Date Watched: June 19, 2010
Source: Netflix Instant Play
I guess at this point you’ve probably noted my fascination with the Holocaust. I admit it. Now that I’m outed…
This was a freaking incredible documentary. 6 1-hour long “episodes” that go from the very beginnings of the construction of Auschwitz, through the war, right through to the liberation of the camp and the Nuremburg trials. I was absolutely glued to this from the very first minute. It goes into so many things that most people don’t know. There were actually three divisions of Auschwitz, and only Auschwitz-Birkenau was technically the extermination camp. It also had 49 satellite camps for various purposes. Also, it wasn’t originally built with the intention of being an extermination camp for the Jews, and the original prisoners were Soviet army and Polish political prisoners who were not intended for extermination. Everything is so interesting, so in-depth, and so thorough. I’ve been interested in the Holocaust for years, but I learned a lot watching it. It’s not sensationalized media garbage. It’s 100% facts. It also includes commentary from prisoners, escapees, and SS alike.
Each episode contains 47 minutes of the documentary, but then another 13 minutes of discussion with Linda Ellerbee and a panel. I didn’t watch that part… I didn’t care about opinions and thoughts and what have you, but it is there for people interested in that sort of thing.
It was really a great, informative afternoon spent.
[Note: While it is available in its entirety on Instant Play, if you queue it for DVD, I believe each of the 6 individual discs are added, rather than the entire thing in one shipment.]
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