumed under pretentious lies were real. Some escaped, some could not. Accounts of human beings turning into vicious monsters still are a reality none can escape. So even if Dr. Nyiszli did turn into a monster himself, we know that at least some parts of this book are true. And those parts are enough to shatter all my positive perceptions of human behavior in extreme calamities. We do not know and would never know what a man is capable of doing to other man.
My Rating: I find myself incapable of rating this testimony of the excruciating horrors inflicted by human beings on fellow human beings and I decided to only write my thoughts rather than a review
Dr. Miklós Nyiszli has categorically specified that this is not meant to be a literary piece (although the account must be the bravest non-fiction so far – if it is to be seen only through a reader’s point of view - coming from an eye-witness who was present on the camp for 12 laborious months) but it is only meant to be a first-hand testimony for the world to know what happened to their fellow human beings behind those hard-wearing camps in Auschwitz.
He was appointed as one of the infamous Sonderkommando, prisoners who worked for the German forces to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims or to aid with other work related to extermination of the millions of innocents who came to the Auschwitz whose life span is not more than a meager 4 months themselves. Here he was made to perform experiments on the corpses of the various fatalities for a pathetic research (racial and pathological) that was being conducted by a demented monstrous doctor called Dr. Menegle.
Dr. Nyiszli, describes in detail, the horrors that went on inside the camp. The gas chambers, the bullet in the neck, the pyres, the experiments, the dissections. He tells us the journey from his arrival till his freedom – about how he narrowly stole himself from the jaws of death, about how he had to turn his heart into stone in order to keep his sanity intact, about how in some way he strived to make sure that the savagery happening inside the barbed fence wires of Auschwitz goes out in the open and be known to the world outside, about how out of desperation a fellow group of human beings started feasting on the flesh of fellow human beings. He tells us how in the events such as these it becomes extremely important to save one’s own life than take pity on others. He wasn’t strong willed. He was not hopeful of his own survival either. He was just one of those lucky ones who had a good degree and a better advantage above others. Had that not been he would have been one of the “Thirteenth Sonderkommando”s who had to give up on life in the most disastrous ways after their 4 months of service. He was the one who lived to tell his tale.
P.S.: I browsed through some more literature about this book and I found a quite detailed introspection about the authenticity of Dr. Nyiszli’s claims. (http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v20/v20n1p20_p...). A careful analysis of the book reveals certain discrepancies in what has been written by Dr. Nyiszli, as compared to what really happened, as is expected for a gargantuan phenomenon such as Holocaust and The Final Solution. Facts starting from Dr. Nyiszli’s existence till the factual descriptions of Auschwithz’s crematoriums and chambers were investigated several times and in this particular study conducted by Charles Provan, it is seen that Dr. Nyiszli did exist at Auschwitz during the mentioned period, however suspicions of his having collaborated with Germans (especially his SS superiors for certain favors) have been expressed and none have been able to completely demolish them. So whether Dr. Nyiszli wrote the book out of guilt and shame or whether he really has undergone the torture and later set free is yet to be established.
I do not know the truth either and I do not know whether after decades of the horrendous past it would be feasible for the ENTIRE truth to be uncovered. I only know that the atrocities were real. The horrifying details of the millions of innocents exhumed under pretentious lies were real. Some escaped, some could not. Accounts of human beings turning into vicious monsters still are a reality none can escape. So even if Dr. Nyiszli did turn into a monster himself, we know that at least some parts of this book are true. And those parts are enough to shatter all my positive perceptions of human behavior in extreme calamities. We do not know and would never know what a man is capable of doing to other man.
February 20, 2011
Generally, I dislike non-fiction. Which sounds insane when you think that my major in college is history, but there it is all the same. I tend to avoid reading non-fiction unless I have to for school, which is how the reading of this book around. I am currently enrolled in a World War II class and for our mid-term exam we are to write a paper over a book on some aspect of the war and how it has changed our understanding of the subject.
Now I have read quite a lot about the Holocaust and have even attended various speeches and lectures given by survivors or experts in the field. I fully believe that we children of the future have to preserve the past for future generations so that nothing is forgotten. I thought I had heard all of the worst things about this period in history, but I was sadly mistaken. This book is told by, Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, a Jewish prisoner of the extermination camp Auschwitz. He is given the position of Dr. Mengele's personal pathologist. He has to do all the autopsy that he is asked to do and also take care of the ill in all of the barracks.
He explains all the horrifying things that he is required to do in this place and the toll that it takes on him as well as the three asisstants he is given. He really opens your eyes as to how much fear everyone in this camp had and how most if not all of the people that were sent Auschwitz ended up "liquidated".
At some points in the story I felt like I had to be reading fiction because there is no way that one group of people could do this to another without the opressed group fighting back. Nyiszli even mentions how he can't figure out why none of them fight back. They just resign themselves to their fate and stand in line waiting their turn to be shot, gassed, or beat to death. There were so many of them that had they all gotten together and staged a revolt at some point I don't think the SS guards could have put down the revolt.
I don't believe I've ever felt such pure unabashed hatred for someone than I felt about Mengele and Hitler while reading this book. I mean I've always had an intense dislike for them, who hasn't, but this book really clinched it for me. I feel like everyone everywhere should have to read this book. How can people believe that the Holocaust was made up when they read something like this. I don't think anyone could really make something like this up.
I think that if there is a God that he gave Dr. Nyiszli divine asisstance because there were so many times that he should have been killed but he kept slipping by. I think he was meant to live so that he could tell his story about what really ocurred in Auschwitz when everyone else from his camp had either died or been killed.
I seriously recommend going out and getting a copy of this book. It is a first hand account of what happened in one of the most reviled places man ever created. I hope you all find it as important and as moving as I have.
Now I have read quite a lot about the Holocaust and have even attended various speeches and lectures given by survivors or experts in the field. I fully believe that we children of the future have to preserve the past for future generations so that nothing is forgotten. I thought I had heard all of the worst things about this period in history, but I was sadly mistaken. This book is told by, Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, a Jewish prisoner of the extermination camp Auschwitz. He is given the position of Dr. Mengele's personal pathologist. He has to do all the autopsy that he is asked to do and also take care of the ill in all of the barracks.
He explains all the horrifying things that he is required to do in this place and the toll that it takes on him as well as the three asisstants he is given. He really opens your eyes as to how much fear everyone in this camp had and how most if not all of the people that were sent Auschwitz ended up "liquidated".
At some points in the story I felt like I had to be reading fiction because there is no way that one group of people could do this to another without the opressed group fighting back. Nyiszli even mentions how he can't figure out why none of them fight back. They just resign themselves to their fate and stand in line waiting their turn to be shot, gassed, or beat to death. There were so many of them that had they all gotten together and staged a revolt at some point I don't think the SS guards could have put down the revolt.
I don't believe I've ever felt such pure unabashed hatred for someone than I felt about Mengele and Hitler while reading this book. I mean I've always had an intense dislike for them, who hasn't, but this book really clinched it for me. I feel like everyone everywhere should have to read this book. How can people believe that the Holocaust was made up when they read something like this. I don't think anyone could really make something like this up.
I think that if there is a God that he gave Dr. Nyiszli divine asisstance because there were so many times that he should have been killed but he kept slipping by. I think he was meant to live so that he could tell his story about what really ocurred in Auschwitz when everyone else from his camp had either died or been killed.
I seriously recommend going out and getting a copy of this book. It is a first hand account of what happened in one of the most reviled places man ever created. I hope you all find it as important and as moving as I have.
September 23, 2024
Agghiacciante.
Cose che si sanno, vien da dire. Ma non è vero. Si sanno ma il ricordo si perde.
E allora è necessario ridirle continuamente.
Ho visto al cinema Il Labirinto del Silenzio.
Un film che ricostruisce la storia dell'acquisizione della conoscenza (e di un filo di coscienza, continuamente seppellita da Adenauer con il placet degli Alleati in nome della denazificazione pacifica di un intero popolo di conniventi assassini) da parte dei tedeschi di cosa è stata Auschwitz grazie al processo intentato contro le SS che lì sovrintendevano al programma di sterminio. Una delle fisse di Radmann, il magistrato grazie al quale Auschwitz non è diventato un lontano ricordo, ma una ferita aperta a memento futuro (andate ad Oswietcim per capire quanto i polacchi tengano a questo ricordo, niente) è quella di catturare Mengele.
E questo mi ha fatto ricordare questo libro sepolto nel K.
Per dare una connotazione temporale: il processo si è avviato nel 1958 e concluso nel 1963, il libro è stato scritto nel 1948 e pubblicato subito dopo. Cioè ben 10 anni prima (ma è anche vero che Internet non esisteva).
Il dottor Nyiszli, grazie alle sue conoscenze da anatomo-patologo, viene prescelto da Mengele come assistente. Questo gli procura uno status privilegiato nel campo, e la possibilità di essere testimone oculare di TUTTO.
Nyiszli sa benissimo che l'appartenenza ad un Sonderkommando è di per sé garanzia che verrà gasato anche lui, ma neanche lui riesce ad immaginare a cosa andrà incontro.
Non sa che per poter sopravvivere dovrà piegare la propria professionalità a cose ripugnanti, come bollire i corpi di due persone, padre e figlio, in modo da poter ottenere i due scheletri da poter mandare al museo di medicina legale del Terzo Reich.
Non sa che la ragazzina che si è fortunosamente salvata dentro la camera a gas e che lui è riuscito a rianimare, riceverà comunque una pallottola alla nuca perché sarebbe troppo complicato farla rientrare nella contabilità delle vite umane da gasare già chiusa.
Non sa che ogni giorno vedrà fino a 7-8.000 persone dirigersi verso le camere a gas, e poi uscire sotto forma di fumo dal camino e di cenere caricati su anonimi camion e scaricati nella Vistola.
Giorno dopo giorno inanella un girone infernale della sua permanenza, cataloga una nuova brutalità, registra una nuova abiezione, un nuovo limite che sembrava invalicabile.
Mengele non è mai stato catturato, al Governo tedesco e alle forze dell'ordine erano ben noti i suoi spostamenti, e il fatto che tornasse in Germania, nella casa dei genitori, ad ogni occasione.
La ragion di stato si è fatta molto velocemente ragione dei 6 milioni di ebrei inceneriti.
Cose che si sanno, vien da dire. Ma non è vero. Si sanno ma il ricordo si perde.
E allora è necessario ridirle continuamente.
Ho visto al cinema Il Labirinto del Silenzio.
Un film che ricostruisce la storia dell'acquisizione della conoscenza (e di un filo di coscienza, continuamente seppellita da Adenauer con il placet degli Alleati in nome della denazificazione pacifica di un intero popolo di conniventi assassini) da parte dei tedeschi di cosa è stata Auschwitz grazie al processo intentato contro le SS che lì sovrintendevano al programma di sterminio. Una delle fisse di Radmann, il magistrato grazie al quale Auschwitz non è diventato un lontano ricordo, ma una ferita aperta a memento futuro (andate ad Oswietcim per capire quanto i polacchi tengano a questo ricordo, niente) è quella di catturare Mengele.
E questo mi ha fatto ricordare questo libro sepolto nel K.
Per dare una connotazione temporale: il processo si è avviato nel 1958 e concluso nel 1963, il libro è stato scritto nel 1948 e pubblicato subito dopo. Cioè ben 10 anni prima (ma è anche vero che Internet non esisteva).
Il dottor Nyiszli, grazie alle sue conoscenze da anatomo-patologo, viene prescelto da Mengele come assistente. Questo gli procura uno status privilegiato nel campo, e la possibilità di essere testimone oculare di TUTTO.
Nyiszli sa benissimo che l'appartenenza ad un Sonderkommando è di per sé garanzia che verrà gasato anche lui, ma neanche lui riesce ad immaginare a cosa andrà incontro.
Non sa che per poter sopravvivere dovrà piegare la propria professionalità a cose ripugnanti, come bollire i corpi di due persone, padre e figlio, in modo da poter ottenere i due scheletri da poter mandare al museo di medicina legale del Terzo Reich.
Non sa che la ragazzina che si è fortunosamente salvata dentro la camera a gas e che lui è riuscito a rianimare, riceverà comunque una pallottola alla nuca perché sarebbe troppo complicato farla rientrare nella contabilità delle vite umane da gasare già chiusa.
Non sa che ogni giorno vedrà fino a 7-8.000 persone dirigersi verso le camere a gas, e poi uscire sotto forma di fumo dal camino e di cenere caricati su anonimi camion e scaricati nella Vistola.
Giorno dopo giorno inanella un girone infernale della sua permanenza, cataloga una nuova brutalità, registra una nuova abiezione, un nuovo limite che sembrava invalicabile.
Mengele non è mai stato catturato, al Governo tedesco e alle forze dell'ordine erano ben noti i suoi spostamenti, e il fatto che tornasse in Germania, nella casa dei genitori, ad ogni occasione.
La ragion di stato si è fatta molto velocemente ragione dei 6 milioni di ebrei inceneriti.
September 23, 2024
Am fost medic la Auschwitz este o carte ce are puterea de a-ți arăta că, indiferent cât îți este de greu, nu ai dreptul să te plângi. Există și au existat pe lume oameni cu adevărat nenorociți, la fel ca și restul cu acest subiect, de altfel. Bărbați, femei, copii... toți având principala “vină” de a nu aparține rasei “pure”. Toți și-au găsit sfârșitul acolo….
Deși nu sunt povești frumoase, sunt povești pe care le citesc cu sufletul la gură și cu mult interes. Sunt îngrozită cu fiecare carte citită de ce poate face omul și câtă răutate poate fi în noi așa ca și nație. Aici pot să mă refer puțin și la ce se întâmplă în aceste momente în lume.
Când te gândești la cei care au fost capabili de asemenea crime, spui “monștri”. Apoi îți dai seama că nu, nu este suficient. Nu există cuvânt care să poată cuprinde ceva atât de îngrozitor.
Este de neimaginat că oamenii pot face asta altor oameni. De fapt, ceea ce s-a întâmplat la Auschwitz te face să îți fie rușine că ești om, pentru că omul a fost capabil de așa ceva...
Milioane de vieți curmate sub ochii unui MEDIC…
Nu voi crede niciodată pe cei care comentează: “eu nu sunt expert în politică și război ca să mă pronunț”, pentru a fi OM, a empatiza cu cei mai puțin fericiți decât noi și a vorbi despre o încălcare a dreptului omului de a trăi, nu e necesar să ai cunoștințe mari în politică. Avem o armă foarte bună în zilele de azi “social media” unde e cert informația trebuie filtrată bine, dar sunt sigură că avem mai multă lume cultă azi care știe să o facă și acest instrument ar putea fi tare de folos pentru a opri ceea ce se întâmplă azi, însă mulți știu doar să arate cu degetul: “ iarăși asta vorbește despre război, ditamai expert”.
Deși nu sunt povești frumoase, sunt povești pe care le citesc cu sufletul la gură și cu mult interes. Sunt îngrozită cu fiecare carte citită de ce poate face omul și câtă răutate poate fi în noi așa ca și nație. Aici pot să mă refer puțin și la ce se întâmplă în aceste momente în lume.
Când te gândești la cei care au fost capabili de asemenea crime, spui “monștri”. Apoi îți dai seama că nu, nu este suficient. Nu există cuvânt care să poată cuprinde ceva atât de îngrozitor.
Este de neimaginat că oamenii pot face asta altor oameni. De fapt, ceea ce s-a întâmplat la Auschwitz te face să îți fie rușine că ești om, pentru că omul a fost capabil de așa ceva...
Milioane de vieți curmate sub ochii unui MEDIC…
Nu voi crede niciodată pe cei care comentează: “eu nu sunt expert în politică și război ca să mă pronunț”, pentru a fi OM, a empatiza cu cei mai puțin fericiți decât noi și a vorbi despre o încălcare a dreptului omului de a trăi, nu e necesar să ai cunoștințe mari în politică. Avem o armă foarte bună în zilele de azi “social media” unde e cert informația trebuie filtrată bine, dar sunt sigură că avem mai multă lume cultă azi care știe să o facă și acest instrument ar putea fi tare de folos pentru a opri ceea ce se întâmplă azi, însă mulți știu doar să arate cu degetul: “ iarăși asta vorbește despre război, ditamai expert”.
March 18, 2016
An astoundingly important insight into the psychology of a man who aided in the destruction of his own peoples, to improve his own chances of survival.
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July 18, 2019I couldn't get through it. Just too horrific
May 29, 2025
It is very hard to say anything about an Auschwitz account, but this one is told from the perspective of a physician who worked directly for Dr. Mengele. Originally published in 1960, this was still an early description of what happened inside the camps. But of course,it is grueling to read! I think I got this book at the Holocaust Museum a number of years ago.
September 23, 2024
După cum a și dorit domnia sa, medicul evreu Miklós Nyiszli, cartea este ”materia primă” a întâmplărilor pe care acesta le-a trăit și le-a văzut pe parcursul șederii sale la Auschwitz. Informația ne este redată neprelucrată, necenzurată, fără artificii în exprimare și fără nicio intenție de a-l cruța pe cititor de veridicitatea evenimentelor covârșitoare, căci nici cei care au fost victimele acestor atrocități, nu au avut vreodată ocazia vreunui menajament. Am primit astfel imaginea netăgăduită a evenimentelor de la autopsierul Miklós, cel care a fost condamnat să fie unul dintre ucenicii lui Mengele și să execute autopsiile semenilor săi. Prin intermediul acestei scriituri liniare putem descoperi modurile groaznice prin care oameni nevinovați au fost obligați să trăiască și apoi să moară.
Multe dintre aceste orori nu le-am mai cunoscut până acum, dar, în KZ, Nyiszli este martorul unor atrocități despre care nici nu m-am gândit că ar putea exista, că ar putea fi executate, mai ales în mod repetitiv (mii de ori) de către o ființă care a fost totuși înzestrată cu o conștiință! Mii de oameni adunați la un loc, însă nicio fărâmă de umanitate din partea ofițerilor SS aflați sub cel mai absurd ordin!
Descrierea întâmplărilor, parcă dintr-un suflu, scurt și la obiect, te zdruncină pagină cu pagină! Adesea nu-mi venea să cred ceea ce citesc! Scrierea este una ușoară, însă intensitatea ei te obligă să iei momente de respiro pentru a digera informația atât de copleșitoare!
Nyiszli, deși a fost numit Sonderkommando și a putut să-și execute meseria de medic, însă sub ordinele îngerului morții în cadrul KZ-ului, acest ”beneficiu” nu a fost decât o condamnare sigură la moarte (SK erau executați după câteva luni deoarece vedeau prea multe și dețineau mult prea multe secrete). Pentru că Nyiszli reușise să devină indispensabil, naziștii de la Auschwitz nu au reușit să-i găsească înlocuitor în următoarea serie de SK, iar el și echipa lui de autopsieri își prelungesc viața mai mult decât dublu față de ceilalți Sonderkommando și au șansa de a ajunge până la eliberare.
Așadar, în onoarea luptei lui Nyiszli, care a scăpat cu îndeletnicire de securea nazistă și și-a făcut o misiune din a nu lăsa pradă uitării sufletele chinuite de către ofițerii SS; și pentru comemorarea tuturor celor care au trăit ceea ce noi avem privilegiul doar să citim, această poveste reală și istovitoare merită să se facă auzită!
Lipsa atroce de umanitate s-a rostogolit nimicitor peste poporul evreu, anihilându-le familiile, speranțele, demnitatea, identitatea și multe altele care le-au fost înghițite în gaura neagră a durerii, a disperării și a suferinței ce-și găseau alinarea numai în moarte. În istoria umanității Holocaustul va rămâne un crater colosal! Nu-l vom putea ignora vreodată!
Pentru Miklós Nyiszli și pentru toți cei încolțiți de sârma ghimpată...
Multe dintre aceste orori nu le-am mai cunoscut până acum, dar, în KZ, Nyiszli este martorul unor atrocități despre care nici nu m-am gândit că ar putea exista, că ar putea fi executate, mai ales în mod repetitiv (mii de ori) de către o ființă care a fost totuși înzestrată cu o conștiință! Mii de oameni adunați la un loc, însă nicio fărâmă de umanitate din partea ofițerilor SS aflați sub cel mai absurd ordin!
Descrierea întâmplărilor, parcă dintr-un suflu, scurt și la obiect, te zdruncină pagină cu pagină! Adesea nu-mi venea să cred ceea ce citesc! Scrierea este una ușoară, însă intensitatea ei te obligă să iei momente de respiro pentru a digera informația atât de copleșitoare!
Nyiszli, deși a fost numit Sonderkommando și a putut să-și execute meseria de medic, însă sub ordinele îngerului morții în cadrul KZ-ului, acest ”beneficiu” nu a fost decât o condamnare sigură la moarte (SK erau executați după câteva luni deoarece vedeau prea multe și dețineau mult prea multe secrete). Pentru că Nyiszli reușise să devină indispensabil, naziștii de la Auschwitz nu au reușit să-i găsească înlocuitor în următoarea serie de SK, iar el și echipa lui de autopsieri își prelungesc viața mai mult decât dublu față de ceilalți Sonderkommando și au șansa de a ajunge până la eliberare.
Așadar, în onoarea luptei lui Nyiszli, care a scăpat cu îndeletnicire de securea nazistă și și-a făcut o misiune din a nu lăsa pradă uitării sufletele chinuite de către ofițerii SS; și pentru comemorarea tuturor celor care au trăit ceea ce noi avem privilegiul doar să citim, această poveste reală și istovitoare merită să se facă auzită!
Lipsa atroce de umanitate s-a rostogolit nimicitor peste poporul evreu, anihilându-le familiile, speranțele, demnitatea, identitatea și multe altele care le-au fost înghițite în gaura neagră a durerii, a disperării și a suferinței ce-și găseau alinarea numai în moarte. În istoria umanității Holocaustul va rămâne un crater colosal! Nu-l vom putea ignora vreodată!
Pentru Miklós Nyiszli și pentru toți cei încolțiți de sârma ghimpată...
September 23, 2024
Miklós Nyiszli was one of the prisoners of Auschwitz, but in the selection process, when he revealed he was a doctor, he was chosen as doctor Mengele’s assistent.
The book, as all holocaust biographies, is an important account of a horrible time. It is full of tragic, devastating situations, some of them containing a hint of hope. I think of the girl that survived the gas chambers, the the woman and child hiding several days in the camp and the rebellion of the Sonderkommando, working in the crematorium. Unfortunately, there are not so many happy endings. Nyiszli was near death constantly, and very close to be killed two times. He was extremely lucky to survive both a roll call when every one else were killed, and the very gas chamber, when he was saved in the last moment.
The book is uneven. It is not well written at all, but it doesn’t matter. It has other values. However, there are some thoughts worth discussing. The things the author had to do as doctor Mengele's assistant were horrible, of course, but sometimes, I wonder if he tells the whole truth. I feel Nyiszli tries to justify himself too much, as if he has a reason.
The parts about his family must have been very emotional for him, of course. I would have liked more thoughts and feelings about his family, but the book is somewhat matter-of-factly written. He wrote the book shortly after the war, and perhaps it was a defense mechanism he needed for even managing to write a book about his experiences. Perhaps, some memories were too personal and he didn't want to share them. Anyway, I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to read the book, and get an insight into the author's experiences.
In fact, the not very emotional style has an advantage. It is interesting to read about the holocaust and Auschwitz from that perspective because it gives a kind of overview. I think he mentions many details that other books don’t. Most prisoners probably never knew this much, and therefore, this book is very important.
The book, as all holocaust biographies, is an important account of a horrible time. It is full of tragic, devastating situations, some of them containing a hint of hope. I think of the girl that survived the gas chambers, the the woman and child hiding several days in the camp and the rebellion of the Sonderkommando, working in the crematorium. Unfortunately, there are not so many happy endings. Nyiszli was near death constantly, and very close to be killed two times. He was extremely lucky to survive both a roll call when every one else were killed, and the very gas chamber, when he was saved in the last moment.
The book is uneven. It is not well written at all, but it doesn’t matter. It has other values. However, there are some thoughts worth discussing. The things the author had to do as doctor Mengele's assistant were horrible, of course, but sometimes, I wonder if he tells the whole truth. I feel Nyiszli tries to justify himself too much, as if he has a reason.
The parts about his family must have been very emotional for him, of course. I would have liked more thoughts and feelings about his family, but the book is somewhat matter-of-factly written. He wrote the book shortly after the war, and perhaps it was a defense mechanism he needed for even managing to write a book about his experiences. Perhaps, some memories were too personal and he didn't want to share them. Anyway, I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to read the book, and get an insight into the author's experiences.
In fact, the not very emotional style has an advantage. It is interesting to read about the holocaust and Auschwitz from that perspective because it gives a kind of overview. I think he mentions many details that other books don’t. Most prisoners probably never knew this much, and therefore, this book is very important.
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