Auschwitz Birkenau

Presence of copying pencils in heritage objects poses a significant challenge for conservators due to their proneness to fading, sensitivity to solvents and difficulties in differentiation from regular graphite pencils. In this paper a method of copying pencils identification by means of ATR—FTIR spectroscopy is used. A protocol for spectra processing and dimensionality reduction of spectral data by means of principal component analysis has been developed, allowing for pencil types differentiation and providing an easy to read visual representation of the collected data. The protocol has been developed on mock-up samples and tested on objects from the archives of the State Museum Auschwitz – Birkenau.

The brick barracks in the former German Nazi Concentration and Extermination camp KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau hold historical importance and are protected by law through their inclusion in the register of historical monuments. They are also inscribed on the World Heritage List. One of these barracks is known as B-115. It was originally constructed as a temporary building during the autumn and winter of 1941 and 1942. The materials used for its construction were obtained from dismantled houses in nearby villages. The walls of barrack B-115 have sustained damage in several areas. The exterior walls have experienced corrosion due to exposure to environmental factors. Inside the barrack, there are cracks and areas where the walls are breaking apart. The most severe damage is seen in the gable walls, which have become deformed and detached from the lateral walls. Additionally, there are extensive damages in the connections between the lateral walls and external longitudinal walls. The partition walls have also cracked, and concentrated forces have caused further cracks in certain areas. By analysing the documented types of damage and their causes, the repair plans aim to address and eliminate the identified sources of damage. The renovation is designed to minimize intervention in the historical layers of the barrack while preserving its documentary value. It will also ensure that visitors have safe access to the site.

Richard Glazar. Derrière la clôture verteOn pensait tout savoir sur le camp de Treblinka, particulièrement depuis la publication du magistral ouvrage de Michal Hausser-Gans, Treblinka 1942-1943. Une usine à produire des morts juifs dans la forêt polonaise (Calmann-Lévy, « Mémorial de la Shoah, 2019). C’est du reste cette historienne qui assure, avec brio, la préface de l’ouvrage de Richard Glazar, l’ancien grand témoin du film Shoah de Claude Lanzmann.Ce témoignage, paru en septembre 2023 en...

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of a protective layer of polyvinyl alcohol on the degradation process of artificial leather based on cellulose nitrate. Samples of the artificial leather were obtained from a suitcase dating back to the first half of the 20th century, not considered a historical artifact. The analysis involved Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Artificial aging was employed for the study. The artificial leather sample with a protective coating of polyvinyl alcohol on a cellulose nitrate base exhibited the lowest degree of degradation due to minimal chemical changes in cellulose esters. The obtained FTIR-ATR spectrum indicated significantly higher nitration of cellulose and, consequently, a lower degree of polymer degradation. The sample without the protective polyvinyl alcohol coating and the sample with the coating removed before artificial aging showed similar reactions.

Ook dit jaar staan er weer veel herdenkingen op het programma. Tachtig jaar geleden, de gemiddelde levensduur van een Belg – of, met andere woorden, een mensenleven geleden – trok het Derde Rijk zich voor het eerst op verschillende fronten aanzienlijk terug. In dit cruciale jaar versloegen de Sovjets begin februari de Wehrmacht bij Stalingrad. De bondgenoten van de Russen – de wereld is zeker veranderd in 80 jaar! – de Britten en Amerikanen, verdreven de nazi’s uit Noord-Afrika in mei. In de ...

Source(s) est une revue d’histoire dont chaque numéro est structuré autour de l’édition critique d’une archive inédite. Le dossier d’articles qui l’accompagne est bâti à partir des thèmes documentés par la source. Une rubrique Varia réunit des informations, des réflexions méthodologiques et des débats indépendamment du sujet de chaque numéro. Sans privilégier d’approche spécifique, la revue manifeste un intérêt particulier pour l’histoire culturelle et les perspectives transnationales.

During World War II, scientific studies were conducted in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw (Poland). This research, focusing on hunger-induced disease, was embedded in circumstances of omnipresent hunger and starvation. Ophthalmologist Szymon Fajgenblat (1900-1944) was one of the involved physicians and wrote a manuscript about ophthalmological changes during starvation. The background and the findings of his research are discussed in this article. Literature and archival research. The Warsaw ghetto existed from 1941 to 1943 until it was destroyed, just like most of its inhabitants. Before destruction took place, the Nazis tried to kill the residents-almost half a million Jews-by means of starvation. Led by dermatologist Israel Milejkowski, a group of Jewish physicians decided to study the physical effects of hunger on human beings. Twenty-eight physicians would participate in the Hunger Disease Studies, including Fajgenblat. He linked cataracts to serious undernourishment and observed scleral thinning as another sign in hunger disease; the latter likely responsible for the low intraocular pressure found in the study population. Surprisingly, no complaints of night blindness or ophthalmological findings, characteristic of vitamin A deficiency, were observed in the study population. The Hunger Disease Studies are a unique written medical and historical monument of the Jewish physicians of the Warsaw ghetto. Ophthalmologist Szymon Fajgenblat was one of them and left behind an ophthalmological study as his legacy.

Rassembler sous un seul terme les nombreuses actions entreprises par les nazis pour éliminer celles et ceux qu’ils jugeaient « inutiles » est une tâche ardue. Les différents mots aujourd’hui en usage ne suffisent pas selon nous à couvrir et à décrire légitimement le phénomène dans son ensemble. Cet article a pour but de proposer une alternative. Il s’articule en trois parties. Dans un premier temps, nous analyserons et déconstruirons plusieurs termes et définitions avancés par divers auteurs de livres, d’articles et d’encyclopédies historiques. Dans la deuxième partie, nous aborderons le cœur de notre propos en présentant une alternative logique et étayée : le « péritocide ». Un troisième et dernier volet traitera plus précisément du « péritocide nazi ».

Los campos de concentración nazis fueron una pieza más de una etapa de la sociedad alemana restrictiva en derechos y libertades. Convencidos en alcanzar una ciudadanía perfecta, estos recintos se abrieron a la reclusión de la población nacional contraria a los ideales del gobierno que derivó en una práctica exterminadora de ámbito internacional. El fin de la guerra permitió mostrar sus horrores al mundo y comenzó un largo camino hacia su puesta en valor, convertidos en la actualidad como lugares representativos de la memoria con una gran incidencia territorial.