Maus: The Holocaust The Holocaust was a devastating period of time. Many people suffered, particularly Europe`s jewish population. Led by a man named Adolf Hitler, the Nazi party of Germany slaughtered nearly six million innocent jewish people. The Holocaust killed many people physically, but even those who managed to survive often died inside. In the book Maus, by Art Spiegelman, Vladek Spiegelman is one of the main characters. The book tells of Vladek's survival of the Holocaust. In the book Vladek attempts to bring back half-eaten food to a Shop-Rite store for a refund. He explains the idea that since he was in the concentration camp