As students studying German history, we ask ourselves questions about why we study an event or time period in order to contextualize it within our understanding of society. Focusing on the “why” is a tool that encourages people in the present to learn about the past. However, to truly immerse ourselves in what we study, asking “why” isn’t necessarily sufficient, and students trying to better understand history must ask “how” we should study an event. Students studying the Holocaust are lucky in the sense that it is one of the most documented events ever, which provides access to near limitless sources of information that come in several forms: photos, videos, newspapers or other forms of print media, oral testimonies, and diaries. 

Access to these sources enhances how we learn about the Holocaust by enabling us to learn about it from many different angles, and some sources have emerged as popular over the years, such as The Diary of Anne Frank. While we should continue to praise sources like these for their circulation and accessibility, it is important to analyze different types of sources to better understand the Holocaust. After reading Primo Levi’s Survival in Auschwitz, a notable type of source that must be included within a proper Holocaust education is the memoir. Primo Levi’s Survival in Auschwitz demonstrates the utility of memoirs in understanding the Holocaust by using imagery and exploring Holocaust themes that would have not been touched on in other sources. 

Primo Levi excels in his ability to describe the conditions of Auschwitz and what it takes to survive. His background as a chemist not only aided his ability to survive but also helped him with his writing, particularly with his use of sensory details. For example, when Levi is first

getting situated in his block and they are woken up in the morning, this is how he describes the scene: 

The entire hut shakes to its foundations, the lights are put on, everyone near me bustles around in a sudden frantic activity. They shake the blankets raising clouds of fetid dust, they dress with feverish hurry, they run outside into the freezing air half-dressed, they rush headlong towards the latrines and washrooms. Some, bestially, urinate while they run to save time, because within five minutes begins the distribution of bread (Levi, 38). 

In this description, Levi’s imagery engages all five senses in such a way that the reader is able to experience the morning routine of the victims to a great extent. Furthermore, this quote exemplifies how the imagery found in memoirs can even rival that of photos and videos because it provides all of the sensations experienced by Levi whereas a photo or video can only capture visual and sometimes auditory details. 

Survival in Auschwitz and memoirs in general are unique because of the way they construct a narrative, which is not common for primary sources. Narratives are powerful tools for understanding history because they represent the uniqueness of an individual within a larger event, while also engaging the reader by developing a cohesive story. Through a story, themes can be explored which furthers our understanding of history. For example, Levi first touches on the theme of the destruction of identity by writing: 

It is not possible to sink lower than this; no human condition is more miserable than this, nor could it conceivably be so. Nothing belongs to us anymore; they have taken away our clothes, our shoes, even our hair; if we speak, they will not listen to us, and if they listen, they will not understand (Levi, 26).

Here, Levi demonstrates how the Nazi’s dehumanization of the prisoners upon arrival at Auschwitz caused some to lose their identity. This theme is brought up near the beginning of the memoir and Primo Levi continues to build on this idea that human identity is fragile, amplifying this idea further. 

Later in the ninth chapter, Levi expands on this theme, writing, “Their life is short, but their number is endless; they, the Muselmänner, the drowned, form the backbone of the camp, an anonymous mass, continually renewed and always identical, of non-men who march and labour in silence, the divine spark dead within them, already too empty to really suffer” (Levi, 90). This quote connects Levi’s observations from page 26 to his new finding; individuals who have lost their identity, the drowned, are more likely to die. Developing ideas such as this over the course of the narrative allows themes to be established, which further connects the audience to the ideas that Levi is writing about. Because memoirs excel at reinforcing themes to the audience, they have a significant value in a complete. 

There are also some drawbacks to using memoirs as a source for learning about the Holocaust. For example, diaries hold some advantages over memoirs due to their personal nature. Diaries are written to document the experiences of an individual and are usually meant to be private, whereas memoirs are usually written after an event and are meant to be public. This aspect of diaries means that they tend to be more accurate due to the fact that the writer is more likely to be honest about their experiences if they are the only ones reading it. Furthermore, diaries are unedited, which means the details are more raw and possibly best reflect what actually happened at the time. Photographs and videos provide visual images as to what an event looked like, which memoirs cannot. They help an audience see what an event looked like with their own eyes, which is valuable in understanding history.

Despite some shortcomings, memoirs serve as an excellent primary source for learning about the Holocaust and history in general. They have the potential to be as vivid as photos and videos if they utilize imagery, and they also can help convey themes to an audience due to the narrative that is constructed throughout it. However, no education can rely on just one source, so it is best to consult as many sources from different types to get a well-rounded Holocaust education.