Critical Thinking/Discussion Questions - Gertrude Schlanger

1. What part of Gertrude’s story had the most impact on you?  Why?

2. Throughout the film Gertrude repeats that she does not remember many details from the camps. When the interviewer prompts her to recount other experiences at Auschwitz besides her memory of being separated from her family, she states that she cannot remember. Why do you think it is so hard for some survivors to recall the details of their Holocaust experiences?

3. The theme of separation runs throughout Gertrude’s story, why do you think at the end of her film she states that she does not want anything from before the war, and that her sisters can do whatever they want with the family furniture?

4. Auschwitz survivor Henry Appel states, “I graduated from a special school. Four years I spent there… all my days were nights. Everything that was near and dear to me they took. There is only one thing worse than Auschwitz itself, and that is if the world forgets there was such a place.” Do you think Gertrude Schlanger would agree with Mr. Appel? Cite evidence from the film to support your argument.