- Summary
- In poetry of the Holocaust, the editors Jean Boase-Beier and Marian de Vooght (helped by many translators, advisors, and experts of one sort and another) aim to give a fuller picture than do most Holocaust anthologies of the poetry that arose from the Holocaust. Here there are poems from languages that are less often associated with the Holocaust (such as Norwegian or Japanese) and there are poems by or about those victimised for perceived disabilities, or because they were gay, or because their political or religious beliefs made them targets of Nazi hatred. It is of course not possible to cover the vast range of Holocaust poetry in one small anthology. But a wider-ranging collection such as this might help readers who are less familiar with the facts of the Holocaust to find a way in, and to empathise on an individual level with the many people who suffered, and are still suffering. And perhaps? because poetry engages the reader's emotions in a way that documentary writing cannot? it might also help us examine our thoughts and ways of behaving.
- Format
- Book
- Published
- Todmorden, UK : Arc Publications, [2019]
[Place of publication not identified] : Arc publications, 2019
©2019
- Contents
-
Machine generated contents note: I. AT THE BEGINNING
Snow / Rose Auslander
Tragedy / Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger
Premonition / Eduard Saenger
During the Gnosiology Lesson / Matilda Olkinaite
Storm / Wilhelm Felix Swoboda
Pogrom / Ed. Hoornik
`World in Turmoil ... ' / Alfred Kerr
My People / Matilda Olkinaite
The Most Afflicted / Alfred Kerr
Ballad of the Burning Books / Jan Campert
We Wander / Margarete Susman
II. LIFE IN GHETTOS, CAMPS, PRISONS AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD
Prayer / Rajzel Zychlinski
Among Murdered Souls / H.G. Adler
The Locomotive / Jerzy Ogorek z Bedzina
Arrival of the Old People / H.G. Adler
Windy Night / Dagmar Hilarova
To the Child / Abraham Sutzkever
Spring Evening: `In the fragments of the ruins ... ' / Melania Fogelbaum
Song of the Roma / Anonymous
The Three Refugees / Jan Campert
My Love / Mircea Lacatus
Dance at Command Group Holtzmann / Maurice Honel
Crematorium / Charlotte Serre
Note continued: Field Work in Auschwitz / Iboja Wandall-Holm
The Forest in Chains / Fosty
The Camp / Charlotte Serre
`If slowly you go to a lonely place ... ' / Rene Blieck
My God / Catherine Roux
Arrival / Edith Bruck
Chant of the Curse / Robert Desnos
Letters from Bergen-Belsen / Monica Sifrim
The Dysentery Barracks / Arnulf Øverland
Poem of the Hours / Andre Verdet
`They no longer weep and wail ... ' / Nelly Sachs
`They are standing up to their knees in blood and mud ... ' / Jaan Kaplinski
My Skinny Legs / Sally Pinkhof
Despair / Unknown Youth
`So I learn life's greatest art ... ' / Irena Bobowska
Who Am I? / Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Strange Lightness of Life so Close to Death / Alfred Schmidt-Sas
The gut digests ... ' / Melania Fogelbaum
The Abused / Gertrud Kolmar
Postcard (4) / Miklos Radnoti
`Every summer Rebecca lived among us ... ' / Hugo Claus
Gustav! / Andras Mezei
Note continued: All the Skiffs have Foundered / Matilda Olkinaite
Four Tanka / Yukiko sugihara
Forced March / Miklos Radnoti
Dancing Gypsy / Stanislav Smelyansky
Oh deutsche Mutter / Fania Zorne
In Closed Trains / Takis Varvitsiosis
III. LIFE AFTERWARDS
Testimony / Tuvia Ruebner
Poem for the Father / Alejandra Pizarnik
`Aspen tree, your leaves glance white into darkness ... / Paul Celan
Celan / Nelo Risi
My Grandfather's Journeys / George Gomori
On Mummy's Lap / Chawwa Wijnberg
Nocturne / Jacques Presser
I Remember Etty Hillesum / Tal Nitzan
Dread / Iboja Wandall-Holm
Night Visitation / Fabio Pusterla
Encounter / Gunvor Hofmo
To the Twice-Murdered Men (The Rag) / Andre Sarcq
Silence / Rita Gabbai-Simantov
Roza Miralai / Yorgos Kaftantzis
The Rejected Gift / Ida Gerhardt
The One Who Used to Be / Gunvor Hofmo
The Survivor / Ed. Hoornik
Letters from Relatives / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger
Note continued: Railway / Stanislav Smelyansky
`Sometimes a hunger grips me ... ' / Rivka Basman Ben-Hayim
`It could be ... ' / Rajzel Zychlinski
The Blue Buses / Voldemars Avens
Sixty Years Later / Rivka Basman Ben-Hayim
The Sign / Edith Bruck
`O my dead ... ' / Jean Cayrol
Songs of Horror / Georg Edler von Boris
Auschwitz is my overcoat / Ceija Stojka
In Memory of the Gypsy Victims of the Holocaust / Jozsef Choli Daroczi
`You bystanders ... ' / Nelly Sachs
Auschwitz Hair / Janina Degutyte
`I haven't ever told any of my therapists this ... ' / Tamara Kamenszain
Hadamar / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger
Grafeneck / Werner Durrson
Meseritz / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger
`orphaned tree of my synagogue ... ' / Iossif Ventouras
The Journey / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger
The Trap of Evil: A Glimpse of the Eichmann Trial / Franco Marcoaldi
Mauthausen 2009 / Zoltan sumonyi
Blue / Lizzy Sara May
Burning / Nelo Risi
Note continued: Sign / Saul van Messel
Epitaph / Robert Desnos
`You'll have to look for me on every corner ... ' / Moshe Bachar
The Legacy / Robert Desnos
Con Sordino / Jacques Presser
The Face of God after Auschwitz / Maurits Mok
Jewish Cemetery / Laura Rainieri
`No sea lay at our feet ... ' / Mariella Mehr
Birkenau / Volker von Torne
Rumbula / Ojars Vacietis
Ice-Holes / Stefan Hertmans
`If I did not believe in you ... ' / Nitsa Dori
An Answer to the World / David Fram
They All Went / Flory Jagoda
Urban renewal / Saul van Messel
Inscription in Stone / Ida Gerhardt
`Pain. Revolt. Hope. Life after the event ... ' / Jacques Rozenberg
The Train / Bert Voeten
Them and Us / Nina Kokkalidou-Nahmia
Guilty! / Stanislav Smelyansky
`Like nothing. Or like the faltering of time ... ' / Hugues C. Pernath
Twenty Minutes to Twelve / Iboja Wandall-Holm
`I often dream of Auschwitz nowadays ... ' / Boris Slutsky
Note continued: Testimony / Dan Pagis
What a coincidence / Saul van Messel
Second Generation / Yael Globerman
After Twenty Years in Auschwitz / Nina Kokkalidou-Nahmia
A Postcard from Pressburg-Bratislava / Tuvia Ruebner
`When I was a child ... ' / Philomena Franz
The Jews' Sunflowers / Yorgos Ioannou
Eternal Holocaust / Stanislav Smelyansky
Deceptive / Chawwa Wijnberg
`The urns ... ' / Angela Fritzen
`Tell us no more train stories ... ' / Nitsa Dori
` ... And God grant ... ' / Lajser Ajchenrand
Winding Sheet / Paul Celan.
- Other Authors/Editors
- Boase-Beier, Jean, editor, writer of introduction.
Vooght, Marian de, editor, writer of introduction.
- Notes
-
Machine generated contents note: I. AT THE BEGINNING -- Snow / Rose Auslander -- Tragedy / Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger -- Premonition / Eduard Saenger -- During the Gnosiology Lesson / Matilda Olkinaite -- Storm / Wilhelm Felix Swoboda -- Pogrom / Ed. Hoornik -- `World in Turmoil ... ' / Alfred Kerr -- My People / Matilda Olkinaite -- The Most Afflicted / Alfred Kerr -- Ballad of the Burning Books / Jan Campert -- We Wander / Margarete Susman -- II. LIFE IN GHETTOS, CAMPS, PRISONS AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD -- Prayer / Rajzel Zychlinski -- Among Murdered Souls / H.G. Adler -- The Locomotive / Jerzy Ogorek z Bedzina -- Arrival of the Old People / H.G. Adler -- Windy Night / Dagmar Hilarova -- To the Child / Abraham Sutzkever -- Spring Evening: `In the fragments of the ruins ... ' / Melania Fogelbaum -- Song of the Roma / Anonymous -- The Three Refugees / Jan Campert -- My Love / Mircea Lacatus -- Dance at Command Group Holtzmann / Maurice Honel -- Crematorium / Charlotte Serre
Note continued: Field Work in Auschwitz / Iboja Wandall-Holm -- The Forest in Chains / Fosty -- The Camp / Charlotte Serre -- `If slowly you go to a lonely place ... ' / Rene Blieck -- My God / Catherine Roux -- Arrival / Edith Bruck -- Chant of the Curse / Robert Desnos -- Letters from Bergen-Belsen / Monica Sifrim -- The Dysentery Barracks / Arnulf Øverland -- Poem of the Hours / Andre Verdet -- `They no longer weep and wail ... ' / Nelly Sachs -- `They are standing up to their knees in blood and mud ... ' / Jaan Kaplinski -- My Skinny Legs / Sally Pinkhof -- Despair / Unknown Youth -- `So I learn life's greatest art ... ' / Irena Bobowska -- Who Am I? / Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- Strange Lightness of Life so Close to Death / Alfred Schmidt-Sas -- The gut digests ... ' / Melania Fogelbaum -- The Abused / Gertrud Kolmar -- Postcard (4) / Miklos Radnoti -- `Every summer Rebecca lived among us ... ' / Hugo Claus -- Gustav! / Andras Mezei
Note continued: All the Skiffs have Foundered / Matilda Olkinaite -- Four Tanka / Yukiko sugihara -- Forced March / Miklos Radnoti -- Dancing Gypsy / Stanislav Smelyansky -- Oh deutsche Mutter / Fania Zorne -- In Closed Trains / Takis Varvitsiosis -- III. LIFE AFTERWARDS -- Testimony / Tuvia Ruebner -- Poem for the Father / Alejandra Pizarnik -- `Aspen tree, your leaves glance white into darkness ... / Paul Celan -- Celan / Nelo Risi -- My Grandfather's Journeys / George Gomori -- On Mummy's Lap / Chawwa Wijnberg -- Nocturne / Jacques Presser -- I Remember Etty Hillesum / Tal Nitzan -- Dread / Iboja Wandall-Holm -- Night Visitation / Fabio Pusterla -- Encounter / Gunvor Hofmo -- To the Twice-Murdered Men (The Rag) / Andre Sarcq -- Silence / Rita Gabbai-Simantov -- Roza Miralai / Yorgos Kaftantzis -- The Rejected Gift / Ida Gerhardt -- The One Who Used to Be / Gunvor Hofmo -- The Survivor / Ed. Hoornik -- Letters from Relatives / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger
Note continued: Railway / Stanislav Smelyansky -- `Sometimes a hunger grips me ... ' / Rivka Basman Ben-Hayim -- `It could be ... ' / Rajzel Zychlinski -- The Blue Buses / Voldemars Avens -- Sixty Years Later / Rivka Basman Ben-Hayim -- The Sign / Edith Bruck -- `O my dead ... ' / Jean Cayrol -- Songs of Horror / Georg Edler von Boris -- Auschwitz is my overcoat / Ceija Stojka -- In Memory of the Gypsy Victims of the Holocaust / Jozsef Choli Daroczi -- `You bystanders ... ' / Nelly Sachs -- Auschwitz Hair / Janina Degutyte -- `I haven't ever told any of my therapists this ... ' / Tamara Kamenszain -- Hadamar / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger -- Grafeneck / Werner Durrson -- Meseritz / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger -- `orphaned tree of my synagogue ... ' / Iossif Ventouras -- The Journey / Barbara Lipinska-Leidinger -- The Trap of Evil: A Glimpse of the Eichmann Trial / Franco Marcoaldi -- Mauthausen 2009 / Zoltan sumonyi -- Blue / Lizzy Sara May -- Burning / Nelo Risi
Note continued: Sign / Saul van Messel -- Epitaph / Robert Desnos -- `You'll have to look for me on every corner ... ' / Moshe Bachar -- The Legacy / Robert Desnos -- Con Sordino / Jacques Presser -- The Face of God after Auschwitz / Maurits Mok -- Jewish Cemetery / Laura Rainieri -- `No sea lay at our feet ... ' / Mariella Mehr -- Birkenau / Volker von Torne -- Rumbula / Ojars Vacietis -- Ice-Holes / Stefan Hertmans -- `If I did not believe in you ... ' / Nitsa Dori -- An Answer to the World / David Fram -- They All Went / Flory Jagoda -- Urban renewal / Saul van Messel -- Inscription in Stone / Ida Gerhardt -- `Pain. Revolt. Hope. Life after the event ... ' / Jacques Rozenberg -- The Train / Bert Voeten -- Them and Us / Nina Kokkalidou-Nahmia -- Guilty! / Stanislav Smelyansky -- `Like nothing. Or like the faltering of time ... ' / Hugues C. Pernath -- Twenty Minutes to Twelve / Iboja Wandall-Holm -- `I often dream of Auschwitz nowadays ... ' / Boris Slutsky
Note continued: Testimony / Dan Pagis -- What a coincidence / Saul van Messel -- Second Generation / Yael Globerman -- After Twenty Years in Auschwitz / Nina Kokkalidou-Nahmia -- A Postcard from Pressburg-Bratislava / Tuvia Ruebner -- `When I was a child ... ' / Philomena Franz -- The Jews' Sunflowers / Yorgos Ioannou -- Eternal Holocaust / Stanislav Smelyansky -- Deceptive / Chawwa Wijnberg -- `The urns ... ' / Angela Fritzen -- `Tell us no more train stories ... ' / Nitsa Dori -- ` ... And God grant ... ' / Lajser Ajchenrand -- Winding Sheet / Paul Celan.