From Forests to Rabbits
Reconsidering Human and Nonhuman Agency in Concentration Camps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18640941Keywords:
Dehumanization, Nonhuman, Material Witness, Human–nonhuman Relations, Memory and MaterialityAbstract
This article argues that Nazi concentration camps blurred the line between human and nonhuman by juxtaposing dehumanised prisoners with animals kept in camp zoos and the SS Angora project. Drawing on survivor testimonies, philosophical posthumanism, comic books, and the concept of the "material witness," the study argues that overcoming anthropocentrism is essential for rethinking perspectives on life, memory, and testimony. The Nazi system’s hierarchy of life – caring for rabbits while people starved – demonstrates how domination relies on rigid species boundaries. By treating nonhuman actors, such as trees, animals, and landscapes, as witnesses, the article proposes posthumanist solidarity and shared vulnerability. These challenges inherited notions of humanity and claims that perception should become an ethical act, involving both human and nonhuman agents, in the reconstruction of history.
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