CHAPTER 4 Forced Labor in the Labor Camps rom September 1939 to the beginning of winter, only the most important Fwork of repairing roads and bridges was performed. Part of the work was done by German technical services—Technische Nothilfe (TN). During the war, these services were used, for example, to build makeshift bridges, or repair communications. Some activities of TN were not strictly and exclu- sively related to the military.1 After the military campaign of September 1939, TN was still engaged in repairing electrical wiring, gas, and other such works. However, the main task of TN was to ensure technical assistance during the war and immediately after the war. After the war, following the organization of the civil administration, TN was replaced by other services. Some of the urgent works in the field of infrastructure were also performed by Reich Labor Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst, RAD). However, extensive work in the field of economy and infrastructure could not be carried out by TN or RAD, because people mobilized to perform these services were diverted from their regular jobs in the Reich, to which they returned after the period of mobilization. Similarly, RAD was not designed to perform a wide range of works in the occu- pied territories. Later in the war, a lot of engineering work was performed by officers and prisoners within the Organization Todt. At the end of the military administration and with the proclamation of the General Government on October 26, 1939, intensive planning of economic development began. A group of young German economic experts and planners came together in the departments of planning and management. They intended to develop General Government economy, despite initial intentions of unlimited 1 Tagesbefehl nr. 6, Armeekommando, Der Chef der Zivilverwaltung, Tschenstochau, September 14, 1939, AIPN, NTN, 196/270, 12. Forced Labor in the Labor Camps CHAPTER 4 135 exploitation of raw materials and labor. Creation of this loosely associated group was associated with a way to recruit professionals for various positions in the newly established administrative structure. Frequently they had previous personal contacts.2 These mostly young people saw potential for advancement in taking responsible positions and implementing their knowledge and their ideas. Therefore, in autumn of 1939, extensive work was undertaken in the field of regional planning and economic exploitation. This work covered a few basic areas: reconstruction and development of infrastructure, work on projects involving the military field—such as the construction of airfields, training areas, fortifications,3 and projects relating to agriculture, particularly relevant among which were projects in water management and reconstruction and development of the industry. After the General Government was established, its administration was not completely established in the initial period. The two months remaining until the end of the year were too short of a time to implement any new projects. In addition, weather conditions did not allow any work beyond necessary repairs and maintenance of acceptable state of communication. Extensive works in many industries: communications, agricul- ture, water management, and so forth, were planned for the year 1940. These works required a high expenditure of labor. In addition, they were to take place in remote areas, far from urban centers. Therefore, it was decided to create work camps to provide on-site permanent contingent workforces. Because it was necessary to prepare appropriate economic plans, in practice it was impossible to undertake any work on a large scale in 1939. However, in the autumn of 1939, no formal regulations on working in the camps were issued. In the first implemented regulation of December 11, 1939, it was only mentioned in paragraph 6 that the Jews who transgress the provisions mentioned in the regulation “will be sent immediately to the strict long-standing labor service.”4 However, the implemented regulation did not specify whether the work would take place in the labor camps. On the basis of the second 2 Aly and Heim, “The Economics of the Final Solution”; Aly and Heim, “The Holocaust and Population Policy.” 3 “January 30, 1940, Berlin. From the speech of the head of the Reich Security Main Office, Heydrich and senior SS and police commander in the General Government Krüger, presented at a Berlin conference, concerning the forced resettlement of Polish and Jewish population of Warthegau to General Government,” in Eisenbach and Rutkowski, Eksterminacja Żydów, 44. 4 “December 11, 1939, Kraków, The first executive order of the higher SS and police leader in the General Government, Krüger on compulsory labor for the Jewish population,” in Eisenbach and Rutkowski, Eksterminacja Żydów, 205–6. 136 Macht Arbeit Frei? regulation issued by the HSSPF in the General Government Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger on December 12, it can be assumed that he meant the work in the camps.5 First of all, in paragraph 1 of the regulation of December 12, Krüger set the length of labor for two years. However, in case of failure to achieve the educational aim (erzieherischer Zweck), this period could be extended.6 In the same piece of legislation in paragraph 2, Krüger pointed to the pos- sibility of creating labor camps: [the Jews] subject to forced labor are employed, in order to use their labor, according to their profession, if this is possible, and are put to work in the camps. Those able to work do not find an employment corresponding fully to their abilities.7 Speaking of forced labor and its educational purposes was confus- ingly similar to the “educational” goals of the concentration camps in Nazi Germany before the war.8 Besides, it would be difficult to imagine how the educational aim could be realized outside the labor camps in the General Government, indicating the inconsistency of this argumentation. The reg- ulation of December 12 in section 5 sets out the items that the workers should carry with them, including lunch for two days and two clean sheets, which implies at least a two-day period of forced or compulsory labor.9 In turn, the regulation of January 20, 1940 in the section concerning mobi- lization to work also lists items that people called for forced labor should bring with them. These include: two sheets, extra clothing, a coat, two pairs of shoes, three shirts, three pants, three pairs of stockings [socks], pair of gloves, two towels, a comb and a brush, cutlery, and food for two days.10 5 “Zweite Durchführungsvorschrift zur Verordnung vom 26. Oktober 1939 über die Einführung des Arbeitszwanges für jüdische Bevölkerung des Generalgouvernements. Vom 12. Dezember 1939, in Pospieszalski,” Hitlerowskie “prawo” okupacyjne, 562. 6 Ibid. 7 Święcicki and Zadrowski, Zbiór rozporządzeń władz niemieckich, 232; Pospieszalski, Hitlerowskie “prawo” okupacyjne, vol. 2, 562–63. 8 Martin Broszat, “The Concentration Camps 1933–45,” in Anatomy of the SS State, ed. Helmut Krausnick et al. (London: Collins, 1968), 402–7. 9 “Zweite Durchführungsvorschrift zur Verordnung vom 26. Oktober 1939 über die Einführung des Arbeitszwanges für die jüdische Bevölkerung des Generalgouvernements. (Erfassungvorschrift) Vom 12. Dezember 1939,” VBlGG, 1939, 246; Pospieszalski, Hitlerowskie “prawo” okupacyjne, vol. 2, 562–64. 10 “Dienstbefehl an die Judenräte für die Erfassung und Gestellung der Juden zur Zwangsarbeit. Vom 20. Januar 1940,” in Pospieszalski, Hitlerowskie “prawo” okupacyjne, vol. 2, 567. Forced Labor in the Labor Camps CHAPTER 4 137 This list is also compiled of objects needed at least for two or three days, but these objects could also serve for a much longer stay. In the winter of 1939 to 1940 no labor camps existed in the General Government except for POW camps, which had place for more people, and could provide the newcomers with food and work. As a result of the September 1939 campaign, about 450,000 Polish POWs, including about 60,000 Jews, were captured by the Germans, which caused considerable problems for the German administration.11 Therefore, the use of Jewish forced labor could take place close to home, or in labor camps created on ad hoc basis. FIRST LABOR CAMPS The labor camp at 7 Lipowa Street in Lublin was created in December 1939 by the SSPF in the Lublin District, SS-Gruppenführer Odilo Globocnik.12 This camp was set up in already existing barracks and sports grounds of the Academic Sports Association (Akademicki Związek Sportowy, AZS). In hind- sight, we can say that it was a typical labor camp, but with an unusual mixed character. In the existing barracks, craft workshops originally were created: carpentry, locksmith, shoe repair, tailoring, and watchmaking. There were also working groups responsible for the work on the expansion of the camp. The Jews of Lublin served as a workforce at the camp. The structure at 7 Lipowa Street would have consisted of typical craft workshops. It is not for the fact that already in February 1940 the German authorities had begun to send transports of POW, essentially making it a camp. The newcomers were Jews who were billeted on the spot. Lublin received Jewish POWs who came from Polish eastern territories occupied by the Soviet Union.13 Up to December 1940, the 7 Lipowa Street camp served as a transit camp for POWs, and the prisoners spent a relatively short time in the camp. After a few days or weeks, they were dismissed or sent away. Releasing Jewish 11 S. Kisielewicz, “Żydzi polscy w obozach jenieckich Rzeszy Niemieckiej w czasie II wojny światowej,” BŻIH 3 (1999): 3; Krakowski, “The Fate of Jewish Prisoners of War,” 299. 12 Marta Grudzińska and Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska, “Lublin, Lipowa 7: Obóz dla Żydów— polskich jeńców wojennych (1939–1943),” Kwartalnik Historii Żydów 4/228 (2008): 490–514. 13 Initially, the prisoners were promised to be repatriated, but the agreement in this case was not working.