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September 1939 is an important date because it marks the start of Yanek's life changing, because Germany invades Poland. "ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt this broadcast with the news that the German army has reached Krakow." This tells me that the German army has reached Krakow and yanek's life is about to change.

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The long-standing international conflicts and the aggressive moves by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany reached a peak when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. This invasion marked a significant escalation in the tensions that had been building in Europe throughout the 1930s, as both Italy and Germany pursued expansionist policies that threatened the stability of the continent. In the years leading up to the invasion, Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, had systematically violated the Treaty of Versailles, rearming and expanding its military capabilities. The annexation of Austria in 1938 and the subsequent dismemberment of Czechoslovakia demonstrated Hitler's ambitions for territorial expansion and his willingness to use force to achieve his goals. Meanwhile, Fascist Italy, led by Benito Mussolini, sought to establish a new Roman Empire, engaging in military campaigns in Africa and the Balkans, further destabilizing the region. "iwm.org.uk"

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Yanek is transferred into yet another camp, Birkenau concentration camp, and gains a newfound hope and will to continue to survive, even though his circumstances seem impossible, and almost accepts death. "what are you waiting for?" I cried. "kill me! I give up! You win!"..... I had been ready to die. But when winter came out of those showers, not gas, it was like I was born again. I had survived, and I would keep surviving. I was alive. (129,130) This means that yanek was transferred into the Birkenau camp, and believed and accepted death, but after he escapes his death, his spirit will reincarnate.

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The Battle of the Bulge, one of the most significant and brutal confrontations of World War II, commenced on December 16, 1944. This surprise offensive was orchestrated by the German military, which sought to exploit a perceived weakness in the Allied lines in the densely forested Ardennes region, a strategically important area that stretches across Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of France. The Germans aimed to split the Allied forces, capture the vital port of Antwerp, and ultimately force a negotiated peace on the Western Front. "Britannica.com"

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claim: The year 1941 was the year the Germans began to rule Yanek's hometown, krakow. It is also the first time yanek begins to doubt his father.

Evidence: In the book, yanek states, "It was January 1941. The Germans ruled Krakow. I was twelve years old. And for the first time in my life, I had began to doubt my father."

Reasoning: This quote explains the current situation in Yanek's world, which was his home getting ruled over by Nazis. It also explains how he is feeling towards his father, and how he is beginning to doubt him.

Concluding sentence: This quote explains how Yanek might see his father in some time, he may not believe in everything his father suggests or says to him.

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In January 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a pivotal speech that articulated his vision for a post-war world grounded in the concept of four fundamental freedoms. These freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear—were not merely abstract ideals; they represented a comprehensive framework for human rights that he believed should be universally accessible to all people, regardless of their nationality or circumstances. Roosevelt's articulation of these freedoms came at a time when the world was engulfed in the turmoil of World War II. The conflict had exposed the fragility of democratic values and the dire consequences of totalitarian regimes that suppressed individual rights and freedoms. By emphasizing these four freedoms, Roosevelt sought to inspire hope and resilience among the American public and allied nations, reinforcing the idea that the fight against tyranny was not just a military struggle but also a moral imperative.

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Claim: During the year 1941, Yanek turn thirteen, now becoming a man, He has his Bat Mitzvah in an abandoned bakery in his ghetto with a small amount of people after curfew.

Evidence: In the book Prisoner B-3087, Yaneks father says. "besides, tomorrow you will no longer be a child, will you, Yanek? Do you think Iv'e forgotten your birthday?"

Reasoning: Although we do not know the exact date of this quote, we know that it is the day prior to Yanek's birthday, but cannot celebrate it with many people due to their restrictions.

concluding sentence: Altough yanek did not have a proper Bat Mitzvah, he was able to have one in the basement of his uncle's bakery and was able to gather at least ten men.

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A bar or Bat Mitzvah is a ceremony celebrated for Jewish boys and girls who reach the age of 12 or 13. "This ceremony marks the time when a boy or girl becomes a Jewish adult. This means that they are now responsible for their own actions and can decide for themselves how they would like to practice Judaism." "Jewishmuseum.org"

In essence this information clearly states what a Bat Mitzvah is and why it is celebrated for these young kids.

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It was 1942, about two years since Hitler began his campaign to take control of Germany, but the British still hadn't arrived. The Jewish people were being forced into labor, as the Nazis rounded them up from the streets to either make them work or send them to factories. "The Nazis also took Jews away to work in Krakow's factories. Some of the truckloads of Jews never came back,but nobody knew what happened to them."-page 27, Yanek

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1942

January 1

The Allied nations come together to sign the declaration of the United Nations.

January 15

The process of relocating people from Lodz to the Chelmno extermination camp starts.

January 20

The Wannsee Conference takes place to finalize plans for the deportation and extermination of European Jews, known as the Final Solution. Heydrich leads the meeting to shift mass killings to designated death camps, with Eichmann overseeing transportation.

January 31

Einsatzgruppe A reports that 229,052 Jews have been killed in the Baltic states. Here, "liquidation" refers to murder, while the liquidation of ghettos typically means either killing or deporting people to death camps.

End of January

The deportation of Jews to Theresienstadt begins.

February-March

A mass killing of Jews occurs in Charkow (Kharkov), Ukraine, resulting in 14,000 victims. ( pbs.org)

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Trzebinia Concentration Camp, Poland 1944(book)

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Trzebinia Concentration Camp, Poland 1944(book)

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Yaneks next concentration camp is Trzebinia where he has to pick up rocks and move them all day.After working on hours upon hours here, Yanek and other Jews were transported to another concentration camps in cattle cars where dozens of Jews died in the jam packed conditions

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Trzebinia Concentration Camp, Poland 1944-Web

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Trzebinia Concentration Camp, Poland 1944-Web

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In the latter part of 1944, the “Trzebionka” labor camp, which was connected to Auschwitz, was established in Trzebinia. All the inmates were Jewish and were forced to work on enhancing the existing ammunition factories for Erdoel Raffinerie Trzebinia GmbH. That same year, a group of children aged 14 to 17 was brought to the camp from Auschwitz. The camp faced bombing by Allied forces in 1944. In January 1945, the camp was evacuated, and the prisoners were forced to march westward in death marches alongside other inmates from Auschwitz-Birkenau. On January 17, 1945, the Red Army arrived in Trzebinia. (yadvashem.org)

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The train led to Birkenau concentration camp where Yanek and the other Jews were sent to a chamber to die. Instead of gas coming out of the shower heads cold water did which felt really good to Yanek.

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Auschwitz is the German name for the Polish city known as Oświęcim. This city is situated in Poland, roughly 40 miles (around 64 km) to the west of Kraków. In 1939, Germany took control of this part of Poland. The Auschwitz concentration camp was set up on the outskirts of Oświęcim during the time when Germany occupied Poland. It was first established in 1940 and was commonly called "Auschwitz I" or the "Main Camp." Nearby, the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination center, often called "Auschwitz II," was built close to the Polish village of Brzezinka (known as Birkenau in German). This site is about 2 miles (just over 3 km) from the Main Camp, and construction began there in 1941. Auschwitz III, or Monowitz, was located near the village of Monowice (Monowitz in German), approximately 4 miles (about 6.5 kilometers) from the Main Camp. The Buna subcamp was initially set up there in 1942, and by 1943, it was designated as a concentration camp. The Auschwitz camp complex also comprised several subcamps, most of which were situated in the surrounding area of Auschwitz. Auschwitz is the German name for the Polish city known as Oświęcim. This city is situated in Poland, roughly 40 miles (around 64 km) to the west of Kraków. In 1939, Germany took control of this part of Poland. The Auschwitz concentration camp was set up on the outskirts of Oświęcim during the time when Germany occupied Poland. It was first established in 1940 and was commonly called "Auschwitz I" or the "Main Camp." Nearby, the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination center, often called "Auschwitz II," was built close to the Polish village of Brzezinka (known as Birkenau in German). This site is about 2 miles (just over 3 km) from the Main Camp, and construction began there in 1941. Auschwitz III, or Monowitz, was located near the village of Monowice (Monowitz in German), approximately 4 miles (about 6.5 kilometers) from the Main Camp. The Buna subcamp was initially set up there in 1942, and by 1943, it was designated as a concentration camp. The Auschwitz camp complex also comprised several subcamps, most of which were situated in the surrounding area of Auschwitz. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/

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Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland 1945(book)

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Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland 1945(book)

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Yanek and other Prisoners form Birkenau marched to Auschwitz which was Birkenau's sister camp nearby to be greeted with more prisoners. Yanek meets a boy his age named Fred and they become good friends. One day Fred gets too sick to work and gets killed which make Yanek feel worse than he already does

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Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland 1945-Web

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Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland 1945-Web

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Auschwitz is the German name for the Polish town of Oświęcim, which is situated around 40 miles (about 64 km) to the west of Kraków. In 1939, Germany took control of this part of Poland. The Auschwitz concentration camp was set up on the outskirts of Oświęcim during the German occupation of Poland. It was first established in 1940 and was commonly known as "Auschwitz I" or the "Main Camp." Nearby, the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination center, often called "Auschwitz II," was built close to the village of Brzezinka (known as Birkenau in German). This site is roughly 2 miles (just over 3 km) from the Main Camp, and construction on Auschwitz-Birkenau began in 1941. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/

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Yanek got out of Auschwitz alive and was going to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp but he and his fellow prisoners were forced to march their on foot which lasted a while. They were given half a loaf of bread to live off of for the whole march.Yanek helped a kid march so he wouldn't die but in the process Yanek lost the rest of his bread

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As Soviet troops approach, SS units begin the final evacuation of prisoners from the Auschwitz camp complex, marching them on foot toward the interior of the German Reich. These forced evacuations come to be called “death marches.”

In mid-January 1945, as Soviet forces approached the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, the SS began evacuating Auschwitz and its subcamps. SS units forced nearly 60,000 prisoners to march west from the Auschwitz camp system. Thousands had been killed in the camps in the days before these death marches began. Tens of thousands of prisoners, mostly Jews, were forced to march either northwest for 55 kilometers (approximately 30 miles) to Gliwice (Gleiwitz), joined by prisoners from subcamps in East Upper Silesia, such as Bismarckhuette, Althammer, and Hindenburg, or due west for 63 kilometers (approximately 35 miles) to Wodzislaw (Loslau) in the western part of Upper Silesia, joined by inmates from the subcamps to the south of Auschwitz, such as Jawischowitz, Tschechowitz, and Golleschau. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/

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When they reached the concentration camp they had to do all of the work they did at other concentration camps and they had to sing for Nazis while the Nazis were eating good food which the Prisoners have not eaten in years.

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Sachsenhausen concentration camp was built in the summer of 1936 by internees from the camps in the Emsland region. It was the first new concentration camp to be established following the appointment of Reich Leader SS Heinrich Himmler as the Chief of the German Police in July 1936. Planned on the drawing board of an SS architect, it was conceived as an ideal concentration camp giving architectural expression to the world view of the SS and intended to subject the internees to the absolute power of the SS both symbolically and in reality. As a model camp which was also used for training SS guards and as a concentration camp in close proximity to the “Reich” capital city, Sachsenhausen concentration camp enjoyed a special status. This was underlined when in 1938 the “Inspection of the Concentration Camps”, the central administrative office for all concentration camps in the territories controlled by Germany, was moved from Berlin to Oranienburg. sachsenhausen-sbg.de

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Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany 1945  (book)

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Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany 1945  (book)

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Yanek again traveled with lots of other prisoners in a cattle car to Bergen-Belsen. After he was recovered he was sent back to work and met a kapo nicknamed moonface and the first thing he did to Yanek was punching him in his face.All of the new prisoners get a week off of working and get given lots of food to eat to recover.

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The Bergen-Belsen camp complex was composed of numerous camps, established at various times during its existence. There were three main components of the camp complex: the POW camp, the "residence camp" (Aufenthaltslager), and the "prisoners' camp" (Häftlingslager).The prisoner-of-war camp functioned as such from 1940 until January of 1945. The "residence camp" was in operation from April 1943 until April 1945, and was composed of four subcamps: the "special camp" (Sonderlager), the "neutrals camp" (Neutralenlager), the "star camp" (Sternlager), and the "Hungarian camp" (Ungarnlager).

The "prisoners' camp," also in operation from April 1943 until April 1945, consisted of the initial "prisoner's camp," the "recuperation camp" (Erholungslager), the "tent camp" (Zeltlager), the "small women's camp" (Kleines Frauenlager), and the "large women's camp" (Grosses Frauenlager). https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/

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When Yanek arrived he had to work in a stone quarry and carry up rocks all dayWhen Yanek arrived he had to work in a stone quarry and carry up rocks all day. The camp had a zoo and they cared about the aminals more than the people that were prisoners.

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Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany 1945-Web

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Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Germany 1945-Web

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The Buchenwald concentration camp was constructed in 1937 about five miles northwest of the city of Weimar in east-central Germany. It was located in a wooded area on the northern slopes of the Ettersberg, a hill north of the city of Weimar.

Before the Nazis rose to power, Weimar was primarily associated with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). Goethe was a leading European literary figure and a product of German liberal tradition in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It was in Weimar that Goethe made his home.

Weimar was also known as the birthplace of German constitutional democracy, the Weimar Republic (1918–1933).https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/

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The Germans surrendered and all of the camps were liberated. They moved into nice homes for the ex-prisoners until they found their family or found a home.

Yanek discovers his old neighbor, Ms. Immerglick is still alive and his cousin Youzek and his wife and three others they took in as family survived too. Yanek registered in an orphan program that said he would go to the United States. The war was all over and he is good now. Yanek had one of the most terrifying experiences people could have as a child with murder, starvation, and diseases. IT is good that he survived one of the most uncivilized acts in the world so he could tell it to everyone in the world

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By the time the 45th Infantry Division made it into Germany, the German army was in bad shape. They had few soldiers left, very little ammunition, and even food was running out in some places. German soldiers began surrendering to the Allies in large groups; 325,000 soldiers and civilians surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket. That is the same as four football stadiums full of people.

The 45th Infantry still fought small pockets of resistance, but they ultimately ended up in Southern Germany. The war ended nine days after the 45th Infantry reached a large camp in Dachau, Germany. The camp was a concentration camp where parts of the Holocaust were carried out. The 45th Infantry was one of the first units into Dachau, where they helped liberate tens of thousands of prisoners. The 45th was headed to Munich when it found the concentration camp, so the Thunderbirds quickly moved on after a hospital unit was able to take over care of the liberated prisoners.

The 3rd Infantry, 42nd Infantry, and 45th Infantry took control of Munich by May 1, 1945. The Empire of Germany surrendered six days later, on May 7, 1945. https://www.okhistory.org/