Media: This painting is part of the Deaf Survivors of the Holocaust series by artist Nancy Rourke and is available for sale.
A note from the Artist-
I have been wanting to make art about the Deaf Survivors of the Holocaust during World War II because it is important to include that in the Deaf History. I think people would appreciate to see the works, is a message, to always remember the Survivors and to know the human rights and humanity.
This is to acknowledge the people I have contacted, and received permission to make art. The credits go to the Survivors’ family. Thank you for giving me the honour to make art about the Deaf Survivors of the Holocaust.
-Nancy Rourke
There are two parts about the Deaf Survivors of the Holocaust in the painting. This painting came from my own imagination after reading the books and watching the videos. There is a picture of David Bloch’s artwork, Roll Call in the Dachau Concentration Camp, end of November 1938, however, I changed the image to include David when he had a flashback, he gazed at his palm, and he thought about the camp in his own envision.
Two women were Deaf Germans and one man was Deaf Jewish, from Floss, Germany.
The woman on the right side, name is Fräulein Franziska “Fanny” Schwarz and she was part Jewish (possibly on her mother side) and part Catholic (on her father side). Fanny was Deaf, and both of her parents were Deaf, and her sister was Deaf, and her brother was hearing. Her mother first got a letter from a health office that stated Fanny was to be arranged for a sterilization because she was Deaf. Fanny was 16 years old at the time. A letter came again, and Fanny refused to go. The police took her and she screamed all the way to the hospital. She was locked in a room with two other Deaf teenagers. The nurse gave her four shots of tranquilizer, and she fought her off and ran to the stairs. She was sterilized. Later, Fanny got married and became pregnant. She was sterilized before. She got another letter from the health office. At the hospital, she took off her clothes and went into the examining room, and the doctor told her to go into the other room. She couldn’t find her clothes. She was naked for three days because she was to take a urine test, and couldn’t. The doctor kept her in the changing room and locked the door. She was on the fifth floor, and she hid behind the door and when the nurse walked in, she ran out to the stairs. She got caught and locked in the room. The doctor told her, that the baby had to go out. Fanny ran again and the nurse caught her and dragged her by the hair and put her in a room with barred window. Fanny ran out again and the nurse injected her. She then woke up with terrible pains, the doctor took her baby. She had a forced abortion. The nurse said it was a normal baby boy. Four months old. Later, she was sterilized again. She was married and for a long while, she had painful intercourses, and swollen breasts, and she had to have a right breast removed. Fanny became blind later in life.
The woman at the table with the girl (she was younger), name is Helga Gross. She had her forced sterilization at age 16. She never understood why she had to have sterilization, but thought she had to go through the surgery. She watched the other Deaf girls going through sterilization. She was very calm and had her surgery. Her mother was shocked and upset. Until Helga moved to USA in 1954, she went to visit her sister to see her new baby, not realizing she was sterilized the first time. She ran and sobbed in the bathroom. There are torn ripped papers on the floor, underneath the table, were the forms to join the Nazi Party. She carried the papers for a long time, until the war ended and never did signed the papers. She refused to sign the papers.
The man’s name is David Bloch. He was sent to Dachau concentration camp in Munich, Germany. When David first learned of the rise of Nazi Germany, he thought God would take care of everything. The Nazi came and took him to Dachau. He was given a number 21096. He saw everything happened at the camp and became dismayed to why God did not help? He made the eye of God, closed.
The Meaning of Symbols behind the painting
There are signs for ‘HILTER CUT’, meaning sterilization during the Nazi regime in the 1930s to mid 1940s.
David Bloch held an eye on his palm, meaning God is asleep. From his interpretation of a closed eye from his painting, Roll Call in the Dachau Concentration Camp, end of November 1938, it means, God did not help.
The background behind David Bloch, is the Dachau Concentration Camp, with thousands of victims marching in line.
The crushed papers on the floor underneath the table, are the Nazi Party form for Helga to join and she refused.
The red floor, from right to left of the painting, is the constant bleeding from the abusive sterilization of Fräulein Franziska “Fanny” Schwarz.
The baby refers to forced abortion.
The blue tapes on eyes refers to either ‘not knowing’ or ‘was blind’ and mouth refers to ‘keeping quiet and not want anyone to know what happened inside the building.’
The blue tapes on vaginas refers to sterilization.
The body hole refers to ‘disempowerment’, that is taken away from own body. The fallopian tubes are so precious is GONE forever and makes the person feels empty and lost. The same goes to a plate with the fallopian tubes, refers to being sterilized, and left on a plate, is the sign of abusive.
The hands cover over vaginas refers to feeling ashamed, and lost of human rights.
Blood pool refers to constant bleeding, and never stops, is the sign of forever trauma and life being abused.
Source: Nancy Rourke 2020
