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Le Photographe d'Auschwitz
Pologne, 1940.
Le photographe Wilhelm Brasse, âgé de 22 ans, est déporté à Auschwitz et chargé de prendre des « photos d'identité » des prisonniers à leur arrivée, censées prouver l’efficacité de la déportation. Derrière son objectif, il capture des scènes horrifiantes, y compris les « expériences » médicales inhumaines menées par Josef Mengele et finit par s’engager dans le mouvement de résistance du camp.
En 1945, Brasse réussit à sauver 40 000 clichés, malgré l’ordre donné par les SS de les brûler, « Parce que le monde doit savoir » Ses portraits, rassemblés aujourd'hui dans les collections du musée d’Auschwitz-Birkenau, ont pu servir dans les procès nazis après la guerre.Luca Crippa et Maurizio Onnis ont étudié l'anthropologie et l'histoire des cultures. La narration documentaire des grands événements de l'histoire contemporaine est au centre de leurs livres. Leur deuxième ouvrage, La Petite Fille de Kiev, a été publié chez Alisio en février 2023.
Le photographe Wilhelm Brasse, âgé de 22 ans, est déporté à Auschwitz et chargé de prendre des « photos d'identité » des prisonniers à leur arrivée, censées prouver l’efficacité de la déportation. Derrière son objectif, il capture des scènes horrifiantes, y compris les « expériences » médicales inhumaines menées par Josef Mengele et finit par s’engager dans le mouvement de résistance du camp.
En 1945, Brasse réussit à sauver 40 000 clichés, malgré l’ordre donné par les SS de les brûler, « Parce que le monde doit savoir » Ses portraits, rassemblés aujourd'hui dans les collections du musée d’Auschwitz-Birkenau, ont pu servir dans les procès nazis après la guerre.Luca Crippa et Maurizio Onnis ont étudié l'anthropologie et l'histoire des cultures. La narration documentaire des grands événements de l'histoire contemporaine est au centre de leurs livres. Leur deuxième ouvrage, La Petite Fille de Kiev, a été publié chez Alisio en février 2023.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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June 7, 2021
There were several times when I considered not finishing this book. Not because it was uninteresting or that it wasn’t well written. It was just the opposite! It is definitely well written and extremely informative. However the subject matter is shocking and incredibly sad. The horror, inhumanity, cruelty, and perversion that existed in the Auschwitz concentration camp was so hard to read about. I was left in tears many times. However, I’m glad I continued reading.
Now that the survivors and witnesses to the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi regime during World War II are passing away, it is important for future generations to see and hear the truth of what happened.
Because of his excellent skills in photography and photographic methods, as well as his fluency in German, Polish political prisoner Wilhelm Brasse was assigned to the Political Department Identification Service at Auschwitz concentration camp. He became the photographer of Auschwitz. From 1941 to 1945, he photographed and developed an estimated 40,000 - 50,000 photographs of the incoming prisoners, Nazi officers, medical experiments, and activities inside the camp. The Nazi officers who supervised Brasse and his coworkers originally intended to have photographic documentation of their work to show to party leaders.
Some of the photos are included at the conclusion of the book. Many of these photographs are now included in exhibits at both the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and also at the Yad Vashem Photo Archive in Jerusalem.
Wilhelm Brasse often felt that he would succumb to madness because of what he witnessed. But he wanted his legacy of photos to be seen by the outside world. He wanted the world to see and remember the people who lost their lives. Authors Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis have brought Wilhelm Brasse and his story to life. Historians and readers interested in the Holocaust would learn a lot from this unforgettable book.
Thank you to the authors, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.
Now that the survivors and witnesses to the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi regime during World War II are passing away, it is important for future generations to see and hear the truth of what happened.
Because of his excellent skills in photography and photographic methods, as well as his fluency in German, Polish political prisoner Wilhelm Brasse was assigned to the Political Department Identification Service at Auschwitz concentration camp. He became the photographer of Auschwitz. From 1941 to 1945, he photographed and developed an estimated 40,000 - 50,000 photographs of the incoming prisoners, Nazi officers, medical experiments, and activities inside the camp. The Nazi officers who supervised Brasse and his coworkers originally intended to have photographic documentation of their work to show to party leaders.
Some of the photos are included at the conclusion of the book. Many of these photographs are now included in exhibits at both the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and also at the Yad Vashem Photo Archive in Jerusalem.
Wilhelm Brasse often felt that he would succumb to madness because of what he witnessed. But he wanted his legacy of photos to be seen by the outside world. He wanted the world to see and remember the people who lost their lives. Authors Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis have brought Wilhelm Brasse and his story to life. Historians and readers interested in the Holocaust would learn a lot from this unforgettable book.
Thank you to the authors, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.
December 7, 2021
If you are reading anything related to the Holocaust you expect it to be horrendous and depressing.
This book is no exception. But it is a little bit different because Wilhelm Brasse is not Jewish.
Wilhelm Brasse was a Polish citizen and an Aryan who was imprisoned for refusing to join the Nazis when Poland was invaded.
We are reminded that Auschwitz and the other Nazi camps did not only hold Jews. There were many other non-Jewish ‘political prisoners’, Roma (Gypsies) and anyone else the Nazis considered to be unacceptable to humanity.
The Nazis found that Brasse was an experienced photographer and put him to work in “Auschwitz’s Identification Service” where he photographed prisoners as well as SS officers. Brasse did what he could in order to survive and found any small way to help the Resistance within the camp whenever he could.
He was often called upon to photograph medical experiments being carried out by Mengele, Wirths and Clauberg.
“He knew he had stooped to making a pact with the Germans – the assassins, the criminal beasts …” (Pg.109).
In the end he was directed to burn everything. He did not.
He found a way to prevent the Nazis from destroying all the negatives and photographs. A large number were saved, thanks to Brasse, and stand as evidence of the horrors of Auschwitz.
The actual photographs presented in the book are appalling in the extreme.
If you can look into the faces of the prisoners and not feel shattered – well – seek help.
For those who say it never happened, look again. I dare you!
I hope books on this subject never stop being published.
This book is no exception. But it is a little bit different because Wilhelm Brasse is not Jewish.
Wilhelm Brasse was a Polish citizen and an Aryan who was imprisoned for refusing to join the Nazis when Poland was invaded.
We are reminded that Auschwitz and the other Nazi camps did not only hold Jews. There were many other non-Jewish ‘political prisoners’, Roma (Gypsies) and anyone else the Nazis considered to be unacceptable to humanity.
The Nazis found that Brasse was an experienced photographer and put him to work in “Auschwitz’s Identification Service” where he photographed prisoners as well as SS officers. Brasse did what he could in order to survive and found any small way to help the Resistance within the camp whenever he could.
He was often called upon to photograph medical experiments being carried out by Mengele, Wirths and Clauberg.
“He knew he had stooped to making a pact with the Germans – the assassins, the criminal beasts …” (Pg.109).
In the end he was directed to burn everything. He did not.
He found a way to prevent the Nazis from destroying all the negatives and photographs. A large number were saved, thanks to Brasse, and stand as evidence of the horrors of Auschwitz.
The actual photographs presented in the book are appalling in the extreme.
If you can look into the faces of the prisoners and not feel shattered – well – seek help.
For those who say it never happened, look again. I dare you!
I hope books on this subject never stop being published.
October 9, 2020
O Prisioneiro 3444
Em Auschwitz ele foi o prisioneiro 3444. Perdeu o nome, mas ganhou uma tarefa que o identificou bem melhor — fotografar a vida (morte) no campo de concentração: os prisioneiros, as “experiências científicas” do Doutor Mengele, as execuções, as câmaras de gás, etc, etc...
Os nazis de Auschwitz pretendiam documentar exaustivamente os seus crimes de guerra, e experimentavam um prazer sádico ao praticá-los. As fotos eram uma forma de os revisitar, de os reviver múltiplas vezes... (🤬tarados nojentos🤬)
Precisavam, pois, do prisioneiro 3444, que se mostrava um fotógrafo competente, pois a voz da sobrevivência assim lho ditava!
Mas sobreviver não lhe bastava! Precisava de algo mais! Dum ideal! Algo por que lutar e arriscar a vida se tal se afigurasse! Duma causa nobre! E encontrou-a:
Urgia salvar aquelas fotos das garras imundas dos nazis para que o mundo as contemplasse — para que todos se insurgissem contra os hediondos crimes que aconteceram em Auschwitz...
Wilhelm Brasse foi mais um herói do Holocausto!
Sr. Brasse, foi uma honra e um imenso prazer conhecê-lo! 🤩🤩🤩
Em Auschwitz ele foi o prisioneiro 3444. Perdeu o nome, mas ganhou uma tarefa que o identificou bem melhor — fotografar a vida (morte) no campo de concentração: os prisioneiros, as “experiências científicas” do Doutor Mengele, as execuções, as câmaras de gás, etc, etc...
Os nazis de Auschwitz pretendiam documentar exaustivamente os seus crimes de guerra, e experimentavam um prazer sádico ao praticá-los. As fotos eram uma forma de os revisitar, de os reviver múltiplas vezes... (🤬tarados nojentos🤬)
Precisavam, pois, do prisioneiro 3444, que se mostrava um fotógrafo competente, pois a voz da sobrevivência assim lho ditava!
Mas sobreviver não lhe bastava! Precisava de algo mais! Dum ideal! Algo por que lutar e arriscar a vida se tal se afigurasse! Duma causa nobre! E encontrou-a:
Urgia salvar aquelas fotos das garras imundas dos nazis para que o mundo as contemplasse — para que todos se insurgissem contra os hediondos crimes que aconteceram em Auschwitz...
Wilhelm Brasse foi mais um herói do Holocausto!
Sr. Brasse, foi uma honra e um imenso prazer conhecê-lo! 🤩🤩🤩
August 28, 2022
The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis Lot’s of NF around WW2. One thing I have noticed is it is all the same information, the same hell on earth. Different scenario. In the end we must never forget history so it doesn’t repeat itself. At this moment pray for The Ukraine, it must end soon!
March 28, 2022
If I could give this 6 stars I would.
Absolutely harrowing story of the team charged with taking photos of inmates and SS guards in Auschwitz. We must never forget what happened there and elsewhere in the concentration camp archipelago and must work flat out to ensure that such horror never ever happens again.
Absolutely harrowing story of the team charged with taking photos of inmates and SS guards in Auschwitz. We must never forget what happened there and elsewhere in the concentration camp archipelago and must work flat out to ensure that such horror never ever happens again.
January 6, 2021
Opinião brevemente
August 21, 2021
This is a tough one for me.
Good points - an unusual side of Auschwitz to see: someone working in a relatively 'privileged' position. Also, good to see descriptions of multiple types of prisoners - the Jewish, Roma, disabled, Polish all get their stories told.
However, the book opens with a disclaimer that some events have been moved in time to fit the narrative. That immediately set my alarm bells ringing. If this is a true account of real events, things can't be moved around. The moment artistic liberty is taken, we move away from the truth and invite claims that nothing here is true. That unsettled me.
Some of the main bulk of the narrative is a little focussed on more of the shocking 'horrors' than Brasse's own feelings or expanding on the personalities of the Erkennungsdienst. The reason for this comes at the end of the book - it turns out that the authors never spoke or interviewed Brasse himself, only his children. They had access to archives and a BBC documentary, but that's all second hand, filtered through other people's perspectives and biases.
Therefore, while this is a fascinating account, I am hesitant about how much is editorialized and how much is actually true. I think this would have been better served as a more academic work and less a full narrative presenting things that the authors could never have known about/followed up/ascertained the truth of.
Good points - an unusual side of Auschwitz to see: someone working in a relatively 'privileged' position. Also, good to see descriptions of multiple types of prisoners - the Jewish, Roma, disabled, Polish all get their stories told.
However, the book opens with a disclaimer that some events have been moved in time to fit the narrative. That immediately set my alarm bells ringing. If this is a true account of real events, things can't be moved around. The moment artistic liberty is taken, we move away from the truth and invite claims that nothing here is true. That unsettled me.
Some of the main bulk of the narrative is a little focussed on more of the shocking 'horrors' than Brasse's own feelings or expanding on the personalities of the Erkennungsdienst. The reason for this comes at the end of the book - it turns out that the authors never spoke or interviewed Brasse himself, only his children. They had access to archives and a BBC documentary, but that's all second hand, filtered through other people's perspectives and biases.
Therefore, while this is a fascinating account, I am hesitant about how much is editorialized and how much is actually true. I think this would have been better served as a more academic work and less a full narrative presenting things that the authors could never have known about/followed up/ascertained the truth of.
March 27, 2024
3.75 pour tout de ce roman, malgré qu’il soit inimaginable de penser que toutes ces horreurs ont pu se passer. au travers tout ce laid, il y a quand même eu du beau et c’est ce que j’ai trouvé si touchant. Brasse est un personnage à rencontrer assurément tellement cet homme a été fort et incroyablement courageux.
May 9, 2021
The pictures were horrendous to look at. It's amazing that history repeats itself and people are callous to say this never happened.
May 14, 2015
Dit is de fictieve benadering van een waargebeurd verhaal. Het gaat over de fotograaf Wilhelm Brasse die dankzij zijn kundigheid, het beheersen van de Duitse taal en het gegeven dat hij een Duitse vader had de oorlog heeft kunnen overleven. Brasse was Pool en weigerde om zich als Duitser te laten registreren en voor de Duitsers te vechten. Hij werd opgepakt en als politiek gevangene naar Auschwitz afgevoerd nadat hij zich bij het Poolse leger in Frankrijk probeerde te voegen. Na een aantal maanden zware arbeid verricht te hebben werd hij uitgekozen om als fotograaf voor de identificatiedienst in het kamp te werken. Hier hield hij zich de eerste tijd bezig met het portretteren van aangekomen gevangenen. In die tijd kwam hij weinig buiten de barak en probeerde zoveel mogelijk de verschrikkingen van het kamp buiten te sluiten. Mede dankzij zijn kundigheid viel hij op en werd toen ook gevraagd om foto's van de experimenten van verschillende artsen waaronder Mengele te maken waardoor hij weer met zijn neus op de feiten en verschrikkingen werd gedrukt. Vanaf 1944 speelde hij ook foto's en negatieven aan het verzet door en vlak voor de bevrijding probeerde hij zoveel mogelijk foto's te redden zodat ze als getuigenis konden dienen.
Ondanks alle verschrikkingen is de fotograaf van Auschwitz een heel leesbaar boek. Er wordt goed weergegeven hoe de SSers dachten. De gevangenen waren voor hen untermenschen die het predikaat mens niet meer verdienden. Daardoor konden ze een afstandelijke wreedheid hanteren die het hun mogelijk maakte om hun "werk" zo goed mogelijk te doen. Helaas zijn na de oorlog een aantal van deze beulen de dans ontsprongen. Anderen hebben gevangenisstraffen uitgezeten of zijn geliquideerd.
Aan het eind van het boek zijn een aantal foto's te zien die Brasse heeft gemaakt en die na het lezen van het boek nog veel meer indruk maken. Een belangrijk boek in een tijd dat de Tweede Wereldoorlog steeds minder levende getuigen kent en er nog steeds Holocaustontkenners rondlopen. Wilhelm Brasse is op 23 oktober 2012 in de Zuid-Poolse stad Zywiec op 94-jarige leeftijd overleden.
Ondanks alle verschrikkingen is de fotograaf van Auschwitz een heel leesbaar boek. Er wordt goed weergegeven hoe de SSers dachten. De gevangenen waren voor hen untermenschen die het predikaat mens niet meer verdienden. Daardoor konden ze een afstandelijke wreedheid hanteren die het hun mogelijk maakte om hun "werk" zo goed mogelijk te doen. Helaas zijn na de oorlog een aantal van deze beulen de dans ontsprongen. Anderen hebben gevangenisstraffen uitgezeten of zijn geliquideerd.
Aan het eind van het boek zijn een aantal foto's te zien die Brasse heeft gemaakt en die na het lezen van het boek nog veel meer indruk maken. Een belangrijk boek in een tijd dat de Tweede Wereldoorlog steeds minder levende getuigen kent en er nog steeds Holocaustontkenners rondlopen. Wilhelm Brasse is op 23 oktober 2012 in de Zuid-Poolse stad Zywiec op 94-jarige leeftijd overleden.
April 19, 2021
The most real and raw book I have ever read about what humans can do to the humans . I did a history degree and nothing touched me as much as this - real faces , names and lives behind the statistics . It was hard to look onto the eyes of those photographed . I could taste the fear that everyone lived under , feel the brutality lurking on every page . A compelling , heartbreaking read but also an inspirational one of human courage and the spirit of courage and survival .
I’ll never forget this book ,this man .
I’ll never forget this book ,this man .
March 29, 2021
Wilhelm Brasse, a proud Polish national, refused to acknowledge himself as a German, despite one parent being of German heritage. This action resulted in his incarceration in Auschwitz for approximately 5 years as a political prisoner, one who had rejected the Nazi’s Aryan Racial ideology. Assigned to the Identification Service, Brasse worked as a portrait photographer, at first taking pictures of all prisoners and, eventually, forced to photograph the demented experiments of Mengele’s medical unit and some of the horrific scenes of the Auschwitz exterminations.
What bothered me about this account was the absence of a comprehensive list of resources and research materials. The authors maintained that most of the material included was provided in interviews with Brasse himself in a documentary and interviews contained in a 2012 book. The three additional historical sources listed are those in the public domain rather than academic texts, the third of which is Elie Wiesel’s “Night”, a celebrated memoir. Because of the absence of other sources, I questioned every conversation, every bit of dialogue that was provided – which was the bulk of the narrative – and wondered if these were authentic. Little historical background material was offered.
Brasse’s attempts to preserve the dignity of those he photographed, and especially his dedication to hide and save these portraits as Auschwitz was being liberated, were heroic. Yet, the book was a superficial account; for me, it lacked depth and “soul”. For an audience that applauded “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” it will be appreciated and may lead readers, hopefully, to research a more comprehensive and potentially accurate account. As someone who is involved in Holocaust education, I was left critical and disappointed.
What bothered me about this account was the absence of a comprehensive list of resources and research materials. The authors maintained that most of the material included was provided in interviews with Brasse himself in a documentary and interviews contained in a 2012 book. The three additional historical sources listed are those in the public domain rather than academic texts, the third of which is Elie Wiesel’s “Night”, a celebrated memoir. Because of the absence of other sources, I questioned every conversation, every bit of dialogue that was provided – which was the bulk of the narrative – and wondered if these were authentic. Little historical background material was offered.
Brasse’s attempts to preserve the dignity of those he photographed, and especially his dedication to hide and save these portraits as Auschwitz was being liberated, were heroic. Yet, the book was a superficial account; for me, it lacked depth and “soul”. For an audience that applauded “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” it will be appreciated and may lead readers, hopefully, to research a more comprehensive and potentially accurate account. As someone who is involved in Holocaust education, I was left critical and disappointed.
August 1, 2025
Une lecture bouleversante racontant l’histoire d’un jeune photographe prisonnier dans les camps de concentration d’Auschwitz. Je n’arrive pas à croire que ce genre d’horreur est réellement arrivé. Des milliers d’hommes, femmes et enfants ayant vécu l’horreur, la peur, l’humiliation…
En ce qui concerne le roman, j’ai eu un peu de difficulté à différencier et bien comprendre les personnages à cause de leurs différents titres (SS, kapo, komando) ainsi que les noms des allemands, polonais etc.
C’est une lecture très différente de ce que j’ai l’habitude de lire. Je mets 2.5⭐️, non pas parce que l’histoire est mauvaise — au contraire, elle mérite d’être découverte — mais parce que je n’ai pas particulièrement pris plaisir à ma lecture…
En ce qui concerne le roman, j’ai eu un peu de difficulté à différencier et bien comprendre les personnages à cause de leurs différents titres (SS, kapo, komando) ainsi que les noms des allemands, polonais etc.
C’est une lecture très différente de ce que j’ai l’habitude de lire. Je mets 2.5⭐️, non pas parce que l’histoire est mauvaise — au contraire, elle mérite d’être découverte — mais parce que je n’ai pas particulièrement pris plaisir à ma lecture…
January 21, 2022
Inside Auschwitz as seen through the viewfinder of a Polish prisoner (not Jewish.). This is a harrowing tale that is hard to read in some parts. Another look at the Holocaust through text and photos. The translation is excellent and it’s another “lest we forget” true story of fear and bravery. Oh, what we will do to survive brutality.
Unfortunately, this same brutality can be found around the world today. 200 countries of which 50 are headed by dictators. Think Africa, the Middle East, North Korea, South America, Syria, Cuba etc - is there no stopping it?
Unfortunately, this same brutality can be found around the world today. 200 countries of which 50 are headed by dictators. Think Africa, the Middle East, North Korea, South America, Syria, Cuba etc - is there no stopping it?
January 26, 2020
Everybody should read one book a year about the holocaust. We can not forget the horror!
June 20, 2024
📖 Lᴇ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇ ᴅ’Aᴜsᴄʜᴡɪᴛᴢ 📸🕊
Corrigez-moi si je me trompe, mais nous sommes plusieurs à avoir une fascination envers la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, mais aussi avoir une haine profonde concernant cette guerre en général et tout ce qui s’est passé dans les camps de concentration, moi la première. Je lis rarement ce genre de récit, qui plus est, ceux réellement inspirés de faits vécus comme celui-ci avec des personnages qui ont vraiment existé, non pas parce que je n’aime pas ça, mais parce que ça me déchire chaque fois.
Wilhelm Brasse, prisonnier portant le matricule 3444 et photographe au tristement célèbre camp de concentration Auschwitz en Pologne, a vraiment inspiré ce récit. Il a existé, vécu et est décédé dans sa ville natale le 23 octobre 2012. Nous lui devons plusieurs photographies provenant de ce camp, notamment celles qui se trouvent sur la couverture du présent ouvrage.
Témoin des horreurs de cette guerre, nous suivons avec fébrilité et dégout son parcours atypique dans ce camp de la mort, mais aussi l’évolution de ses tâches pour le service d’identification. Nous avons donc un accès très privilégié à Auschwitz, mais de l’intérieur. C'est un récit qui glace le sang par moment et qui nous donne espoir à d’autre.
Bien que ce récit soit parsemé de beaucoup d’événements et de détails épouvantables, j’ai adoré faire connaissance avec ce personnage plus grand que nature. Je dois avouer que grâce à lui, nous pouvons mettre des visages et des noms sur plusieurs victimes qu’aura fait de cette guerre. Leur mémoire peut encore être honorée et la parution de ce roman en est la preuve.
Dû au sujet et à la qualité de ce récit, il m’est impossible de lui donner moins que 5 étoiles.
Corrigez-moi si je me trompe, mais nous sommes plusieurs à avoir une fascination envers la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, mais aussi avoir une haine profonde concernant cette guerre en général et tout ce qui s’est passé dans les camps de concentration, moi la première. Je lis rarement ce genre de récit, qui plus est, ceux réellement inspirés de faits vécus comme celui-ci avec des personnages qui ont vraiment existé, non pas parce que je n’aime pas ça, mais parce que ça me déchire chaque fois.
Wilhelm Brasse, prisonnier portant le matricule 3444 et photographe au tristement célèbre camp de concentration Auschwitz en Pologne, a vraiment inspiré ce récit. Il a existé, vécu et est décédé dans sa ville natale le 23 octobre 2012. Nous lui devons plusieurs photographies provenant de ce camp, notamment celles qui se trouvent sur la couverture du présent ouvrage.
Témoin des horreurs de cette guerre, nous suivons avec fébrilité et dégout son parcours atypique dans ce camp de la mort, mais aussi l’évolution de ses tâches pour le service d’identification. Nous avons donc un accès très privilégié à Auschwitz, mais de l’intérieur. C'est un récit qui glace le sang par moment et qui nous donne espoir à d’autre.
Bien que ce récit soit parsemé de beaucoup d’événements et de détails épouvantables, j’ai adoré faire connaissance avec ce personnage plus grand que nature. Je dois avouer que grâce à lui, nous pouvons mettre des visages et des noms sur plusieurs victimes qu’aura fait de cette guerre. Leur mémoire peut encore être honorée et la parution de ce roman en est la preuve.
Dû au sujet et à la qualité de ce récit, il m’est impossible de lui donner moins que 5 étoiles.
July 28, 2023
As with all books about the Holocaust this is a harrowing read. Brasse was a Pole with an Austrian father and grandfather who refused to serve in the German army - he was expected to assimilate because of his 'Aryan' blood - and was sent to Auschwitz as a political prisoner. At first, his chances of survival didn't look good, but he managed a transfer to the kitchens and then was co-opted into a unit to produce photographs - identity ones of the prisoners and photos for the Germans to send home to their families. After a while, he was ordered to take photos for the 'doctors' such as Mengele, to document their horrible experiments.
He gradually made contact with the resistance within the camp and helped in various ways, sometimes just to ensure that people who needed it got food but at other times to produce false papers for people. Always he had misgivings and qualms about his enforced collaboration, though he resisted the pressure from his captors to be classified as a German and go to fight for Germany.
I do note that certain people mentioned in the book as being part of the resistance were not part of Primo Levi's first person account of his survival in another of the subcamps of Auschwitz. The present book doesn't really explain that the camp was huge, like a city, and there were lots of enclaves and areas where the prisoners were working for particular German firms, for example. So a particular individual who somehow manages to be married in the camp but later comes to grief was not universally known there for his heroism: things seem to have been more 'local' than comes across in this book.
I do have an issue regarding the information provided which shows the book was not based on interviews with Brasse himself, but on talking to his children and also taking information from a BBC documentary. So the assumptions about his feelings are actually second-hand. The other problem is that it mentions that some events have been switched around to fit the narrative. That means it's not possible to rely on this as a totally factual account, because as a reader I don't know what liberties have been taken with the timeline and why. For these reasons, I can only give this three stars.
He gradually made contact with the resistance within the camp and helped in various ways, sometimes just to ensure that people who needed it got food but at other times to produce false papers for people. Always he had misgivings and qualms about his enforced collaboration, though he resisted the pressure from his captors to be classified as a German and go to fight for Germany.
I do note that certain people mentioned in the book as being part of the resistance were not part of Primo Levi's first person account of his survival in another of the subcamps of Auschwitz. The present book doesn't really explain that the camp was huge, like a city, and there were lots of enclaves and areas where the prisoners were working for particular German firms, for example. So a particular individual who somehow manages to be married in the camp but later comes to grief was not universally known there for his heroism: things seem to have been more 'local' than comes across in this book.
I do have an issue regarding the information provided which shows the book was not based on interviews with Brasse himself, but on talking to his children and also taking information from a BBC documentary. So the assumptions about his feelings are actually second-hand. The other problem is that it mentions that some events have been switched around to fit the narrative. That means it's not possible to rely on this as a totally factual account, because as a reader I don't know what liberties have been taken with the timeline and why. For these reasons, I can only give this three stars.
June 11, 2021
A story that I had not heard before, and one of great poignance. It was the curious approach to the book that let it down, for me anyway. Perhaps it was to give the story a greater gravitas by making the story 'in real time', with dialogue and situational encounters. They mention, at the end, about the documentary that Brasse participated in. I think it would have done a greater service to mention this at the beginning, to set the context. I haven't seen the documentary, so I wasn't sure how much of the text was taken from Brasse's recollections. And remember, these are recollections, unverifiable - the photos themselves speak the truth. Did all those encounters happen? We will never know. What was the effect on his children, who are mentioned in one paragraph. I felt that in trying to make the story personal it de-personalised it as a reader I didn't feel I had 'heard' Brasse's voice. It is 'based on the true story' and is filed under fiction.
July 27, 2021
Wilhelm Brasse spent an astonishing five years in the Auschwitz concentration camp as a photographer in the identification office. His history of recollections are the basis of this book, although they are not direct survivor interviews, but a BBC interview and also a book he himself wrote. The sourcing of this is rather thin, and I have automatically removed a star for that reason.
That said, Brasse was arrested after refusing to fight for the German army after the invasion and capture of Polish. Although born in Poland to a Polish mother, his ancestry on his father's side was German. For his refusal, he was arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately sent to Auschwitz. At first selected for hard labor, he was pulled from that work to head the new identification office, so the Nazis could keep track of the many Jews and others sent there to be exterminated.
The timeline in this narrative details how Brasse kept his head down and rarely looked out a window while at work- the better to survive what a part of him knew might very well be his eventual death in the camp.
After many chapters given over to the photographs of people arriving via train, the Nazis decided that cataloguing Jews and undesirables was a waste, since so many were killed straightaway. Brasse's job then shifts more into portraiture: SS soldiers and officers getting their portraits made to send to their parents, for instance, and when the Birkenau barracks were constructed, the women bound for those instead of the crematoria that run nonstop.
There is a brief suggestion of an almost romance between Brasse and a Polish interpreter for the German kapo in charge of bringing female subjects for Brasse to photograph, but this eventually goes nowhere - how could it be otherwise, the way prisoners were kept to a rigid schedule.
Brasse and his office lived in better quarters and had steady, indoor work during brutal winters. They even managed to barter their services with the kitchens to keep themselves well fed.
When a large group of Russian POWs are brought the the camp, they are dutifully photographed for identification purposes, and like all the others, Brasse pushes their fate out of his mind as well as he can until someone tells him the Nazis are doing nothing to them: not selecting them for work or not, not feeding them, not anything. They are simply starved to death. Brasse happens to pass the area where they are being held and describes them as ghosts, thin, with their bones protruding as though they will break the skin, and with blank, dead eyes. He claims to have strayed near the fence where a Russian was standing, and reached through the wire to touch the Russian's hand. The Russian soldier tells him that he is not a communist, then falls over, dead. This seems to be an iffy portion, as it is backed up by nothing other than Brasse saying it happened. We do know that Brasse was given an amount of freedom most other prisoners were not - his skills as a photographer saving his life, after all - but would he have been allowed to be anywhere near the Russians, as he was simply walking between one place and another through the camp?
Eventually, his boss calls him to what is a small viewing room, to show him a film. In it, the Russian prisoners are taken to a building that has been boarded up, and marched inside. The Nazis then throw canister of what are presumed to be Zyklon B into the building and close and seal the door. His boss has set up a camera inside the building, and has filmed the chaos of the people within trying to find an exit, only to find none. Throughout the book, Brasse claims that his boss speaks to him about declaring that he is German, and that it could be arranged for him to visit his family in Poland before he is sent to his assignment. He claims his boss attempts yet again to sway him, after viewing this film.
Later, Brasse becomes the photographer of choice for the doctors performing medical experiments, like forced sterilization of young women, and the various experiments performed by Josef Mengele himself, who wanted images of twins and dwarfs, along with another doctor who was fascinated by the prisoners with eyes that were different colors from one another.
There is a section describing the images and plates struck of counterfeit currencies, although this is very late and not very useful to the Nazis in the end.
As we know, the war was moving inevitably toward Germany. Toward the end, Brasse's boss drives away to escape the advancing Russian army, and orders Brasse to destroy all of the negatives, photos, and especially the film of the Russian soldiers who were murdered there. As Brasse and his colleagues attempt to do so, these items will not burn. They concoct a story about how they tried, and even throw the tiny office into disarray, as if they had feverishly tried to follow the order, but Brasse stops them, and settles himself in to inform his boss of same, knowing it could mean a bullet in the head. However, his boss does not return, nor do any of the other SS men who escaped west toward Germany and away from the Russians.
After a few days, the camp is emptied and all the prisoners are forced to march out of Auschwitz. Brasse winds up in Mauthausen, and is eventually liberated. At 27 years old, he is finally a free man again.
After some time with his family, he sets out for another town in Poland to try to find the woman he'd met in Auschwitz, and of whom he had taken a portrait- the only thing he took with him when the prisoners were marched out. He does find her,but is disappointed when he finds her somewhat distant. He presents her with the photo, which she tears apart and allows to fall on the floor. She told him she didn't like herself when she was there, and who could blame her? He leaves, dejected, and recalls his uncle saying something basically that meant women couldn't be pleased, which I thought was a really shitty thing to include, regardless of whether or not it was true.
An afterword tell us that Brasse eventually married, had children and grandchildren of his own, and died peacefully, surrounded by family. Interestingly, he could not bear to become a photographer again for a living, after having taken and developed between 40 and 50 thousand photos in Auschwitz-Birkenau, so went into a different line of work. I can't say I could blame him for that.
There is also an afterword by the authors, indicating their sources, as I noted in the opening. The third item on their source list is Night, by Elie Wiesel, which I thought an odd inclusion.
At the end, there are also photos, although there are notes that indicate not all of these photos may have been taken by Brasse.
Overall, it is a challenging read because of the nature of the work Brasse and his colleagues did and the often arbitrary treatment of the prisoners in the camp. Squeamish readers may wish to skip the parts describing the work of the crematoria crews and the experiments carried out by Mengele and others.
Is it a good oral history from a survivor? It is well written, in a straight timeline, and the horrors witnessed by Brasse and other survivors is all too shamefully real, as we well know. The very small sourcing pool, though, should be held for more scrutiny. I would recommend it with these caveats
Three out of five stars.
Thanks to SourceBooks and NetGalley for the reading copy.
That said, Brasse was arrested after refusing to fight for the German army after the invasion and capture of Polish. Although born in Poland to a Polish mother, his ancestry on his father's side was German. For his refusal, he was arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately sent to Auschwitz. At first selected for hard labor, he was pulled from that work to head the new identification office, so the Nazis could keep track of the many Jews and others sent there to be exterminated.
The timeline in this narrative details how Brasse kept his head down and rarely looked out a window while at work- the better to survive what a part of him knew might very well be his eventual death in the camp.
After many chapters given over to the photographs of people arriving via train, the Nazis decided that cataloguing Jews and undesirables was a waste, since so many were killed straightaway. Brasse's job then shifts more into portraiture: SS soldiers and officers getting their portraits made to send to their parents, for instance, and when the Birkenau barracks were constructed, the women bound for those instead of the crematoria that run nonstop.
There is a brief suggestion of an almost romance between Brasse and a Polish interpreter for the German kapo in charge of bringing female subjects for Brasse to photograph, but this eventually goes nowhere - how could it be otherwise, the way prisoners were kept to a rigid schedule.
Brasse and his office lived in better quarters and had steady, indoor work during brutal winters. They even managed to barter their services with the kitchens to keep themselves well fed.
When a large group of Russian POWs are brought the the camp, they are dutifully photographed for identification purposes, and like all the others, Brasse pushes their fate out of his mind as well as he can until someone tells him the Nazis are doing nothing to them: not selecting them for work or not, not feeding them, not anything. They are simply starved to death. Brasse happens to pass the area where they are being held and describes them as ghosts, thin, with their bones protruding as though they will break the skin, and with blank, dead eyes. He claims to have strayed near the fence where a Russian was standing, and reached through the wire to touch the Russian's hand. The Russian soldier tells him that he is not a communist, then falls over, dead. This seems to be an iffy portion, as it is backed up by nothing other than Brasse saying it happened. We do know that Brasse was given an amount of freedom most other prisoners were not - his skills as a photographer saving his life, after all - but would he have been allowed to be anywhere near the Russians, as he was simply walking between one place and another through the camp?
Eventually, his boss calls him to what is a small viewing room, to show him a film. In it, the Russian prisoners are taken to a building that has been boarded up, and marched inside. The Nazis then throw canister of what are presumed to be Zyklon B into the building and close and seal the door. His boss has set up a camera inside the building, and has filmed the chaos of the people within trying to find an exit, only to find none. Throughout the book, Brasse claims that his boss speaks to him about declaring that he is German, and that it could be arranged for him to visit his family in Poland before he is sent to his assignment. He claims his boss attempts yet again to sway him, after viewing this film.
Later, Brasse becomes the photographer of choice for the doctors performing medical experiments, like forced sterilization of young women, and the various experiments performed by Josef Mengele himself, who wanted images of twins and dwarfs, along with another doctor who was fascinated by the prisoners with eyes that were different colors from one another.
There is a section describing the images and plates struck of counterfeit currencies, although this is very late and not very useful to the Nazis in the end.
As we know, the war was moving inevitably toward Germany. Toward the end, Brasse's boss drives away to escape the advancing Russian army, and orders Brasse to destroy all of the negatives, photos, and especially the film of the Russian soldiers who were murdered there. As Brasse and his colleagues attempt to do so, these items will not burn. They concoct a story about how they tried, and even throw the tiny office into disarray, as if they had feverishly tried to follow the order, but Brasse stops them, and settles himself in to inform his boss of same, knowing it could mean a bullet in the head. However, his boss does not return, nor do any of the other SS men who escaped west toward Germany and away from the Russians.
After a few days, the camp is emptied and all the prisoners are forced to march out of Auschwitz. Brasse winds up in Mauthausen, and is eventually liberated. At 27 years old, he is finally a free man again.
After some time with his family, he sets out for another town in Poland to try to find the woman he'd met in Auschwitz, and of whom he had taken a portrait- the only thing he took with him when the prisoners were marched out. He does find her,but is disappointed when he finds her somewhat distant. He presents her with the photo, which she tears apart and allows to fall on the floor. She told him she didn't like herself when she was there, and who could blame her? He leaves, dejected, and recalls his uncle saying something basically that meant women couldn't be pleased, which I thought was a really shitty thing to include, regardless of whether or not it was true.
An afterword tell us that Brasse eventually married, had children and grandchildren of his own, and died peacefully, surrounded by family. Interestingly, he could not bear to become a photographer again for a living, after having taken and developed between 40 and 50 thousand photos in Auschwitz-Birkenau, so went into a different line of work. I can't say I could blame him for that.
There is also an afterword by the authors, indicating their sources, as I noted in the opening. The third item on their source list is Night, by Elie Wiesel, which I thought an odd inclusion.
At the end, there are also photos, although there are notes that indicate not all of these photos may have been taken by Brasse.
Overall, it is a challenging read because of the nature of the work Brasse and his colleagues did and the often arbitrary treatment of the prisoners in the camp. Squeamish readers may wish to skip the parts describing the work of the crematoria crews and the experiments carried out by Mengele and others.
Is it a good oral history from a survivor? It is well written, in a straight timeline, and the horrors witnessed by Brasse and other survivors is all too shamefully real, as we well know. The very small sourcing pool, though, should be held for more scrutiny. I would recommend it with these caveats
Three out of five stars.
Thanks to SourceBooks and NetGalley for the reading copy.
September 6, 2021
CW: Nazis, war, antisemitism, torture, murder, death
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Nonfiction for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In this book, we read about the men who were used in identification at Auschwitz, taking photographs of prisoners sent to the camps, as well as photos the staff/captors requested, usually in return for favors, such as bread and butter, or cigarettes. Though some narrative was added to the story to make it more interesting, these are real people, and these jobs did exist. The men who had them were sent to the camp as prisoners, but spared when higher-ups learned of their photography skills.
I did have to stop reading halfway, but only because the content was so heavy, and I knew that I was not in a place to consume all of it. However, I found it extremely interesting, and definitely recommend taking your time through this if you are interested in learning about a different perspective of Auschwitz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Nonfiction for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In this book, we read about the men who were used in identification at Auschwitz, taking photographs of prisoners sent to the camps, as well as photos the staff/captors requested, usually in return for favors, such as bread and butter, or cigarettes. Though some narrative was added to the story to make it more interesting, these are real people, and these jobs did exist. The men who had them were sent to the camp as prisoners, but spared when higher-ups learned of their photography skills.
I did have to stop reading halfway, but only because the content was so heavy, and I knew that I was not in a place to consume all of it. However, I found it extremely interesting, and definitely recommend taking your time through this if you are interested in learning about a different perspective of Auschwitz.
July 1, 2016
Jsem docela překvapená vysokým hodnocením knížky a troufám si říct, že to je klasický případ toho, kdy člověk nechce dát málo hvězdiček kvůli tomu, že jde o skutečný příběh, který je samozřejmě otřesný, to ale bohužel nemění nic na tom, než ta knížka byla při nejlepším průměrná:-(
Za prvé, kniha nemá moc děj, příběh, nějakou pointu, či zvrat. Jde o popis práce fotografa v Osvětimi, který ale nejde nijak do hloubky. Prostě plnil rozkazy, které dostal a fotil vězně, postupně i SS, dělal nějaké retuše na žádosti SSáků, což mu dovolilo zajistit si "pohodlný" život v místě, kde nikdo moc dlouho nevydržel. Brasse - fotograf - byl s každým za dobře, nijak nevyčníval, snažil se být neviditělný a tím pádem v knížce není moc co povídat. Zdůrazňuji, že tím nijak nezlehčuji fakt, že život v Osvětimi byl samozřejmě otřesný i pro něj, ale je otázkou, jestli ten příběh, tak jak byl sepsán, je dostatečně zajímavý pro knihu. Knížku jsem dočetla před hodinou a už teď nejsem schopná vypíchnout nějaký moment, který by mi vyloženě utkvěl v paměti, bohužel:-(
Za prvé, kniha nemá moc děj, příběh, nějakou pointu, či zvrat. Jde o popis práce fotografa v Osvětimi, který ale nejde nijak do hloubky. Prostě plnil rozkazy, které dostal a fotil vězně, postupně i SS, dělal nějaké retuše na žádosti SSáků, což mu dovolilo zajistit si "pohodlný" život v místě, kde nikdo moc dlouho nevydržel. Brasse - fotograf - byl s každým za dobře, nijak nevyčníval, snažil se být neviditělný a tím pádem v knížce není moc co povídat. Zdůrazňuji, že tím nijak nezlehčuji fakt, že život v Osvětimi byl samozřejmě otřesný i pro něj, ale je otázkou, jestli ten příběh, tak jak byl sepsán, je dostatečně zajímavý pro knihu. Knížku jsem dočetla před hodinou a už teď nejsem schopná vypíchnout nějaký moment, který by mi vyloženě utkvěl v paměti, bohužel:-(
August 28, 2022
4 stars
June 1, 2023
This was a very emotional and at times horrifying read.
Wilhelm Brasse was recruited to be the camp portrait photographer. He took photographs of every prisoner as they entered the camp. He was then used to capture the criminal medical experiments of Josef Mengele.
Ironically, taking photos of the living dead is what saved his life.
Wilhelm Brasse was recruited to be the camp portrait photographer. He took photographs of every prisoner as they entered the camp. He was then used to capture the criminal medical experiments of Josef Mengele.
Ironically, taking photos of the living dead is what saved his life.
October 21, 2025
“Perhaps he would die, but all those who had souls had to be able to see. And understand. And judge. And cry. And remember. Was that not what photographs were for?”
September 24, 2021
It amazes me that holocaust deniers exist. Every time I read a book or watch a movie or meet a survivor I am awed that anyone could turn a blind eye to this atrocious part of history and actually deny it ever happened. I don't read books like this for enjoyment, but rather to try to understand how humanity could be so depraved, heartless, cruel, violent, and utterly so disgusting I don't even think there is a word for it that can truly encapsulate the enormity of the evil that happened during the holocaust and pray that humanity never goes down that road again. Sadly, reading the news every day proves me wrong.
I will never forget how painful it still is to this day for people to even think of viewing images of the hand-drawn anatomy book by Eduard Pernkopf. The sad and disgusting truth of it is that the images that are so intricately detailed are those of holocaust victims. As a librarian, we discussed this book in class because it's a controversial topic, using such a vile piece of history to the benefit of modern-day science. I won't forget how students in the class had to ask the Professor to move past the slides depicting images from the book because it was too painful to view knowing the history behind it.
I hadn't thought of the book from that class until I started this book. Brasse was a prisoner, himself. Burdened with taking pictures of those he knew were destined to die. His photography training and his ability to speak German literally saved his life. I can't begin to imagine what kind of nightmares Wilhelm went through and what kind of ghosts haunted him. His pictures still exist and will be etched into history, much like the anatomy book above, giving voice to the innocent victims.
Wilhelm lived 94 years and helped to convict some of the Nazis who forced him to take these photographs by secretly burying thousands of the negatives in the camp's grounds.
A fascinating book and a horrifying reminder of how evil people can be.
I will never forget how painful it still is to this day for people to even think of viewing images of the hand-drawn anatomy book by Eduard Pernkopf. The sad and disgusting truth of it is that the images that are so intricately detailed are those of holocaust victims. As a librarian, we discussed this book in class because it's a controversial topic, using such a vile piece of history to the benefit of modern-day science. I won't forget how students in the class had to ask the Professor to move past the slides depicting images from the book because it was too painful to view knowing the history behind it.
I hadn't thought of the book from that class until I started this book. Brasse was a prisoner, himself. Burdened with taking pictures of those he knew were destined to die. His photography training and his ability to speak German literally saved his life. I can't begin to imagine what kind of nightmares Wilhelm went through and what kind of ghosts haunted him. His pictures still exist and will be etched into history, much like the anatomy book above, giving voice to the innocent victims.
Wilhelm lived 94 years and helped to convict some of the Nazis who forced him to take these photographs by secretly burying thousands of the negatives in the camp's grounds.
A fascinating book and a horrifying reminder of how evil people can be.
August 26, 2021
Book Review
The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
This one tore my heart. I have always been fascinated by the past. I look to historical fiction books to shed light on past events, to share the personal experiences of those that lived through war, famine, the depression. To “hear” the voices of those we have lost, and learn.
This book….. this book gave me the words to read and the photos to visualize the horrors and atrocities from the Holocaust.
Was it a good book? Did I enjoy it?
I wont comment.
It was uncomfortable.
It will stay with me.
I am in awe of the bravery and courage of those that lived this experience. They deserve soo much more.
If you are looking to educate yourself, read it.
If you are looking to understand, read it.
The trigger warnings are too numerous to count. The appendices are worth your time.
Read.
Learn.
Know.
And may history never repeat itself.
The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
This one tore my heart. I have always been fascinated by the past. I look to historical fiction books to shed light on past events, to share the personal experiences of those that lived through war, famine, the depression. To “hear” the voices of those we have lost, and learn.
This book….. this book gave me the words to read and the photos to visualize the horrors and atrocities from the Holocaust.
Was it a good book? Did I enjoy it?
I wont comment.
It was uncomfortable.
It will stay with me.
I am in awe of the bravery and courage of those that lived this experience. They deserve soo much more.
If you are looking to educate yourself, read it.
If you are looking to understand, read it.
The trigger warnings are too numerous to count. The appendices are worth your time.
Read.
Learn.
Know.
And may history never repeat itself.
May 15, 2021
For more reviews and book content, visit www.livsbookcorner.wordpress.com
For those of you who loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, or Man’s Search for Meaning, I’ve got another incredible war story to break your heart.
Meet Wilhelm Brasse - The Auschwitz Photographer.
Wilhelm was sent to Auschwitz from Poland at the very start of the war, and his talent as a photographer kept him alive. Every new entrant into the camp passed through his photography booth, and through his lens, he stared death in the face many times.
By risking his life to save some of his photographs at the end of the war, Wilhelm helped to bring some of the most horrendous war criminals to justice.
This is a book that 1000% deserves the success that similar books have had. It’s such an incredible story, intricately researched and told. The inclusion of some of Wilhelm’s original photographs throughout the book makes every story even more powerful and emotional.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for a PR copy of this amazing book.
For those of you who loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, or Man’s Search for Meaning, I’ve got another incredible war story to break your heart.
Meet Wilhelm Brasse - The Auschwitz Photographer.
Wilhelm was sent to Auschwitz from Poland at the very start of the war, and his talent as a photographer kept him alive. Every new entrant into the camp passed through his photography booth, and through his lens, he stared death in the face many times.
By risking his life to save some of his photographs at the end of the war, Wilhelm helped to bring some of the most horrendous war criminals to justice.
This is a book that 1000% deserves the success that similar books have had. It’s such an incredible story, intricately researched and told. The inclusion of some of Wilhelm’s original photographs throughout the book makes every story even more powerful and emotional.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for a PR copy of this amazing book.
Read
August 26, 2021Book Review
The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
This one tore my heart. I have always been fascinated by the past. I look to historical fiction books to shed light on past events, to share the personal experiences of those that lived through war, famine, the depression. To “hear” the voices of those we have lost, and learn.
This book….. this book gave me the words to read and the photos to visualize the horrors and atrocities from the Holocaust.
Was it a good book? Did I enjoy it?
I wont comment.
It was uncomfortable.
It will stay with me.
I am in awe of the bravery and courage of those that lived this experience. They deserve soo much more.
If you are looking to educate yourself, read it.
If you are looking to understand, read it.
The trigger warnings are too numerous to count. The appendices are worth your time.
Read.
Learn.
Know.
And may history never repeat itself.
The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis
Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
This one tore my heart. I have always been fascinated by the past. I look to historical fiction books to shed light on past events, to share the personal experiences of those that lived through war, famine, the depression. To “hear” the voices of those we have lost, and learn.
This book….. this book gave me the words to read and the photos to visualize the horrors and atrocities from the Holocaust.
Was it a good book? Did I enjoy it?
I wont comment.
It was uncomfortable.
It will stay with me.
I am in awe of the bravery and courage of those that lived this experience. They deserve soo much more.
If you are looking to educate yourself, read it.
If you are looking to understand, read it.
The trigger warnings are too numerous to count. The appendices are worth your time.
Read.
Learn.
Know.
And may history never repeat itself.
August 8, 2022
Dit boek brengt het verhaal van de Poolse fotograaf Wilhelm Brasse, de 'fotograaf van Auschwitz'. De auteurs baseerden zich op getuigenissen van zijn familieleden en een Poolse documentaire uit 2006, maar dus niet op de in 2012 overleden Brasse zelf. Wat mij vooral stoort is dat de auteurs pretenderen de gruwel van Auschwitz te kunnen voorstellen zoals gevangenen dat deden. Ze haalden bovendien bepaalde gebeurtenissen door elkaar om een coherenter verhaal te creëren uit de chaos en wanhoop van een vernietigingskamp. Ze doen vergeefse pogingen om zowel de intieme als politieke gedachten van Brasse, medegevangenen en Duitse bewakers te doorgronden met de huidige kennis over de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Het werk is dus gebaseerd op een - aangrijpend - waargebeurd verhaal, maar het verhaal in dit boek is fictie. Mij lijkt het vooral dat de auteurs een goedkope bestseller wilden scoren met schokkende beelden en sentimentele - en grotendeels fictieve - dialogen over een sterk gecommercialiseerd onderwerp als de Tweede Wereldoorlog.
August 16, 2023
Ik dacht dat ik al wel wat wist over de jodenvervolgingen in de kampen, maar dit boek brengt nog zoveel meer shockerende dingen naar buiten. Ik moest mezelf er echt toe zetten om soms verder te lezen. Dit zijn echter dingen die nooit vergeten mogen worden dus ik raad iedereen aan dit boek te lezen.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews