The Good Old Days is an unique account of the Holocaust. It is
a compilation of photographs and written accounts – diary extracts,
transcripts of post-war interrogations, letters, and official reports –
from eye-witnesses and participants in the slaughter of the Jews during
the Second World War. The material was compiled by Germans
and published in Germany.
The title was taken from the photograph album of Kurt Franz, the last
commandant of Treblinka. The words appear as a caption above
pictures of the
concentration camp where at least 700,000
people were
murdered in
gas chambers. An alternative translation of the title
is given as Those Were the Days. Both translations accurately
reflect the attitude of many of the killers as expressed in the
documents in the book.
In collecting their material, the editors tired to understand the
motivation of those who participated in the slaughter. They tried
to get at the truth of oft-repeated excuses for killing, such as being
forced to obey orders on pain of death. In fact, the documents
show that many soldiers, police, and even S.S. refused to
kill innocent
people and none of them were executed or sent to a concentration
camp. Some who refused were simply replaced or transferred;
others, who suffered the worst, were ridiculed as cowards or weaklings,
and ranked lower on the promotion list. In fact, the documents
show that many who took part were proud to kill Jews; they boasted of
their accomplishments in their letters and diaries.
The greatest myth that is dispelled by this book is the great lie that
the Holocaust never happened. The book is filled with photographs
taken by eye witnesses and the perpetrators themselves, pictures that
show innocent people being shot, shut into gas vans, or beaten to
death. Some official documents and diaries report the numbers
killed, while others complain of the difficulties involved in finishing
the task.
The editors have impeccable academic credentials and they have
documented their sources meticulously. The Good Old Days is a
significant addition to the accounts of the Holocaust because the
content comes not from the victims, but from the criminals. They
condemn themselves.
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