Introduction

While walking past one of the barracks, Rudolf Hoess, Commander of Auschwitz, found inmate Franciszek Targosz drawing a picture of a horse. In Auschwitz, art was punishable. Attempting to save his own life, Franciszek argued that there should be an art museum in Auschwitz, it would provide culture. Hoess saw the propaganda potential of a museum and agreed. The first museum in a concentration camp was built, in Auschwitz.

One evening, my parents mentioned that they had a very old book that contained art from an artist that lived through the Holocaust. They thought it might be of some value, so they took slides of it and send them to Sotherby's Auction house. To make a long story short, let's just say, the art interested me and that's how I decided my topic of research.

Three months after Hitler came to power in 1938, artists were forced to stop working. All Jewish artwork was not allowed in museums and art schools. Nazis stole much of the art and sold it for a good profit; the rest was burned. Art was considered a tool to the Nazis; it could make them look good. After the war started, a lot of the art was of German soldiers, landscapes, German youth, noble wives and mothers. Art was no longer what the artist wanted it to be; it was what the Nazis wanted it to be.

Conditions at the Camps

Conditions in concentration, killing, and transit camps were so bad, inmates were only expected to live for a couple months. There was torture, mass executions, exhausting labor, rations so little, people died after the camp was liberated from malnutrition. Not only were they tortured physically, but mentally too. Inmates were forced to strip when they entered camp, go through useless body searches, and pointless exercises. Nazis forced them to write letters to their family about good conditions in their camp. These letters were often sent after the sender was killed. Inmates may have witnessed friends and families tortured, or see hundred's of people murdered. This turned people into beasts, whose only thoughts were to survive, obey, and to fear pain.

Although no one was really well off in a concentration camp, some were living better than others. In Gers, adults who did heavy labor lived on an 800 calorie diet. The housing and heating were inadequate and the camp became muddy every time it rained. In one winter, 1,000 people died because of starvation, epidemics, and suicides. Sometimes, the Red Cross provided food, warm clothing, or housing materials to camps. Occasionally, even art supplies and books. With the help of Schwiezer Hilfe, professional artists and inmates in Gers, could set up art programs for children.

Finding Materials

The first trouble most artists faced was finding materials. Many times, artists that found materials, were caught, and the piece of art that they were working on, was never completed. The majority of art was done in pencil. Conditions were better in transit camps than in concentration camps. At transit camps, the Red Cross brought many art materials. Besides that, prisoners were allowed to communicate.

On the other hand, artists in concentration camps had harder times finding materials and preserving their work. Most artists worked small so they could hide their artwork. Kristo Hegedusic, a Yugoslavian artist, painted large oil paintings. When he was sent to Auschwitz, however, he changed to pencil sketches. Waldremar Nowakowski was able to find watercolors, but not good paper. Despite that, he managed to paint with great detail on small postcard sized paper. In killing centers, artists had the worst conditions. Almost no art survived, either there was no opportunity or their work was destroyed.

Nazis handed over materials to some of the very talented and skillful artists. A Nazi officer may have ordered a portrait or artwork, and in return, he may have given the artist materials. Inmates who worked as clerks had access to paper, office supplies, and work order slips. They put themselves at risk to supply artists with paper. A good many pieces of art were created on the back of these forms. Artists sometimes traded their artwork for food or cigarettes. Leo Haas was able to exchange his drawings for enough food to feed his entire barracks. In less restricted transit camps, and in beginning ghettos, artists were sometimes allowed to bring some supplies. Hans Escher took a 3" x 3" block of watercolors with him when he was deported to Meslay in France. Otto Ungar brought more supplies than food. There was of course a limitation on what and how much you could bring. So for every sketchbook that was brought, an item important to survival was left out.

Improvising on Supplies

Once an artist got hold on some supplies, he had to store them somewhere. Sometimes, toothpaste tubes from an officer's garbage can stored and mixed paints. What if an artist couldn't even find supplies? Then they would improvise. Brushes were made from human hair, straw, and feathers. One artist, Daghini, plucked hair from Nazi's fur coats. Boris Taslitzky used target papers full of bulletholes. Janina Tolick drew on crumpled wrapping paper. Victor Fernandez made two watercolors on tissue paper. If they couldn't get paints or watercolors, an artist would squeeze vegetables and clothing for colors. Zoran Music tinted paintings with rust from jail bars in Parchav. Abbe Daligult worked in the infirmary; she stole small amounts of plaster of Paris and made tiny busts and other sculptures. Also she carved from wood cur from bottom of chairs and furniture. Yehuda Bacon saved some of his potato to make potato cuts, when he was finished, he ate them.

Except at Terezin, Nazis didn't allow art besides official art and graphs. Some artists were employed to make concentration camp's operations, charts, posters, books, signs, and maps. One inmate illustrated a manual that showed guards how to deal with prisoners. This artist was actually making it easier for his captors to torture him. At Terezin, artists were part of Nazi propaganda. Almost all artists were forced to make scenes of a model city, one that was supposedly like Terezin.

Official Art

Official art is art that Nazis force an artist to do. For example, Nazis would make some inmates draw a New Years' card and invitations to parties. Another example of official art is this portrait of a Nazi family. It was drawn in Buchenwald. According to the authors of Art of the Holocaust, Janet Blatter and Sybil Milton, "It seems to look like the faces are evil. It is possible that the artist is showing scorn to his captors but accepting the favors of doing a portrait, this is only a guess."

When you look at a painting from the Holocaust and you see livable barracks, neat streets, people sitting or resting, and children playing, you may wonder if it is connected to Nazi propaganda. Well, of course it is, but if you look carefully at these artworks again, you may notice some details unacceptable to the Nazis. An example is Henry Behr's picture of a woman standing near some bunks. At first it may seem that the bunks look reasonable to sleep in and the living conditions aren't so bad. However, when you look at the title of it, it says "Woman Mourning Her Murdered Husband".

Unofficial Art

Helga Weissova-Hoskova was twelve when she arrived in Terezin with her parents. Her artistic talent was discovered in makeshift school. Once her talent was discovered, her father stole inks and papers from his work in the camp. When he gave them to her he said, "draw what you see." It is because artists drew what they saw, we know and have evidence of large and small daily events: children playing, people sleeping and resting in barracks. Other artists decided to draw the grimmer aspects of daily life, such as roll call where prisoners were forced to stand for hours. Some inmates would drop dead from exhaustion and exposure. Then, some inmates may have died from the lack of food. While some artists drew barracks to be livable, other showed them as unfit for human life. All of this artwork was drawn from what they saw.

Portraits

Portraits and self-portraits were common in concentration camps. In fact, 25% of artists drew themselves. They drew each other as well. Portraits were meant to preserve the artist or poser's identity. Some portraits that I liked were Irene Awret's picture of young man, and Charlotte Buresova's friend, a pianist, Gideon Klein.

Terezin

In Theresienstadt, or Terezin, inmates were not comfortable, but better off than others. Terezin was the Nazis showplace. It was here, where they brought carefully selected visitors who wished to see how the Third Reich treated captives. In Terezin, some artists were assigned to the Zuichenstube, or the technical drawing office. There, they worked on architectural drafting, posters, and other, authorized projects. The four most recognized artists in the camp included Leo Haas, Bedrich Fritta, Karel Fleishmann, Otto Ungar, and Felix Bloch. Some of the art created by these artists was smuggled and found its was to Switzerland. After the Red Cross saw this artwork, they planned a visit to Terezin. Nazis prepared by deporting some inmates to Auschwitz to remove the look of overcrowding. When the Red Cross arrived, they saw the fakeness of the quaint little streets and shops. So they decided to go to the artists artwork and see what they interpreted. Of course, most of their artwork was what the Nazis had forced them to do, which only showed the good things. The artists had managed to paint the bad side of the camp also, and showed these to them. The Red Cross, however, left without a word. Immediately after they left, Nazis arrested Bloch, Fritta, Haas, and Ungar and sent them with their families to Auschwitz.

Speaking of Terezin, let me tell you a little about the camp. It was a fake camp with fake stores and fake coffee shops, concerts, and theatre. Terezin deceived inmates and the outside world. People were told Terezin was a "family camp". Inmates deported from Auschwitz were surprised to see SS guards helping the aged from the crowded train, or carry children. It was said that parents and children could stay together, which was rare. It was encouraged that inmates write to friends and relatives and tell them life was pleasant. However, while all this was said and done, inmates were only 100 meters away from gas chambers.

In 1942, many German Jews arrived in Terezin, they had been tricked that they were very lucky people by the Nazis. They were made to sign fake contracts for "accommodation in the ghetto for old people." Cheery SS men acted like travel agents and described the excellent bill of fare, goosedown beds, concerts, and theatre. Happily, they packed their hats, frock coats, and lace dresses. Then, of course, there were the shops: the food store, which only sold burning past and mustard; the clothing store, where you could buy back clothes confiscated from you; and the luggage store, where you could purchase the belongings of those who were executed. However, while killing continued in other camps, Terezin still was looked at like a model ghetto.

Terezin Artists

One of Terezin's lead painters was Otto Ungar. His subjects, even children, had mask-like faces. Some of his paintings show the human conditions in Terezin. Another artist, Bedrich Fritta, showed more anger than most artists did in their work. His work seems to have a similarity to Picasso. His style had exaggerated lines, dramatic lighting, and had a morbid look to it. On the other hand, Charlotte Buresova's art showed optimism and hope. She did several sketches of mother and children that "compassionately showed their terrible condition (Art of the Holocaust 33)". Buresova said she was determined to "oppose the disaster with beauty and sketch all the incredible things I saw." Finally, Leo Haas showed people holding onto their dignity. He once tried to smuggle art to the Red Cross so they could see the brutality of ghetto life.

Conclusion

The artwork from the artists of the Holocaust actually helped them. Their artwork showed who they were formally, and helped them get beyond the horrors and learn something from it. This art from the Holocaust showed that the defiant human spirit, although weakened, it never loses hope.

Bibliography

Blatter, Janet and Sybil Milton. Art of the Holocaust. New York, New York: The Rutledge Press, 1981.

Felstiner, Mary L. To Paint Her Life: Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1994.

Green, Gerald. The Artists of Terezin. New York, New York: Schocken Books, 1978.

Zielezinski, George. 24 Drawings from Concentration Camps in Germany. Munich, Germany: F. Bruckmann KG., 1946.