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Kiss László: Auschwitz Diary

Assignments and tasks for students for László Kiss' Auschwitz Diary in schools

Introduction

1 Find Seregélyes on the map

2 Try to find how many people lived in Seregélyes before World War II, what the main occupations of the people were and what educational institutions there were in the village.

3 What exactly did the anti-Jewish laws contain, when did they come into force and what restrictions did they mean?

4 What other educational institutions existed at the time? In what way were they different from the schools today?

5 What do you think the expression ‘Jewish class' in the text could mean?

6 What events preceded and followed the German occupation?

7 Try to find what discriminating marks Jews were forced to wear during World War II in different countries of Europe .

8 What does ‘forced cohabitation' mean in the text?

Seregélyes, April 22 - June 5, 1944

9 What restrictions were put into practice after the German occupation?

10 What events took place at the time in Europe and in the countries surrounding Hungary ?

11 Why do you think the Jewish population of the neighboring villages had to move to Seregélyes?

Székesfehérvár and on the train, June 5 - June 17, 1944

12 Find Sárbogárd county on he map.

13 What carriages were they?

14 Find Kassa on the map.

15 Using a map, try to follow the route to the Auschwitz camp

16 What role did the SS play in World War II?

Auschwitz - From June 17, 1944

17 What happened to those incapable of work after the selection?

18 Why did they select the twins? Why did they receive extra attention?

19 What was the purpose of the twin examinations?

20 Who was dr. J. Mengele?

21 What role did Mengele play in Auschwitz ?

22 What happened to Mengele after World War II?

23 Name the steps leading to the complete loss of human dignity from the enforcement of the anti-Jewish laws to the prisoner-number tattoo-ed in the Auschwitz camp.

24 According to the Nazi ideology who were considered ‘inferior'?

25 Apart from Jews, who else were deported to the concentration camps?

26 What fate were they supposed to face?

27 See to it what happened to the Gypsies in World War II.

28 See to it what acts of war were going on at the time.

The Auschwitz Camp

29 Where did these people taken from Auschwitz get and why were they taken away?

30 What happened to the people that were not executed right away?

31 When is the Jewish New Year? Do you think it was accidental that the first selection took place on that particular

32 Read All Rivers Run to the Sea by Elie Wiesel to see .

The Lives and Fates of Laci and Bandi in Auschwitz (to the end of January, 1945)

33 Who was the Hungarian poet killed in a similar way?

34 See to it where he was killed.

35 Read his poem ‘Forced March' to see how he describes the march.

36 Find Gleiwitz on the map.

37 Where exactly was the Buna camp? Find it on the map.

38 What was going on in Hungary at the time?

The Journey back to Hungary and in Budapest , May 20, 1945

39 When did the Soviet troops arrive in Hungary ?

40 When was Budapest liberated?

41 Find Krakow on the map.

42 Find the Dukla pass on the map.

43 Find the town of Przemysl on the map.

44 Who were the partisans? How did they fight?

45 Find Homonna on the map.

46 Why could these people speak Hungarian?

47 See to it what nationalities lived together e.g. in Békés.

48 What was the Red Army?

49 What role did the Red Cross play during and after the war?

50 Using a map follow the route home.