hi guys!
About four years ago, I started doing a diorama of the gate of the famous concentration camp. Just a fact to portray what happened in history. This field is Auschwitz gate C.
I do not know if I continue with this project because it is a topic that generates much controversy.

I would like the opinion of all, so I can continue or not.

PS: I have no interest in showing any kind of abuse or people, just show the famous gate, a truck and some German to guard.

Hugs.

Although this is a historical depiction, you might want to give some thought as to how a vaguely presented diorama might be misinterpreted in some way as insensitive or worse, supportive, of the event. Just having Germans guarding the gate, in my opinion, does not clearly state a position so you might leave yourself open to some criticism.

Think carefully about what you are trying to say with this diorama and have your figures/vehicles "tell a story" to say it. The topic itself will likely generate much discussion no matter what you do, but you can help shape that discussion by crafting your story carefully.

If it were me, I would consider a similar diorama, but substitute American troops, just arriving at or discovering the site, and somehow pondering what they might (will) find behind those gates. Showing these troops in small discussion groups, or unloading rations from a truck, or some other depiction of "about to enter" will convey what is behind those gates but will also leave that to the imagination of the viewer rather than actually depicting the horror that took place there (which you already indicated you had no desire to do).

Let me be clear, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. You have the right to depict this with Germans if you prefer, but I think a stronger story might be made using US troops. But maybe that's just me. Members more versed in German history might suggest something else that works.

Whatever you do, best of luck. I'll be interested to see how you pull this off. It's a very provocative idea but one that I think can be intellectually challenging for the viewer in many ways if done correctly.

I might go with a couple of civilians looking at the gate. Maybe an old man, or woman, with a younger man, or woman, or both. You could call it 'Remembering', or something similar. Al

Regardless of how you set it, it will cause someone somewhere some displeasure. But, you cant pretty things up just because someone may get offended. We MODEL history in our dioramas, sometimes its humoruos, other times its not. You go ahead and do it the way you feel comfortable. But the sign will still say what it says and its ultimate part of history is forever cemented. If you put any civilians near it, with german soldiers, people will think they are being led in. Maybe your original idea, an empty truck, a german soldier(s) and the gate. The rest is left up to our imagination. Good Luck.

Hi,

very sensitive topic....as we say in France you will "walk on eggs".

I absolutely agree with Don (but i'm not sure that it was americans, i thought it was soviets for Auchwitz...), althought i don't want either to tell you what to do, but allied forces discovering the camp will temper the dio .

But to tell the truth i wouldn't want this sort of dio on my personals shelves, althougt i understand your historical reasoning.

That was my two cents...
cheers
nico

War artists were some of the first people to represent the atrocities of the Nazi regime. They were able to give the world a chance to see the horrors of the concentration camp system in a way that photos sometimes cannot do. If you are able to create a piece of art that makes people reflect on any period of history then the art is valid, be it a charcoal sketch, an oil painting or a model.
Hope this helps.

Rodrigo,

Creativity is one of the great developers and progressions of our fabulous hobby but with this topic I would exercise some caution mate. Do a diorama depicting soldiers freezing to death in the 1812 Russian Campaign or a small set piece of, say, crusaders sacking Jerusalem in 1099 and suggesting the resultant mass carnage of that event and people will praise it's painting, execution, originality, conversion etc. Something however which still relates to and directly impacts upon the living is a different matter. Alas of course, even if those directly affected don't take personal offence or are upset themselves, there is an entire sub-culture verging on an industry out there who live their entire lives on a hair-trigger just waiting for such an opportunity as this to be "offended" by just about anything and 'on behalf of' anyone else.

If you want to do a concentration camp topic that's a matter for you; but don't be too surprised by the resultant hysteria it's showing (however creative or well painted as a MODEL topic) will generate and your immediate demotion on the humanity scale (by some) to somewhere between that of a mass murderer and a kiddie fiddler!

So, good luck if you go ahead and decide to show it . Given however the comments verging on the hysterical that a topic on this very site sometime ago of whether or not depicting dead soldiers & civilians in dioramas was acceptable -inc. the inevitable allegations of "Racism" when refering to dios with Arab/Taliban dead depicted - I would happily sit back with a couple of beers and watch where this thread went !!!

Regards.
Gary

Hi Rodrigo . If you're looking for opinions, we had a similar topic a while time ago

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/178159#1496495

Cheers

thanks for everyone for expressing their opinions.

Really this is a very controversial topic. This can generate lots of discussion, depending on your point of view of each.

I'd like to move forward with this project, but I'm afraid that people interpret wrongly or offensive. If it continues I will literally be "walking on eggs."

I liked the idea of ​​putting the place already occupied by the allies, in this case by the Russian army.

The Soviets occupied the Auschwitz Jan. 27, 1945. What they found was so contrary to widespread propaganda that can be said that flabbergasted.

The organization and sanitary facilities - modern tremendously in the eyes of the Soviets - that field was exactly the opposite of a "death camp".

So for several days the official Soviet Communism, Pravda, was silent on the subject, and for some time the Russians did not invite any commission Allied to verify the true situation in place at Auschwitz. Finally in February 1th, Pravda broke the silence.

Anyway, thank you so far.

Well..if you go into the deepness of all of the modelling passion, you will get the aknowledge, that we are modelling things which kill people..
For me a model of Ausschwitz´s gates is ok. It´s part of history and if there is no glorifying of anything,then its absolutely ok for me.

Very true.
Rodrigo ... you have to ask yourself ... who are you modelling for .... your self or somebody here? Its you time, money, model etc. Build what you want.
You dont have to show it here, if you do, be prepared for those that Gary mentioned to hop all over it.

In my humble opinion if the dio would depict only the infamous gate and some Russians in front of it who seem to think : "what is this place?" "What is it for?" wouldn't be an offensive diorama. Furthermore I think that would depict more or less what actually happened before they entered in the camp
Maybe it will be an offensive diorama just if you depict some gruesome scene

Just for my two cents . . . my Dad's unit liberated a work camp (not a death camp like Auschwitz.) He said that the reaction of the soldiers in "Band of Brothers" was pretty accurate, I imagine it would be the same for Soviets, shock, disbelief, horror. I think that if you keep in mind the horrible crime against humanity that this was, your heart will lead you in the right direction.

As an editorial, the men and women who saw this are going to their rewards now, its up to us to remember the horror so that it can never happen again.

Dont worry about walking on eggs. Its history. Not saying it should be gruesome, (ala the one dio I saw of the KKK hanging an african american). And that one I mentioned drew best of show. But go ahead, im sure it will be interesting nonetheless. I will stand by you as, in some opinions, your dio will still be art. As its depicting a scene which is to draw emotion.

I'd love to see it.

being a rare and much talked aboout subject, it is in scale, model, and depicts a fact in history, being a very cruel part.

there is indeed still a big scare in depicting such scene's as those might be offensive to some, I then wonder how bias it sometimes is, a depiction of a "Rebel/freedomfighter/terrorist" being interrogated by russian specail forces on a dio with a (very nicely done )T80 got a lot of coverage and none spoke of if it might be offensive to some people, nor is depicting a scene where soldiers die (russian, german, ect ect) many of whom had been drafted into an army, fighting a cause they really didn't support.

returning to topic, these are the subject most difficult to make I think, you're gonna have to make it a perfect scale repro, and don't put the figs on, take away the meaning of that evil gate,make it stand alone, like those who build it back then...


greetz

It's cool to see the "discussion" about this topic.

I think "carefully" represented will not be offensive. How Ejasonk said (and if you look well, the entire Second World War was a bloodbath) our hobby is to portray a time when many people died.
It's like the director could not portray what happened in the movie "The Pianist". It is a fact. Actually happened.

What I really want to show is the "arrival of true freedom." (with the presence of the allies) and also show that "GOOD ALWAYS WINS - sooner or later".

The phrase at the gate "Arbeit Match frei" means "work makes free". But in reality imprison innocent people.

Thanks for all the comments.

I feel with friends here. I hope one day to meet them in person.

regards,
Rodrigo

build the gate. the only people offended by it should be holocaust denial fanatics. others should praise it for "not letting any forget" what evil humans are capable of.

Adam

If you want to build it, then go ahead and build it. And if some politically-correct handwringers find it "offensive", that's their problem and says more about them than it says about you.

At Euromilitaire there was a vignette of a concentration camp victim pushing a wheelbarrow next to a barbed wire fence. I think it may even have won a Gold Medal (not sure) but in any case it was a very well executed piece and as others have said, models like that depict a moment in history. Much like Keith Forsythe's excellent diorama that was also featured on here so time ago of Jews being herded towards one of the death trains.

Personally I have no time for these self-righteous, holier-than-thou idiots who get "offended" on other people's behalf and try to airbrush history. Especially when they themselves are at the same time cheerfully building models of tanks, aircraft and other sundry machinery of death and destruction, in some cases even adorning their builds with Nazi / SS insignia and such like.

Over on planetFigure recently there was much hallaballoo about a new female erotic figure that some company has put out. And sure enough, it didn't take long for some posters to start hammering away at their keyboards in moral indignation, foaming at the mouth about how anyone interested in such figures must be some kind of sexual deviant. Others were screaming in horror about "children being corrupted" ... and so on and so on.

Then a voice of sanity chimed in saying (and I quote) "strange how so many respond so negatively to sexual content - we morally well-rounded folks who glorify war with our carefully crafted creations."

I found myself nodding wholeheartedly in agreement, and as far as I'm concerned the same principle applies in the case of your own proposed diorama.

- Steve

Here the vignette shown at Euromilitaire (Which has made by two Italian modellers.)

http://www.modellismopiu.it/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic_id=121319&forum=6&viewmode=flat&order=0

Here Keith Forsythe's dio

https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/468&page=1

These are the pictures of my diorama. It is mounted (and in stand by) for 4 years.
I still have enough things to do, but I'll return in a few weeks, I'm still working on two other dioramas. One is this one:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/181704&page=1

Well done indeed Rodrigo

Rodrigo, I commend you for your bravery on this. I love the idea of the Allies walking up to the gate not knowing what lie ahead of them. It leave it open, and yet, everyone knows exactly what happened there, denial or none.
The fact is, and I think this was duly stated, we're all modelling armor, ships, weapons, tanks, destroyed buildings, ect. Really, all of these models relate to some war somewhere in some point in time. We do our best to be honest with the placement of figures, armor, and the like. Building a dio based on the Holocaust is not negative, to me. I think it's a sentiment, as long as the portrayal isn't negative, which you stated it wouldn't be. I also think that you're pulling it off really well, from what I see here already. I believe you will do this justice and I also believe it is just a moment in time, when humans were at their worst. War is hell, they say, and no dio about war is any different than this one. What happened was terrible, but it deserves to live on in art, and this is one way of doing that.
Good job on this. Count me in for updates, I'm excited to see where you take this one.
Brandi

Rodrigo very nicely done, it doesn’t promote what occurred behind those gates and as such I cannot see any obvious reason for someone to be offended by it.

Rodrigo, I'm reading a book about the Russian counter offensive against the Reich in 1945. According to the references, Russian entered in the camp in Winter, so most likely weather was snowy (but you should verify)
The first that found the camp, were recognition patrols on horseback.
When Russians looked what was in the camp, they called lots of medical troops.

Hi Rodrigo,

Excellent work. I think it is important that these horrific events are not forgotten and how you finish this will determine whether or not it will be a thought evoking and historically correct scene. As others have said what message/image do you want to get across here is the important issue. The face of one young child peering through the gates at the outside world comes to mind.

A brave move, which I hope you finish thoughtfully.

Al