Reading about the Auschwitz photographer inspires students in Siegen

Reading about the Auschwitz photographer inspires students in Siegen

In an impressive reading at the Bertha von Suttner Comprehensive School in Siegen, the author Reiner Engelmann presented his young adult book “The Photographer of Auschwitz”. The event, organized by House of Science at the University of Siegen, offered around 250 students in grades 10 and 11 a deep insight into the life of the Polish photographer Wilhelm Brasse.

Wilhelm Brasse, born in December 1917 in Saybusch, Silesia, became a symbol of the horror of the concentration camps during the Second World War. He had worked as a professional photographer since 1935 and initially wanted to join the Polish army after Germany invaded Poland. Instead, however, he was arrested and transported to Auschwitz in the summer of 1940, where he was given prisoner number 3444. Brasse was employed in various capacities, including as a camp photographer, which gave him better living conditions and chances of survival.

A contemporary witness in the spotlight

Engelmann's book is based on personal conversations with Brasse and addresses not only his personal experiences, but also the immense suffering of the prisoners, whose photographs in Auschwitz were preserved as contemporary testimonies. During the reading, which lasted a total of three hours and included a 90-minute discussion session, the students had the opportunity to ask questions. These covered complex issues such as the responsibility of camp officials and the risk of a repeat of such cruel dictatorships.

The documentation about bream, which is in Vienna Holocaust Library includes remaining documents and was recently made available online, takes on particular relevance in this context. These archives offer up to 150,000 documents documenting the life of the Jewish population in Europe before 1939 and the horrors of the National Socialist regime.

Wilhelm Brasse, who took an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 “identity images” in Auschwitz, initially devoted himself to rebuilding his life after the war, but had to struggle with the traumas of the Holocaust. Despite these challenges, Brasse lived in Żywiec, Poland until his death in 2012, where he continued to advocate for his experiences and the preservation of memory.

Engelmann's reading is an important contribution to continuing this legacy by introducing the younger generation to the memories and lessons from the Nazi era. The opening of the archives by the Vienna Holocaust Library on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz is another significant sign of the importance of coming to terms with this past.