Founded in 1940, Auschwitz was the last stop for many of those persecuted by the Nazis in and around Southern Poland. Mostly Jewish prisoners rounded up from the various military-enforced ghettos and captured freedom fighters found themselves being sorted: those who were not sent to the gas chambers were branded like cattle, forcibly tattooed with a number. More than 80 years later, a handful of Auschwitz survivors share their experiences and explore the connection they have with the tattoos forced on them by the Nazis.
As a critical event in the past 100 years of history, survivors of the Nazi death camps have offered many interviews. Even today, it remains a popular topic for documentarians. I mention this because Numbered fails to add anything new to the conversation, and if you’re looking for content to build or flesh out a collection, there are better, more interesting titles. Numbered doesn’t give enough space to these survivors’ stories, focusing more on feelings about the tattoos that were used to brand them. The part that really bugged me was the focus on one woman’s adoption of her father’s tattoo for herself. Not only do these segments feel more like padding than worthwhile content, but there’s an element of performance that really rubbed me the wrong way. In a way, it was like watching someone cosplay—taking up space that should have been given to survivors to speak and share their history.
Those interested in expanding their already large Holocaust documentary collections may consider Numbered a bit more highly, but those looking to create new collections or flesh out smaller library shelves should look to other titles first. While some viewers may find the focus on how a few of these survivors feel about their tattoos interesting, many more will wish there was more space for them to speak about their lives before and during the Holocaust. Optional Purchase.
Should libraries include Numbered in their Holocaust or Jewish Studies collections?
While Numbered may not be essential for libraries building foundational Holocaust collections, it could serve as a complementary title in more comprehensive archives. Its thematic focus on bodily marking and legacy adds a unique, if limited, angle. Public and academic libraries with extensive Jewish Studies, Trauma Studies, or Memory and Memorialization resources may find it useful.
What makes Numbered distinct among Holocaust documentaries?
Numbered centers not just on survivor testimony, but specifically on the tattoos assigned to prisoners at Auschwitz. While many Holocaust documentaries focus on the broader context of war, genocide, and resistance, Numbered narrows in on the emotional and cultural legacy of these numbers. This thematic specificity may appeal to educators or researchers interested in memory studies, visual symbolism, or trauma narratives.
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