“. . . since being a Jew not only means that I bear within me a catastrophe that occurred yesterday and cannot be ruled out for tomorrow, it is-beyond being a duty-also fear. Every morning when I get up I can read the Auschwitz number on my forearm, something that touches the deepest and most closely intertwined roots of my existence; indeed I am not even sure if this is not my entire existence. Then I feel approximately as I did back then when I got a taste of the first blow from a policeman's fist. Every day anew I lose my trust in the world.”
Quote by Jean Amery
Author
Jean Amery
Jean Améry, born Hans Mayer, was an Austrian Jewish essayist and philosopher. His works primarily dealt with issues of personal identity, moral philosophy, and the Holocaust. Améry was arrested by Nazi Germany during World War II and spent time in Auschwitz. After the war, he became a writer, known for his profound autobiographical works and his deep insights into human suffering. more
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