This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Friday, April 1, 2011
PERIOD 7 - The Gestapo
You've been watching the BBC documentary, The Rise of the Nazis - A Warning from History. Please share your thoughts about the film thus far. Does anything stand out for you about the segment on the Gestapo that you saw today?
38 comments:
Jake Phillips
said...
I found it interesting that the Gestapo was unoperable without the combined effort of the German citizens, and in essence made every German that made a plea to the Gestapo guilty of the atrocities committed in concentration camps.
After watching the film about the Gestapo, i was surprised at home much power they were given. They were above the law and able to basically do whatever they wanted. Were able to arrest people without just reasoning and mistreated German citizens without any consequences or repercussions for their actions.
After watching the film about the Gestapo, i was surprised at home much power they were given. They were above the law and able to basically do whatever they wanted. Were able to arrest people without just reasoning and mistreated German citizens without any consequences or repercussions for their actions.
The one thing that stood out for me was seeing all of the cabinets full of files. It's weird to think that they kept tabs on so many people and specifically people like the woman we learned about who was labeled as different and ended up being sent to a camp to die.
I was how much power the germany had. That they were able to arrest people who were against the german.How people were labeling people without even know them. I agree wtih emily hite how that woman was sent to camp and die because she was different and didnt go the way the germans wanted. That basically she didnt fit in with germans.
I found this film to be very interesting. The lady that we met at the beginning who was being interviewed was in denial about her past. The fact that someone was sent to a concentration camp and killed simply because she was different is extremely disturbing. I dont know how someone could do that to someone else. If I were that lady I would be ashamed of my actions.I agree with Jake when he says that there was a combined effort with the German citizens in order for the Gestapo to be powerful and send innocent people to concentration camps.
So far I’ve really enjoyed watching the documentary but many times I become frustrated hearing what people have to say. The Gestapo especially angered me that they had so much power and could basically put anyone into a prison that they wanted. Resi Kraus was the reason for her neighbor’s imprisonment and death yet today she would not admit it. Kraus kept saying that she had no idea where the letter came from and that she doesn’t remember writing it when clearly she did. Megan Sullivan made a good point when she mentioned that if she had done such a thing as Kraus she would be ashamed of herself; and maybe Kraus was ashamed and that’s why she didn’t admit it or maybe it was because she didn’t want to get in trouble. Either way Kraus bothered me.
The amount of power that the Gestapo had was shocking to me. Even more than that though, the members of the Gestapo were able to act above the law, arresting people on unlawful terms and committing many other crimes. I think this is a perfect example of power abuse and the tragic outcomes that can result from it.
It is hard to believe how much power the Gestapo were given during the Nazi’s rein. They were put in a position above the law to take things into their own hands without following legal procedure. It also amazed me how many people were willing to accuse people they knew of such absurd things that they constituted as crimes and have them arrested and taken away by the Gestapo to their death.
Like Meg, I was also apalled by the woman who was interviewed in the beginning of the film. The fact that this woman reported her neighbor to the Gestapo for nothing more than being different is sickening to me. What I find even more disturbing than that is the fact that the Gestapo found these weak suspicions to be enough to send the neighbor to her death. To me, this showed that the Holocaust wasn't about the mass killing of Jews, it was about the extermination of everthing and everyone that did not fit into the ideal race.
I thought the interview with Kraus was a little disturbing. She was the reason her own neighbor was ultimately put to death for being “odd”. I think Kraus remembered the incident but she was ashamed and feared being punished. I think she also didn’t want to look like such a bad person so she denied involvement and tried to justify herself by saying she never murdered anyone.
I agree with Jake when he said the Gestapo would’ve been inoperable without the help of the citizens. I think the main reason Germans participated in the Gestapo was because they wanted to please their nation's leader and also make themselves feel like they were doing their part.
I too concur with Jake and Brenda on how the Gestapo would not have been able to operate without the help of the German citizens. It surprised me when the film talked about how there actually werent that many officers and that most of the complaints and investigations started with citizens.
One of the things that stood out to me in the film was the fact that the woman being interviewed denied that she had filed the complaint. I found it a little disturbing taht she confirmed the signature and address on the file but continued to adamntly deny that she wrote it. I also thought it was peculiar how she stated that she didnt murder anyone when the woman she filed the complaint about was sentenced to death in a concentration camp because of the woman being interviewed accusations. It was angering to see that the woman had been arrested and murdered for being different and wrongly accused with out any solid proof of her actions and behaviors.
I really never knew that the Gestapo was very small and unorganized, or that they used people's testimony that could be wrong to arrest people. I agree with Emily Hite that the number of files was so immense, and i couldn't even think that most of them were burned.
I agree with Meg on how disturbing the story of the woman at the start of the movie was and how she was sent to her death based off of assumptions and the opinion that she was different.
I enjoyed the movie and learning more about the Gestapo, I thought that the most interesting part of the whole move and the scene that will stick with me was the one where the older woman was interviewed about the call she had made to the police reporting someone, her neighbor as a Jew and one who doesn’t fallow Hitler. As if that wasn’t enough I thought it was astonishing that she acted as if she had no idea about it and seemed to contradict herself when she agree that it was her signature on the document and her address but claimed she never reported anything.
After watching this documentary, I was angered by how much power that Gestapo were given. They were able to throw anyone in jail or send them to the concentration camps due to the fact that they were different. I agree with Jake. I think the Gestapo wouldn't have been powerful without the help of the German citizens.
The film really opened my eyes to one of the most disturbing things that happened during the rein of the Nazis. The fact that the Gestapo really operated under the control of the German Citizens. Ordinary German people were basically handed the power to make accusations about people without any real reasonable cause, and inevitably imprisoning innocent people and even cause their execution. The Gestapo essentially symbolizes the entire unjust and irrational Nazi Party. It is ashamed that so many innocent people were forced to suffer and die because of senseless accusations that didn't even apply to them. Innocent people were turned into criminals and rebels.
I agree with what Emily says. It is amazing to really see how many people were forced to suffer because of the Gestapo. I am interested to see how much more files existed before the war ended and before so many of the files were burned.
The film about the Gestapo was very interesting to watch. The fact that the Gestapo was basically controlled by German people and what they provided them for information. It was also interesting to see how quickly the German people would turn against each other.
I agree with Stephen I also think that it is unfortunate that so many people died because of stupid accusations against them and the fact that the Gestapo listened and took people just for no reason.
I thought this film about the Gestapo was surprising. The interview with Kraus was upsetting and disturbing. I was confused to how she had signed and addressed a complaint and then said that she didn't remember doing it. She clearly doesn't want to take the blame for her neighbor's death even though it was her fault. I agree with Brenda and that Kraus was feared of being punished so that's why she acted as if she didn't remember the letter. I think it's true that one of the main reasons the Germans participated in the Gestapo was to please their nation's leader.
I found it interesting as to how much power the Gestopo had contained especially when there was and already existing police force in Germany. I cant understand how the German people would want to cooperate with the Gestapo because everyone was at stake of being arrested. If you didnt like someone you could easily just make somthing up that they were helping jews, or they were suspicious of going against Hitler and just by you saying it with mo further evidence, they would be arrested and put into camps.
The film show us again the power the Germany had. It is sad to see that they arest people and judge them with out knowing who they are and how. They are just because they didn't Feet on.
Like many people have addressed in this blog, I thought it was interesting that the Gestapo was, in reality, rather small. It was shocking to realize that Germans were denouncing Germans, and without the help of the common people, the Gestapo would not have been nearly as efficient.
I agree with both Megan Sullivan and Emily Hite, in that it was rather disconcerting to see that only a few people's opinions could get someone innocent thrown in jail, simply for being guilty of individuality.
It was frightening to see how the gestapo were treated. The Gestapo were above the law and they never had to answer for any of their crimes. Its also scary how they could arrest someone without reasonable cause.
I was amazed at how much power the Gestapo had. The Nazis were able to basically do whatever they wanted when they wanted to, and the German citizens had no problem with it. - William Lariviere
38 comments:
I found it interesting that the Gestapo was unoperable without the combined effort of the German citizens, and in essence made every German that made a plea to the Gestapo guilty of the atrocities committed in concentration camps.
By 'plea' I meant when a German calls in something about a neighbor of theirs.
After watching the film about the Gestapo, i was surprised at home much power they were given. They were above the law and able to basically do whatever they wanted. Were able to arrest people without just reasoning and mistreated German citizens without any consequences or repercussions for their actions.
After watching the film about the Gestapo, i was surprised at home much power they were given. They were above the law and able to basically do whatever they wanted. Were able to arrest people without just reasoning and mistreated German citizens without any consequences or repercussions for their actions.
I agree with Jake in that there had to be a certain degree of cooperation by the citizens of Germany for these atrocities to take place
The one thing that stood out for me was seeing all of the cabinets full of files. It's weird to think that they kept tabs on so many people and specifically people like the woman we learned about who was labeled as different and ended up being sent to a camp to die.
What Jake says I found interesting also. Random Germans made comments on random people for just being considered different. It's disgusting.
I was how much power the germany had. That they were able to arrest people who were against the german.How people were labeling people without even know them. I agree wtih emily hite how that woman was sent to camp and die because she was different and didnt go the way the germans wanted. That basically she didnt fit in with germans.
I found this film to be very interesting. The lady that we met at the beginning who was being interviewed was in denial about her past. The fact that someone was sent to a concentration camp and killed simply because she was different is extremely disturbing. I dont know how someone could do that to someone else. If I were that lady I would be ashamed of my actions.I agree with Jake when he says that there was a combined effort with the German citizens in order for the Gestapo to be powerful and send innocent people to concentration camps.
I was absent for this documentary.
So far I’ve really enjoyed watching the documentary but many times I become frustrated hearing what people have to say. The Gestapo especially angered me that they had so much power and could basically put anyone into a prison that they wanted. Resi Kraus was the reason for her neighbor’s imprisonment and death yet today she would not admit it. Kraus kept saying that she had no idea where the letter came from and that she doesn’t remember writing it when clearly she did. Megan Sullivan made a good point when she mentioned that if she had done such a thing as Kraus she would be ashamed of herself; and maybe Kraus was ashamed and that’s why she didn’t admit it or maybe it was because she didn’t want to get in trouble. Either way Kraus bothered me.
The amount of power that the Gestapo had was shocking to me. Even more than that though, the members of the Gestapo were able to act above the law, arresting people on unlawful terms and committing many other crimes. I think this is a perfect example of power abuse and the tragic outcomes that can result from it.
It is hard to believe how much power the Gestapo were given during the Nazi’s rein. They were put in a position above the law to take things into their own hands without following legal procedure. It also amazed me how many people were willing to accuse people they knew of such absurd things that they constituted as crimes and have them arrested and taken away by the Gestapo to their death.
Like Meg, I was also apalled by the woman who was interviewed in the beginning of the film. The fact that this woman reported her neighbor to the Gestapo for nothing more than being different is sickening to me. What I find even more disturbing than that is the fact that the Gestapo found these weak suspicions to be enough to send the neighbor to her death. To me, this showed that the Holocaust wasn't about the mass killing of Jews, it was about the extermination of everthing and everyone that did not fit into the ideal race.
I think Jake made a good point that this would not have happened on the scale that it did without the cooperation of the German people.
I thought the interview with Kraus was a little disturbing. She was the reason her own neighbor was ultimately put to death for being “odd”. I think Kraus remembered the incident but she was ashamed and feared being punished. I think she also didn’t want to look like such a bad person so she denied involvement and tried to justify herself by saying she never murdered anyone.
I agree with Jake when he said the Gestapo would’ve been inoperable without the help of the citizens. I think the main reason Germans participated in the Gestapo was because they wanted to please their nation's leader and also make themselves feel like they were doing their part.
I too concur with Jake and Brenda on how the Gestapo would not have been able to operate without the help of the German citizens. It surprised me when the film talked about how there actually werent that many officers and that most of the complaints and investigations started with citizens.
One of the things that stood out to me in the film was the fact that the woman being interviewed denied that she had filed the complaint. I found it a little disturbing taht she confirmed the signature and address on the file but continued to adamntly deny that she wrote it. I also thought it was peculiar how she stated that she didnt murder anyone when the woman she filed the complaint about was sentenced to death in a concentration camp because of the woman being interviewed accusations. It was angering to see that the woman had been arrested and murdered for being different and wrongly accused with out any solid proof of her actions and behaviors.
I really never knew that the Gestapo was very small and unorganized, or that they used people's testimony that could be wrong to arrest people. I agree with Emily Hite that the number of files was so immense, and i couldn't even think that most of them were burned.
I agree with Meg on how disturbing the story of the woman at the start of the movie was and how she was sent to her death based off of assumptions and the opinion that she was different.
I enjoyed the movie and learning more about the Gestapo, I thought that the most interesting part of the whole move and the scene that will stick with me was the one where the older woman was interviewed about the call she had made to the police reporting someone, her neighbor as a Jew and one who doesn’t fallow Hitler. As if that wasn’t enough I thought it was astonishing that she acted as if she had no idea about it and seemed to contradict herself when she agree that it was her signature on the document and her address but claimed she never reported anything.
After watching this documentary, I was angered by how much power that Gestapo were given. They were able to throw anyone in jail or send them to the concentration camps due to the fact that they were different. I agree with Jake. I think the Gestapo wouldn't have been powerful without the help of the German citizens.
The film really opened my eyes to one of the most disturbing things that happened during the rein of the Nazis. The fact that the Gestapo really operated under the control of the German Citizens. Ordinary German people were basically handed the power to make accusations about people without any real reasonable cause, and inevitably imprisoning innocent people and even cause their execution. The Gestapo essentially symbolizes the entire unjust and irrational Nazi Party. It is ashamed that so many innocent people were forced to suffer and die because of senseless accusations that didn't even apply to them. Innocent people were turned into criminals and rebels.
I agree with what Emily says. It is amazing to really see how many people were forced to suffer because of the Gestapo. I am interested to see how much more files existed before the war ended and before so many of the files were burned.
The film about the Gestapo was very interesting to watch. The fact that the Gestapo was basically controlled by German people and what they provided them for information. It was also interesting to see how quickly the German people would turn against each other.
I agree with Stephen I also think that it is unfortunate that so many people died because of stupid accusations against them and the fact that the Gestapo listened and took people just for no reason.
I thought this film about the Gestapo was surprising. The interview with Kraus was upsetting and disturbing. I was confused to how she had signed and addressed a complaint and then said that she didn't remember doing it. She clearly doesn't want to take the blame for her neighbor's death even though it was her fault. I agree with Brenda and that Kraus was feared of being punished so that's why she acted as if she didn't remember the letter. I think it's true that one of the main reasons the Germans participated in the Gestapo was to please their nation's leader.
I was talking to Brian Callaghan during this film.
I found it interesting as to how much power the Gestopo had contained especially when there was and already existing police force in Germany. I cant understand how the German people would want to cooperate with the Gestapo because everyone was at stake of being arrested. If you didnt like someone you could easily just make somthing up that they were helping jews, or they were suspicious of going against Hitler and just by you saying it with mo further evidence, they would be arrested and put into camps.
The film show us again the power the Germany had. It is sad to see that they arest people and judge them with out knowing who they are and how. They are just because they didn't Feet on.
I was absent
Like many people have addressed in this blog, I thought it was interesting that the Gestapo was, in reality, rather small. It was shocking to realize that Germans were denouncing Germans, and without the help of the common people, the Gestapo would not have been nearly as efficient.
I agree with both Megan Sullivan and Emily Hite, in that it was rather disconcerting to see that only a few people's opinions could get someone innocent thrown in jail, simply for being guilty of individuality.
It was frightening to see how the gestapo were treated. The Gestapo were above the law and they never had to answer for any of their crimes. Its also scary how they could arrest someone without reasonable cause.
I agree with Jake that the Gestapo would have been unoperable had it not been for the support of the German citizens.
I was absent.
I was amazed at how much power the Gestapo had. The Nazis were able to basically do whatever they wanted when they wanted to, and the German citizens had no problem with it. - William Lariviere
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