The People section investigates the human drama of the Holocaust. The participants are grouped according to perspective, either forced or chosen. As in any other facet of life, the groups are not mutually exclusive.
- Victims. Millions were victimized by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust: Jews, Gypsies, political enemies, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, and people with disabilities.
- Perpetrators. Hitler created an atmosphere of terror that was maintained by force.
- Bystanders. Throughout the world, many stood by and watched as the atrocities mounted.
- Resisters. Resistance took many forms, from individual acts to organized armed resistance against the Nazi terror.
- Rescuers. Rescuers, by hiding victims in attics or by helping them to escape to other countries, saved many who would have perished.
- Liberators. The Allies liberated the concentration camps in 1945 and became unwilling witnesses to the horror.
- Survivors. Survivors relate their thoughts and feelings about living through such a terrible period of human history.
- Children. Children were especially vulnerable in this tragic period.
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 1997-2013.