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Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.
This book tells a story to shake the conscience of the world. It is the catalogue of the first-ever traveling exhibition about the Auschwitz concentration camp, where 1.1 million people―mostly Jews, but also non-Jewish Poles, Roma, and others―lost their lives.
More than 280 objects and images from the exhibition are illustrated herein. Drawn from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and other collections around the world, they range from the intimate (such as victims’ family snapshots and personal belongings) to the immense (an actual surviving barrack from the Auschwitz III–Monowitz satellite camp); all are eloquent in their testimony.
An authoritative yet accessible text weaves the stories behind these artifacts into an encompassing history of Auschwitz―from a Polish town at the crossroads of Europe, to the dark center of the Holocaust, to a powerful site of remembrance.
Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. is an essential volume for everyone who is interested in history and its lessons.
More than 280 objects and images from the exhibition are illustrated herein. Drawn from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and other collections around the world, they range from the intimate (such as victims’ family snapshots and personal belongings) to the immense (an actual surviving barrack from the Auschwitz III–Monowitz satellite camp); all are eloquent in their testimony.
An authoritative yet accessible text weaves the stories behind these artifacts into an encompassing history of Auschwitz―from a Polish town at the crossroads of Europe, to the dark center of the Holocaust, to a powerful site of remembrance.
Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away. is an essential volume for everyone who is interested in history and its lessons.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2019
5 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jan Van Pelt
22 books13 followersUniversity Professor at the University of Waterloo, Pelt is a widely recognized authority on the planning and construction of Nazi concentration camps and the author of two books about Auschwitz.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 22, 2021
Auschwitz: Not Long Ago: Not Far Away is edited by Robert Jan Van Pelt with Luis Ferreiro and Miriam Greenbaum. This is the book that accompanies the exhibition by the same name. The exhibition I saw was at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. It was on it tour around the United States. The exhibition will eventually be housed in the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. The exhibition centers on Auschwitz, the largest and most prolific extermination center built and operated by the Nazis during World War II. In this horrible place, 1.1 million people- mostly Jews; but, also non-Jewish Poles, Romas, Homosexuals, Prisoners of War, political dissidents and others met their untimely deaths in the gas chambers and crematorias. Many were worked and starved to death or suffered diseases or were beaten or shot to death. The elderly and the young and any discerned to be unfit to work were killed upon entry into the camp. Only the strong and hardy young adults were generally accepted into the camp. Only the Czechs, Romas, and Hungarians were taken into camps and housed as families; all others were separated.
The exhibition and the book are both very well done and sensitive to the subject. Both are highly recommended.
The exhibition and the book are both very well done and sensitive to the subject. Both are highly recommended.
May 15, 2019
Obviously there was extensive research done by many different people. They delved deeper into more personal stories and stories that weren’t most well known. Photos, maps and statistics were great additions to the research.
February 25, 2021
In your face. Denial is impossible. This book bears witness of the blackest page in human history and also underwrites the fact that historically speaking, this was yesterday.
May 5, 2021
Well researched and well written. A testimony to both the depths of human depravity, and the will to survive.
December 31, 2019
This book accompanied the first ever traveling exhibit on the Auschwitz concentration/extermination camp. It details the horrific history of this most known aspect of the Holocaust, with personal stories, pictures of victims during and also many before Auschwitz. It also includes pictures and descriptions of many artifacts, personal belongings, maps and pictures of the camp, the barracks, gas chambers and crematoriums. It is presented in a coffee table book format. It is well researched and presented, evoking the horrible tragedy, with personal accounts and histories and the history of racial and social repressions of several different groups, mainly Jews but also including Romas, homosexuals and others ultimately leading to the inconceivable extermination of millions of human beings. I just can't fathom how this could happen and how so many people who weren't directly involved were complicit or did nothing to stop it, including individuals and governments. It is important to remember and study the atrocity and social aspect of it to prevent any recurrence. Though not on the same scale, this type of ethnic cleansing is still happening today. This is a very worthwhile book and will lead me to further exploration.
January 7, 2020
I feel like I give five stars to every book on or about the Holocaust (as long as they're well researched)that I read. This book is no exception!
I know a vast amount of information about WWII, but I always learn something new every time I read a book on the Holocaust or WWII in general. This particular book does a fantastic job of informing the reader on the subject as well as keeping the memories of the victims alive. Really well written and very moving pictures.
I know a vast amount of information about WWII, but I always learn something new every time I read a book on the Holocaust or WWII in general. This particular book does a fantastic job of informing the reader on the subject as well as keeping the memories of the victims alive. Really well written and very moving pictures.
October 15, 2019
This book taught me so much while also being a beautiful read. It was thought provoking, well put together with so many unbelievable photos, charts, maps that all went together perfectly for the reader. There were stories of hope, and the tragedies have stayed with me. I will keep it forever.
February 12, 2020
An excellent written and visual summation of those dark hours. This book is produced in conjunction with the exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.
November 16, 2023
I would love to see this exhibit but I’ve decided to not make the trek to southern California which is where it is now and it’s the closest place to me for this traveling exhibition. Perhaps someday I’ll go see it when it’s at its permanent location but that will be across the country. This is an exhibit catalog and in order to fully appreciate the material I do think that the exhibit needs to be seen on site. I know a few people who’ve visited the exhibit and it’s taken them 3 or 4 hours or longer to see it. It’s massive. This book can give only a sense of what is presented. It does that as well as it could though.
The print and images of the map were so miniscule I had to sometimes use a good magnifier to see much of it. The book was also hard for me to read because it was incredibly heavy and my preferred way to reading is lying in bed with a book resting on my chest. Those are my only complaints about this book.
Otherwise, it’s worth a sold 5 stars.
Beautifully organized. Powerful. Great images (photos, maps, objects) and text/essays too. The narrative manages to tell one long story, even though it’s about different people and places and times. There are many heartbreaking accounts and some heartwarming and inspirational stories too. There are too many in my mind to choose to list just one or a couple to represent them so I won’t mention any specifics. Everything in here is worth reading/seeing. I’ll leave it at that.
Well researched and with lots of documentation. Fine Further Reading lists which are not comprehensive (how could they be – that part would be hundreds of pages long) but are excellent. I love the categories: Collection of Documents; On the History of Oswiecim; On Jews and Judaism; On Jewish-Gentile Relations, Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism; On World War I; On the Weimar Republic; On the Third Reich; Biographies of Key Nazis; On German Concentration Camps; On the Expulsion of the Jews; On World War II; On the German Occupation of Poland; On the History of the Holocaust (general); On the History of the Holocaust (topics); On the Porajmos; On the History of Kulmhof and the Opeeration Reinhard Camps; On the History of Auschwitz (general); On the History of Auschwitz (topics); Testimony and Memoirs (Auschwitz); Aftermath. I should add some of the included books before I return this book to the library.
It’s divided into sections that have many parts. The major sections are The Encounter, Before Auschwitz, Auschwitz, After Auschwitz.
The poem on the last very last page of the book strongly affected me:
“You who are passing by
I beg you
Do something
Learn a dance step
Something to justify your existence
Something that gives you the right
To be dressed in your skin in your body hair
Learn to walk and to laugh
Because it would be too senseless
After all
For so many to have died
While you live
Doing nothing with your life”
- Charlotte Delbo, Auschwitz survivor (1971)
This is a must read book (or exhibit) for anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust.
The print and images of the map were so miniscule I had to sometimes use a good magnifier to see much of it. The book was also hard for me to read because it was incredibly heavy and my preferred way to reading is lying in bed with a book resting on my chest. Those are my only complaints about this book.
Otherwise, it’s worth a sold 5 stars.
Beautifully organized. Powerful. Great images (photos, maps, objects) and text/essays too. The narrative manages to tell one long story, even though it’s about different people and places and times. There are many heartbreaking accounts and some heartwarming and inspirational stories too. There are too many in my mind to choose to list just one or a couple to represent them so I won’t mention any specifics. Everything in here is worth reading/seeing. I’ll leave it at that.
Well researched and with lots of documentation. Fine Further Reading lists which are not comprehensive (how could they be – that part would be hundreds of pages long) but are excellent. I love the categories: Collection of Documents; On the History of Oswiecim; On Jews and Judaism; On Jewish-Gentile Relations, Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism; On World War I; On the Weimar Republic; On the Third Reich; Biographies of Key Nazis; On German Concentration Camps; On the Expulsion of the Jews; On World War II; On the German Occupation of Poland; On the History of the Holocaust (general); On the History of the Holocaust (topics); On the Porajmos; On the History of Kulmhof and the Opeeration Reinhard Camps; On the History of Auschwitz (general); On the History of Auschwitz (topics); Testimony and Memoirs (Auschwitz); Aftermath. I should add some of the included books before I return this book to the library.
It’s divided into sections that have many parts. The major sections are The Encounter, Before Auschwitz, Auschwitz, After Auschwitz.
The poem on the last very last page of the book strongly affected me:
“You who are passing by
I beg you
Do something
Learn a dance step
Something to justify your existence
Something that gives you the right
To be dressed in your skin in your body hair
Learn to walk and to laugh
Because it would be too senseless
After all
For so many to have died
While you live
Doing nothing with your life”
- Charlotte Delbo, Auschwitz survivor (1971)
This is a must read book (or exhibit) for anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust.
February 21, 2024
This exhibit is coming to Boston. When I purchased my ticket Ticketmaster also suggested that I purchase the book. I wasn't going to spend the $45 but I was interested and immediately put it on hold at my local library. When I went to pick up the book the librarian said to me, "I don't know who would want to read this. " I was shocked. This is an important part of history. It is more that just the images of shoes and burned bodies. I understand that this is a difficult topic for many people to read about but it doesn't mean that we shouldn't.
We can educate ourselves without reading about the gory details. What was good about this book is all the "Pre-Auschwitz" information. I learned many new things that are not consistently discussed. Eye-opening details!
The book includes pictures of many items that will be shown in the exhibit. The pictures don't do some of the items justice and I'm looking forward to seeing them in real life.
I understand that this is not a light hearted topic but the section that covers "Pre-Auschwitz" is something that every reader should take a look at. The book is laid out in a way that you can avoid the areas that discuss details about camp life if it's something the reader feels they can not handle.
I look forward to attending the exhibit. I encourage you to attend as well.
We can educate ourselves without reading about the gory details. What was good about this book is all the "Pre-Auschwitz" information. I learned many new things that are not consistently discussed. Eye-opening details!
The book includes pictures of many items that will be shown in the exhibit. The pictures don't do some of the items justice and I'm looking forward to seeing them in real life.
I understand that this is not a light hearted topic but the section that covers "Pre-Auschwitz" is something that every reader should take a look at. The book is laid out in a way that you can avoid the areas that discuss details about camp life if it's something the reader feels they can not handle.
I look forward to attending the exhibit. I encourage you to attend as well.
September 27, 2019
Well researched. Interesting.
January 1, 2020
Read this. Read it now. Read it once a year. Make your family read it. Never, ever, EVER forget this happened, and it must NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
June 21, 2023
Incredible detail.
June 30, 2024
Nice overview of the history of the prison camp. Interesting maps, illustrations, and photos. If you are unable to go to the exhibit that the book is based on, this is an excellent replacement!
January 26, 2025
Covers a long time frame and history in an interesting and informative way. Lots of good information and stories.
March 14, 2025
I read this in order to prepare for the current exhibit.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews