Love in the time of Auschwitz: romantic love, family bonds, and the formation of friendships as a lifesaving element

Deconstructing the notion of love as we know it and understanding the emotional scripts that motivate individuals in a relationship – whether the relationship is romantic, familial, or platonic – stands at the heart of this research. While having loved ones in the same concentration camp held substantial motivation to survive, it also entailed taking substantial risks as a result of the emotional scripts each type of relationship held.