Mutual Aid and Resistance of Jewish Women under Nazi Germany: Focused on the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp

In Holocaust studies, Ravensbrück has received special attention along with Auschwitz. The reason is not limited to the fact that Ravensbrück was a women's camp. Ravensbrück in the late period is a suitable place to grasp women's experiences and memories during the Holocaust, as it was a complex camp where the goals of isolation, forced labor, and extermination were implemented at the same time. It is also noteworthy that Ravensbrück was the main target of large-scale rescue operations led by Sweden and Denmark at the end of World War II. The paper first reviews the status and characteristics of the Ravensbrück concentration camp based on the research so far. Next, it deals with the living environment and the solidarity formation of Jewish women in Ravensbrück. Finally, it identifies the patterns and meanings of self-help and resistance activities developed by Jewish female prisoners for survival. The paper argues that the category of resistance in the camps should be interpreted quite widely, taking into account the harsh environment of Ravensbrück. In addition, it emphasizes that Jewish female prisoners should be fully evaluated for continuing their lives in small groups, encouraging each other not to collapse from the inside, and developing self-esteem struggles.