Tag: Concentration Camps

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Ten Gifts of the White Bus Rescue–Guest Blog

I wrote a blog in 2019 about The White Buses (click here to read the blog). It was the story of how Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat, negotiated with Himmler toward the end of World War II for the release of thousands of women imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. Using buses painted white while adorned with the Red Cross symbol, the destination for the women was to be neutral Sweden and freedom. While many of them were saved from SS death marches as Soviet troops advanced westward, their journey through Germany on the White Buses was no less perilous.

White Bus no. 36. Photo by anonymous (c. April/May 1945). “When Sweden Rescued 31,000 Non-Swedes from Nazi Germany.” https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/08/09/the-white-buses/
White Bus no. 36. Photo by anonymous (c. April/May 1945). “When Sweden Rescued 31,000 Non-Swedes from Nazi Germany.” https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/08/09/the-white-buses/

One of our readers, Professor Roger Ritvo contacted me about the blog and filled me in on his research project about the White Buses. At some point in our discussions, I suggested he write a guest blog based on his research. (Co-authors of the article are Caitlyn Traffanstedt and Allison Stone.) Fortunately for us, Roger agreed, and I have had the opportunity to read their two articles, 10 Gifts from the White Bus Rescue of 15,345 Nazi Prisoners in 1945 (Part 1) and Ten Gifts (Part 2).

Our blog today is a collection of selected excerpts of the paper, and we have chosen several of the gifts to share with you.  I hope you enjoy this sampling and if you do, I have listed the links to their articles in the recommended reading section below. Read More Ten Gifts of the White Bus Rescue–Guest Blog

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KZ Illustrators: Haunted Art

For those of you who have read my books, you know the featured walks and stories are heavily dependent on images. The same goes for our bi-weekly blogs. So, over the years I have become quite familiar with and adept at using various sources to locate images.

I found there are only two options available to obtain images of Nazi concentration camps during the war. The first are the photos taken by the Germans who worked in the camps. These are relatively scarce as the Nazi leaders did not want any archival evidence of the atrocities they were committing. The second option are the inmate drawings and paintings done either while a prisoner or from a survivor’s memory.

As the Allied troops liberated the camps, Gen. Eisenhower ordered his photographic units to take pictures. One of his motivations was to ensure people could never deny these horrific events had taken place. Many of us are familiar with the photos of emaciated prisoners, stacks of bodies, and ovens that were still warm. These images can be found in the German Archives (Bundesarchiv), various Holocaust memorial museum archives, and government archives such as the Imperial War Museum, Smithsonian Museum, and the US National Archives.

Today’s blog will focus on the illustrations made by camp prisoners and survivors. Click here to watch Paintings from Terazín Concentration Camp. Read More KZ Illustrators: Haunted Art