Journal 4 : Ka-Be

My discussion group analyzed a lot about the purpose of Ka-Be last week, which was very exciting. The Ka-Be, which is an abbreviation of Krankenbau, is known as the infirmary inside the concentration camp. However, we had different points of view towards the Ka-Be. What is the true purpose of Ka-Be? Is it truly made to aid the ill people? The Germans kill hundreds of Jews with no sympathy, but how could they think of forming an infirmary inside the camp to cure the illnesses? However, maybe their purpose was to energize the weakened workers who are not able to work thoroughly. However, it was so ironic. The Germans are going to kill the Jews anyways if they get sick, but why dare to save them?

Not only the Germans, but also the opinions of the Jews were interesting. Primo Levi stated "Chajim rejoices with me: I have a good wound, it does not seem dangerous, but it should be enough to guarantee me a discreet period of rest. I will spend the night in the hut with the others, but tomorrow morning, instead of going to work, I will have to show myself to the doctors for the definitive examination… (pg 47)" When I heard about the Ka-Be, I thought I would never want to go there and try to avoid any possible injuries. It would be painful, but I would rather work and not meet any more Germans in the infirmary. The infirmary is a place to rest when you are sick, but it is inside the “concentration camp” and that makes a different point. You do not know what the Germans could do to you while you are sleeping and rather than feeling peaceful, I am sure I would feel anxious all the time while I am inside there. However, Levi had a different point at the first time. He was glad to have the opportunity of staying inside the Ka-Be and have some rest. But later on, he realized “Ka-Be is the Lager without its physical discomforts. So that whoever still has some seed of conscience, feels his conscience re-awaken; and in the long empty ways, one speaks of other things than hunger and work and one begins to consider what they have made us become, how much they have taken away from us, what this life is. In this Ka-Be, an enclosure of relative peace, we have learnt that our personality is fragile, that it is much more in danger than our life… (pg 55)” It was heart breaking to notice that even a peaceful rest was painful as the term death in Auschwitz.