Analyzing Man's Inhumanity to Man: Auschwitz and Holocaust Impact

This essay delves into the philosophical concept of "man's inhumanity to man," using the Auschwitz concentration camps and the Holocaust as a primary case study. The paper examines the atrocities committed during World War II, particularly the systematic extermination of Jews by the Nazi regime. It highlights the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, Joseph Mandrowitz, who endured immense suffering and torture. The essay explores Mandrowitz's life before, during, and after his imprisonment, emphasizing the psychological impact of his experiences, including PTSD. It references his personal account and the historical context of the events, including the liberation of Auschwitz and the lasting effects of the trauma. The essay also touches upon the anti-Semitic environment that existed and the survivor's resilience in the face of adversity, showcasing his strength and determination to overcome the horrors he faced.

Running head: MAN’S INHUMANITY TO MAN
MAN’S INHUMANITY TO MAN
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Author Note

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The World War 2 had been a significant event in the history of mankind that made humans
question their existence and importance in every dimension. World War 2 managed to change
the world order, gave rise to a new world with women as working force and America emerging
as the superpower. However, it will be poignant to know that World War 2 had “gifted” the
world with deaths and inhumanity in the name of politics, mass ethnic cleansing and collateral
damage. The biggest example of cruelty of men to the mankind is the Auschwitz concentration
camps and gas chambers that were made to kill the Jews who were treated as pests in the German
society by the fascist government of Hitler (Gies). The respective paper is aimed to analyze and
narrate in details about the philosophy of “man’s inhumanity to man” with special reference of
Auschwitz concentration camps and holocausts in Germany by highlighting an example of a
holocaust survivor and his experience of torture. The paper is in an essay format with proper
explanation and conclusion thereafter.
The World War 2 witnessed unprecedented rate of death and loss of lives and property. The mass
ethnic cleansing of the Jews in the hands of the Nazi armies of Hitler is considered to be the most
heinous form of genocide the world has ever witnessed. The year 2020 is considered to be the
75th Anniversary of liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camps by the Russian army in
order to catch hold of the German Nazis for political battles. As the death tolls increased from
thousands to millions, there were small microscopic groups of people (men and women) who
managed to survive the heinous concentration camp of Auschwitz, thereby carrying the legacy of
their suffering with the tattooed numbers they were assigned to on their bodies. The survivors of
the concentration camp are no less than heroes who have fought till the end to emancipate
themselves from the monumental crime they were exposed to. One of such heroes is Joseph
Mandrowitz, who was born in the country of Poland in the year 1923. He is now settled in

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America and he resides in the city of New Jersey. He had the plans to visit Auschwitz again for
the second time with his brother (cousin) to pay a visit to the area (Theguardian.com).
Joseph Mandrowitz was born in Poland in a middle class Polish family who lived peacefully in a
Polish village when the Nazi military forces evacuated the Jewish village completely and took
them as captives to the Auschwitz concentration camps in the name of holocaust. The torture that
he had to witness in the concentration camp was the worst part of his life as he claims in his
interviews with different news and journalism portals. The ghosts of the torture camps have been
haunting him lately even after surviving the torture and starting a new life in the American
continent, as said by Joseph Mandrowitz. When he was young, he was subject to Anti- Semitic
behavior at his school and among his friends and classmates who were Christians and from other
faith. The most common dialogue that he had to listen to was that Jews were to be hated because
they “Killed Jesus”. Joseph’s school had also come under the fascist regime during those days
where the students were manipulated against the Jews through systematic distortion of history
textbooks and other school textbooks. The life of Joseph was completely unpredictable and it
seemed as if he was at the mercy of the Nazi army. However, with his indomitable courage and
bravery, he was able to survive and win the tortures he was subjected to in the concentration
camps in various parts of Poland and Sweden (Theguardian.com).
At first, he was transferred to Madjanek where there was a torture camp specially built for the
Jews and the sight of the camp was fearful as it was filled with dead bodies and different body
parts scattered here and there. In the respective camp, all the captives, including him were
showered and made to wear special uniforms. They were also given a tattooed number mark in
their body and from then onwards, they were addressed by the number and not by their own
individual identity. Joseph was subjected to severe torture for activities that were ordinary.

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Joseph was once beaten black and blue for plucking tomatoes to eat as he was kept starved in the
concentration camp. Such inhuman treatment was endured by Joseph as he was physically and
mentally strong. However, instead of sending him to the concentration camp, the Nazis
appointed him as the tailor of the Nazi camp where most of the soldiers would come to him for
getting their uniforms sewed and clothes designed. As his mother was a seamstress, Joseph was
well skilled in tailoring and when Nazis saw the robust looks of Joseph, they realized that he had
the potential to give labor more than any other people. Therefore, his life was saved by the
profession he carried (Theguardian.com).
Joseph was subjected to diabolical and fiendish human experiments too but nevertheless, he was
fortunate enough to survive such maltreatment and dehumanization respectively. After he was
liberated, Joseph received a fairly dignified life as a tailor in the United States as many other
survivors have done in America (Helmreich). However, he is subject to the psychological
condition called PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) where the howls in the concentration
camp still haunts him in his old age (Felsen). Joseph is a strong willed and determined man who
had gone through a plethora of negative and inhuman experiences but he is still a winner at the
end of the day. He kept on the fight with fascism and with himself as well and came out
victorious with flying colors. Even though he has lost most of his families, he still believes that
“there is light at the end of the tunnel” and this thought has helped him remain sane throughout
his life till now.

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References:
Felsen, Irit. "Encounters with chronic psychiatric Holocaust survivors: Trauma, psychosis and
functionality." (2016): 1-25.
Gies, Miep. Anne Frank Remembered. Simon and Schuster, 2011.
Helmreich, William B. Against all odds: Holocaust survivors and the successful lives they made
in America. Routledge, 2017.
Theguardian.com.2015. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/26/tales-
from-auschwitz-survivor-stories