Etty Hillesum (1914–1943)
Author of An Interrupted Life: The Diaries of Etty Hillesum 1941-43
About the Author
Image credit: Etty Hillesum in 1940 - Collectie Joods Historisch Museum
Works by Etty Hillesum
El cor pensant dels barracons: Cartes des d'Amsterdam i el camp de Westerbork (Clàssics de la pau i la noviolència) (Catalan Edition) (2017) 3 copies
Ich will die Chronistin dieser Zeit werden : sämtliche Tagebücher und Briefe 1941-1943 (2023) 2 copies
J'avais encore mille choses a te demander: L'univers interieur d'Etty Hillesum (2009) 1 copy, 1 review
Diario Edizione integrale 1 copy
Lettere (1942-1943) 1 copy
Associated Works
The Assassin's Cloak: An Anthology of the World's Greatest Diarists (2000) — Contributor, some editions — 623 copies, 9 reviews
Wise Women: Over Two Thousand Years of Spiritual Writing by Women (1996) — Contributor — 228 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Hillesum, Esther
- Other names
- Hillesum, Esther
Pluym, Johannes Baptiste van der - Birthdate
- 1914-01-15
- Date of death
- 1943-11-30
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Amsterdam University
- Occupations
- diarist
- Relationships
- Smelik, Klaas (Receiver of the diaries)
- Short biography
- Esther ("Etty") Hillesum's father was a teacher in classical languages. After graduating from gymnasium, she enrolled in the University of Amsterdam, where she completed law studies in 1939. Etty then moved on to study Slavic languages in Amsterdam and Leiden. Etty had many friends, including among the emigres who fled Nazi persecution elsewhere in Europe. Among these was Julius Spier, a psychologist she met in 1941. Spier, whom she calls "S" in her diaries, became her teacher and also her great love. It was he who advised Etty to keep a diary in order to record her inner thoughts. In July 1942, Etty Hillesum got a job at the Jewish Council in Amsterdam. At her own request, she was transferred to Westerbork, a detention camp for Jews. As a member of the Jewish Council she had a special travel visa that made it possible for her to return to Amsterdam on several occasions. She became ill in the winter of 1942-43, but refused the offers of friends to go into hiding. She chose to stay with her people and returned to Westerbork. On September 7, 1943, the Hillesum family was transported to Poland, and Etty died in Auschwitz. She left behind an her diaries and letters, which were finally published in an anthology in 1981. The book was immediately a great success worldwide. In 1986, the complete and unabridged edition of her works was issued. Etty Hillesum's diaries reveal how she rapidly developed into a mature and independent woman in solidarity with her people. In 1993, 50 years after her death, the Etty Hillesum Foundation gave the original diaries and letters to the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam.
- Nationality
- Netherlands
- Birthplace
- Middelburg, Zeeland, Netherlands
- Places of residence
- Middelburg, Netherlands
Deventer, Netherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Westerbork Concentration Camp
Auschwitz, Poland - Place of death
- Auschwitz, Poland
- Burial location
- Auschwitz, Poland (No grave)
- Associated Place (for map)
- Netherlands
Members
Discussions
WP:List of posthumous publications of Holocaust victims in Collaborative work (April 2012)
Reviews
Etty Hillesum’s extraordinary diary and letters are a chronicle of the Holocaust unlike any other I’ve read. They are devastating, uplifting, and above all distinctive. Her voice comes through so clearly and powerfully, as she initially describes her daily life in Amsterdam and then in the Westerbork labour camp. Her final letter was a postcard thrown from the train that took her to Auschwitz, where she, her parents, and her brother were killed in 1943. As circumstances for Jews in The show more Netherlands deteriorated, she attempted to protect her family and friends, while retaining an incredible inner strength. Her spirituality appears from her writing quite bible-centric, yet her view of suffering recalled Buddhism. Not that I know a great deal about any religion in particular, but I was strongly reminded of [b:The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World|29496453|The Book of Joy Lasting Happiness in a Changing World|Dalai Lama XIV|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458496394s/29496453.jpg|49782515], a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. How strange that a book chronicling one of the most horrific crimes against humanity should remind me of such a title! In that dialogue, the essential similarity between Christian prayer and Buddhist meditation is emphasised. Etty Hillesum cultivated habits of introspection and prayer that seem a lot like meditation and her acceptance of suffering while rejecting hatred echoes the Dalai Lama. For example, she wrote in 1942:
Her diary and letters confront the reader with complex questions about the nature of resistance in extreme circumstances. Etty refused opportunities to potentially escape or hide, despite knowing that if she stayed in Westerbrok she would almost certainly be transported to Poland and killed. Her love of life, even the horribly degrading life inside the camp, did not prevent her accepting death. She clearly wanted to help others for as long as she could, while also having reconciled herself to death’s approach after careful thought. In this respect and others, her diary reminded me of [b:The Journal of a Disappointed Man & A Last Diary|885609|The Journal of a Disappointed Man & A Last Diary|W.N.P. Barbellion|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394419582s/885609.jpg|425451], another voice of one long dead that seems so close by as you read their words. Etty wrote this extraordinary passage shortly before being sent to Westerbork:
There is so much in Etty’s writing to move the reader and inspire introspection. She rejected binaries and generalisations, always seeking deeper and more nuanced understanding:
Throughout the diary and letters, Etty found solace in reading, however she emphasised the importance of books for study in pursuit of understanding rather than escape. I found this especially stimulating:
Even while falling victim to the horrific murderous system of Nazism, Etty exhibited incredible empathy:
I hardly need to point out the continued relevance of these comments today.
Perhaps the most powerful theme in Hillsum’s writing is the strength that comes from understanding oneself through a combination of introspection and discussion with a wide circle of loved ones. To read her words 75 years after she was murdered is a reminder of an appalling genocide that must never be allowed to happen again, as well as an insight into the mind of a fascinating, complicated woman who I would love to have known as a friend. She retained her distinctive voice even as the end neared and she wrote, ‘For us, I think, it is no longer a question of living, but of how one is equipped for one’s extinction’. Yet the phrase from the book that most struck me is this: ‘Somewhere deep inside me is a workshop in which Titans are forging a new world’. That's one of the most beautiful expressions of hope that I have ever read. I can hardly recommend Etty Hillsum’s writing highly enough. show less
Does this mean I am never sad, that I never rebel, always acquiesce, and love life no matter what the circumstances? No, far from it. I believe that I know and share the many sorrows and sad circumstances that a human being can experience, but I do not cling to them, I do not prolong such moments of agony. They pass through me, like life itself, as a broad, eternal stream, they become part of that stream, and life continues. And as a result all my strength is preserved, does not become tagged on to futile sorrow or rebelliousness.
Her diary and letters confront the reader with complex questions about the nature of resistance in extreme circumstances. Etty refused opportunities to potentially escape or hide, despite knowing that if she stayed in Westerbrok she would almost certainly be transported to Poland and killed. Her love of life, even the horribly degrading life inside the camp, did not prevent her accepting death. She clearly wanted to help others for as long as she could, while also having reconciled herself to death’s approach after careful thought. In this respect and others, her diary reminded me of [b:The Journal of a Disappointed Man & A Last Diary|885609|The Journal of a Disappointed Man & A Last Diary|W.N.P. Barbellion|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394419582s/885609.jpg|425451], another voice of one long dead that seems so close by as you read their words. Etty wrote this extraordinary passage shortly before being sent to Westerbork:
I shall always be able to stand on my own two feet even when they are planted on the hardest soil of the harshest reality. And my acceptance is not indifference or helplessness. I feel deep moral indignation at a regime that treats human beings in such a way. But events have become too overwhelming and too demonic to be stemmed with personal resentment and bitterness. These responses strike me as being utterly childish and unequal to the fateful course of events.
People often get worked up when I say it doesn’t really matter whether I go or somebody else does, the main things is that so many thousands have to go. It is not as if I want to fall into the arms of destruction with a resigned smile – far from it. I am only bowing to the inevitable, and even as I do so I am sustained by the certain knowledge that ultimately they cannot rob us of anything that matters. But I don’t think I would feel happy if I were exempted from what so many others have to suffer. They keep telling me that someone like me has a duty to go into hiding, because I have so many things to do in life, so much to give. But I know that whatever I may have to give to others, I can give it no matter where I am, here in the circle of my friends or over there, in a concentration camp. And it is sheer arrogance to think oneself too good to share the fate of the masses.
There is so much in Etty’s writing to move the reader and inspire introspection. She rejected binaries and generalisations, always seeking deeper and more nuanced understanding:
A world is in the process of collapse. But the world will go on, and so for the present shall I, full of good heart and goodwill. Nevertheless, we who are left behind are just a little bit destitute, though inwardly I still feel so rich that the destitution is not fully brought home to me. However, one must keep in touch with the real world and know one’s place in it; it is wrong to live only with the eternal truths, for then one is apt to end up behaving like an ostrich. To live fully, outwardly and inwardly, not to ignore external reality for the sake of an inner life, or the reverse – that’s quite a task.
Throughout the diary and letters, Etty found solace in reading, however she emphasised the importance of books for study in pursuit of understanding rather than escape. I found this especially stimulating:
All this devouring of books from early youth has been nothing but laziness on my part. I allow others to formulate what I ought to be formulating myself. I keep seeking outside confirmation of what is hidden deep inside me, when I know I can only reach clarity by using my own words. I really must abandon all that laziness, and particularly my inhibitions and insecurity, if I am ever to find myself, and through myself, find others. I must have clarity, and must learn to accept myself.
Even while falling victim to the horrific murderous system of Nazism, Etty exhibited incredible empathy:
That was the real import of this morning: not that a disgruntled young Gestapo officer yelled at me, but that I felt no indignation, rather a real compassion, and would have liked to ask, “Did you have a very unhappy childhood, has your girlfriend let you down?” Yes, he looked harassed and driven, sullen and weak. I should have liked to start treating him then and there, for I know that pitiful young men like that are dangerous as soon as they are let loose on humankind. But the blame must be put on the system that uses such people. What needs eradicating is the evil in man, not man himself.
Something else about this morning: the perception, very strongly borne in, that despite all the suffering and injustice I cannot hate others. All the appalling things that happen are no mysterious threats from afar, but rise from fellow human beings very close to us. That makes these happenings more familiar, then, and not so frightening. The terrifying thing is that systems grow too big for men and hold them in a satanic grip, the builders no less than the victims of the system, much as large edifices and spires, created by men’s hands, tower high above us, dominate us, yet may collapse over our heads and bury us.
I hardly need to point out the continued relevance of these comments today.
Perhaps the most powerful theme in Hillsum’s writing is the strength that comes from understanding oneself through a combination of introspection and discussion with a wide circle of loved ones. To read her words 75 years after she was murdered is a reminder of an appalling genocide that must never be allowed to happen again, as well as an insight into the mind of a fascinating, complicated woman who I would love to have known as a friend. She retained her distinctive voice even as the end neared and she wrote, ‘For us, I think, it is no longer a question of living, but of how one is equipped for one’s extinction’. Yet the phrase from the book that most struck me is this: ‘Somewhere deep inside me is a workshop in which Titans are forging a new world’. That's one of the most beautiful expressions of hope that I have ever read. I can hardly recommend Etty Hillsum’s writing highly enough. show less
Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life the Diaries, 1941-1943 and Letters from Westerbork by Etty Hillesum
Etty Hillesum:An Interrupted Life: the Diaries, 1941-1943 and Letters from Westerbork. Etty Hillesum.1996. This is the most meaningful, beautiful, and soulful book I have read by a Holocaust victim. Etty has been called an older Anne Frank. My first exposure to the Holocaust came in the 9th grade when I read Anne Frank and Leon Uris’s Exodus, I was so emotionally inexperienced that while I was horrified I could not fully understand the true loss and terror of losing everyone you loved and show more yourself. Etty was older than Frank and a “liberated” young woman. I was initially a little impatient with her until I put my 25 year old self in her place! Etty kept a diary until she moved to Westebork which was a holding station in Amsterdam for Jews before they were transported to Poland to concentrations camps. The letters are from the camp. Her transformation from an flighty young woman to a strong, determined woman seems almost miraculous. She spent her time at Westerbork doing her best to make the hellish situation easier for others. She refused to give in to despair or hate. Her “companions” were the Bible and Rilke. We can all learn from Etty. show less
Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life the Diaries, 1941-1943 and Letters from Westerbork by Etty Hillesum
One of the 10 best books I've ever read. It is in translation, so this rating is for content and not lyric quality. An adult parallel of Anne Frank, Etty resolves "I will not hate the Germans." Her love is gritty and practical. I reread this text regularly for insight.
Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life the Diaries, 1941-1943 and Letters from Westerbork by Etty Hillesum
I’ve been putting off and putting off writing a review of An Interrupted Life, mostly because I wanted everything to sink in and also because I really didn’t know what to say about this wonderful, albeit heartbreaking book. There I go again, using clichés to describe this book, but I loved it from start to finish.
Etty Hillesum was born in January 1914 in Holland and lived in Amsterdam working as a translator of Russian and Russian teacher. Even still she aspired to be a writer, and kept show more a journal to that effect during WWII. As a Jew, Etty’s life became increasingly circumscribed by the restrictions placed upon her; she was later given a job as a typist in the Jewish Council, an organization that sought to mediate between the Nazis and Dutch Jews. Etty later volunteered to help accompany Jews to Westerbork, a detention camp that was the last stop to Auschwitz; and eventually ended up in Westerbork herself.
Etty’s journals and letters cover the period of November 1941-summer 1943, several months after she met Dr. Julius Spier, a Jungian psychoanalyst who figures largely in her journals as both a friend and mentor. Etty was outgoing and social in real life, yet her journals show a rich internal life as well, one in which Etty was given to a lot of introspective thought. Etty was well read and intelligent, and she had knowledge of not only literature but of psychology as well (she is constantly reading Jung and Remarque throughout). Every single page of her book is filled with insights both from her head and about the world around her. She was skilled at questioning herself, of criticizing what she knew. As the diary progresses, therefore, we start to see how Etty embraces her self-doubt and fears. The result is an acceptance of what she knew would happen to her eventually.
At one point she wonders if it was escapist of her to look so much into herself when the outside world eclipsed individuals’ lives; her answer was no. I think one of the most powerful lessons of Etty’s diary is that she thought it was important for people to look inwardly, to wage the war within first. Even at Westerbork, her writings about life in the camp are matter-of-fact, rational. As an effect of insights like this and many others, Etty’s diary is electrifying in its intensity. I thought the diary portion of this book was much stronger than the letters she wrote from Westerbork; her letters are more trivial and give you less of a sense of who Etty was. show less
Etty Hillesum was born in January 1914 in Holland and lived in Amsterdam working as a translator of Russian and Russian teacher. Even still she aspired to be a writer, and kept show more a journal to that effect during WWII. As a Jew, Etty’s life became increasingly circumscribed by the restrictions placed upon her; she was later given a job as a typist in the Jewish Council, an organization that sought to mediate between the Nazis and Dutch Jews. Etty later volunteered to help accompany Jews to Westerbork, a detention camp that was the last stop to Auschwitz; and eventually ended up in Westerbork herself.
Etty’s journals and letters cover the period of November 1941-summer 1943, several months after she met Dr. Julius Spier, a Jungian psychoanalyst who figures largely in her journals as both a friend and mentor. Etty was outgoing and social in real life, yet her journals show a rich internal life as well, one in which Etty was given to a lot of introspective thought. Etty was well read and intelligent, and she had knowledge of not only literature but of psychology as well (she is constantly reading Jung and Remarque throughout). Every single page of her book is filled with insights both from her head and about the world around her. She was skilled at questioning herself, of criticizing what she knew. As the diary progresses, therefore, we start to see how Etty embraces her self-doubt and fears. The result is an acceptance of what she knew would happen to her eventually.
At one point she wonders if it was escapist of her to look so much into herself when the outside world eclipsed individuals’ lives; her answer was no. I think one of the most powerful lessons of Etty’s diary is that she thought it was important for people to look inwardly, to wage the war within first. Even at Westerbork, her writings about life in the camp are matter-of-fact, rational. As an effect of insights like this and many others, Etty’s diary is electrifying in its intensity. I thought the diary portion of this book was much stronger than the letters she wrote from Westerbork; her letters are more trivial and give you less of a sense of who Etty was. show less
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