Camilla’ Purse

            Camilla was a holocaust victim and survivor. Her normal life and day to day activities was cut short in the midst of an upended World War II. World War II brought with it a crisis, incarceration, and eventually exile in to the USA. Her family members discovered her purse after her demise in 1964. The purse had numerous letters and documents. Her letters detailed her past life, that is, her failures, trials, and success (Smithsonian Institution, 2020). These papers were significant because they unveiled a captivating story of detention within the Theresienstadt concentration camp to reunion with her child in USA. In perspective, the purse contained, the owner’s birth certificate, an identification tag she carried all through to USA and other personal items from her camp.

            The contents of the purse only proved the extraordinary life Camilla Gottlieb went through as she live through a tyrant’s reign. Surviving the Nazi atrocities shows her fighting spirit and urge to live passed during the hard times those times presented. Being a Jew and living to tell the tale is not short of a miracle that needs to be acknowledged. One thing that stands out about Holocaust is that it depends on individual perspectives to tell tale the stories. Compiling various stories from the victims somehow builds a bigger picture on the impact the event had on people’s lives and how people will interpret the atrocities which took place. For instance, Camilla Gottlieb’s letters tells her story from her own personal perspective hence bringing out its uniqueness (Smithsonian Institution, 2020). Deriving information from a victim’s letter tends to tie emotion and logic at the same time. One can read Camilla’s desperation, willingness and good-hearted spirit. This way, her story is not normal and can be used for further referral and analysis of the situation for generations to come.

            The exhibition is necessary and essential as it not only marks the atrocities committed during the Holocaust but gives the world the time to analyze and ponder on the words of a victim who went through the ordeal without any complains. As stated earlier, examining the life of Camilla through documents, personal belongings and official documentations tends to bring out an unbiased approach to the analysis (Short, & Reed, 2017). In addition, the accounts, composed and protected by the owner within a black purse. The woman not only survived Holocaust but lived to inform other people through her letters.

            One interesting fact about Camilla’s purse was that some contents of the documents are illegal and are contrary to the legal immigrant. For instance, under the present day USA immigration laws, Gottlieb would not be able to gain entry into the American borders due to the restrictive regulations and other age quotas (Eckmann, 2010). The relevance of her document trace her place of birth in Romania and her family would not be granted access into America. The clues and trying to build up how Camilla’s family got entry into America and how they were able to survive all along.

             Camilla’s documents predates pre-war periods, and post war chaos during the anti-sematic war. She endured this times and also had to protect her family. The times and periods led her to escape from her home and into a foreign land. The exceptionality and ability to escape Nazi leader Adolf Hitler against the Jews was a noteworthy event to remember and everybody needs to be informed on her efforts. The Germans claimed that Jews was an inferior race and that it would destroy German’s purity (Bromley, & Russell, 2010). Camilla’s document does not only capture the atrocities but demonstrates the agility to fight back through legal means. Humans can be inhuman and even brutal at times but the fact that Camilla live to tell the tale is not only inspirational but calls for regulation and reestablishment of immigration laws and frameworks.

            One may ask on the relevance of the documents to the current society. However, the relevance of the documents normally are tied to numerous tasks and efforts that went into toppling Adolf Hitler. The brutal Jews murder made the world realize there is a need to effect change and rescue other humans from political selfishness and turmoil. Even though historical events may fade into time, putting an effort to restore the world their memory serves to enlighten and refocus the life of people from time to time (Bromley, & Russell, 2010). Thus, the importance of Camilla’s purse does not lie in its relevance and comparison to present events but in its capability to educate and inform on a perspective never seen before. In summary, the contents of the purse are informative and transferable from one generation to another.

 Apart from the informative nature of the contents of the purse, the relatable story of the people may be relatable to people and entrench the lesson learnt. The role of the exhibition is to not only portray but bring to life past events which shaped the face of the world and the entire humanity. Besides, humans tend to be influenced by experienced observable items. Portraying the purse of an old woman depicts the disruptive effect Holocaust had on human populations all over the world (Eckmann, 2010). Whenever a disaster occurs at one point, one needs to take into consideration the desperation involved as one moves from one place to another. Leaning towards justice impacts the future. For example, Camilla and her family were able to cross from Romania border into the America despite of the border regulations. Some exceptions are necessary if people are to survive a tyrannical reign.

 The evolution of policies and humanitarian works may serve as a reminder that human life matter no matter where one comes from. Camilla embodies what it take to survive a Holocaust. The content of her purse are not intended to serve as a reminder but also inform on the things government officials need to in order to stop a similar ordeal from occurring. Therefore, it is not only about exhibiting a purse but also learning from the content of the purse and taking time to collect the recollected accounts of another person into account. In addition, the complimentary subject matter entails living in a foreign country and how well one can adopt to the norms of a foreign land (Eckmann, 2010). More so, Camilla’s purse change the trajectory of the role of women in matters pertaining political refuge and space in decision making as they are adversely affected by the scourges of war. This way, the purse’s content not only represent the past but a promising future and a chance to rectify the wrongs of the people who once ruled the world. The Holocaust did not just happen but a few people in leadership made it happen, hence a reminder to always treat leadership with the seriousness it deserves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Bromley, P., & Russell, S. G. (2010). The Holocaust as history and human rights: A cross-national analysis of Holocaust education in social science textbooks, 1970–2008. Prospects, 40(1), 153-173.

Eckmann, M. (2010). Exploring the relevance of Holocaust education for human rights education. Prospects, 40(1), 7-16.

Short, G., & Reed, C. A. (2017). Issues in Holocaust education. Taylor & Francis.

Smithsonian Institution. (2020) Camilla’s Purse https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/camillas-purse