Yanek's Journey by Evan Larkin

Kraków, Poland

200185121 — 2024-11-20 14:41:15 UTC

Yanek's Literal JourneyYanek and his family live in Krakow, Poland. But in just a blink of an eye, their city was invaded by the Germans beginning WWII. For now, Yanek and his family remain in Krakow. For a little while they stay in their flat with several other families. Anti-Semitic rules have been put in place that persecute Jewish people, taking away any rights they had. Over time, walls are built up around the ghetto to contain the remaining Jews who have not been taken for resettlement or deportation yet. One-by-one many Jews were relocated to other Jewish ghettos, work camps, concentration camps or were killed on site.

Yanek's Figurative JourneyWith the stress of no food, and constant hiding, Yanek is living in fear of being caught by the Nazis. His emotional state is one of constant terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn. The unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled. Yanek's early life as a 10 year old boy before the war was very normal. He attended school, played with friends, and went to the synagogue with his family. He loves his Mom and Dad and look up them but as the war continues Yanek begins to doubt his fathers constant hopefulness and positivity and wonders who is really right- his father or Uncle Moshe. "I still worried he was wrong, but fresh bread made me forget all my troubles. For a little while, at least." (pg. 25) Doubting your parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek especially in war-torn Poland.

Płaszów, Kraków, Poland

200185121 — 2024-11-20 14:43:04 UTC

Yanek's Figurative Journey was in Plaszow, Poland. during 1942 and 1943, when he was moved for the first time away from his parents. Meanwhile, he found Uncle Moshe on the same truck as Yanek on the way to Plaszow. He was worked to the point where he could have turned into a Muselmann since he was so tired he could barely pull himself up on the bunk. the nazis forced the Jews to clean out Krakow when they got there Yanek was in shock and sadness. the whole Krakow ghetto was cleared of people. no one lives there no more, no stores. Yanek got to clean out his flat when he remembered what his mom did and found 2,000 zlotys in the inner coat that his mom put there in case they got robbed.

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Daniłowicza, Wieliczka, Poland

200185121 — 2024-11-20 14:43:58 UTC

Yanek's Literal Journey Yanek and other Jews got taken to a job in a salt mine. a kapo guided a dozen men to where they were gonna be working and got put into a group. and the kapos also said to the prisoners that it would not be good to escape cause they would just die from no food or water. and also would only be able to eat salt. When Yanek was heading to his job area he saw a lot of salt statues and salt chandeliers, Yanek and the other prisoners saw this one man who looked familiar and it was a Judenrot policeman where a Judenrot is where they take families away from each other. a couple of days after working Yanek was getting tired of working and one morning he heard a kapo yell in a tone that was weird all the other kapos ran to see what was going on and all the prisoners dropped their shovels and looked a little and seen the judenrot police man's head smashed in with a shovel and the rest of his body was torn and bleeding and seen that someone has rubbed salt in his wombs.

Trzebinia, Poland

200185121 — 2024-11-21 14:23:47 UTC

Yanek's Literal Journey Yanek’s journey to Tzebinia, Poland, began when he was taken from the Wieliczka salt mine by the Nazis. Packed into a cramped train car with other Jews, he traveled for hours without food, water, or fresh air. When the train finally stopped, Yanek and the others were forced out and marched to the site of the Tzebinia camp. The roads were rough, and the guards yelled and beat anyone who fell behind. Yanek’s feet hurt, and his body was weak, but he had no choice but to keep moving. This was just the beginning of the hardness he would face in the camp.

Birkenau, Ofiar Faszyzmu, Brzezinka, Poland

200185121 — 2024-11-25 14:32:21 UTC

Yanek's Figurative Journey Yanek, was forced on a train ride where it smelt like human waste, being squished in one train carriage with multiple other Jews. he thought he was being transported to where he would be getting killed. where Yanek thought all the Jews were going to go to the gas chambers Yanek was all tired of the waiting and thinking he would be killed at some point he pushed all the people out of the way and went under the shower head saying "Kill me, I prayed. Please kill me and put an end to this. I'm ready" (Gratz 129) where Yanek thought it would be gas to kill him, instead it was water, cold water. everyone cheered since they thought they were gonna die but they were not since it was just water. the Jews tried to do a prison break and failed when the Nazis shot all of them on sight at the wall. once after that, they had a role call for the men where they made them stay out late at night where the Nazis gave examples to the Jews where one Nazi shot multiple Jews on sight saying that it would be them if they tried to escape also the Nazis saying that there would be nowhere else to go if they did escape and would be caught.

Yanek's Literal Journey Yanek was on a train but he didn't know where he was going. Yanek asked a man on the other train what it said and it said birkenau. Yanek asked everyone on his train what it meant and they all said they were going to the gas chambers. The train arrived at Birkenau and Yanek was terrified the guards took them straight to the chambers and Yanek was ready to die he went under the shower head and said. "Kill me, I prayed. Please kill me and put an end to this. I'm ready" (Gratz 129)

Auschwitz, Poland

200185121 — 2024-12-03 14:57:09 UTC

Yanek's Figurative Journey in chapter 18 Yanek was moved to Auschwitz, Poland. where it was the worst one you can go to. on the front of the gate, it says "Arbeit macht frei" which means, "Work makes you free" They shave your heads, and they give you a number yanek's was B-3087 b for Birkenau. there were about 1 million people killed at Auschwitz. the nazis said the only way out was through the chimney. yanek met someone similar to him, they both had lost their family, they were both in Krakow, and they were both around the same age. Yanek never really told people his age, and name cause of the advice Uncle Moshe gave him, the persons name who he met was Fred. the Jews heard German airplanes which made them feel happy and not scared anymore because they knew they were people getting closer and eventually would be out soon.

Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt-Süd, Germany

200185121 — 2024-12-05 14:52:49 UTC

Yanek's figurative journey, in chapter 23, Yanek has finally gotten to Sachsenhausen after a 10-day walk in the middle of winter with half a loaf of bread. and multiple dying from starvation, and from how cold it is. once he got to Sachsenhausen all he wanted to do was sleep. instead, he had food. nothing but watery soup, and a piece of bread. one night on role call the gaurds make the jews stay outside standing in the freezing mud. while they were watching from inside through the windows. and warming up by the fireplace. one man wiped off his face. the nazis seen him. and rushed outside and beat him. then ordered him to do something called "Sachsenhausen salute" They forced him to squat with his hands held out in front of him. if he moved, his arms lowered, or his legs moved, or if he fell. the nazis would shoot him. The Jew legs started shaking. and arms started quivering. a little later the nazis resumed the role call and everyone forgot about him. A little later he finally fell over. the nazis ran to beat him. but never felt it. he was already unconscious or dead. the guards dragged him away and Yanek never seen him again. after that one of the jews at the end of the line ran. one of the gaurds yelled for the other gaurds to get him. but he didnt run for the gate. the jew threw himself on the gate. the wired gate.

Bergen-Belsen, Germany

200185121 — 2024-12-06 14:55:18 UTC

Yanek's Literal Journey Yanek wanted to get out to be free from Moonface he needed to win the race they made all the still living jews compete in a race to see who the strongest contesters were. yanek won the race and was sent to Work at a new camp. Buchenwald. there was a radio tower that the Germans were trying to bomb because they didn't want the Jews to know any information about the war or anything that was happening around that time. when they got to the camp they divided them into groups again and killed the weak ones. Yanek didn't know what group he was in and picked the one he set his mind to. luckily he was on the strong side and got more luck again.

Buchenwald, Weimar, Germany

200185121 — 2024-12-09 14:36:40 UTC

Yanek's Literal Journey to Buchenwald was a more different camp than other ones, it had a cinema, shops, and a zoo where the Nazis compared the bears to the Jews where the Jews fought the bears when they were fed steak. the Jews were there for a short time because the Nazis had killed so many Jews they were running out of them where the Jews knew that there almost to the end it was 1945 when the war ended and there were very few jews left at the end.

Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoznica, Ofiar Gross Rosen, Rogoźnica, Poland

200185121 — 2024-12-10 14:17:27 UTC

Yanek's Literal Journey In chapter 26, Yanek talks about bombs being close by on the train ride to gross-rosen. The train turns hot inside because the Germans are so close. Yanek knows that if he just stays a little bit longer, he will be able to make it. also on how the nazis needed more jews since they have killed all of them.

Dachau, Germany

200185121 — 2024-12-12 14:31:12 UTC

Yanek's Figurative Journey in Dachau found out the next day that the SS guards or kapos. were gone. the people all were confused and didn't believe it until the Americans showed up but they never really thought of being free. all the Jews didn't know where to go. they didn't know what life was cause they were all trapped being controlled for 6 years. and then the Americans took them to Munich where they have gotten a big feast. where all the Jews were happy thinking about how life was and how they were all free. also with them getting a bed to themselves with a mattress, sheets, pillow, and blanket. "We looked around at one another, wondering where are jailers were. One of the prisoners crept to the door and peaked outside. There aren't any guards!" (pg. 243)

Munich, Germany

200185121 — 2024-12-13 14:30:53 UTC

Yanek's Figurative Journey The Americans have now taken Yanek and the other Jews since the nazis, SS, and Kapos all left due to world war ll, and the Germans were too close. when the Jews woke up they were scared and confused even though it was a trick. until the Americans came and gave them the stuff they needed, they went to Munich and gave the Jews a bed to themselves, sheets, a pillow, a blanket, a toothbrush, and a big dinner. Yanek and the Jews were sad but happy about the war being over. Yanek just thought of where they would go. and what they would do. when all their families are dead, and they think about their other friends and there sad about missing them at the end of the war. "There were plates at the table and silverware. I picked up a fork and looked at it the way I had my toothbrush like it was some artifact from another world" (pg. 250)