Execution as popular entertainment Summary and Analysis

Chapter 6, "'Execution as popular entertainment'—the murder of Jews as a public spectacle" details numerous occasions upon which executions of Jews were organized as entertainment and publicized in advance. On a few occasions details of soldiers were ordered to participate as spectators and on other occasions punishment of civilians was carried out by ordering them to attend as spectators. In all events described, local citizens and soldiers in the area participated in the events as spectators. Occasionally, soldiers would proceed from spectator to active participant in the firing lines. Often the executions would take a violent turn as citizens would spontaneously beat those victims destined for execution. Note that consistent with most of the documents in the text, individuals providing statements generally attempt to exclude or exculpate themselves from the activities while simultaneously being...