The Human Spirit in the Holocaust

Though physically he was imprisoned in the Theresienstadt ghetto, Petr Ginz's spirit was still able to soar, and decades later, a drawing he made in the ghetto did reach outer space. Listen and learn of Petr’s legacy of spiritual resistance and resilience.

As the Lwow Ghetto was being liquidated, a group of Jews hid in a place where they hoped the Germans would never find them: the sewers. They could never have survived without the help of Leopold Socha, his wife and other sewer workers.

Was it possible to fight back in a death camp? This is the story of women prisoners who risked their lives to steal gunpowder, teaspoon by teaspoon, in order to stage a spectacular armed uprising – the only one in the history of Auschwitz.

When the Germans condemned the Jews to live in ghettos, they cut them off from the world. To have any chance of surviving, it was vital to resist the Germans in any way possible. To have any chance of fighting back against the Germans, it was crucial to smuggle in secret information and weapons.

Victor "Young" Perez was a talented and celebrated Jewish boxer from North Africa. With the German occupation, Young's fame could not prevent his arrest or deportation. Was his fighting spirit enough to help him survive?

During the Holocaust, every Jew in Europe was marked for death. Options for survival were few. Those who could hide had a better chance of staying alive, but who would have the courage to help?