How Did It Happen?: Understanding the Holocaust

Ruta Vanagaite and Christoph Dieckmann's book explores the causes and consequences of the Holocaust in Lithuania, considering the perspectives of all central groups involved. Dieckmann argues that the Holocaust cannot be isolated from other mass crimes that took place in the same space against Soviet prisoners of war and forced refugees. Existing antisemitism was radicalized from the 1930s onward, turning Jews into deadly enemies.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 412 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Lithuanian author Ruta Vanagaite engages in a profound conversation with renowned historian Christoph Dieckmann in her captivating book. Through their exploration of the causes and consequences of the Holocaust in Lithuania, Dieckmann offers a comprehensive overview that considers the perspectives of all the central groups involved—Jews, Lithuanians, and Germans. Drawing from a diverse range of sources in various languages, including Yiddish, Ivrit, Lithuanian, and German, Dieckmann delves into the Berlin-based orientation of the German perpetrators as well as the space where the Shoah took place—Lithuanian society with its Jewish minority under German occupation. He argues that the Holocaust cannot be isolated from other mass crimes that occurred simultaneously in the same space, targeting thousands of Soviet prisoners of war and forced refugees from the Soviet territories. Dieckmann highlights the crucial role of non-Germans in each occupied country in facilitating the Holocaust, as existing antisemitism was radicalized from the 1930s onward, transforming Jews into perceived deadly enemies. Through their insightful exchanges, the authors shed light on the most profound questions surrounding the Holocaust, providing a deeper understanding of this tragic period in history.

Weight: 581g
Dimension: 232 x 152 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538189283