Viktor E.Frankl

Victor E.Frankl wrote a book Man’s Search for Meaning.

He was a Jewish doctor and Psychotherapist born and brought up in Austria.He was becoming eminent in his field when the Nazis took over Austria in the late 1930’s.

The book Man’s Search for Meaning details his incarceration in Auschwitz and other concentration camps, his then wife, Tilly died in Bergen-Belsen.

Frankl wrote his book intending to publish it anonymously, perhaps rightly predicting that as a trained academic he may be regarded as “detached and observational” about his experiences.However ,he was persuaded to publish it under his name,I think it’s a very personal book and perhaps written from the point of view of an eminent academic but also a survivor.

I have just started listening to the book on Audible and what immediately strikes me is his analysis of human behaviour in what were unbelievably traumatic conditions.

Arriving by train in packed cattle cars,and  being cheerfully greeted  by existing prisoners whose work detail was to get the new arrivals off the train.Apparently the detail could speak several European languages and their job was to direct the people on to the platform and get them lined up,telling them to leave their luggage and possessions in the car.

90% of them would be selected to go to the left by the  fit SS Officer   they  walked towards  .The officer stood relaxed in his clean uniform and  by a wave of his hand,  would  send victims directly to the gas chamber.

Frankl made an effort to walk straight,hiding his rucksack and trying despite having not eaten or drank  anything substantial for four days to look fit for work,which he knew could lead to benefits such as tokens for cigarettes or food.

The SS man touched his shoulders and Frankl was sent to the right.

And here is the rub how did he know?

Still ,it’s important that he states he was one of the 10% who were chosen for work detail. The rest ,including his friend ,were killed by the gas chambers and cremated within hours of arrival.

The prisoners who had work details to get the new arrivals off the cattle trucks, were given a little alcohol(schnapps) to ease their pain,those who help operate the gas chambers and crematoria were given as much alcohol as they wanted.As Frankl says to blot out the horror of what they were doing and also the fact that if they could not work or got sick they would be “processed”by their colleagues which was an uncertain future they had to face.

Frankl says it wasn’t until later that evening that he was told the smoke from the chimney was probably his friend going to heaven.

It’s early on in the book, but Frankly says over his time in concentration camps he realized that people who said to themselves that they wanted to enjoy their last few days gave up converting their coupons for food and instead chose cigarettes.Frankl says this was a sign of them giving up.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading