Wenn das Böse wie das Gute aussieht...

  • Manfred Deselaers ManfredDeselaers–ks. katolicki z diecezji Aachen w Niemciech, mieszkaod1990r.wOświęcimiu.DoktoratnaPapieskiejAkademii Teologicznej w Krakowie. Wykładowca teologii fundamentalnej na PapieskiejAkademiiTeologicznej.PracownikCentrumDialoguiModlitwywOświęcimiu.W2000rokuuhonorowanyprzezPolskąRadę Chrześcijan i Żydów tytułem Człowieka Pojednania, w 2005 r. odznaczonyprzezPrezydentaPolskiKrzyżemKawalerskimOderuZasługiRzeczpospolitejPolskiorazlaureatnagrodyMiesięcznikaiWydawnictwa Znak im. ks. Józefa Tischnera. Autor książki Bóg a z ło w świetle biografii Rudolfa Hössa komendanta Auschwitz (Kraków 1998, Wydawnictwo WAM). Redaktor książki Dialog u progu Auschwitz (Kraków 2003, UNUM).

Abstract

On the example of Rudolf Höss, the commanding officer of Auschwitz,theauthor ponders over the fact how man, who was not a sadist by nature, man who was not mentally ill, who was a loving husband and father, could become the greatest perpetrator of genocide in history? He also gives some thought to the essence of a complete loss of humanity. Thecausesofsuchbehaviouraresoughtfirstofallinthenegativeexperiencesoflovetakenfromhome,whoseconsequence isbreakingoffanycontactswithfamily,withdrawingfromChurch and disavowing Catholic faith, and finally joining NSDAP (National Socialist German labour party). ThenextreasonforHöss’sbrutalconductisdiscernedbythe authorinthenational-socialistideologyheadopted.Accordingto theauthor,itisNazism,which limited people to animal-like conduct(intheliteralmeaningoftheword)anddeprivedthemofany dignityandfreedom,thatmadeHöss’sconscienceappeaseand drew out his sensitivity to other man’s suffering. TheauthorcontraststhecruelconductofthecommandingofficerofAuschwitzwithhishumanity.Heshowstheexistingtracesof goodness, which were supposed to become a sort of protest againstevil,whichwascausedbyhimandwhichshapedhiswork and conduct. His deliberations are based mainly on the period RudolfHössspentinprison.Theauthorstressesthatitwasthere thathisinternaltransformationtookplace,thepricksofconscience andtheawarenessofbrutalityappeared.ItwasonlyinPolishprisons,asaresultofhumanetreatment,thatHössfoundhishumanity,convertedintoCatholicismandapologizedforhiscrimes. Concluding, the author deliberates on whether one can talk about man’s guilt in the case he was wounded by improper Catholic upbringing as a child, then his conscience was drawn
out by the national-socialist ideology, to finally discover his humanity and dignity anew in Polish prisons.

Published
2017-03-21
How to Cite
Deselaers, M. (2017). Wenn das Böse wie das Gute aussieht. HORIZONS OF EDUCATION, 4(7), 137-149. Retrieved from https://horyzontywychowania.ignatianum.edu.pl/HW/article/view/1206
Section
Thematic Articles