Night by Ellie Wiesel

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1986

Multiple Text Assignment

By Victoria Holt

Multi-text Overview

The book Night can be a good supplement to any U.S. or World History Unit.

The multi-text elements presented has more facets related to the European front that I learned about and saw first hand while living as an American in Germany during 2007 – 2009.

Art Related to NightHitler loved drawing and painting and his “best” paintings are shown. Most thought Hitler to be a failure as an artist.

While living in Hamburg, Germany I saw many works of art by many different artist, including those by Arno Breker and Adolf Wissel. I also saw a large collection of paintings by artist that that were often reworked/repainted to fit the “Socialist Era” Art Style endorsed by Hitler.

Art History was actually founded and fashioned by a German. I felt art should be included in this study.

Students should be asked what they think of Hitler’s art ability. Do they like his featured art work?

Students after reading the narrative about Hitler’s art should be asked what they know about the Autobahn since the article addresses how Hitler used “dreams” as a catalyst for the Autobahn among other developments. The German Autobahn is “civil engineered” to be 4 layers deep and is the only place in Europe where there are NO speed limits in designated areas. Students should be challenged to think about why the Autobahn was developed initially and how it is used today. Of course, initially it was intended for troop and tank movement throughout Germany for responsive war efforts when designed.

Students should be asked to look at the web links and describe the “Socialized Era” art characteristics and compare them to the “degenerative art” characteristics.

Art – Related to NightHilter Was An Artist?????

http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/hitlerpaintings.htm

5 Samples of Hitlers’ Best Art

• Hitler often claimed to be something of a frustrated artist, and art was certainly one of his major interests throughout his life. He probably sold several thousand paintings and postcards during his stay in Vienna, some of which turn up even today. Hitler himself made no great claims to greatness as a painter (architecture was something else....). There was a thriving market for his paintings during the Third Reich - and even today, there are eager collectors.

• The best book on the matter is Frederic Spotts' Hitler and the Power of Aesthetics, which takes Hitler's artistic side seriously. Spotts comments: "He had a modicum of talent - at least in sketching buildings - but what technique he learned he picked up on his own. Like most amateurs, he began by painting simple landscapes. With neither innate originality nor professional training, he went on to imitate the watercolors and prints of the south German school and the postcard scenes - everyday urban views - that were popular at the time..... Moreover, he had to paint the sort of thing that an unknown and untalented amateur might be able to sell, and that was inexpensive reproductions of familiar places" (p. 125). Spotts' book also has color reproductions of four of Hitler's paintings.

• These illustrations of Hitler's art are taken from a coffee table book on Hitler published during the Third Reich, several million copies of which were printed. These are the examples of Hitler's paintings one was likeliest to see during the Third Reich. One assumes these were thought the best of his work. It's interesting that they are all from 1914-1917. By 1938, Hitler decided to prohibit reproductions of his paintings.

• The source: Adolf Hitler: Bilder aus dem Leben des Führers (Hamburg: Cigaretten Bilderdienst Hamburg/Bahrenfeld

1 of 5 Paintings by Hitler

This 1914 painting is titled: "The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich."

2 of 5 Paintings by Hitler

This painting, also from 1914, is titled "Ruins of a Cloister in Messines."

3 of 5 Paintings by Hitler

This one is titled "Shelter in Fournes."

4 of 5 Paintings by Hitler

The title of this undated painting: "House with a White Fence."

5 of 5 Paintings by Hitler

This painting from 1917 is titled "Ardoye in Flanders."

Hitler's Art and National Socialist Era Art http://www.hitler.org/art/

Hitler's Art

• Before amassing his fortune with the enormous royalties from the publication of his hugely popular Mein Kampf, Hitler earned a living by using his artistic skills to produce paintings that were sold to the public or used for postcards. Hitler was a great student of the fine arts and studied music, opera, painting, sculpture, and architecture. While living in Vienna under conditions of poverty, he read voraciously and still managed to spend whatever meager income he had to attend lectures, concerts, opera, and the theater. Even when he barely had enough money to survive he refused to compromise and always purchased the best paints, brushes, paper, and canvas. As a remarkably prolific artist, he is estimated to have created between 2000 and 3000 drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings. His artistic talent revealed itself at an early age and continued painting and drawing throughout his life. Even while behind the front lines in World War 1, he continued to paint in his spare time and contributed instructional drawings and cartoons to the military newspaper. His art continued throughout his leadership of Germany and included detailed building plans, furniture design, city planning, and monuments.

• Perhaps the notion of an artist becoming a political seems strange in the current era where politics are dominated by professional politicians, it was Hitler's profound artistic vision that translated from his dreams into reality the Autobahn, Volkswagen, Rocket Science, and in the general the groundwork for a prosperous people and flourishing culture before this was lost in World War 2.

• Just as the ancient Greeks wrote about the unique qualifications of a philosopher to be a leader, an artist's unique perspective and instinctual drive to create something out of nothing makes the artist uniquely qualified to lead and inspire a nation.

• Architecture, Buildings, City Planning, Caricatures/Doodles, Dogs, Flowers, Furniture • Landscapes , Nudes, Women

Hitler's Art and National Socialist Era Art, continued National Socialist Art

• Among the most renowned artists whose style flourished during the National Socialist era were Arno Breker and Adolf Wissel. The classical style of these artists stood against the world trends in art at the time, such as cubism, surrealism, impressionism, expressionism, dadaism, and modernism in general. Rather than censor these modern styles of art, Hitler decided it was better to gather the work from trendy modern artists and provided exhibits of "degenerative art" where citizens could see for themselves what this style was about and compare it to classical art. It was labeled "degenerative art" because it suggested negativity and incomprehensibility of the world, and as such was at odds with the positivism, determined progress, noble ideals, desire for solutions, and generally hopeful outlook that the National Socialist movement stood for. Hitler believed that modern art was in conflict with the eternal values of beauty and therefore could only lead to a decline of civilization. Modern art separated people from identifying with the positive expressions of art because it was incomprehensible. In addition, modern art had obliterated the concept of beauty and consequently stood as an enemy of life itself because it preferred nothingness or the ugly to the beautiful.

• Now that over 80 years have passed since Hitler first formed and articulated these ideas, we are now left to judge the societal effects from modern art's inversion and destruction of beauty. While the human form in some cases remains praised for health and vigor, in other cases it is attacked with piercings, tattoos, or hair that is dyed in strange colors. Meanwhile the splendor of nature's landscapes are often destroyed in favor of poorly conceived architectural designs, though few people seem to notice. In countries like the United States, the potential monetary benefits of a strip mall take precedence over the psychological effect of bad design, crass commercialism, and the loss of a natural landscape. Contrastly, many people who life in cities with buildings that are several hundred years old and maintain architectural standards suggest that these old buildings energize and inspire the people who live there.

Hitler's Art and National Socialist Era Art, continued

• Hitler considered the lack of architectural standards to be a serious problem. • In the 19th Century our cities began to lose the character of cultural centers and became

simply human settlements. When Munich was a city of 60,000, it wanted to be one of the major German centers of culture. Today nearly every industrial city claims this honor, usually without being able to show any significant accomplishments of its own. They are nothing more than collections of houses and apartment buildings. How can such an insignificant place have any appeal? No one will have particular loyalty to a city that lacks any individuality at all, that avoids anything resembling art.

• Even the big cities are becoming poorer in real works of art even as they increase in population.

• The modern era has done nothing to increase the cultural level of our big cities. All the glory and treasures of our cities are the inheritance of the past.

• Contrary to the belief that Hitler was uptight about things such as nudity, he allowed painters and sculptors to produce both male and female nudes. Male nudes were depicted as responsible, heroic and powerful while females were neat, clean, and full breasted while having a flat belly, long-muscled thighs, and slim shanks. They were sometimes depicted as Nordic, perhaps because many people prefer the natural beauty of Nordics, but were sometimes brunette as well. It should be noted that contrary to historical propaganda, Germany is not a Nordic nation but a predominately Alpine one, though it has a small Nordic minority, and this has been the case for several centuries. It is therefore most probable that the artists and people were praising an ideal in the depiction of their minority population rather than positing a notion of national superiority in this image.

Art Related to Night, continued

To learn more about

The Art of Arno Breker:

http://www.hitler.org/art/breker/

To learn more about

Nazi & Soviet Art

By Artist Adolf Wissel:

http://www.goodart.org/artofnz.htm

Music – Related to Night

Hitler adored music, especially the works of composer Richard Wagner. Students will be asked to listen to a video clip narrated by a Richard Wagner composition. Students should be encouraged to use the connecting links to study Wagner and his compositions and time line.

Students should be asked to discuss what they think the impact of Wagner’s music on German listeners might have been at the time.

Students should be asked to speculate how Wagner may be viewed today by music listeners at large as opposed to how he might be viewed as a music artist during the World War II time period?

Ask students how they think Wagner’s music might make them feel if they were a German or European Jew?

Ask students how they think the Jewish Concentration Camp members might have enjoyed hearing Juliek playing a Beethoven composition on his Violin?

Ask students if they think Wagner compositions portray a different tone or feeling than the Beethoven composition?

Music – Related to Night

Video Clip with Music

“The Best of the Third Reich”

Featuring Hitlers’ Favorite Musician –

Richard Wagner

To Learn More Go To:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ximWOL4uHx4&feature=player_embedded

Music Video Featuring Beethoven

“I. Perlman - Beethoven Violin Concerto, 1st movement (1)”

You Tube Music Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVuMbxEON3o

Electronic Resources – Related to Night

The proposed electronic resources need little introduction for their incorporation but the Anne Frank website offers a great resource link on “research on racism and extremism”.

Students should be asked what elements of racism and extremism displayed by Hitler’s conquest to destroy not only Jews but trade unionist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Gypsies, retardates, homosexuals, the elderly, the physically handicapped, the blind, and the deaf are still unfortunately seen and practiced today in the USA and around the world?

Students should be asked what we can learn today about the dangers and damages from Hitler’s practice and endorsement of racism and extremism?

Students should be encouraged to discuss how they themselves or their loves ones may be impacted today if such a severe form of racism and extremism like that displayed by Hitler was practiced or endorsed today in The United States?

Ask students what benefits come to societies who do not practice and endorse discriminatory attitudes and behaviors? What major inventors or societal contributors were enabled by equal opportunities?

Have students read Weisel’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Delivered by Elie Wiesel in Oslo on December 10, 1989 (p. 117) and identify the elements that address his negative experiences with “racism and extremism.”

Electronic Source Compliments for Night

The Anne Frank Museum (House)

Prinsengracht 263,

Amsterdam

Offers research links on racism and extremism:

http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=28&lid=2

Other links:

http://www.youtube.com/annefrank

http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?PID=908&LID=2

http://www.youtube.com/annefrank

Uncommon Web Resource – Related to Night

While living in Hamburg, Germany one site with a positive aura, unlike the “Nazi Death Camps” visited by myself and my mother, “Miss History”, was BallinStadt Emigration Hall. I think of it as a “Hall of Life”. BallinStadt served as a emigration location for many European Jews. It is a resource not commonly promoted in the USA although it does have an English Link (with the British Flag Icon).

The book Night discusses how many Jews were anticipating the events that were told by Elie Wiesel and tried to find other places to escape and live.

Students should visit the web site and explore what it might be like to live in such fear and feel relegated to selling your belongings and leave the only home you have ever known to escape persecution.

Students should be asked what hardships Jewish emigrants faced on the journey and arrival to a new home land.

Both BallinStadt and Normandy have “Ancestry Museums” and students should be asked if they have any relatives that might have emigrated via BallinStadt or served in Battle of Normandy.

Additional Electronic Resources to Compliment Night

BallinStadt (Hamburg, Germany) Emigration Hall (English Option)

www.ballinstadt.de/ BallinStadt was used by many German/European Jews as an avenue to emigrate from Europe to the USA. This site has much information about its beginning and development. Almost 100 years ago the Emigration Halls in Hamburg were the last homestead to the European emigrants. Shortly before the departure, when the “New World” was within the grasp of the emigrants, the Emigration Halls were renowned as the “port of dreams”.

This website is a journey into the history of emigration over Hamburg, displayed in three re-erected buildings of the former Emigration Halls on the Veddel-Island. The “BallinStadt” is named after the well known citizen of Hamburg Albert Ballin, the president of the shipping company HAPAG.

The founder of this shipping line set the inside of the ships as “passenger vessels” for the trip to the USA and then reset the interior to match that of a “cargo vessel” from the returning voyage from the USA to Hamburg, Germany. This emigration service saved many European Jews prior to the beginning of World War II.

The award-winning conception of the “BallinStadt”, begins with the moving pictures, which depict the emigration from 1850 until 1938.

It also offers an Ancestry Museum.

Electronic Resources, continued

Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum

(English)

Turning Point in WWII

Museum illustrates the strategy and sections of the beach taken back by Allied Forces

http://www.normandiememoire.com/lieux_historiques/index.php?marq=1&id=178&lg=gb&parcours=1

Movie Resources

The movie resources are all wonderful. I suggest using the movies as a supplemental after school activity for those that can participate - as they are very long. The move selection from the list of resources would depend on the age of the audience, whether middle or high school.

The “movie Patton” is the best for any grade level and presents historical information about the many battles related to WW II.

Ask students how Wiesel and the other concentration victims as well as survivors might have felt if they had known how many combative war efforts were made fighting Hitler and his movement?

Ask students what might Europe and the world be like if these combative efforts had not been instituted?

Film Resources for Night

• The “movie Patton”

• The “movie Band of Brothers”

Presented by: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg

• The “movie Schindler’s List”

Book: Thomas KeneallyScreenplay: Steven Zaillian

Classical Pieces of Literature As a Compliment to NightBooks

Wagner's Hitler: The Prophet and His Disciple, Authored by Joachim Kohler

The Diary of Anne Frank, Authored by Anne Frank

Autobiography

All But My Life, Memoir of Gerda Weissman, “Classic Holocaust Literature”

This book is about a holocaust survivor who married an American German, named Kurt Klein, that helped to liberate her. Gerda, like Wiesel was transported to several

different camps via train and was a “camp worker”. This autobiography was the basis for the HBO Academy Award – Winning Best Documentary – entitled

“Short One Survivor Remembers”.

Essays

Another Meaning of the Holocaust from Surviving and Other Essays

Authored By: Bruno Bettelheim

Published By: Alfred A. Knopf. Inc.

Printed Resources

There are many additional resources but one of the best is the Autobiography as it also has a related award winning movie.

This resource could be used to present a female holocaust survivors perspective.

Students can compare it to those of Elie Wiesel.

Poetry Selections

The first poem, “Roll Call Thoughts” is included and demonstrates that some Germans were very fluent in English. This poem caught my attention after speaking with a 92 Year old WW II Veteran who told me stories about how he and his group were unknowingly lured into areas via radio by “English speaking Germans”. It took these American Soldier some time to determine they were being “tricked” by the Germans.

Students should be asked to read the poem and discuss their thoughts.

The second poem, “Death Fugue” authored by Celan, was translated from German to English. Ask students to read the poem and reflect how Celan’s has similar reflections and elements found in the book Night about Weisel’s captors.

 

Poetry Complimenting Night

“Roll Call Thoughts” 

This poem was found in the photo album of a Stalag Luft I German intelligence officer, Heinrich Haslob known as "Henry, the butcher" to the POWs.  Henry had lived

in New York prior to the war and had worked as a butcher.  The author is unknown.

We've stood in the rain, the snow and the sleet,We've stood there for hours with nothing to eat

And why have we stood there, so "Browned off" and mad?Because Unterofficer Noyes just couldn't add.

We've dug nice long tunnels through miles of sand.Made fancy clothes and hid in tin cans.

But why have we failed to leave "Kriegie" Land?Because Henry the "Butcher Boy" is always on hand. 

We don't like this camp, so windy, so bleak,And the barking of watch-dogs that bother our sleep.

Oh, Major Von Muller please give us a break;Just call of your Blood-hounds and let us escape!

Learn More At:http://www.merkki.com/poetry.htm

“Death Fugue”, translated into English

http://mason.gmu.edu/~lsmithg/deathfugue.html

“Death Fugue”

Black milk of daybreak we drink it at eveningwe drink it at midday and morning we drink it at night

we drink and we drinkwe shovel a grave in the air there you won't lie too crampedA man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writes

he writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margueritehe writes it and steps out of doors and the stars are all sparklinghe whistles his hounds to come close

he whistles his Jews into rows has them shovel a grave in the groundhe orders us strike up and play for the dance

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at nightwe drink you at morning and midday we drink you at eveningwe drink and we drink

A man lives in the house he plays with his vipers he writeshe writes when it grows dark to Deutschland your golden hair Margeurite

your ashen hair Shulamith we shovel a grave in the air there you won't lie too crampedHe shouts jab this earth deeper you lot there you others sing up and play

he grabs for the rod in his belt he swings it his eyes are bluejab your spades deeper you lot there you others play on for the dancing

“Death Fugue”, continuedBlack milk of daybreak we drink you at night

we drink you at midday and morning we drink you at eveningwe drink and we drink

a man lives in the house your goldenes Haar Margeuriteyour aschenes Haar Shulamith he plays with his vipers

He shouts play death more sweetly Death is a master from Deutschlandhe shouts scrape your strings darker you'll rise then in smoke to the sky

you'll have a grave then in the clouds there you won't lie too cramped

Black milk of daybreak we drink you at nightwe drink you at midday Death is a master aus Deutschland

we drink you at evening and morning we drink and we drinkthis Death is ein Meister aus Deutschland his eye it is blue

he shoots you with shot made of lead shoots you level and truea man lives in the house your goldenes Haar Margaretehe looses his hounds on us grants us a grave in the air

he plays with his vipers and daydreamsder Tod is ein Meister aus Deutschland

dein goldenes Haar Margaretedein aschenes Haar Shulamith

Paul Celan(Translated by John Felstiner)

Other Celan Sites of InterestPoet, Survivor, Jew

A very informative review of John Felstiner's Biography of Paul Celan

TodnautbergPierre Joris, one of the premier Celan scholars and translators, discusses Celan's poem, Todnautberg. Although difficult

in places, the article clarifies many of Celan's concerns as a poet Paul Celan page

A new Paul Celan bilingual (English and German) web page. The first few items are in German but persevere and you will find many valuable resources in English, including extensive bibliographies.

Map

Have students use the map and identify those camps referred to by Elie Wiesel where he was transported and deposited by train as well as those he marched to by foot.

Map of Natzi Death Concentration Campshttp://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/nmap2.htm

Medals – Related to Night

Have students who are interested in medals select one of several listed that Wiesel was awarded. Have students research the medal and present a summary about what and why the medal is awarded. Students may also want to present a picture of the medal to the class.

Ask students what impact have those like Wiesel who live to receive these medals of award and honor have on their own personal beliefs, values and ideals about the kind of lives they should lead?

Elie Wiesel AwardsClick Web Site Links - To Learn More About The Awards

• Presidential Medal of Freedomhttp://www.essortment.com/all/presidentialmed_rlxd.htm

• The United States of America Congressional Gold Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Gold_Medal

• The French Legion of Honorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9gion_d'honneur

• Nobel Peace Prizehttp://nobelprize.org/

In Closing – Can You Answer

How do Elie Wiesel’s experiences and thoughts reflected in the quote below, and spoken at his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance impact the way we should address problems in our world today?

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whatever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at the moment become the center of the universe.”

. . . Elie Wiesel