ExperiencesinaConcentrationCamp

fromMansSearchforMeaning
byViktorFrankl

Irememberapersonalexperience.Almostintearsfrompain(I
hadterriblesoresonmyfeetfromwearingtornshoes),Ilimpedafew
kilometerswithourlongcolumnofmenfromthecamptoourworksite.
Verycold,bitterwindsstruckus.Ikeptthinkingoftheendlesslittle
problemsofourmiserablelife.Whatwouldtherebetoeattonight?Ifa
pieceofsausagecameasextraration,shouldIexchangeitforapieceof
bread?ShouldItrademylastcigarette,whichwasleftfromabonusI
receivedafortnightago,forabowlofsoup?HowcouldIgetapieceof
wiretoreplacethefragmentwhichservedasoneofmyshoelaces?
WouldIgettoourworksiteintimetojoinmyusualworkingpartyor
wouldIhavetojoinanother,whichmighthaveabrutalforeman?What
couldIdotogetongoodtermswiththeCapo,whocouldhelpmeobtain
workincampinsteadofundertakingthishorriblylongdailymarch?

Ibecamedisgustedwiththestateofaffairswhichcompelledme,
dailyandhourly,tothinkofonlysuchtrivialthings.Iforcedmy
thoughtstoturntoanothersubject.SuddenlyIsawmyselfstandingon
theplatformofawelllit,warmandpleasantlectureroom.Infrontof
mesatanattentiveaudienceoncomfortableupholsteredseats.Iwas
givingalectureonthepsychologyoftheconcentrationcamp!Allthat
oppressedmeatthatmomentbecameobjective,seenanddescribed
fromtheremoteviewpointofscience.BythismethodIsucceeded
somehowinrisingabovethesituation,abovethesufferingsofthe
moment,andIobservedthemasiftheywerealreadyofthepast.BothI
andmytroublesbecametheobjectofaninterestingpsychoscientific
studyundertakenbymyself.WhatdoesSpinozasayinhisEthics?
Affectus,quipassioest,desinitessepassiosimulatqueeiusclaramet
distinctamformamusideam.Emotion,whichissuffering,ceasestobe
sufferingassoonasweformaclearandprecisepictureofit.

Theprisonerwhohadlostfaithinthefuturehisfuturewas
doomed.Withhislossofbeliefinthefuture,healsolosthisspiritual
hold;helethimselfdeclineandbecamesubjecttomentalandphysical
decay.Usuallythishappenedquitesuddenly,intheformofacrisis,the
symptomsofwhichwerefamiliartotheexperiencedcampinmate.We
allfearedthismomentnotforourselves,whichwouldhavebeen
pointless,butforourfriends.Usuallyitbeganwiththeprisonerrefusing
onemorningtogetdressedandwasortogooutontheparadegrounds.

Noentreaties,noblows,nothreatshadanyeffect.Hejustlaythere,
hardlymoving.Ifthiscrisiswasbroughtaboutbyanillness,herefused
tobetakentothesickbayortodoanythingtohelphimself.Hesimply
gaveup.Thereheremained,lyinginhisownexcreta,andnothing
botheredhimanymore.

Ioncehadadramaticdemonstrationofthecloselinkbetween
thelossoffaithinthefutureandthisdangerousgivingup.F,my
seniorblockwarden,afairlywellknowncomposerandlibrettist,
confidedinmeoneday:Iwouldliketotellyousomething,Doctor.I
havehadastrangedream.AvoicetoldmethatIcouldwishfor
something,thatIshouldonlysaywhatIwantedtoknow,andallmy
questionswouldbeanswered.WhatdoyouthinkIasked?ThatIwould
liketoknowwhenthewarwouldbeoverforme.YouknowwhatI
mean,Doctorforme!Iwantedtoknowwhenwe,whenourcamp,
wouldbeliberatedandoursufferingscometoanend.

Andwhendidyouhavethisdream?Iasked.

InFebruary,1945,heanswered.Itwasthenthebeginningof
March.

Whatdidyourdreamvoiceanswer?

Furtivelyhewhisperedtome,Marchthirtieth.

WhenFtoldmeabouthisdream,hewasstillfullofhopeand
convincedthatthevoiceofhisdreamwouldberight.Butasthe
promiseddaydrewnearer,thewarnewswhichreachedourcampmade
itappearveryunlikelythatwewouldbefreeonthepromiseddate.On
Marchtwentyninth,Fsuddenlybecameillandranahigh
temperature.OnMarchthirtieth,thedayhisprophecyhadtoldhimthat
thewarandsufferingwouldbeoverforhim,hebecamedeliriousand
lostconsciousness.OnMarchthirtyfirst,hewasdead.Toalloutward
appearances,hehaddiedoftyphus.

Thosewhoknowhowclosetheconnectionisbetweenthestate
ofmindandamanhiscourageandhope,orlackofthemandthe
stateofimmunityofhisbodywillunderstandthatthesuddenlossof
hopeandcouragecanhaveadeadlyeffect.Theultimatecauseofmy
friendsdeathwasthattheexpectedliberationdidnotcomeandhewas
severelydisappointed.Thissuddenlyloweredhisbodysresistance
againstthelatenttyphusinfection.Hisfaithinthefutureandhiswillto
livehadbecomeparalyzedandhisbodyfellvictimtoillnessandthus
thevoiceofhisdreamwasrightafterall.

Theobservationsofthisonecaseandtheconclusiondrawnfrom
themareinaccordancewithsomethingthatwasdrawntomyattention

bythechiefdoctorofourconcentrationcamp.Thedeathrateinthe
weekbetweenChristmas,1944,andNewYears,1945,increasedin
campbeyondallpreviousexperience.Inhisopinion,theexplanationfor
thisincreasedidnotlieintheharderworkingconditionsorthe
deteriorationofourfoodsuppliesorachangeofweatherornew
epidemics.Itwassimplythatthemajorityoftheprisonershadlivedin
thenavehopethattheywouldbehomeagainbyChristmas.Asthetime
drewnearandtherewasnoencouragingnews,theprisonerslost
courageanddisappointmentovercamethem.Thishadadangerous
influenceontheirpowersofresistanceandagreatnumberofthemdied.
Aswesaidbefore,anyattempttorestoreamansinnerstrength
inthecamphadfirsttosucceedinshowinghimsomefuturegoal.
Nietzscheswords,Hewhohasawhytoliveforcanbearwithalmost
anyhow,couldbetheguidingmottoforallpsychotherapeuticand
psychohygieniceffortsregardingprisoners.Whenevertherewasan
opportunityforit,onehadtogivethemawhyanaimfortheirlives,
inordertostrengthenthemtobeartheterriblehowoftheirexistence.
Woetohimwhosawnomoresenseinhislife,noaim,nopurpose,and
thereforenopointincarryingon.Hewassoonlost.Thetypicalreply
withwhichsuchamanrejectedallencouragingargumentswas,Ihave
nothingtoexpectfromlifeanymore.Whatsortofanswercanonegive
tothat?

Whatwasreallyneededwasafundamentalchangeinour
attitudetowardlife.Wehadtolearnourselvesand,furthermore,wehad
toteachthedespairingmen,thatitdidnotreallymatterwhatwe
expectedfromlife,butratherwhatlifeexpectedfromus.Weneededto
stopaskingaboutthemeaningoflife,andinsteadtothinkofourselves
asthosewhowerebeingquestionedbylifedailyandhourly.Our
answermustconsist,notintalkandmeditation,butinrightactionand
inrightconduct.Lifeultimatelymeanstakingtheresponsibilitytofind
therightanswertoitsproblemsandtofulfillthetaskswhichit
constantlysetsforeachindividual.

Thesetasks,andthereforethemeaningoflife,differfrommanto
man,andfrommomenttomoment.Thusitisimpossibletodefinethe
meaningoflifeinageneralway.Questionsaboutthemeaningoflifecan
neverbeansweredbysweepingstatements.Lifedoesnotmean
somethingvague,butsomethingveryrealandconcrete,justaslifes
tasksarealsoveryrealandconcrete.Theyformmansdestiny,whichis
differentanduniqueforeachindividual.Nomanandnodestinycanbe
comparedwithanyothermanoranyotherdestiny.Nosituationrepeats

itself,andeachsituationcallsforadifferentresponse.Sometimesthe
situationinwhichamanfindshimselfmayrequirehimtoshapehisown
fatebyaction.Atothertimesitismoreadvantageousforhimtomake
useofanopportunityforcontemplationandtorealizeassetsinthisway.
Sometimesmanmayberequiredsimplytoacceptfate,tobearhiscross.
Everysituationisdistinguishedbyitsuniqueness,andthereisalways
onlyonerightanswertotheproblemposedbythesituationathand.

Whenamanfindsthatitishisdestinytosuffer,hewillhaveto
accepthissufferingashistask;hissingleanduniquetask.Hewillhave
toacknowledgethefactthateveninsufferingheisuniqueandalonein
theuniverse.Noonecanrelievehimofhissufferingorsufferinhis
place.Hisuniqueopportunityliesinthewayinwhichhebearshis
burden.

Forus,asprisoners,thesethoughtswerenotspeculationsfar
removedfromreality.Theyweretheonlythoughtsthatcouldbeofhelp
tous.Theykeptusfromdespair,evenwhenthereseemedtobeno
chanceofcomingoutofitalive.Longagowehadpassedthestageof
askingwhatwasthemeaningoflife,anavequerywhichunderstands
lifeastheattainingofsomeaimthroughtheactivecreationofsomething
ofvalue.Forus,themeaningoflifeembracedthewidercyclesoflifeand
death,ofsufferingandofdying.

Oncethemeaningofsufferinghadbeenrevealedtous,we
refusedtominimizeoralleviatethecampstorturesbyignoringthemor
harboringfalseillusionsandentertainingartificialoptimism.Suffering
hadbecomeataskonwhichwedidnotwanttoturnourbacks.Wehad
realizeditshiddenopportunitiesforachievement,theopportunities
whichcausedthepoetRilketowrite,Wievielistaufzuleiden!(How
muchsufferingthereistogetthrough!)Rilkespokeofgettingthrough
sufferingasotherswouldtalkofgettingthroughwork.Therewas
plentyofsufferingforustogetthrough.Therefore,itwasnecessaryto
faceuptothefullamountofsuffering,tryingtokeepmomentsof
weaknessandfurtivetearstoaminimum.Buttherewasnoneedtobe
ashamedoftears,fortearsborewitnessthatamanhadthegreatestof
courage,thecouragetosuffer.Onlyveryfewrealizedthat.
Shamefacedlysomeconfessedoccasionallythattheyhadwept,likethe
comradewhoansweredmyquestionofhowhehadgottenoverhis
edema,byconfessing,Ihaveweptitoutofmysystem.

Thetenderbeginningsofapsychotherapyorpsychohygiene
were,whentheywerepossibleatallinthecamp,eitherindividualor
collectiveinnature.Theindividualpsychotherapeuticattemptswere

oftenakindoflifesavingprocedure.Theseeffortswereusually
concernedwiththepreventionofsuicides.Averystrictcampruling
forbadeanyeffortstosaveamanwhoattemptedsuicide.Itwas
forbidden,forexampletocutdownamanwhowastryingtohang
himself.Therefore,itwasallimportanttopreventtheseattemptsfrom
occurring.

Iremembertwocasesofwouldbesuicide,whichboreastriking
similaritytoeachother.Bothmenhadtalkedoftheirintentionsto
commitsuicide.Bothusedthetypicalargumenttheyhadnothing
moretoexpectfromlife.Inbothcasesitwasaquestionofgettingthem
torealizethatlifewasstillexpectingsomethingfromthem;somethingin
thefuturewasexpectedofthem.Wefound,infact,thatfortheoneit
washischildwhomheadoredandwhowaswaitingforhiminaforeign
country.Fortheotheritwasathing,notaperson.Thismanwasa
scientistandhadwrittenaseriesofbookswhichstillneededtobe
finished.Hisworkcouldnotbedonebyanyoneelse,anymorethan
anotherpersoncouldevertaketheplaceofthefatherinhischilds
affections.

Thisuniquenessandsinglenesswhichdistinguisheseach
individualandgivesameaningtohisexistencehasabearingoncreative
workasmuchasitdoesonhumanlove.Whentheimpossibilityof
replacingapersonisrealized,itallowstheresponsibilitywhichaman
hasforhisexistenceanditscontinuancetoappearinallitsmagnitude.
Amanwhobecomesconsciousoftheresponsibilityhebearstowarda
humanbeingwhoaffectionatelywaitsforhim,ortoanunfinishedwork,
willneverbeabletothrowawayhislife.Heknowsthewhyforhis
existence,andwillbeabletobearalmostanyhow.