2. OVERVIEW
In this project, it will go over a quick summary of the Holocaust
and also of Elie Wiesel‟s life and his experiences in his book Night
as well as his life after the war. This will then explore Elie Wiesel‟s
apartment…or at least how it is imagined. After „going through‟
his office in his apartment, it will hopefully provide in depth
reasons as to why Wiesel wrote his novel Night.
4. THE HOLOCAUST
o 1933-Adolf Hitler (leader of the
German National Socialist Party [Nazi])
came into power in Germany
o Their campaign claimed that the Jews
were the cause of the depression after
WWI
o Laws were put in place (Nuremberg
Laws of 1935) designed to dehumanize
the German Jewish people
o Hitler came up with the “Final
Solution” to exterminate all German
Jews
o The Final Solution resulted in the
largest genocide EVER!
o It killed Jews, gypsys, homosexuals and
other „non-desirables‟ of Germany
o Auschwitz was the biggest death camp
(located in Poland)
o It was broken into 3 camps…
o Auschwitz I (main camp)
o Auschwitz II (Auschwitz-Birkenau)
o Auschwitz III (Auschwitz- Buna)
o 39 sub-camps were created (one being
Gleiwitz)
o At least 1.1 million people were killed
at Auschwitz
o If the people were „good quality‟, they
were put into labor camps (some within
Auschwitz, others outside), if not
„good‟ , they were killed through awful
means (ie: crematory, gas chambers)
5. ELIE WIESEL
o Born on Sept. 30. 1928, in Sighet,
Transylvania (now Romania)
o Had 3 sisters…Hilda, Bea, and Tzipora
o Had very strong Jewish beliefs and
would study the Talmud and eventually
the Cabbala.
o Up until 1944, Jews of Hungary were
relatively unaffected by Hitler like the
Jews in other parts of Europe
o In March 1944, Germany now occupied
Hungary
o His family and him where deported to
“Birkenau, reception center of
Auschwitz” (26) in 1944.
o Was separated from his mother and
sisters but stayed with his father
o Only him and his two oldest sisters
survived
o Father and Elie were moved to Buna to
work in an electrical warehouse.
o Jan. 1945-Auschwitz is evacuated to
Buchenwald because of the Russian
troops advancing
o Father dies from dysentery and
starvation (Jan. 28. 1945)
o April 11. 1945-Buchenwald was
liberated
o 15,000 Jews lived in Pre-War Sighet and
after the war only around 50 families
had survived
6. ELIE WIESEL (POST-WAR)
o When the camp was liberated, the
orphans (Elie included) went to a
France orphanage
o He took a 10 year vow of silence to
not talk about the Holocaust
o Wiesel got into journalism while in
France
o Wrote for the Tel Aviv paper
o 1954-Francois Mauriac (French
writer) was interviewed by Wiesel
and encouraged him to write about
his experience
• For more on the interview…see the
Foreword of Night
o Le Nuit was published in 1958..it
has since been translated in to more
then 30 languages (Night showed up
in English in 1960)
o Wiesel went on to write more then
40 books
o 1986- Elie and his wife started the
“Elie Wiesel Foundation for
Humanity”
o Foundation‟s purpose is to fight
indifference, intolerance and
injustice
o He is a noble peace prize winner
(1986) and is a professor as Boston
University
8. THE OFFICE
In Wiesel‟s office there are many items and objects. They range from something as big as
his corner glass cabinet, containing all his works of literature to something as small and as
simple as a broche. All things have their special place in the office but there are a few things
that catch a person‟s eye who walks in for the first time.
Near the glass cabinet, there is an old record player with a stack of records sitting beside it.
And on top of the pile, there is an extremely worn album of Beethoven‟s works.
Near his desk there is a pile of newspapers laying on the ground. On a closer look they
appear to be recent and have the same topic…they are all in regards to the new countries
on the Human Rights Council.
Right across from the desk there is a family picture hanging on the wall.
On the shelf below the picture, there is a plaque from the „Elie Wiesel Foundation‟ and
sitting beside it, there is a knife.
The desk is a little cluttered but a few things stick out. One is a dainty broche and the other
is a hand written letter, signed by Francois Mauriac.
And propped up beside the desk is a cane.
9. THE IMPORTANCE
OF…BEETHOVEN
When Elie and his father arrived at Buna, they were chosen by a Kapo and taken to the musician
block. There they met quite a few people but one in particular was Juliek, “a bespectacled Pole
with a cynical smile on his pale face” (47). He played violin for the band. Another musician had let
them know that Jews weren‟t allowed to play Beethoven because it was German music (47).
Once the prisoners were evacuated from Buna to Glewietz, Elie „met up‟ with Juliek again in a pile
of bodies. Somehow Juliek got out of the pile and started playing on his violin a piece of
Beethoven‟s concerto.
“And it was as though Juliek‟s soul were the bow. He played his life…his lost hopes, his charred
past, his extinguished future…I shall never forget Juliek…to this day, whenever I hear Beethoven
played my eyes close and out of the dark rises the sad, pale face of my polish friend, as he said his
farewell on his violin to an audience of dying men” (90).
It was an important event in Elie‟s life. Elie had lost a friend that day (and friends were very hard
to come by in the camps). But through Juliek‟s last act of defiance, playing Beethoven, there was
a peace that I believe Elie felt as his friend gave his last concert. It was the first time in a few years
that Juliek had some enjoyment, despite that his death was very near. He was able to play his violin
and play what he wanted to, in a sense rubbing it the Germans faces that he was a Jew who would
do as he pleased especially since he would be „free‟ from them very soon. And this became an
important memory in Wiesel‟s life because it gave a peaceful kind of hope for the moment. And
that moment is something that Wiesel wants to always remember, which is why his Beethoven
music is very worn.
10. THE IMPORTANCE OF…THE
FAMILY PICTURE
When Elie‟s family was separated at Birkenau, Elie never saw his mother and
youngest sister, Tzipora, again. His father later died of dysentery. Once Elie was
taken to the French orphanage, a reporter came in and took pictures and it was
through those pictures that him and his sister was reunited. His other sister had
gone back to Sighet and a year later Elie and both his sisters were together again.
The picture is, in part, a good memory of his family because it was taken a few
years before they were deported. Elie would remember the important things that
he has seen of his family and pre-war life. It is a good memory of his childhood
before the Holocaust. But is also a reminder of the damage that the Nazi‟s had
done to Europe and his family. It is why Elie writes and fights for human rights
the way he does; to stop anything like this happening to other families because he
knows exactly the devastation that it had caused in his own family. (In fact, Night is
dedicated “In memory of my parents and of my little sister, Tzipora” which makes
the book that much more touching I found.)
11. THE IMPORTANCE OF…HIS
FATHER’S KNIFE
At Buna, there was a selection that took place. Elie‟s father‟s number had been
recorded as an „undesirable‟ during the it because he was getting frail and weak.
The men who had past selection were to go to work and the others were suppose
to stay so that the SS officers could get rid of them. As Elie was leaving the camp
to go to work, his father gave Elie his knife and spoon. “„Take this knife…I don‟t
need it any longer….Quickly! Go on. Take what I‟m giving you!‟ The inheritance”
(71). After when Elie got back to the camp, his father was still there miraculously
and Elie gave back his inheritance for the time being. (Even though it doesn‟t say
that Elie got the spoon and knife back in the book, I like to think his father did
give him his inheritance again before he died.)
The knife on Wiesel‟s desk is a reminder of his father and what he suffered before
he was “free at last” (106) from the concentration camps. It jerked on my heart
strings when I realized that this was Elie‟s inheritance. It showed that his father
wanted to maintain some sort of normalcy even during the Holocaust. It also
showed how little they had left and how much of people‟s lives were stripped
away; giving your son who means the world to you nothing more then your knife
but yet it is the most meaningful thing that you would every give him. Even
though it is a „sad item‟, it gives Wiesel motivation as to why he writes and why he
wants people to remember the Holocaust.
12. THE IMPORTANCE OF…THE “ELIE
WIESEL FOUNDATION” PLAQUE
The “Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity” was founded in 1986, soon after
Wiesel was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in the same year. “The Foundation's
mission, rooted in the memory of the Holocaust, is to combat indifference,
intolerance and injustice through international dialogue and youth-focused
programs that promote acceptance, understanding and equality”
(http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/aboutus.aspx ). These human rights‟ issues are
something that are very dear to Wiesel‟s heart and he wants to have an impact in
on individuals and the world.
The plaque from the Foundation is an encouraging piece in Wiesel‟s office. It
shows that as terrible and awful as the Holocaust was (not that he would still want
it to happen if there was a chance to do it over), there was some good that came
out of it. And because of his experiences, he is able to help those who are dealing
with “indifference, intolerance and injustice”. The plaque shows that the is a light
at the end of a tunnel and that Wiesel is using his strengths to help change the
world. He is making head-way despite of the circumstances.
13. THE IMPORTANCE OF…THE
NEWSPAPERS
The newspapers are all in regards to a current human rights issue based around
the fact that countries like Saudi Arabia, Cuba, China and Russia have gotten seats
on the United Nations Human Rights Council. There is concern that since these
countries are known to have violated human rights in the past, there is a chance
that they might do it again even if they are on the council supporting human
rights. Not saying that these countries won‟t change because there is, of course, a
possibility that they are now completely pro-rights and want to protect them but
what is concerning is that Human Rights Watch has noted that some of the new
members have not allowed UN investigators into their country to check out
supposable rights violations. Peggy Hicks, a global advocacy director, was quoted
saying “Countries that haven‟t allowed UN experts appointed by the council to
visit have a lot of explaining to do. It‟s like hiring someone, then not allowing
them to enter the office” (http://news.nationalpost.com).
With the stack on newspapers near Wiesel‟s desk, it shows that he is concerned
about this issue. That there might be more going on then what meets the eye.
Wiesel has fought most of his life for people who are victim to human rights
violations and now that certain new member countries may be violating laws that
they swear to protect, it is very concerning to him.
14. THE IMPORTANCE OF… THE
LETTER
Francois Mauriac was a famous French author and a prominent Catholic
theologian. Wiesel was suppose to interview Mauriac for the Tel Aviv paper.
Mauriac recalls that Wiesel “immediately won my sympathy, and our conversation
very quickly took a personal turn” (vii). Wiesel was soon telling Mauriac about the
Holocaust, telling him things that he swore not to talk about 10 years prior. But
during this „interview‟, Mauriac encouraged Wiesel to tell people about the
Holocaust and not keep quiet. This was something very important that he had to
do. This talk then lead to the writing of Night.
The letter from Mauriac is dated October 3, 1954. The same year that Wiesel and
him had the interview. Mauriac encourages Elie to keep up with writing the book
saying, “One must speak out – one must always speak out”
(http://www.crisismagazine.com). This letter held lots of importance to Wiesel
because it showed that someone believed in him and wanted to know his story.
This was essentially Wiesel‟s turning point and after this he began to speak out and
write book after book after book and also start the “Elie Wiesel Foundation for
Humanity”. Mauriac was a very important person in Wiesel‟s life, hence him
keeping the letter where he could always read it.
15. THE IMPORTANCE OF…THE
CANE
In the middle of January 1945, Elie‟s foot “began to swell because of the cold”
(74). He went to the camp‟s hospital and a Jewish doctor checked it out and told
him that there had to be an operation done now or else he may lose his foot. Elie
got the operation done and was in the hospital recovering when there was news
that the camp was to be evacuated because the Russians were gaining ground and
getting closer to Buna. The people in the hospital would stay behind but Elie
didn‟t want to be separated from his father and if they were both admitted into
the hospital, they weren‟t sure what would happen to the patients. So Elie decided
to be evacuated from camp with his father. During the evacuation his foot split
where it was operated on and caused lots of pain.
The cane helps Wiesel to get around when he needs it. His foot has always caused
him some pain because it never did heal up right. The cane again is a reminder of
the Holocaust and the reason in which his writes. And like the cane, Wiesel‟s job is
to be there, for those struggling, to lean on when they need help, which is what his
Foundation is all about.
16. THE IMPORTANCE OF…HIS
WIFE’S BROCHE
Marion Wiesel, Elie‟s wife, also underwent hardships in the Holocaust. Her
family was taken to a French internment camp. The people here weren‟t killed
outright but were left to die of the cold and starvation. Her family did manage
to escape to Switzerland, where they stayed until 1947. In 1969, Elie and
Marion where married. And in 1972, they had a son. Marion translated all of
Elie‟s books after they were married.
Having his wife‟s broche on the desk is a constant reminder to Elie that there
is good in life and that it is worth living. Elie has a wife and a son that he
loves very much and despite all the hardships and painful memories, he can
look at the broche on his desk and smile because his life is meaningful and
rewarding.
17. WHY DOES WIESEL WRITE?
Most objects in Wiesel‟s office are a form of reminders and motivation in one
way, shape or form. He writes to share his story and to prevent anything like
the Holocaust from happening again as well as preserving and protecting
people who have had their human rights violated. Wiesel can be quoted saying
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not
ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference”
(http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org). Wiesel wants to fight this indifference
and he does so by writing, speaking and through his foundation.
18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Bearing Witness - François Mauriac and Elie Wiesel." Jennifer Pierce:. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov.
2013. <http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/pierce/08663.html>.
"Bearing Witness: François Mauriac and Elie Wiesel." Crisis Magazine RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19
Nov. 2013. <http://www.crisismagazine.com/2010/bearing-witness-francois-mauriac-and-eliewiesel>.
"China calls on Sri Lanka to 'protect and promote human rights'." The Hindu. N.p., n.d. Web. 20
Nov. 2013. <http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/china-calls-on-sri-lanka-toprotect-and-promote-human-rights/article5366982.ece>.
"China, Russia and Cuba to police human rights abuses." FRANCE 24. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov.
2013. <http://www.france24.com/en/20131113-china-russia-cuba-saudi-arabia-un-humanrights-council>.
"ELIE WIESEL: THE TRAGEDY OF THE BELIEVER | Ministry100's Blog." Ministry100s
Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. <http://ministry100.wordpress.com/2006/08/04/eliewiesel-the-tragedy-of-the-believer/>.
19. BIBLIOGRAPHY (CONT’D)
"Elie Wiesel biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.biography.com/people/elie-wiesel-9530714>.
"Elie Wiesel » Department of Religion | Boston University." Department of Religion RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bu.edu/religion/faculty/bios/wiesel/>.
"The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity." The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. <http://www.eliewieselfoundation.org/aboutus.aspx>.
"François Mauriac - Biographical." François Mauriac - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov.
2013. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1952/mauriac bio.html>.
"Marion Wiesel." Marion Wiesel. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.learntoquestion.com/seevak/groups/2001/sites/wiesel/biography/marionwi
esel.html>.
20. BIBLIOGRAPHY (CONT’D)
"Noted human rights abusers China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba all win seats on UN Human
Rights Council." National Post News Noted human rights abusers China Russia Saudi Arabia Cuba all win seats on
UN Human RightsCouncil Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
<http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/12/noted-human-rights-abusers-china-russia-saudi-arabia-cubaall-win-seats-on-un-human-rights-council/>.
"Oprah Interviews Elie Wiesel - Oprah.com." Oprah.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Interviews-Elie-Wiesel>.
" Never Again starts here." Auschwitz. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189>.
"Night." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/night/context.html>.
Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1960. Print.
"World." World China Russia Cuba Win UN Human Rights Council Seats Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
<http://world.time.com/2013/11/12/china-russia-cuba-win-u-n-human-rights-council-seats/>.
