https://doi.org/10.31261/WSN.2012.12.14
The article aims to present the image of the first commandant of Oświęcim-Brzezinka (Auschwitz) concentration camp (1940–1943). In the first part there is presented a short biography of Rudolf Höss, the goal of which is to acquaint the reader with basic facts from the biography of commandant of KL Auschwitz-Birkenau. The second, main part of the article constitutes the characteristics of his image. But, it was not presented basing on memoirs, diaries or other published sources, as it was practices up until now. It was most of all based on the court testimonies of former Oświęcim concentration camp prisoners who testified in front of Supreme National Tribunal in Warsaw during trial against Rudolf Höss that took place on 11–29 March 1947. The fundamental source base of the present article are therefore documents form the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim in the collection of documents. Due to character of sources the author shows the defendant in slightly different light that he has been shown so far. She presents the attitude of the commandant not only to prisoners but also to SS-mans subordinate to him. He renders his image seeing both from the perspective of SS-man and average prisoner of the German concentration camp in Oświęcim. Moreover, the author focuses her attention on the way he treated people of different nationalities: Poles, Russians and Jews. Concurrently, the article characterizes personality and views of the defendant form his own standpoint, which were expressed in his diary Wspomnienia Rudolfa Hössa komendanta obozu oświęcimskiego. Thanks to this perspective the reader can compare two points of view. It helps to show the described issues in a multidimensional manner.
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Vol. 4 No. 9 (2012)
Published: 2020-03-04
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