MUSIC AND SONGS AS A MEANS OF SELF-DEFENSE OF CONCENTRATION CAMP PRISONERS

There were thousands of people of various nationalities and professions, like musicians, composers, men of letters and poets in German Nazi concentration camps. Each camp had an orchestra created by the prisoners, a famous bass or a tenor. Music and singing were a vital element of holding the self-defense spirit among the prisoners. This issue is neither explored, nor is it presented by the camp martyrdom historians. The author, basing on the memories of prisoners and their documents, depicts different forms of creativity and how it affected the psychic of the prisoners who were terrorized, tortured and in constant danger of losing their life. This kind of art has a unique value also for psychologists.