ephemera

on 22 july 1944, 150 new prisoners arrived at auschwitz as members of the SS Helferinnen (female auxiliaries) ate blueberries. 21 men and 12 women were selected for work, the others were taken to the gas chambers.

in the mid-nineties christian boltanski exhibited photographs of “ordinary“ ss officers which appeared in contemporary german magazines. there was something disconcerting about seeing these images of nazis in uniform with their wives and children, or juxtaposed with innocent magazine illustrations.

now the holocaust memorial museum in washington has published online the photograph album of karl hoecker adjutant to richard baer who took over from rudolf hoess as commandant of auschwitz in the last year of the camp’s operation. the album was donated by a us lieutenant who found it in frankfurt in 1946 and took it home with him.

it is chilling indeed to see these photographs of the men and women who were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, enjoying themselves. like the one below, which shows josef mengele and the current and former commanders of auschwitz baer and hoess relaxing during a break at solahutte, the ss retreat near auschwitz.