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Behind the Aegis

(53,833 posts)
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 01:51 AM Apr 2014

In just a few short years, two out of every three European Jews would be gone.

In 1933, approximately 9.5 million Jews lived in Europe, comprising 1.7% of the total European population. This number represented more than 60 percent of the world's Jewish population at that time, estimated at 15.3 million.

In eastern Europe:
Poland, with about 3,000,000 Jews (9.5%) (by 1950, 45,000);
the European part of the Soviet Union, with 2,525,000 (3.4%);
Romania, with 756,000 (4.2%) (by 1950, 280,000);
Latvia, 95,600 (4.9%);
Lithuania, 155,000 (7.6%);
Estonia, 4,560 (0.4%).

In central Europe:
Germany, with about 500,000 members (0.75%) (by 1950, 37,000);
Hungary, with 445,000 (5.1%) (by 1950, 190,000) ;
Czechoslovakia, with 357,000 (2.4%) (by 1950, 17,000);
Austria, with 191,000 (2.8%) (by 1950, 18,000).

In western Europe:
Great Britain, with 300,000 Jews (0.65%);
France, with 250,000 (0.6%) (some 75,300 French Jews died in the camps);
the Netherlands, with 156,000 (1.8%) (after the war, 35,000 were left);
Belgium,60,000 Jews (0.7%) (at the end of the war, about 35,770 remained);
Spain, 4,000 (0.02%);
Portugal, 1,200 (0.02%)

In Scandinavia:
Sweden, 6,700 (0.11%);
Denmark, 5,700 (0.15%) (almost 99% of Danish Jews survived because of the actions of the people of Denmark);
Finland, 1,800 (0.05%);
Norway, 1,400 (0.05%) (765 were killed under Nazi occupation).

In southern Europe:
Greece, with about 73,000 (1.2%) (by 1950, 7,000);
Yugoslavia, 68,000 (0.49%) (by 1950, 3,500);
Italy, 48,000 (0.11%) (by 1950, 35,000);
Bulgaria, 48,500 (0.8%) (by 1950, 6,500);
Albania, 200 (0.02%).

(sources: pre-WWII stats, post-WWII stats and other stats from various sites)

It is vital to understand not all Jews were killed in the death camps. In countries like Romania, Ukraine, and Poland, many Jews were killed by their own countrymen. The numbers above are not complete, but give an overall idea of what happened. While today is Yom HaShoah in Israel (Holocaust Remembrance Day) (sundown Sunday, until sundown Monday), there are other days which remember the deaths of all the victims of the Holocaust, such as International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th, as set aside by the UN. Other countries have set aside their own days as listed here: Holocaust Memorial Days.





Never Again!





My family was from Belarus. Those who didn't leave during the Russian Pogroms, are no longer there.

33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
In just a few short years, two out of every three European Jews would be gone. (Original Post) Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 OP
I agree, never again and never forget. MADem Apr 2014 #1
Thank you for this tribute to the Jewish people who Cha Apr 2014 #2
It was not only Jewish people who were victims. Jenoch Apr 2014 #3
No one claimed they were. Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 #4
Let us never forget. I want to remember all of them and for my family especially the disabled. This jwirr Apr 2014 #19
. . . LuckyLib Apr 2014 #5
The photo of the two little boys shaayecanaan Apr 2014 #6
Imagine the tears that drop from the eyes of whoever had to sew a star on those little sweaters. merrily Apr 2014 #9
I agree. I hadn't seen that photo before... Violet_Crumble Apr 2014 #16
*** Warren DeMontague Apr 2014 #7
... RainDog Apr 2014 #8
The numbers are JustAnotherGen Apr 2014 #10
My bubbe emigrated to the U.S. before WW1, but the rest of the family remained in Poland. ColesCountyDem Apr 2014 #11
My grandparents came from Romania about the same time... Hepburn Apr 2014 #18
Thank you for this. The reminder of the present is as important as merrily Apr 2014 #12
Horrible, mans inhumanity!! newfie11 Apr 2014 #13
... NuclearDem Apr 2014 #14
Kick! Heidi Apr 2014 #15
Romanian Jew here Hepburn Apr 2014 #17
And yes, we have people who deny this nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #20
Sadly, that is vey true. Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 #22
No they are not, they are as fringe as they come nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #23
I know they are fringe, but they are promoted as "historians." Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 #24
But REAL historians do not take that cannard nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #25
Of course, REAL ones don't promote it, that was MY point. Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 #26
I know what they are doing nadinbrzezinski Apr 2014 #27
Deciding who is a 'real' German, Russian, American, etc based on race, ethnicity, religion, language pampango Apr 2014 #21
Hard to believe moondust Apr 2014 #28
When you say "gone" ... surrealAmerican Apr 2014 #29
dead Behind the Aegis Apr 2014 #31
My uncle was part of the Warsaw resistance The Blue Flower Apr 2014 #30
So very sorry for your loss BtA. sheshe2 Apr 2014 #32
Thanks for posting this. DisgustipatedinCA Apr 2014 #33

MADem

(135,425 posts)
1. I agree, never again and never forget.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:52 AM
Apr 2014

If we do not keep this important and difficult time in world history front and center, it will be to our collective detriment.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
19. Let us never forget. I want to remember all of them and for my family especially the disabled. This
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 11:19 AM
Apr 2014

has been the nightmare of my life. I am of German descent and always wonder which side I would have been on. I sincerely hope it would not have been the Nazi side. Fortunately some ancestor decided to come to the USA way before this happened and my family sent our young men to fight against the Nazi.

shaayecanaan

(6,068 posts)
6. The photo of the two little boys
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 03:48 AM
Apr 2014

is particularly affecting. They have a haggard expression unbecoming for those so young.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
9. Imagine the tears that drop from the eyes of whoever had to sew a star on those little sweaters.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 04:52 AM
Apr 2014

In the first photo, look at the lips of the boy. He's trying to brave, but the lips looks like he wants to sob.

I can barely bare to look, but looking away would be worse, I think.

Violet_Crumble

(35,954 posts)
16. I agree. I hadn't seen that photo before...
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 09:06 AM
Apr 2014

I saw the first one long ago when I was a little kid and it was part of the intro of World At War. It's always gotten to me every time I've seen the photo since then...

ColesCountyDem

(6,943 posts)
11. My bubbe emigrated to the U.S. before WW1, but the rest of the family remained in Poland.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 04:55 AM
Apr 2014

At the end of WW2, one cousin remained alive.

Hepburn

(21,054 posts)
18. My grandparents came from Romania about the same time...
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 09:34 AM
Apr 2014

...my grandmother wanted to go back and the family (grandparents, my mother and her brother) did go back for a short time. But this was at the time when naturalized citizens lost their citizenship if outside the US for over 7 years. So my grandfather brought back to the US himself, his wife and his two American born children right before the 7 years ran. Thank god...if not, my family story would be much like yours. My mother had cousins born in the US...caught in Romania due to their Romanian born parents returning to their homeland.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
12. Thank you for this. The reminder of the present is as important as
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 04:56 AM
Apr 2014

the reminder of the past, if not more so.

The past has since been well-publicized. The present, not so much.

I guess that's has probably always been true. It's easier for politicians to make comments about the past than to do something while there's still time to save people. For us ordinary souls, too.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005267

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
23. No they are not, they are as fringe as they come
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 01:57 PM
Apr 2014

That said, they have been at this since 1947. I actually have one of the first books in holocaust denial... know thy enemy.

Behind the Aegis

(53,833 posts)
24. I know they are fringe, but they are promoted as "historians."
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:04 PM
Apr 2014

It is dishonest, but it happens quite a bit on the Holocaust "historical accuracy" circuit.

When I was writing this OP, I was pulling numbers and there were several links to pages designed to appear as if they were historically accurate. Of course, they were not, but they are set up in such a way as to not look bigoted (there were scads of those sites too), in order to draw in potentials.

Holocaust denial is being marketed, in some cases, in such a way to make it more appealing. It is disgusting and, IMO, shows the lengths some will go to in order to deny what really happened.

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
25. But REAL historians do not take that cannard
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:06 PM
Apr 2014

and that is my point.

I have been debating what to do with Borrego's piece of crap, "World Defeat."

I know it matters since a lot of the canards come straight from it and it is falling apart. But on the other hand...

Behind the Aegis

(53,833 posts)
26. Of course, REAL ones don't promote it, that was MY point.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:10 PM
Apr 2014

I don't know if you saw the recent articles about the Klan trying to "rebrand" themselves, it was in that vein which I was discussing these "historians" being made more appealing.

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
27. I know what they are doing
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:12 PM
Apr 2014

one of my hobbies is following this "literature" since I know they convince idiots, through the process of confirmation bias mostly.

I am familiar with what they are trying to do. In some ways they are dying off, but in others, they are getting new blood. It is weird.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
21. Deciding who is a 'real' German, Russian, American, etc based on race, ethnicity, religion, language
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 11:46 AM
Apr 2014

is a bad idea. It was a horrible idea in the 1930's and 1940's in Europe. It is still a horrible idea though the far-right in Europe still is committed to racial, ethnic and linguistic 'purity' in terms of who is a 'real' citizen of a country.

surrealAmerican

(11,340 posts)
29. When you say "gone" ...
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 02:37 PM
Apr 2014

... do you mean dead? ... or do these numbers include those who survived and fled elsewhere?

(This is one reason I don't like euphemisms - they sacrifice clarity.)

The Blue Flower

(5,420 posts)
30. My uncle was part of the Warsaw resistance
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 03:09 PM
Apr 2014

I'm very proud to say I am the niece of Martin Rose, who fought as a 15-year-old in the Warsaw Resistance. He survived a bullet wound and the camps and came to this country after the war.

sheshe2

(83,355 posts)
32. So very sorry for your loss BtA.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 09:23 PM
Apr 2014
Resolution 60/7 establishing 27 January as International Holocaust Remembrance Day urges every member nation of the U.N. to honor the memory of Holocaust victims, and encourages the development of educational programs about Holocaust history to help prevent future acts of genocide. It rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an event and condemns all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief.


Such horrific crimes against humanity.
 

DisgustipatedinCA

(12,530 posts)
33. Thanks for posting this.
Mon Apr 28, 2014, 09:30 PM
Apr 2014

This is one of the several reasons I detest American skinhead Neo Nazi groups. The vast majority of them have no f-ing idea of what they're talking about, what they're advocating. And those that truly do understand what they're advocating for but do it anyway...well, I don't want to get a post locked, but those people should be dealt with.

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