Purple Triangles

My daughter has been studying the World War II concentration camps in her gifted and talented class at school. She is continuing this today at home while we wait on our books and materials for ARVA to arrive. She watched the video "Purple Triangles," which was shown on British television as part of the series "The Human Factor." It is the story of the Kusserow family, who refused to renounce their faith during the war. They were Jehovah's Witnesses, at that time a small but determined religious group. Among all the groups tortured by the Nazis, the Witnesses were the only group who could have escaped persecution because they were given the chance to renounce their faith and "heil Hitler." Of the thousands of encamped Witnesses, the vast majority refused this simple act and suffered (and died) for their faith.

My daughter has learned quite a bit about other groups, including the Jews, who were held hostage by the Nazis during the war.

Here is what she wrote after watching the video today.

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PURPLE TRIANGLES

Jehovah's Witnesses in concentration camps during World War II wore a purple triangle on their chest so the people of Germany would know that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. The Kusserow family was special in Jehovah's eyes. The head of the family fought against Hitler who was the Nazi leader. But no Kusserows live here today. Hans Kusserow was the third in his family. The eldest of the family walked to house to house talking to people who liked to hear about the Bible. The Witnesses began to lose their jobs and their money. Willheim, Hans' brother, was thrown into jail. Willheim's lawyer wrote to the family about before he went to jail. Hans Kusserow was thrown into the concentration camps. But then he got out but I don't know how. One scripture in the Bible says “you must not kill.” Annmarie Kusserow, the oldest sister, was free but was still in some place in Germany. Then Hilda, the mother, and her daughters were released. Some Jehovah's Witnesses were murdered.

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