Young American soldier Howard Cwick, son of Polish Jewish immigrants, unexpectedly arrived at the gates of Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1945, armed with a rifle and his camera. In his testimony, Howard provides an eloquent, striking account of his experiences. The lesson’s theme, Eyewitness to History, explores Howard’s roles as eyewitness, liberator, and activist.

I was going to be twenty-two years old. I knew nothing, I was ignorant as can be, and to suddenly come face to face with the horrors that were in this place. I was so stunned, I was so bewildered…

—Howard Cwick