Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz

Empowerment Through Resistance and Hope is an important theme in these chapters. For Lengyel, the courageous couples who meet at the fence embody this hope: “The couples were separated by an electrically charged fence, the slightest contact with which was fatal. They stood knee deep in the snow in the shadow of the crematory ovens, and made ‘plans’ for the future” (78). The act of planning a future is an act of courageous resistance in the context of the death camp, where conditions were intentionally designed to elicit despondence and hopelessness at the prospect of one’s imminent death. By presenting these stories alongside the many details of the Nazi atrocities in the camp, Lengyel continues to underscore the idea that hope and resistance are possible even in the most dire and dehumanizing circumstances.

Similarly, when the inmates hear approaching Russian guns, Dr. “G” says, “[W]ell girls, the time has come for me to have a traveling costume made” (102). When another inmate tells her that the Russians will likely kill them, Dr. “G” responds: “Suppose they don’t? [...] Then here I’ll be, without a traveling suit” (102). Her humorous preference to be well-dressed is a kind of resistance: She refuses to be dehumanized by the Nazi death camp; her insistence on beautiful clothing is a show of dignity and individualism that amuses and inspires the other women while defying the dehumanizing logic of the camp.

The Greek Sonderkommandos who refuse to kill the innocent Hungarians also exemplify resistance. Although they are killed because of their resistance, Lengyel sees in this story an example of self-determination and integrity: “[T]hese 400 demonstrated that in spite of the barbed wire and the lash, they were not slaves but human beings” (85).

Lengyel explains that “oppression as intense as that under which we lived automatically provoked resistance” (114). Lengyel argues that examples of this resistance—which occurred in the forms of passed packages, letters, and news, the intentionally compromised military equipment, in supplies circulated for other internees from Canada, in clandestine celebrations, in the explosion of the crematorium, and in attempts to reunite family members—are all undoubtedly brave considering the Nazis’ habit of enacting harsh collective reprisals for instances of rebellion, such as the mass hangings when explosives are found: “[T]he gallows were put into use and bodies hung from them every day” (116). The industry and inventiveness of these individuals involved in the resistance movement are also illustrated, such as in the process of smuggling explosives into the camp: “[T]hose prisoners who worked in the fields dug the parcels from the earth where they had been concealed, and smuggled them inside” (116). Pairing these details with the examples of resistance that Lengyel witnessed indicates that the inmates carried out these acts of resistance not because they were ignorant of the harsh consequences but rather despite their conscious awareness of the extreme risks.

Similarly, the Sonderkommandos fight back against their captors even though the odds are strongly against them, exemplifying resistance and courage: “[I]n the battle that ensued, the Sonderkommando resisted ferociously. They had nothing but sticks, stones, and a few revolvers to fight against trained killers armed with automatic weapons” (121). As punishment, the Sonderkommandos are slaughtered en masse, exemplifying the cruel indifference of the Nazi guards, who prioritized order and obedience over human life.

These mass reprisals exemplify the Cruel and Degrading Treatment at Auschwitz-Birkenau, such as after the heavy bombing of a German city, when hundreds of innocent inmates were put to death: “Wherever else the Reich sought revenge, they took it first in our camp with a monstrous selection” (115). The captive inmates become victims of the German soldiers’ frustration, anger, and fear over the events of the war; they represent an “enemy” that can be easily scapegoated and punished, even though they are not at fault for the actions of Allied forces. Lengyel thereby suggests that some of this cruel treatment resulted from the soldiers’ using the inmates as an outlet for their emotional dissatisfaction.

Despite the dangers posed by vengeful guards—or perhaps even encouraged by their ruthlessness—the resistance movement in the camp continued to thrive. Lengyel describes how, despite the risk, involvement in the movement was uplifting, as it made her feel that she was doing something useful to aid her fellow inmates and to thwart her captors: “That was enough to give me the strength. I was no longer prey to crises of depression. I even forced myself to eat enough to be able to fight on. To eat and not let oneself become enfeebled—that, too, was a way to resist” (117). Hence, she suggests that despite its risks, her resistance gave her a reason for being and a will to live that ultimately improved her chances of survival.

The Nazis, particularly the commandants in charge of selections, continue to be characterized as ruthless and sadistic, such as Dr. Mengele, who happily taunts a woman about her impending death in the gas chamber:

“Ever been on the ‘other side’?” he asked. “What is it like over there?”

The poor woman did not know what he meant. She shrugged.

“Don’t worry,” he continued. “You will know very soon!” (109).

Lengyel similarly condemns Irma Griese for her beautiful wardrobe, provided by the murdered masses. It is intentionally jarring that she delights in sending women to the gas chamber, and then benefits from their stolen items: “[H]er closets were crammed with clothing from the finest houses of Paris, Vienna, Prague, Amsterdam, and Bucharest” (110). By discussing the different Nazi officials Lengyel encountered in the camp, she paints a nuanced picture of the different motivations officials had for participating in The Mass Genocide Committed by the Nazis. While Griese was driven by vanity and envy for those more beautiful than her, Lengyel suggests that Dr. Mengele was motivated by sadism and an obsession with exerting power over other human beings.