STUDENT HANDOUT the Ghettos
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE GHETTOS Invasion of Poland In September 1939, the Germans invaded Poland. Poland lost its independence, and its citizens were subjected to severe oppression. Schools were closed, all political activity was banned, and many members of the Polish elite, intellectuals, political leaders, and clerics, were sent to concentration camps or murdered immediately. Jews were subjected to violence, humiliation, dispossession, and arbitrary kidnappings for forced labor by German soldiers Jews rounded up for forced labor, Przemysl, Poland, who abused Jews in the streets, paying special October 1939. Yad Vashem Photo Archive (5323) L4 attention to religious Jews. Many thousands of Poles and Jews were murdered in the first them great control over the Jews. Soon after months of the occupation, not yet as a policy of the ghettos began to be established, the Nazis THEsystematic GHETTOS mass murder, but an expression of tried to remove the Jews from their midst the brutal nature of the occupying forces. through population transfer. At first they sought to drive Jews into Soviet territory, but On September 21, 1939, just after the German when that strategy proved unworkable, the conquest of Poland, Reinhard Heydrich, Nazis developed a plan to send the Jews to the Nazi head of the SIPO (security police) and island of Madagascar. This plan also proved SD (security service) issued an order to the INTRODUCTIONcommanders in occupied Poland. The first, immediate stage called for several practical During the Holocaust, “ghettos” were places of SECRET measures, including deporting Jews from imprisonmentwestern that and became central deadly Poland for the and Jews concentrating as a Berlin: September 21, 1939 direct resultthem of Nazi in the policies. vicinity Isolation, of railroad limited junctions food and and To: Chiefs of all Einsatzgruppen of the heating, and horrific overcrowding led to high death Security Police forming Judenrate (councils of elders or Jewish Subject: Jewish question in the occupied territory tolls from starvation,councils) that disease, would and be cold. responsible In the Lodz for these Ghetto in Poland,actions. for instance, the death rate due to I refer to the conference held in Berlin today…. starvation and the miserable conditions was 21% of the For the time being, the first step toward the final goal is the concentration of the Jews from the countryside ghetto’s population.Establishment Far from of Ghettos being a concern for the into the larger cities. This is to be carried out with all Nazis, the fact that Jews were dying in many ghettos speed…. Guided by ideological principles and striving was seen as desirable. It was a relatively small step to establish a “New Order” in Europe based In each Jewish community a council of Jewish Elders from this deadlymainly situation on racial to the doctrine, active systematic Nazi Germany mass is to be set up…. The councils of Elders are to be murder of separatedJews, the Final Jews Solution.from the rest of the population informed of the dates and deadlines…. They are then to be made personally responsible for the departure of by establishing ghettos. A ghetto was a section the Jews from the countryside…. For general reasons INVASIONof theOF cityPOLAND in which Jews were confined and of security, the concentration of Jews in the cities will In Septemberrestricted 1939, the to Germans live behind invaded walls, Poland. fences, or probably necessitate orders altogether barring Jews barbed wire. The Germans wanted to isolate from certain sections of the cities, or, for example, Poland lost its independence, and its citizens were Jews and completely disconnect them from forbidding them to leave the ghetto…. subjected to severe oppression. Schools were closed, the world around them, from Jews in other all politicalplaces, activity and was banned,from everyday and many life. members This gave of the Polish elite, intellectuals, political leaders, and clerics, were sent to concentration camps or murdered 104 Lesson 4: The Ghettos ESTABLISHMENT OF GHETTOSechoesandreflections.org immediately. Jews were subjected to violence, On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. A central humiliation, dispossession, and arbitrary kidnappings goal of the Nazis was to create a “New Order” in Europe for forced labor by German soldiers who abused Jews in based mainly on racial ideology. The Nazis wanted to the streets, paying special attention to religious Jews. solve what they considered to be the “Jewish Problem” Many thousands of Poles and Jews were murdered in and limit Jewish influence in every sphere. They the first months of the occupation, not yet as a policy believed that physical and geographical separation of systematic mass murder, but an expression of the might address this “problem” and help to establish brutal nature of the occupying forces. their “New Order.” So, the Nazis continued isolating Polish Jews as they had been doing in Germany. They On September 21, 1939, just after the German conquest separated Jews from the rest of the population by of Poland, Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi head of the SIPO establishing ghettos. A ghetto was a section of the city (security police) and SD (security service) issued an in which Jews were forced to live and where they were order to the commanders in occupied Poland. The first, confined behind walls, fences, or barbed wire. Isolating immediate stage called for several practical measures, Jews and disconnecting them from the world around including deporting Jews from western and central them, from Jews in other places, and from everyday life Poland and concentrating them in the vicinity of gave the Germans great control over the Jews. railroad junctions and forming Judenrate (councils of elders or Jewish councils) that would be responsible for Soon after the ghettos were established, the Nazis also these actions. tried to remove the Jews through population transfer. THE GHETTOS © Echoes & Reflections Partnership 1 THE GHETTOS impractical. Only later, once the Nazis began services. Of course, the German authorities did to implement a policy of systematic mass not allocate resources for these purposes, and murder of Jews through deportation to this put the Judenrate in an extremely difficult extermination camps, were the Jews who had situation. They had to provide community Invasion of Poland been concentrated in the ghettos deported servicesIn the ghettos, to athe needy Judenraete population were held fullywithout any responsible for compliance with German policy. In September 1939, the Germans invaded and murdered. A minority of Jews was also infrastructure or financial resources. Therefore, deported from the ghettos to a myriad of labor membersMembers of theof Judenraetethe Judenrate were exposed were to Germanconstantly Poland. Poland lost its independence, and its abuse and many were murdered for not obeying camps to be exploited as slave labor. As such, forced to contend with moral dilemmas and citizens were subjected to severe oppression. German orders. The Judenraete were required to act as ghettos were a means to an end and not an end make crucial decisions in unprecedented Schools were closed, all political activity was public authorities and to provide a full range of services banned, and many members of the Polish elite, in and of themselves. situations.that Jewish communities As restrictions, had not providedshortages, in the hunger, past. intellectuals, political leaders, and clerics, and diseases worsened in the ghettos, the were sent to concentration camps or murdered Ghettos were set up almost exclusively in Eastern dilemmasMembers of theof Judenraetethe members were constantly of the forcedJudenrate immediately. Jews were subjected to violence, Europe for two main reasons. First, in many becameto contend increasingly with moral dilemmas more extreme.and make crucial The most humiliation, dispossession, and arbitrary Eastern European cities, as opposed to Western difficultdecisions indilemma unprecedented came situations. when Thethe Judenraete German kidnappings for forced labor by German soldiers Europe,JewsJews rounded thererounded alreadyup up for forcedfor wasforced labor, a largelabor,Przemysl, JewishPrzemysl, Poland, district OctoberPoland, authoritieswere not only demanded responsible forthat re-establishing the Judenrate systems supply of who abused Jews in the streets, paying special and October1939.so Yadconfining 1939. Vashem Yad Photo Vashemall Archive Jews Photo (5323) to Archive those (5323) districts listseducation, of Jews culture, to beand deported religious services from inthe the ghettos, ghettos L4 attention to religious Jews. Many thousands and maintaining health and welfare institutions; they of Poles and Jews were murdered in the first madeAt first,the theyprocess sought ofto driveestablishing Jews into Soviet ghettoes territory often to death camps. them great control over the Jews. Soon after also had to arrange for garbage removal and postal months of the occupation, not yet as a policy of moreand practical. then to create Second, a Jewish because “reservation” of perceivednear Lublin, the ghettos began to be established, the Nazis services. Of course, the German authorities did not systematic mass murder, but an expression of culturalPoland. and When “racial” these strategies differences proved unworkable, (Western Conditions in the Ghettos tried to remove the Jews from their midst allocate resources for these purposes. This put the the brutal nature of the occupying forces. Europeansthe Nazis were developed