--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is that being who invented the gas…" description: "\"Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/viktor-e-frankl-668_auschwitz_man-is-that-being-who-invented-the-gas-c_2831865.jpg" --- # Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of… ![“Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.” quote by Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/viktor-e-frankl-668_auschwitz_man-is-that-being-who-invented-the-gas-c_2831865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/viktor-e-frankl-668_auschwitz_man-is-that-being-who-invented-the-gas-c_2831865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/viktor-e-frankl-668_auschwitz_man-is-that-being-who-invented-the-gas-c_2831865.jpg) > “Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.” [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings can both create profound evil and retain deep spirituality, showing the dual capacity for cruelty and faith. **In simple terms:** People can do terrible things yet still hold sacred beliefs. Key Takeaway Recognize the complexity of human nature. Themes morality faith humanity duality Mood somber reflective Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - Holocaust remembrance - ethical debates - personal reflection - theological study Key Concepts existentialism psychology theodicy Questions to Reflect On - How do we reconcile acts of evil with expressions of faith? - Can one be both perpetrator and believer? A Different Perspective The quote may overlook the agency of victims and the systemic nature of genocide. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Auschwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auschwitz/) [Lips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lips/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) ## Related quotes > [“We have come to know Man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/we-have-come-to-know-man-as-he-really-is-after-all-man-is-that-being/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some ministry or other in Berlin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/i-am-absolutely-convinced-that-the-gas-chambers-of-auschwitz/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/our-generation-is-realistic-for-we-have-come-to-know-man-as-he-really/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [I made a mistake when I said there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-irving/i-made-a-mistake-when-i-said-there-were-no-gas-chambers-at-auschwitz/) [David Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-irving/) > [“In a single night in August 1944, 2,897 Gypsies, women, children, men, perished in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Of all the Gypsies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/in-a-single-night-in-august-1944-2-897-gypsies-women-children-men/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [The whole thing was set up very cleverly. The people who were torn from their normal lives and put on the trains may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-lasker-wallfisch/the-whole-thing-was-set-up-very-cleverly-the-people-who-were-torn/) [Anita Lasker-Wallfisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-lasker-wallfisch/) > [I know that elections must be limited only to those who understand that the Arabs are the deadly enemy of the Jewish state, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meir-kahane/i-know-that-elections-must-be-limited-only-to-those-who-understand/) [Meir Kahane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meir-kahane/) > [“Auschwitz—the very name stood for all that was horrible: gas chambers, crematoriums, massacres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/auschwitz-the-very-name-stood-for-all-that-was-horrible-gas-chambers/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/since-auschwitz-we-know-what-man-is-capable-of-and-since-hiroshima-we/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Sigmund Freud once asserted, "Let one attempt to expose a number of the most diverse people uniformly to hunger. With the increase of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/sigmund-freud-once-asserted-let-one-attempt-to-expose-a-number-of-the/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [One can choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/one-can-choose-one-s-attitude-in-any-given-set-of-circumstances/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [When I was taken to the concentration camp of Auschwitz, a manuscript of mine ready for publication was confiscated. Certainly, my deep desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/when-i-was-taken-to-the-concentration-camp-of-auschwitz-a-manuscript/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes then I will have considered my life a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-in-100-years-i-am-only-known-as-the-man-who-invented-sherlock/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For the good that I would,’” he quoted, “‘I do not; and the evil that I would not, that I do.’” “Who said that?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/for-the-good-that-i-would-he-quoted-i-do-not-and-the-evil-that-i/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“He was a wise man who invented God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-god/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) ## More by Viktor E. Frankl > [For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/for-the-meaning-of-life-differs-from-man-to-man-from-day-to-day-and/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“In the past, nothing is irretrievably lost, but rather, on the contrary, everything is irrevocably stored and treasured. To be sure, people tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/in-the-past-nothing-is-irretrievably-lost-but-rather-on-the-contrary/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer... his unique opportunity lies in the way he bears his burden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/when-a-man-finds-that-it-is-his-destiny-to-suffer-his-unique/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“A positive attitude enables a person to endure suffering and disappointment as well as enhance enjoyment and satisfaction. A negative attitude intensifies pain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/a-positive-attitude-enables-a-person-to-endure-suffering-and/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“our sacrifice did have a meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/our-sacrifice-did-have-a-meaning/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Man's last freedom is his freedom to choose how he will react in any given situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-last-freedom-is-his-freedom-to-choose-how-he-will-react-in-any/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/the-more-one-forgets-himself-by-giving-himself-to-a-cause-to-serve-or/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“There is nothing in the world, I venture to say, that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/there-is-nothing-in-the-world-i-venture-to-say-that-would-so/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Man's search for meaning is the chief motivation of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-search-for-meaning-is-the-chief-motivation-of-his-life/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [In a last violent protest against the hopelessness of imminent death, I sensed my spirit piercing through the enveloping gloom. I felt it transcend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/in-a-last-violent-protest-against-the-hopelessness-of-imminent-death/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/but-happiness-cannot-be-pursued-it-must-ensue/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another one's belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another one's right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-one-s-belief-but-it/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“I think it was Lessing who once said, 'There are things which must cause you to lose your reason or you have none to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/i-think-it-was-lessing-who-once-said-there-are-things-which-must/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“I believe that my handicap will only enhance my ability to help others. I know that without the suffering, the growth that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/i-believe-that-my-handicap-will-only-enhance-my-ability-to-help/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“He main retain his human dignity even in a concentration camp. Dostoevsky said once, 'There is only one thing that I dread: not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/he-main-retain-his-human-dignity-even-in-a-concentration-camp/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) [Explore all 381 Viktor E. Frankl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) ## More Auschwitz quotes > [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We need creativity. We need more poetry after Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/we-need-creativity-we-need-more-poetry-after-auschwitz/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [“I remember that one Holy Week, the magazine I got every Thursday, Anteojito , came with a free poster depicting the Stations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-figueras/i-remember-that-one-holy-week-the-magazine-i-got-every-thursday/) [Marcelo Figueras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo-figueras/) > [No sane person wants hell to exist. No sane person wants evil to exist. But hell is just evil eternalized. If there is evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/no-sane-person-wants-hell-to-exist-no-sane-person-wants-evil-to-exist/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [My own interest in Kafka's letter came about when I was writing an article on Peter Ginz, the boy novelist held in Terezin, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/my-own-interest-in-kafka-s-letter-came-about-when-i-was-writing-an/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Eighteen months before I was born, my mother was in Auschwitz. She weighed 49 pounds. She always told me that God saved her so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/eighteen-months-before-i-was-born-my-mother-was-in-auschwitz-she/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [“I am keenly aware that the security we enjoy is frail, and could easily be disrupted. Secretly, a nagging fear gnaws at me: what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-waterman/i-am-keenly-aware-that-the-security-we-enjoy-is-frail-and-could/) [Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-waterman/) > [There is more to Jewish history than Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-gary/there-is-more-to-jewish-history-than-auschwitz/) [Romain Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-gary/) > [“I once conjured up this image of Hitler. I imagined that he didn’t kill himself and that he was kept in a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-haybittle/i-once-conjured-up-this-image-of-hitler-i-imagined-that-he-didn-t/) [Glenn Haybittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-haybittle/) > [“In February, 1943, eight months before she was murdered in Auschwitz, the German painter Charlotte Salomon killed her grandfather. 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Everyone who was deported there had been in such a hurry that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-lasker-wallfisch/auschwitz-was-one-of-the-wealthiest-places-in-the-world-everyone-who/) [Anita Lasker-Wallfisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-lasker-wallfisch/) [Browse all 168 Auschwitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auschwitz/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viktor E. 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