Holocause survivor Shep Zitler

Mein Kampf

Jan 1, 1925

1925-Mein Kampf-book written by Hitler in prison in which he blamed the Jews for WWI; said all nonAryans must be exterminated to create “master race”

Nazi Party

Apr 4, 1930

1930-Nazi party-National Socialist Party in Reichstag in Germany

Hitler Elected Chancellor

Jun 3, 1933

1933-Hitler elected Chancellor
• Storm Trooper (SS) established
• Builds concentration camps
• Posts signs “Germans defend yourselves! Do not buy from Jews.”

Henrich Himmler

May 6, 1934

1934- Henrich Himmler-chief of SS commands concentration camps
• “Black Shirts” police Germany
• Hitler both president and chancellor of Germany est. 3
rd Reich

Swastika becomes national flag

Feb 12, 1935

1935-Swastika adopted as national flag
• Nuremburg Laws-stripped Jews of all rights and property/and forced to wear yellow star of David as a
sign that they were Jewis

Jesse Owens and Hitler

Jul 14, 1936

1936-Olympic games in Berlin –Jesse Owens wins 4 golds-Hitler refuses to shake
his hand.

Buchenwald

Aug 2, 1937

1937-Buchenwald Concentration camp opened

Crystal Night

Dec 30, 1938

1938-Kristallnacht-“crystal night”-night of broken glass
• Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synogogues
• Shop windows broken
• 35,000 Jews arrested-sent to camps
• Nazi blamed the Jews for the destruction
• Curfews placed on Jews

Draft day

Feb 6, 1939

In February 1939, he was drafted into the Polish army. The army was the first time that he had associated with Poles. In Vilna, the Jews lived on one side of the street and the Poles lived on the other side. Everyone in the Pole army treated the Jews like dogs.

Final Solution

Sep 1, 1939

1939-Sept. 1-Germany invades Poland-WW2 begins
• “Final Solution”-started by Hitler to quickly exterminate Jews and non-Aryan races to death camps
Shep was with the 77th Pulk Piechoty (77th Infantry Regiment).
The strugle took only 16 days.

Captured

Sep 16, 1939

Shep was captured near Radom, and was taken to a prisoner of war camp near kielce.

Deportation of Jews

Oct 27, 1940

1940-Germany starts all deportation of German Jews
• Auschwitz is built in Poland along with 6 other camps
• Germany places all Polish Jews in ghetto surrounded by 8 foot wall

Mass Deportation

Feb 25, 1941

1941-France sends 17, 000 Jews to camps-massive deportation begins
*130, 000 Jews left in Germany

Shep Works

Jun 2, 1942

Shep works at several different places during his time being held prisioner. He even works on the Autobahn in Austria.

At Work

Jun 6, 1942

Everywhere that Shep would work, the Jews would be singled out for "special treatment" (not good)

Work Camps

Nov 15, 1942

1942—110,000-Japanese Americans placed in work camps until war is over• All Polish Jews to Bergen-Belsen concentration camps
• All ghettos liquidated to Auschwitz
• Jews committing crimes were arrested-Crimes included:
using public transportation
owning pets
visiting barber shops
having a typewriter or electric appliance
wearing or owning woolen or fur clothin

Warsaw

Apr 10, 1943

1943-SS troops send Jews in Warsaw after revolt to camps-56, 065 out of 60,000 were killed
*Only 15, 000 Jews left in Germany

Aryan elete

Mar 9, 1944

1944-Germans plan to breed an Aryan elite race by making unmarried women bear SS troops’ children.
• 46,000 Jews were gassed and burned in 1 DAY at Auschwitz

Liberation

Apr 22, 1945

Shep was liberated on April 22, 1945. Russian Cavalier were the people who liberated them.

Warsaw liberated

Oct 21, 1945

1945-Warsaw liberated
• Auschwitz freed-only 5,000 people remained
• Buchenwald freed (Anne Frank’s dad)
• April:
FDR dies
Mussolini assassinated
Hitler commits suicide
• Germany and Japan surrender-WW2 ends

America

Dec 23, 1948

On this date, Shep comes to America by boat. He had an uncle in New Orleans who paid for him to take the trip.

Hymn

Jun 27, 2008

Shep's part for the last few years has been to lead the singing of the Hymn of the Holocaust Survivors.