The Psychoanalytical View of Traumas Arising from Incarceration in a Concentration Camp

The specific damage to the individual’s psychological structure, caused by stress during incarceration in a concentration camp, stems from the historical-biographical dimension – from the subjective experience of the traumatic occurrence.1See Quindeau 1995, p. 39. In other words, the cause of the trauma ensues from those involved having been subjected to a past situation. Damage to an individual does not arise from incidental abuse, but from a continuous succession of traumatic events typical of the situation in a concentration camp.

Through what has happened to them in concentration camps, a ‘realistic psychotic cosmos’ ensues,2Eissler 1963 a world view mainly characterised by the traumatic experiences undergone.

There are many factors which jointly form the traumatic circumstances in concentration camps. Such as

‘being torn away from the familiar socio-cultural environment and the family structure; the permanent fear of being separated from close relatives; facing torture and murder; the always powerless expectation of one’s own violent death (by “selection”, torture, starvation, forced labour, being subjected to so-called medical experiments, etc.); curbing any initiative, through barbaric re-infantilising; the de-individualisation (by giving persons a number and confiscating all personal possessions); the destruction of private lives and the removal of shame-barriers; systematically disabling the principle of causality (there was no reason given for whatever happened, it was inexplicable); depriving prisoners of the sense of time (there were no clocks and no calendar) thus rendering it impossible to bring structure into their lives; the constant disillusionment and humiliation of a minority destined for destruction.’3Grubrich-Simitis 1979, p. 997. Cited after Quindeau 1997, p. 40 f.

When a trauma cosmos made up of all these elements develops, having an impact on all concerned, this is also referred to as ‘cumulative traumatisation’ of the victims.4The concept stems from Kahn (1963).

Alfred Lorenzer emphasised that a key feature of the Nazi regime was aimed at destruction of the victim’s individuality. The concentration camp structure caused an interruption of continuity of life for those involved, comparable to a broken identity. Survival hope of the victims was then reduced by the essential artificial infantilisation of the Ego,5See Quindeau 1995, p. 41 that signifies regression. This Ego defense mechanism brings the danger of causing the ’Muselmann syndrome’, when regression advances to the oral stage. Total lethargy follows with no will to carry on so that even survival is endangered.

Incarceration in a concentration camp causes traumatisation that permanently destroys the narcissistic libido traits.6Freud understood libido to be the human sexual energy reserve. In the narcissistic stage of development after birth, the libido is selfish, that is, directed towards the individual. Only when conception of objects has been developed – that is, the symbiotic stage has been overcome when the infant sees himself as one with the mother – then the libidinal energy can also be directed to objects. Love of oneself and object love form a dialectical unity of drive and non-drive feelings. This is called ‘narcissism’ (Krefting 1999). This can lead to the disappearance of all Ego and Object occupation and is tantamount to death for the individual.7See Quindeau 1995, p. 42.

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