1
SommerGarcia
INTDStudiesoftheHolocaust
May23,2015
HolocaustChildSurvivorsandtheeffectsofSurvivorSyndrome 
ThechildsurvivorsoftheHolocaustsufferedunprecedentedmassivetraumafromtheir
timeintheconcentrationcamps.Idecidedtoresearchthelongtermpsychologicaleffectsthat
wereleftamongstsomanyofthosethatsurvivedthehorrorsofthecamps.Asachild
developmentmajor,Iamcurrentlystudyingtheimportanceofsafety,healthandtheroleof
parents.Iwantedtothenresearchhowchildsurvivorswereabletoliveandraisetheiryouth
afterhavingtoenduresuchahorriblechildhood.Ifoundthatwhilemanyofthesurvivors
sufferedfromdepression,anxiety,andposttraumaticstressdisorder,surprisinglymanywere
resilientandabletomoveforwardandliveincrediblelives.
Thosekidsthatlivedintheghettosdiedfromstarvationandexposuretoillnessaswellas
alackofcleanwaterandadequateclothingandshelter.Thechildrenwerenotshownanymercy
fromtheNazisoldiersanddescribedtheyouthasunproductiveand“uselesseaters.”
Resistancewasnotjustafactorthatadultsusedtodefythegermanauthoritybutwas
incrediblyaformofpowerthatkidsusedinordertosurvivetheghettos.Childrenriskedso
muchtoensuretheirfamily’ssurvivalincludingsmugglingfoodandmedicinesintotheghettos
aftersmugglingpersonalpossessionstotradethemoutofghettos.
GermanNazismurderedalmost1.5millionchildrenincludingthousandsofgypsy
childrenandeventheirownpeoplewithmentaldisabilities.Beingachildsenttothecampswas
almostanimmediatedeathsentence.Therewasahigherchanceoflivingifthechildwas14
2
yearsandolderandmale.Thosethatwereolderandstrongerworkedhardlaborfortherestof
theirtimetheiratthecamps.Mostoftheyoungerchildrenthatarrivedatthecampsweresentto
thegaschamberswithinafewdaysofarriving.Thegermanauthoritiesforcedchildrento
undergomedicalexperimentsforresearch.Thisleftsurvivorsscarredforlife.
DuringmyresearchIreadaboutastorywheresomewomenwouldhavetheirdaughters
besterilizedwithoutanyanestheticwiththepromisethattheirchildrenwouldbefreed.Of
course,thatpromisewasneverkept.Iconnectedthisstorytothediscussionsinclassabout
“choicelesschoice.”Thesewomendidwhatevertheycouldtosavetheirchildrenlikeinthestory
ofwomenhavingtheirinfantsdrownedinordertosavethemfromthepossiblehorrorsthat
Nazi’swouldforcethemtoundergo.
AccordingtotheEducationalPublishingFoundationtherewerestudiesdoneonthe
experienceofHolocaustchildsurvivorsandtheirtestimonialsaspartofa“testimonytheater”
project.Theywantedtheworldtounderstandthehugetraumathatthesechildrenfacedandwhy
itisthemostinfluentialtraumasinthehistoryofnotonlythejewishpeoplebuttheworld. 
Withallthatthechildrensufferedthroughwhilelivinginthecamps,ghettos.orbeingin
ahiddenchildthatescapedfromtheirhomesinGermany,itisinevitablethatthosethatsurvived
wouldhavelongtermpsychologicaleffects.DuringWorldWarIItheseholocaustchild
survivorssufferedfrom“prolongedtrauma,includingphysicalandemotionalabuse,starvation,
humiliationandthewitnessingofcrueltytowardtheirfamilymembersandtheirpeople
(educationalpublishingfoundation2014).” 
ThereasonIchosetostudythetraumaofthosechildrenthatsurvivedisbecauseI
expectedthesechildrentofail.Ashorribleasitistowrite,manyresearchesthathavestudied
3
longtermeffectsoflackofparentalnurturingaswellasalackofsecurityandprotectionand
havebeenabletoshowthatthoseadolescenceoftensufferandleadtosubstanceabuseandother
harmfuleffects.Iwantedtofindouthowitispossibletomoveforwardafterenduringsuch
horribletreatmentandhavingtoliveeachandeverydayknowingthatyoumayormaynotlive.
Itwasn’taquestionof​if
​
youwoulddiebutwhether​how
​
youwoulddie. 
Thepioneersinthefieldofresearchingtheconsequencesoftheholocausttraumawere
thefrenchwhoin1946described“postconcentrationcampasthenia”asconcentrationcamp
syndrome.Themainsymptomsthatthefrenchfoundincludesomaticcomplaintslikeheadaches,
chestpainsandothercardiacdisordersandabnormalitiesofthedigestiveandhormonalsystems.
Therearealsoneuropsychologicaldisturbancelikeanxiety,depression,suicidalideation,