FAMOUS PEOPLE & PLACES IN THE SHOAH. . . . . .
Note: This "Famous People" section contains
listings of persons both good and bad, in many walks of life who influence or
had a role in the Shoah. Further listings may be found in the sections
A-BAnielewicz, Mordecai The young resistance leader in the Warsaw Ghetto, who with Itzhak Zuckerman lead with valor the most formidable resistance against Nazi attacks during the War.
Anielewicz died in the battle, while Zuckerman continued on to Israel.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich
 The leader of the German Evangelical Church,
the confessing Church Bonhoeffer stood fervently and openly against
Hitler. Educated in the US at Union Theological he wrote extensively about
surrender to Christ, in a Social Gospel vein. Accused as a conspirator in
a plot to assasinate Hitler, he was imprisoned and killed in Flossenberg
Concentration Camp. He continued to train pastors in the feisty little
Resistance Church, and surrendered a way of escape from death in order to
support prisoners in Flossenberg.
Bourke-White, Margaret
 The Priminister of Great Britain during the
beginning of the War and before: it was Chamberlain's polices of
non-interventions during the annexation of Rhineland, Sudentenland and
parts of Austria which delayed intervention by European nations when it
was still possible. Chamberlain's belief in non-intervention in
Hitlers reconfiscation of lands resulted in a an adversary in great
strength by the time most of Europe knew the imperialism had to be
stopped.
Churchill, Winston Following Chamberlain as Priminister of
England during the War years, Churchill was opposite in demeanor and
approach to the German threats of Imperialism in Europe. Considered
hawkish, it was Churchill's desire to enter the war against Germany in
full force and win soundly. Under Goring in the German Luftwaffe (air
force) and Churchill supporting the British Air Force, WWII became the
first war fought without precedence in and from the air. The monumental
mainstay of the Allied Leaders, with DeGaulle and Roosevelt, Czerniakow, Adam: Head of
the Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat: A friend of Janus Korczak, he was
deeply concerned about the children of the Ghetto. Ignoring
the warnings of young Zionists about the
slave camp of Treblinka being a killing center, the reality
becomes clear when the Nazis betray him, forcing him to sign their
deportation order: a certain death. He refuses and commits
suicide. See "It Really Happened" and "The Ghettos.Darre, Darre, appointed as head of
department of Agriculture is known as one of the fundamental
persons moving forward the 'blut und boden' policies of the third Reich.
An ardent conservationist and environmentalist, Hitler appointed him
at first to the government post but after differences, Darre stepped down.
He is known in some circles with respect for being a forerunner in the
environmental movement but disparaged for his push for Nazi philosophies
of 'blood and soil' and their pertainance to 'lebensraum'.De Gaulle, Charles
 President of France
during WWII. dslk
Dreyfus An army officer in
France falsely accused in large part due to Anti-Semitism of a murder which he did
not commit. When it became evident that he was innocent and the knowledge of the
the true culprits was clear, he was still not released, so several prominent frenchmen
and others, most notably Emile Zola, the playwright and essayist, wrote letters and intervened
in his defense. The famous letter : J'accuse may be found at
J'accuse
E-FFrank,Anne
 The 13 year old girl, hidden by Mies Giep and her husband in the Netherlands from the Nazis. Living
in a secret set of rooms above her Father's business, they survived until
months before the end of the War when they were betrayed, sent to
Bergen-Belsen and died of Typhus shortly before armistice. Her diary
became a living history.See "Anne Frank"Frank, Otto
 The father of Anne Frank who went on to survive
despite the loss of his wives and daughters, He worked tirelessly to
educate persons about the Shoah in the years following the War and to
publish in all languages, the widely read Diary of Anne
Frank IT was later made into a movie. He also helped in
establishing the foundation bearing her name.G-H
Giep, Mies One of
the 2 main people who hid the Franks during WWII: she was a former
employee of Otto Frank, and with her husband kept his business going
during their 'disappearance' and supplying their needs. Giep is credited
with preserving Anne Frank's Diary for her Father after his return.Grynszpan, Herschel The young 19
year old whose assasination of vom Rath, an
unimportant Nazi official, sparked the rhetoric which lead to
Krystallnacht and the incarceration and subsequent death of large groups
of Jews. The first group deported to the camps were known as "The
November Jews". Grynszpan was enraged over the deportation of
his parents in Poland. He was actually let go by the Nazis, and went
to France, causing speculation on the veracity of the event. cont'd.Innitzer, Cardinal Cardinal Innitzer of Austria was the Archbishop of Vienna during the Anschluss when Hitler's troops
poured over the border into Austria. Displaying Nazi flags from the balcony and raising a 'heil' salute, he
became quite controversial as a pro-Nazi cleric: he was censured by the Vatican for his outward display
of support for the incoming Reich. (See Significant Persons in the
Church & ShoahKrafft
An occultist/spiritualist often consulted by Hoess. Some believe Krafft was deeply influential on Hitler
as well although others surmise that it was because of Hoess's proximity to Hitler. It was based upon Krafft's
readings and information that Hoess defected to Britain at the time he did.
KahrHead of
Bavarian Government coalition: Implored by Hitler in the Beerhall Putsch
to join him in 1923 March to
Berlin to overthrow the Weimar Republic. Betrayed Hitler in the days following the Putsch, allowing the coup to be put down. Lossow Head of Military in Bavaria during the Beerhall Putsch,
rejected the censorship of the Nazi paper Volkische
Beobachter, but also did not bow to all Nazi wishes in
1923. His refusal to censor the the newspaper at the behest of the
Weimar Government, was a central issue in the
Putsch.......
O-P
Ohlendorf Under Heydrich, Ohlendorf headed division D of the Einsatzgruppen as head of the AMT III SD , and in a directive
took accountability in a war crimes trial for the actions of the Einsatzgruppen almost singularly, next to Hitler. These
actions included: brutality, rape, confiscation of property, and the murder of millions including the aged, women and children.
For his central role as head of the most deadly division from June 1941-1942; he was given the death sentence, executed on June 8, 1951.
Pepper, Claude A young congressman during the Shoah, Pepper
stood almost alone in his championing of Jewish immigration and American
refuge for those faced with death. During a time when most argued
for total isolationism, Pepper worked tirelessly to promote safe passage
for Jews to America (there were even discussions of resettlements in
Western regions. His cause was somewhat hopeless, and US bridges to
European immigration were almost entirely pulled up during
WWII.Roosevelt, Franklin Delano American President during the
Shoah. Roosevelt though fervent in rhetoric regarding Hitler's
treatment of the Jews offered few solutions and made only the token offer
of refuge to @900 immigrants in Oswego NY. He was isolationist in
his actions until the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor. Even at the
Evian Conference, he sent only a friend, a businessman, and not a
government official.
Rumkowski Head of the Judenrat at Lodz, known for his lavish lifestyle and
mistreatment of the those incarcerated in the ghetto of Lodz. It is now
known that Rumkowski could have saved many Jewish lives from deportation
and death but failed to do so from what is suspected as personal
gain.
Stalin, Josef
Head of Communist Russia, a noted dictator with a reign of terror and
brutality. He represent Russia at the Yalta Conference; and set up multiple
Russian Concentration Camps. At his death, the people of Russia tore down
all statues and representation of him. He did introduce then modern technology
into farming and water systems.Seisser
 The head of Police in Bavaria at the time of the Beer hall Putsch in 1923; One of the three coerced by Hitler,
Ludendorff and Goring into joining National Socialist efforts to overthrow the Weimar Government.
Taylor, Myron C.
 The US Representative, sent by Franklin D. Roosevelt to represent
the US at the Evian Conference in 1938 in France. Considered somewhat of a slight, he was a personal friend of FDR and a businessman, and not an official Government representative. Nothing
was resolved at the conference and the Jews remained barred from immigration to many countries. A few countries, such as Costa Rica, and Singapore agreed to some Jewish immigration.
vom Rath The middle-rank nazi government official killed by
Grynspan, a 19 year old Jewish person whose family had been recently
deported in Poland in 1938. The killing while apparently done in
rage, set off Nazi propaganda and the inciting of violence against the
Jews on "Krystallnacht" or the night of Broken Glass. The
mechanisms were already in place for this aktion, and it is thought that
the incident merely provided the launching point.
Wallenberg, Raoul
Wingate, Charles Orde
 Charles Orde Wingate is noted as the founder of the Haganah which later helped form and evolved into
the Israeli Police and intelligence organizations. Curiously, he was an evangelical Christian, with firm
beliefs on the importance of Israel and the Jews in endtime events.
Zuckerman, Ihtzak With Mordecai Anielewicz, one of the two main organizers/leaders of the
Zionists who led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
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Coming up in the 20's and 30's in America was a
young woman with a keen eye for photojournalism, named Margaret Bourke-White, who later became reknown
for her exposes on Ghandi, the Meat Packing Industry and the Dust Bowl and famines on the plains. Her work
for Life Magazine led her all over the world as one of the first women photojournalists. Ms. Bourke-White found
favor in many countries even above US officials, and she was able to get in about an hour ahead of allied troops
marching into Germany, to take pictures of Nazi suicides and bombing sites. Her work stands unique even among
other photographers of her day. She lived from 1904 to 1971, suffering from Parkinson's disease in her later years.
The Swedish Ambassador to Hungary whose efforts in
intervention for the Jews of Budapest result in the saving of 10s of
thousands of Jews. Wallenberg went to the Nazi Official intending to
killed the rounded-up Jews in a city square, and interceded, putting his
life on the line and informing the official that Sweden had already been
informed of the possibility of his disappearance. His disappearance
after the war into the hands of Soviet soldiers remained a mystery for
years. The United States Memorial Holocaust Museum sits on a
street bearing his name, at 100 SW Raoul Wallenberg Way, Washington
D.C.