Alina Nowak, Oratorium oświęcimskie [Auschwitz Oratorio]

Halina Filipowicz (University of Wisconsin)
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Alina Nowak’s drama, Oratorium oświęcimskie [Auschwitz Oratorio, 1970], is set in Auschwitz-Birkenau. That sentence almost closes the subject. One might be tempted to conclude that we already have sufficient knowledge of this sprawling camp complex that housed Nazi Germany’s largest killing center for European Jews. Such a conclusion, however, would be too hasty. As Peter Hayes, a leading historian of the Holocaust, points out, “Much about what happened [in Auschwitz-Birkenau] still awaits elucidation” (Hayes, 331).

How Auschwitz-Birkenau has come to represent the “capital of the Holocaust” is well documented (Hayes, 330). In contrast, documentation on births in the camp is riddled w…

2175 words

Citation: Filipowicz, Halina. "Oratorium oświęcimskie". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 October 2021 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40585, accessed 28 March 2024.]

40585 Oratorium oświęcimskie 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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