Having now read this book twice, there were a few points that resonated with me throughout both readings. I was struck by the fact that those working with the Jews were described as “mistaking the effects for the cause.” In other words, Nazi sympathizers, collaborators, and occasionally, civilians, believed that Jews were truly desperate, dirty creatures, and thus were in the camps. They did not grasp that the camps had molded them into this form. Perhaps this is an example of selective viewing or a sort of survival mechanism. Nazis appeared to process what they saw through their world view. Rather than seeing the humanitarian crisis in front of them, they took what they saw as evidence that the Jews were receiving what they deserved. I found it fascinating that the evidence that one would thing would most directly challenge this viewpoint was instead twisted to confirm it.
I was further struck by how many civilians appeared to be trading with the prisoners. This raises many questions. How many civilians were aware of what was occurring in these camps? Those who directly traded may have told others, leading to rumors. After all, some form of explanation had to be given as to the source of these newly produced goods. These stories make me much less likely to believe that no ordinary German civilians were aware of the atrocities that were occurring. Many may have been ignorant, but certainly not all. I find it much more likely to believe that those who heard rumors or suspected such deaths were occurring (after all, their Jewish neighbors did not simply “disappear”) deliberately turned a blind eye. Whether this was due to fear or a subtle form of support, it is my belief that many more than the official orchestrators of the genocide knew it was occurring, even if these individuals did not directly participate.