Humanity Behind Holocaust Artifacts: Creation of Objects within the Camps
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Corrianna Jussila
Presenter(s): Corrianna Jussila
Mentors(s): Deborah Yalen, Adam Thomas
This research project seeks to further understand the role of material culture during the Holocaust. Material cultures are the creation of physical objects and understanding the meaning behind the creation of those objects and the specific materials used to create them. While in internment and concentration camps, prisoners created various objects of various kinds to ensure survival. But the objects that stand out are the ones not made more for the purpose of survival, but the objects created for the purpose of preserving humanity. Creating and preserving these objects came at great risk to the makers as being caught with the objects would have likely resulted in death. So why would people make objects like chess pieces, a ring, or a heart shaped booklet when they provide no immediate form of survival? What wider information can these objects give? By examining the story behind each object reveals individual stories of survival and perseverance. They help to understand the individual experiences of the creators and wider stories of survival during the Holocaust.