There are many genocides occurring today, that I'm sure, none of us have heard of. Well, that is exactly how much of the Holocaust was known in the United States, it was unheard of, and when it was spread by word, it was too horrible to believe.
It wasn't until the United States entered the Second World War that we saw the horrors that Hitler had been causing to many innocent people like Anne Frank and Gerda Weissman. Everything they held dear was taken away, their clothes, their jewelry, their glasses, their family and even their individuality. It is very unfortunate what happened to these people, and to think, some of us can't stand just one day without our iPod!
Anne and Gerda were both part of Jewish families that were arrested, and stripped of their personalities. Anne was born in Frankfurt, Germany on June 12 th , 1929, and Gerda was born in Bielsko, Poland on May 8 th , 1924. Anne ' s family moved into hiding in the top of her father ' s warehouse when Margot, Anne ' s older sister was required to go to a concentration camp in July. Gerda and her family was forced to live in their basement to hide from the Nazis. Unlike Anne ' s family, Gerda's father left on October 18 th , 1939 and was never seen by his family again.
In August 1944, the Franks were discovered and separated, Anne and Margot were sent to Bergen-Belsen, her mother and father were left behind in Auschwitz. Margot and Anne died only days apart, unable to stand the lack of food, clothes, protective shelter, and the diseases spread throughout the camps. Only Mr. Frank survived. Gerda was the only survivor of her family, having survived a 350 mile death march. She was discovered in May of 1945 and weighed only 68 pounds.
Shattered mentally and physically, they tried to rebuild their lives. Anne's and Gerda's lives would have probably been much different if it weren't for the Holocaust. Anne would have probably been a writer, and Gerda, wouldn't have met her husband, made a movie about her horrible experiences and have to live with the thought that everyone she loved is gone. So many innocent people killed, and yet to this day, people haven't learned their lesson, no matter what race, religion, or culture, everyone should be respected because they have families too, they feel pain, and they are loved by others. Everyone should be accepted, no matter what.
