Mauthausen Memorial: Vestiges of the Past

Stages of a genocide

By the time World War II began, concentration camps had already existed in Nazi Germany for almost seven years. They were an important tool of the Nazi reign of terror.

Genocide and mass murder do not “happen” of their own accord; they are planned and executed. Organization, preparation, polarization, and persecution are key elements in a genocidal process.

Reflect on the newspaper excerpts you just read on the previous page, as well as on your surroundings and your on own understanding of the concentration camps. Think about the steps of preparation (in other words, plans being made for killings) and persecution (in other words, victims being identified and separated).


Name two concrete examples for both those steps taking place in Nazi Germany (if none come to mind, re-read the newspaper excerpts).

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