Passing and Hiding in the Christian World

When comparing and contrasting the hardships that Jewish people faced in the concentration camps with those that "hid" in Germany or conquered territories, it is impossible to deny that there existed some similarities, but it seems that, overall, Jewish people who were forced into extermination camps were subjected to an infinitely more horrific experience.

The argument can be made that both experiences were physically and psychologically similar; Jewish people who were forced into hiding experienced food shortages and trouble finding sustenance, while the rations given in camps were severely inadequate. Psychologically, both individuals did have to deal with the sense that their nation (and later practically all of Europe, after the Third Reich succeeded in capturing most of the European mainland) had turned against them on something as arbitrary as religion or ethnicity. However, theses comparisons can only be made in the broad sense.

Physically, those who went into hiding were not beaten and battered to the extent that those who experienced the atrocities of the cams were. In many cases, individuals in hiding were relied on strenuous labor for food and shelter, but it is hard to imagine these individuals working ten to twelve hour days on food rations that would only enable them to survive for three to six months. Psychologically, those who went into hiding did not witness their friends and families being seperated into lines designated for mass executions or have to ponder that their survival came at the expense of another's life. Those in hiding may have witnessed the initial rounding-up of Jewish people for "relocation," the experience is more affecting when death is seen as inevitable (though it can be said that fear of being rounded up could lead to severe paranoia). Individuals in camps had everything seized from them, while those who were in hiding still maintained some sense of freedom (many people in hiding were able to move to different towns or territories in search of betterment provided they had documentation).

Given this analysis it seems impossible to compare the two experience in anything but broad terms. It is true that existence under both circumstances would be horrible, but those who were in hiding had a better standard of living and a higher survival rate.