Getto: Spaziergang in die Hölle

by Günther Schwarberg, Heinrich Jöst

Hotel owner Heinrich Jast was a sergeant in the German army, stationed near Warsaw, who became curious about the corpses he had seen lying along the ghetto walls. So on his birthday he made use of his free time and went into the ghetto with his camera. He had no idea what was awaiting him there. The amateur photographer shot several rolls of film in September 1941 and kept them for decades without showing them to anyone. In 1982, he gave the photographs to Stern magazine reporter Gnther Schwarberg. The Jerusalem Documentation Center Yad Vashem pronounced them a ''unique find,'' and they certainly are--Jast's pictures belong to the scant number of existing photographs of the Warsaw ghetto, and are a critically important document of its history. Gnther In the Ghetto of Warsaw documents these incomparable photographs along with Jast's own recollections as recounted to Gnter Schwarberg.

Genres: History

222 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Pheng Heong Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains potentially disturbing images, including that of a nude woman, supposedly dead (Photo 103), and those of piles of corpses (Photos 100 and 108). And those of grimy-looking little children, reportedly 'begging for a little money' (Photo 51). 'one could see that they were sick and had no more strength to live'. (Photo 56).

The photographer alludes to the fact that he did not ask permission from these people before capturing them on photograph - I've forgotten, on which page of the book this is mentioned - and this also raises a potentially contentious issue for readers: whether by reading it, the reader is complicit in the uses (or abuses) of power - the photographer was reportedly wearing a German uniform while taking his photos and walking among those who have been required to wear a armband with a Star Of David on them

I stopped short of giving the book a full five-stars because, in the (supposed) words of the photographer, "Later, when I looked at these pictures, I asked myself: How could you photograph something like that?" (Photo 109)

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wandering through hell ... :(

[Adri Golden]

Many of the photos in this collection are famous and well known today. They are also scene in reels of film shot by the Nazi's over a three week span. These films were only recently discovered, and the film was total propaganda, although one would wonder how that could be considering the miserable subjects. The Nazi's filmed staged scenes of death, desease, and misery - forcing the subjects to walk back and forth. Then they stages elaborate scenes of comfort and plenty among the Warsaw Ghetto residents/prisoners, and juxtiposed these scenes against the others. Many of the scenes contain the same subjects as Jost's, so he must have been wandering in the Ghetto on one of the days of filming! Fascinating, horrific and shameful.

[Susu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Günther Schwarberg verfolgt den Lebensweg Walter Toebben - vom Arisieren eines Bremer Textilgeschäfts über die Textilfabriken des Warschauer Gettos, in denen für die Wehrmacht gearbeitet wird - über Toebbens Beteiligung an Ausbeutung un Vernichtung - bis hin zum Prozessgeschehen in der jungen BRD.
Neben den Fotografien von Hermann Jöst aus dem Warschauer Getto versammelt er Zeugenaussagen und Erinnerungen rund um das Getto. Jöst war in Feldwebel-Uniform im Getto unterwegs und hat das Leben und Sterben dokumentarisch fest gehalten.
Erschütternd - vor allem, wegen der allzu dünnen Aufarbeitung in der deutschen Justiz.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confronterend, choquerend...vooral hoe de ,,alte kameraden'' elkaar beschermen en vrijpleiten tijdens vooronderzoeken en processen. Van hoog tot laag in het naoorlogse gerechtelijke apparaat. Denazificatie??? Schuldbesef??? Wir haben ess nicht gewusst???