Holocaust
The historical event that saw the mass extermination of Jews, gypsies and other members of society by the Nazis in Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, in the 1940s.
Shoah
The Hebrew word for the Holocaust.
Intertextuality
The technique in literature where books, plays and poetry make references to other works of literature or take inspiration from them.
Anthology
A collection of poetry, typically published under a common theme. 'Deathfugue' is one of the most anthologized poems in Germany.
Concentration camp
The violent places in which prisoners of the Nazis were kept, often in squalid conditions.
Primo Levi
A major figure in twentieth century literature, Levi survived the Holocaust. He was a key contemporary of Celan.
Black milk of daybreak
A symbol of life in the camp. Milk is supposed to be white in color; black milk indicates the unnourished state of life of the camps.
Digging a grave
A symbol of forced labour. It was in those graves where those killed in concentration camps are unceremoniously buried
Snake
An animal meant to evoke connotations of the first sin and evil.
(Adam and Eve story)
Blue eyes
Eyes symbolic of Aryan identity (race)
Master
Slave master or the German master.
Margarete
The heroine of Goethe's Faust. Her golden hair refers to her German identity.
