Children…

The Bystanders
On the left: Two German-
Jewish children after arriving
to England in 1938. After
the November pogrom, some
countries eased their severe
restrictions against Jewish
refugees, especially regarding
children. Because it was
often difficult for entire families
to obtain entry visas to
safe havens, many parents
made the harrowing decision
to send their children
away to safety without them.
Very few such families were
reunited after the war.
Holocaust historians divide the main historical actors
of the event into three basic categories: perpetrators,
victims and bystanders. The third category is often the
most problematic to judge from a moral perspective. It
is difficult to hold someone responsible for actions not
taken and knowledge not acknowledged. Those critical
of the bystanders describe their actions, or their inactivity,
as a form of complicity. Yet, such judgements must
be made with great care – if at all.
We know that during the war the Western democracies,
which are often referred to as bystanders, received
many appeals to help Jews. But did countries and groups
labelled as “bystanders” actually have a responsibility
for aiding millions of Jews of other nationalities? In the
1940s, an answer was far from clear and many differing
opinions were voiced.
The Soviet Union was fighting for its life. Although
the country did little to aid Jews, there was no active
discrimination against them during the war.
The Vatican’s attitude towards Nazi Germany vacillated.
Many priests helped hide Jewish children during
the war. Afterwards, others helped Nazis escape from
Europe. In Budapest, papal representative Angelo Rotta
helped thousands of Jews, while in Slovakia priest Josef
Tiso collaborated in the deportations of tens of thousands
of Jews to the gas chambers.
Such contradictory behaviour makes drawing general
conclusions difficult.Assessing the bystanders understandably
remains a controversial subject.
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