Figure 1.--.

The NAZI rations allocated for those classified as Poles were considerably lower than those for Germans. Some of Poland was annexed into the Reich. A kind of Polish colonywas created called the Government General. Additional Polish areas came under German contrl when the Germans invade the Soviet Union in June 1941. I am not sure if there were differences in the rationing system in these different areas.

Poles in Germany

The history of Poles in Germany is quite complicated. The Poles have at times been a very substantial minority in Germany, especially because Germany (Prussia) participated in the partitions of Poland. There was always a Polish minority along the Eastern border of Prussia and the Polish partitions brough areas into Prussia that were laergely populated by Poles. Surpringly However, the most significant ethnic Polish group in Germany was along the western border of Germany in the Ruhrgebiet of Rhineland-Westphalia. These were the so-called Ruhr Poles, who after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71 were invited by German authorities to work in the coal mines and newly established industries. In 1914 there were between 350 000 and 500 000 "Ruhrpoles" living in Germany. They had their own organizations like the "Sokols" (sport clubs) where they wore destinctive uniforms. I am not sure to what extent they wore ethnic clothing or held folk festivals. After World War I, the number of Poles in Germany were substantially reduced when the Versailles Peace Treaty created a new Polish statem in part out of areas from the German Empire, especially Upper Silesia and West Prussia. Many Germans thus found themselves living in the new Polish state. Hitler used alleged mistreatment of these Germans to in propaganda leading to the NAZI invasion of Poland, in effect the launching of World War II.

Occupation Policies

The German policies in the Government General were esentially to convert Poles into slave laborers. Education was severely limited. Poles were to be used primarily for mannual labor. The areas annexed to the Reich were to be Germanized with German "colonists" brought in. The rationing system differed between the annexed areas and the Govrernment General.

Allocations

The rationing system instituted provided only minimal allouances for food, clothing, and other essentials. German polices were highly explotive. Hitler saw the shortages that German experienced in the later period of World War I as a major cause for the decline of cvilian morale and the overthrow of the Kaiser. Thus the NAZIs attempted to maintain German civilian living standards by exploiting occupied countries. This policy in addition to the destruction and dislocation resulting fom the fighting, diversion of industry to war production, as well as labor drafts for war work resulted in the severe shortage of food, clothing, and other commodities.

Categories of People

The Germans issued different cards depending on a sex and age (men, women, boys and girls). Special cards were issued for babies under 1 year old.

Administration

Polish territories annexed by Germans were under control of four government offices of economics (Landeswirtschaftamt) located in Poznan (Posen), Katowice (Kattowitz), Gdansk (Dancig) and Krolewiec (Konigsbeg). There was also the German Polish colony called the Government General.

Clothing Cards

They issued 4 or 5 series of cards for clothing (Reichkleiderkarte) and perheps 1 or 2 cards for textile articles (Spinnstoffkarte). All of the cards were based on point system. Every article had a given value in points and there were several coupons with ponts value on them.

The Cards

The cards looked like long a piece of paper folded like a book with a title page and cut off coupons. The owner of the card could choose what articles were the most needed for him. The coupons indicated what garment had what point value.

Nationality

There were major differences in the allocations allocated to Germans and Poles. The Poles were given far lower allocations.

Polish allocations

At this time we only have information on the cards issued to Poles. Some of these card had notices and some had a letter P on the first page. A HBC reader has noted rationing cards for Poles issued by the Germans in both the occupied areas and in Germany. He believes that the German set rationing for Poles throuhout the Reich, both in the pree-War areas and in the areas of Poland annexed to the Reich. The Poles in the Government General were not issued rationing cards. They had to apply to offices for permission to buy shoes, bend-rubber or even a bobbin of thread (interesting that threads were measured in yards).

Jews

Our Polish reader reports, "I think Jewish people in Germany had the similar cards for clothing to Polish. I have seen one card." The allocations for Jews are believed to have been sharply cut as the War progressed. In adiition the German Jews were steadily deportd to the gettos set up in Poland and then to the death camps. These deportions had begun even before the War began.

German allocations

We do not yet have details on the German rationing system.

Stores

I think that every shop selling "strategic goods" like clothing had to have permission to sell them and had to account for coupons or buying permissions left by customers.

Used Clothing

I know nothing about used clothing rationing. Used clothing were collected in Germany for German soldiers finghting at the Eastern Front. Some stocks were available from the belongings confiscated from Jews. We are not sure precisely how these goods were distributed. We do know that slave labor in the camps were employed to remove any name tag and to look for valuables hidden in the clothing.

Sources

Much of the information here has been provided by Jan Olenski who as a hobby collects rationing cupons and has kindly provided HBC a great deal of information about World War I and World War II rationing.

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Created: June 16, 2002
Last updated: June 16, 2002