Dr Jaskot Summary

Having the opportunity to listen to Dr. Jaskot’s lecture on the implications the architecture of the Holocaust in regards to interpreting its historical prevalence was very insightful and informative. In his lecture, he provided a unique perspective which focused on how observing the construction and architecture of the Holocaust has provided a more in-depth understanding of life in the genocidal camps form the perspectives of both SS officers ambition and the suffering of those who were lost and survived. His lecture began by showing a picture of the guardhouse of Birkenau, a popular static symbol and historical product of ages past which was epitomized for representing historical evidence of genocide, and not architecture. It represented …show more content…
This seam, Dr. Jaskot emphasized, shows that the guard house is not a static, but an addition which provided a physical evidence showing the rising ambition of the SS administration, and its goal to improve the aesthetic that demonstrated the power of their regime as well as allowed them to expand the camps capacity to house and its genocidal mission. The construction of the building itself, like so many other at the concentration camps, was accomplished through the utilization of forced labor, further proof of the victimization of the Jewish people at the mercy of SS expansion and oppression. Consequently, in assessing the history of the Holocaust from this perspective, he utilized a tri-part lecture format which emphasized the brutal plan of the SS regime on the Jews, the testimonies of Jews forced to participate in construction labor at the camps, as well as a digital map which was used to expound upon, the relationship between the plan and …show more content…
Jaskot put it “micro-evidence providing macro-understanding of camp development” in accordance to the importance placed on particular construction sites. The genocidal thoughts of the SS regime were a present goal meant to accomplish what they believed to be a “purified” future, however such goals were costly and time consuming, proving difficult to accomplish in times of war, making construction sporadic and lowering quality. Therefore, Jewish prisoners were used to assist in construction to cut labor costs. Dr. Jaskot also mentioned that it is worthy to note that there was limited discrimination between genders when selecting prisoners for construction. Consequently, both men and women provided stories of their disjointed memories of constantly building “corners and fragments,” but never grasping an understanding of the true purpose and meaning behind the structures themselves due to being consumed with thoughts of completing the jobs to stay alive. Tasks were repetitive, brutal and dehumanizing, increasing in frequency during the final years of the war as SS ambition continued to push construction. Expounding upon the relationship between the plans of the SS and the testimonials of those who survived the camps, the digital recreation strives to see what the built environment would reveal about the Holocaust by examining the “functional