My 10 Colourised Photos Show The True Horror Of The Holocaust
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“Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky” – Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor.
This week the world held Holocaust Memorial Day, marking 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviets. And to mark this anniversary, I have colorized a selection of historical photos taken throughout the first few months of 1945, as the rest of the world became fully aware of the horrors of the Nazi holocaust.
This was the most harrowing photo restoration project I have ever worked on. I usually enjoy colorizing photos as the process brings the subjects to life gradually, which is a satisfying experience. Still, with this project, it was upsetting as the colorized photos are so shocking.
These old photos serve as a stark reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. I had to give myself time to do something else and try to switch off while working on these black and white photos as they made me angry. I felt sicker as the pictures came to life, but I feel it was an important thing to do, to remind people – especially younger generations, that this is historical fact and that it’s not that far back in past.
It is so important, especially as the years go on, that we do more to bring the past to life, and keep images like these relevant and shocking, so this never happens again.
The photo editing and colorizing process was also different as these people were close to death by the time of their liberation, so painting skin tones was utterly different. In color, you can see the bones and the pale, bloodless skin, and even young men look older with greying hair and dark patches around their eyes.
I am a British photo colorizer. Please visit PhotograFix on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you want to check out more.
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The horror of the Holocaust in colour
Children at Auschwitz
Children at Auschwitz, in a still from the Soviet film of the liberation of Auschwitz, January 1945.
Starved men at Ebensee
This photo shows starved prisoners, nearly dead from hunger, posing in a concentration camp in Ebensee, Austria.
Ebensee was a sub-camp of the main camp ‘Mauthausen’ near the town of the same name. The camp was reputedly used for “scientific” experiments. It was liberated by the 80th Division of the U.S. Army.
Istvan Reiner
Istvan Reiner, aged 4, smiles for a studio portrait, shortly before being murdered at Auschwitz concentration camp.
Men at Lager Nordhausen
Two staring, emaciated men, liberated inmates of Lager Nordhausen, a Gestapo concentration camp. The camp had from 3,000 to 4,000 inmates. All were maltreated, beaten and starved.
An 18-year-old girl
An 18-year-old Russian girl during the liberation of Dachau concentration camp in 1945. Dachau was the first German concentration camp, opened in 1933.
More than 200,000 people were detained between 1933 and 1945, and 31,591 deaths were declared, most from disease, malnutrition, and suicide. Unlike Auschwitz, Dachau was not explicitly an extermination camp, but conditions were so horrific that hundreds died every week.
A living skeleton
This man looks like a living skeleton, one of the many prisoners of the Ebensee concentration camp in Austria.
Burning Bergen-Belsen
My Great Grandfather Charles Martin King Parsons took this photo as he was a chaplain with the British Army and he entered Bergen-Belsen prison camp in April 1945.
The camp was rife with typhus, and once the large wooden huts had been cleared of the surviving prisoners, they were burnt to the ground in May 1945.
Taken by C.M.K. Parsons
Like many people affected by the horrors they saw during the war, my Great Grandfather never really spoke about his experiences at Bergen-Belsen and these photos show why.
He also took a series of photos including the mass graves around Belsen which I did not want to colourise as it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. These photos can be seen here.
Woman at Bergen-Belsen
One of the victims at Bergen-Belsen was this young woman, her face still bearing the scars of a terrible beating by the SS guards.
Holocaust survivor
It is hard to find any hope when viewing the horrors of these photos, but I wanted to include this one, as there were survivors of the Holocaust, many of whom are still alive today.
This photo shows a young Jewish refugee, rescued from a concentration camp, resting up in a hospital bed in Malmö, southern Sweden in 1945.
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and still many morons thinks this is not true
And even more succumb to conspiracy theories which root in antisemitism. And even more like to blame others for the misery in their life, thereby sending hatred to the world. You always hear "this cannot happen again". I am doubtful if mankind has learned its lesson.
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No kidding , we have become prisoners in our own homes!! It’s happening !!
Yes they are stupid, but even a moron can be good. Holocaust deniers are EVIL.
I honestly thought that was just a joke. We all get a good laugh about thinking the world is flat, but there are people who actually deny this kind of horror?!? I’m not sure I want to grow up anymore
Those are my exact thoughts!
There's people that believe the world is flat, so the planet is obviously filled with idiots.
It's a new thing for a few fringe idiots to say it's not true. Don't give them play time by even mentioning it. Ignore the idiots and they will go away.
What? Seriously???
Why would you even consider their sick beliefs? To even think of conspiracy theories such as those, makes you an accomplice as well. It’s not even worth passing through your mind.
I was just thinking the same thing- how theres people in this world that the holocaust never happened.
I know lots of people are going to disagree we me on this but people should know about the holocaust because it actually happened and lot of people died and even more were affected by it.
I agree, because if we do not learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Obviously, here in North America, we have not learned :'(
China and North Korea are already repeating it.
"We" will never learn from our history; "we" are incapable to do so. The hint: Nature does not discriminate.
my motto is "know your history"
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
We have concentration camps in N America? Where? Try Myanmar,China or N. Korea
It truly shocks me that there are actually people, who don`t know about the horrors of holocaust. I thought it was something that EVERYONE is told about in history class in school.
This is for Bill, who replied below: YES. America has had concentration camps. During WWII we sent a massive number of Japanese-Americans, mostly on the West Coast, to “internment” camps. It was allegedly because of a fear of espionage. The real reason was racism. They looked different, coincidentally sharing ethnicity with an “enemy” at the time, so were considered suspect. Additionally, we totally disenfranchised them by seizing their homes, businesses, and bank accounts—-for which we never paid them any reparations. For a more modern equivalent, you could say that Guantanamo is a modern-day version of a concentration camp, also for people who look different, and coincidentally share ethnicity with a contemporary “enemy”. Isn’t it funny how domestic terrorists, who are primarily white, haven’t been rounded up and sent to “internment” camps.
Bill should be put in one.
People who would disagree about that statement are garbage. The rot of Holocaust denial needs to be called out and destroyed any time it appears. Sunlight disinfects, but fire contains: Call out your friend's gramma, call out your uncle, call out randos on Twitter. Make it so unpleasant to be a denier, AND normalize an aggressive approach to it so that the idea withers and dies.
Incredibly difficult to get your mind around the hatred leveled at the Jewish people during that time. There were so many that enabled it and participated, but weren't wearing Nazi uniforms and not even living in Germany. Romanians, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian and French people all joined the hateful band wagon. The Holocaust also include many other groups that were either different or morally, and religiously against Nazism. There wer Jehova Witnesses, Protestant Christians, Catholics, Gypsies, accused conspirators against the Nazi government, mentally and or physically handicapped, and many others not mentioned here.
Poland and Polish people were victims there, not participants. Poland is blamed sometimes for participation in holocaust only because Germans created many camps on Polish land, but it was occupied at that time - Poland was the first country that was actually fighting against Nazis and nobody helped them, neither in 1939 nor in 1945, even tho Polish people were fighting with Germans around all Europe, Asia and Africa, including battle of England or Monte Casino. Also those are Polish people who are the majority of righteous among the nations of the world - those who did the most to save jewish people from holocaust. Please read about Pilecki or Irena Sendlerowa. You just shown lack of basic knowledge and respect with that ignorant comment
Obviously you know nothing about Romania, Poland snd these countries from SE Europe. ACTUALLY, ROMANIA SHORTENED THE WWII WITH SIX MONTHS, WHEN MY COUNTRY TURNED AGAINST GERMANY AT 23 AUGUST 1944.You should learn before speaking.
Yeah, the whole point of history is to not repeat stupid mistakes like this
This comment has been deleted.
This comment has been deleted.
The political correct history does not teach this as actually happening. Look at Germany the enemy has changed but the persecution of the Jews is happening now. It is a matter of time before the Christen Churches will soon be happening We have already have priests being murdered.
I can't imagine the tears you shed creating these photos. God Bless your heart and soul xoxo
Thank you, it was not an easy one but I'm really pleased with the response which has made it worthwhile.
You have no idea how far a ripple can travel. Thank you.
I have no words... Really.. No words. Thank you for posting this!
was amazing the pictures tom thankyou for them and taking the time to do them .. heartbreaking but real
You are a mensch.
I've seen your work before but Itsvan Reiner and a young blonde beautiful girl really caught my heart. God bless them all.
I agree with you but it is more than creating! This is bringing these images forward somehow. Creating implies the photos were made up but this helps capture the suffering in a way that black and white photos could not while this still holds the documentations of the b&w photo with enhanced detail.
and still many morons thinks this is not true
And even more succumb to conspiracy theories which root in antisemitism. And even more like to blame others for the misery in their life, thereby sending hatred to the world. You always hear "this cannot happen again". I am doubtful if mankind has learned its lesson.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
No kidding , we have become prisoners in our own homes!! It’s happening !!
Yes they are stupid, but even a moron can be good. Holocaust deniers are EVIL.
I honestly thought that was just a joke. We all get a good laugh about thinking the world is flat, but there are people who actually deny this kind of horror?!? I’m not sure I want to grow up anymore
Those are my exact thoughts!
There's people that believe the world is flat, so the planet is obviously filled with idiots.
It's a new thing for a few fringe idiots to say it's not true. Don't give them play time by even mentioning it. Ignore the idiots and they will go away.
What? Seriously???
Why would you even consider their sick beliefs? To even think of conspiracy theories such as those, makes you an accomplice as well. It’s not even worth passing through your mind.
I was just thinking the same thing- how theres people in this world that the holocaust never happened.
I know lots of people are going to disagree we me on this but people should know about the holocaust because it actually happened and lot of people died and even more were affected by it.
I agree, because if we do not learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Obviously, here in North America, we have not learned :'(
China and North Korea are already repeating it.
"We" will never learn from our history; "we" are incapable to do so. The hint: Nature does not discriminate.
my motto is "know your history"
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
We have concentration camps in N America? Where? Try Myanmar,China or N. Korea
It truly shocks me that there are actually people, who don`t know about the horrors of holocaust. I thought it was something that EVERYONE is told about in history class in school.
This is for Bill, who replied below: YES. America has had concentration camps. During WWII we sent a massive number of Japanese-Americans, mostly on the West Coast, to “internment” camps. It was allegedly because of a fear of espionage. The real reason was racism. They looked different, coincidentally sharing ethnicity with an “enemy” at the time, so were considered suspect. Additionally, we totally disenfranchised them by seizing their homes, businesses, and bank accounts—-for which we never paid them any reparations. For a more modern equivalent, you could say that Guantanamo is a modern-day version of a concentration camp, also for people who look different, and coincidentally share ethnicity with a contemporary “enemy”. Isn’t it funny how domestic terrorists, who are primarily white, haven’t been rounded up and sent to “internment” camps.
Bill should be put in one.
People who would disagree about that statement are garbage. The rot of Holocaust denial needs to be called out and destroyed any time it appears. Sunlight disinfects, but fire contains: Call out your friend's gramma, call out your uncle, call out randos on Twitter. Make it so unpleasant to be a denier, AND normalize an aggressive approach to it so that the idea withers and dies.
Incredibly difficult to get your mind around the hatred leveled at the Jewish people during that time. There were so many that enabled it and participated, but weren't wearing Nazi uniforms and not even living in Germany. Romanians, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian and French people all joined the hateful band wagon. The Holocaust also include many other groups that were either different or morally, and religiously against Nazism. There wer Jehova Witnesses, Protestant Christians, Catholics, Gypsies, accused conspirators against the Nazi government, mentally and or physically handicapped, and many others not mentioned here.
Poland and Polish people were victims there, not participants. Poland is blamed sometimes for participation in holocaust only because Germans created many camps on Polish land, but it was occupied at that time - Poland was the first country that was actually fighting against Nazis and nobody helped them, neither in 1939 nor in 1945, even tho Polish people were fighting with Germans around all Europe, Asia and Africa, including battle of England or Monte Casino. Also those are Polish people who are the majority of righteous among the nations of the world - those who did the most to save jewish people from holocaust. Please read about Pilecki or Irena Sendlerowa. You just shown lack of basic knowledge and respect with that ignorant comment
Obviously you know nothing about Romania, Poland snd these countries from SE Europe. ACTUALLY, ROMANIA SHORTENED THE WWII WITH SIX MONTHS, WHEN MY COUNTRY TURNED AGAINST GERMANY AT 23 AUGUST 1944.You should learn before speaking.
Yeah, the whole point of history is to not repeat stupid mistakes like this
This comment has been deleted.
This comment has been deleted.
The political correct history does not teach this as actually happening. Look at Germany the enemy has changed but the persecution of the Jews is happening now. It is a matter of time before the Christen Churches will soon be happening We have already have priests being murdered.
I can't imagine the tears you shed creating these photos. God Bless your heart and soul xoxo
Thank you, it was not an easy one but I'm really pleased with the response which has made it worthwhile.
You have no idea how far a ripple can travel. Thank you.
I have no words... Really.. No words. Thank you for posting this!
was amazing the pictures tom thankyou for them and taking the time to do them .. heartbreaking but real
You are a mensch.
I've seen your work before but Itsvan Reiner and a young blonde beautiful girl really caught my heart. God bless them all.
I agree with you but it is more than creating! This is bringing these images forward somehow. Creating implies the photos were made up but this helps capture the suffering in a way that black and white photos could not while this still holds the documentations of the b&w photo with enhanced detail.