'Arbeit Macht Frei': Representations and Meanings in Art - Hardcover

by Batya Brutin (Author)

The origin of the phrase Arbeit Macht Frei is in the name of a novel from 1873 written by German philologist and novelist Lorenz Diefenbach (1806-1883). The Weimar Republic's government and the Nazi regime adopted this phrase. The Nazis placed it on several camps' gateways as misdirection, with contempt and irony, to instill false hopes in the prisoners' minds and prevent resistance and insurrection.
This book focuses on the various representations, meanings, and interpretations of the image 'Arbeit Macht Frei' in artworks. Among the artists are Holocaust survivors, second-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors, and others. They have used the inscription as a motif from a personal or general point of view to convey political statements and messages, or to present values, morals, or universal perceptions.

Author Biography

Batya Brutin is an art historian researching art during and after the Holocaust, and Holocaust monuments in Israel and worldwide. From 2000 to 2018 she was director of the Holocaust Teaching in Israeli Society Program at Beit Berl Academic College in Israel. She is a research associate at the Chair for Holocaust Research Abraham and Edita Spiegel, Bar-Ilan University. Batya Brutin has published academic books, essays, and educational materials on the above subjects. She received the Yad Vashem award for a lifetime achievement in the field of Holocaust education in 2018.