Kapos
The German concentration
camps depended on the cooperation of
trustee inmates who supervised the prisoners. Known
as Kapos, these trustees carried out the will of the Nazi camp
commandants and guards, and were often as brutal as
their SS counterparts. Some of these Kapos were Jewish,
and even they inflicted harsh treatment on their fellow
prisoners. For many, failure to perform their duties
would have resulted in severe punishment and even
death, but many historians view their actions as a
form of complicity. After the war, the prosecution
of Kapos as war criminals, particularly those who
were Jewish, created an ethical dilemma which continues
to this day.
Sources: The Holocaust—A Guide for Teachers. Copyright 1990 by Gary M. Grobman. All rights reserved. |