Voices from the Lodz Ghetto

In this interview Judith Cohen, the Chief Photo Archivist for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum discusses two contemporary photographers of the Lodz ghetto. One was Walter Gennewein, the Nazi second-in-command of the ghetto, while the other was Mendel Grossmann, a Jew imprisoned in the ghetto. The disparity between their two styles of photography, their subject matter, and the mood of their photographs reveal how photography can shift how one sees the world depending on who is taking the picture.

To learn more about the Lodz Ghetto and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum visit http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/lodz/.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Photography
• Gennewein
• Grossmann
• Holocaust
• museum
• USHMM
• Genocide
• Lodz
• Ghetto
• Jews
• Jewish

[Makayla1487]

Im doing a project about Judy Cohen for school. if you know any important information about her could you please help me out. I would really appreciate it.=D

[ushmm]

@Makayla1487 Could you please tell us more about your project?

[mottel]

I find it disheartening that modern day Antisemites continuously zero in on Jewish memorials in a hostile, disrespectful way. Your hatred only perpetuates suffering: for yourself and others. Try to deal with the present in a more constructive way.

[sopitseems]

what does the holocaust have to do with the occupation of palestine? they're two completely different injustices and they're not related.

[NadaYounis1]

If you think someone did a bad thing to you and then you deliberately do it to someone else then maybe you are not that faultless yourself...By repeating the crime you are perpetuating the evil deed.

[juano83]

in this case, it shows, a reality of someone who lived in the ghetto. (please this isnt something political or religious thing, or comment, just an artist, a photographer givin his point of view)

[juano83]

of that moment. A painting of the crucifixion of Jesus, it is also art. a painting showing the meaning of the french revolution is art. so in my opinion, some pictures could be taken as evidence, an some they are just notifications, artistic notifications of a moment. no matter who took those pictures. some of them are great. im jewish by the way. by this im trying to say that, art is something that has nothing to do with violence war and killing...art is just a way to show something.....

[juano83]

you cant take that "artistic" point of view from an artist, no matter where no matter whom, no matter when. Judith Cohen anylizes every photo archive as she is always looking for evidence, to prove the holocaust, people abuse, not only jews but all the other"minorties"such as comunist, gypsies, gays, etc. in war times art could be as rough as the war itself. this is the proof...a photo of a child desperately eating something, is part of the truth and it also art. because it reflects the feeling

[historicrecord]

Vervy well explained and analysed,Thanks JudithCohen

[sftrajan]

narrator makes a great point- not just what's being photographed, but what's NOT....

[alanheath]

An attempt was made to have my account on you tube closed for publishing material on the Łódź ghetto - so be careful!! In my case, a copyright claim was made.