Figure 1.--This 1940 press photo, was probably taken December 18. It depicts a group of Jewish children in the Jewish section of Lublin. This photograph was taken by an unknown German photographer and appretly cleared for international release. The Germans did not release many such images from occupied Poland. We are not entirely sure what they saw in this particular image that was suitable for release, perhaps the smiling children. This was unusual for the time. The American press caption caught the horror of what was happning to the Jews in NAZI-occupied Poland. The caption read, "Don't miss the point of this picture. Behind the photographer stood a German Army officer. The Lublin Jews [adult men behind the boys] are doffing their hats to the officer as was required by German degree. [Actually the degree was to Germans in general ad not just army offcers.] Note that the men wear white arm bands. While information is scanty, Jews apear to be better treated in Russian occupied Poland." Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

NAZI Lublin governor Zörner announced the creation of a ghetto (March 1941). The oldest and poorest part of the historical Jewish district Old Town was chosen. NAZI authorities several days before establishing ghetto forced about 14,000 Jews out of Lublin. Most were poor and unemployed. They were resettled to several small towns around Lublin. We are not sure just why this was done. The decesion to begin killing had not yet beeen made or at least not communicated to subordinate commanders, so the need for concerntration was not yet fully understood. Some of these residents returned to Lublin without permission because of better conditions and a general feeling of safety in numbers. Around 40,000 Jews were present in Lublin when the ghetto was established. The Ghetto at first was a residential zone and not closed. Jewish movement was regulated, but they were not yet confined within the Ghetto. They were prohibited from entering the 'Aryan streets'". Nor were the Jews forced ingo the Ghetto. Quite a few Jewish families lived outside the Ghetto. This was especially true of Jews with specialty skills working for German institutions. As a result, conditions in the Ghetto were not as bad as in Warsaw and Lodz and other ghettoes where food shortages were becoming severe. Many Jews in the Lublin ghetto had some contact with the outside world which meant some access to food. They were able to smuggle food into the Ghetto. Nazi newspapers commented on a widespead black market. NAZI authorities finally closed the Lublin Ghetto (March 1942). By this time the killing had begun at Chelmo and the death camps were nearing completion for Operation Reinhard.

The City

Lublin is approximately 170 km (105 miles) southeast of the capital, Warsaw. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship (province). It is the largest Polish city east of the Vistula.

Jewish Community

Lublin had aarge vibrant Jewish populstion. At the time of World WAR II, some 40,000 Jews lived in Lublin, comprising about one third of 120,000 inhabitants. Lublin was an important European center of Jewish religion, education and social life. The Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin (Yeshiva of the Wise Men in Lublin) was established (1930). It became a notable yeshiva (rabbinical high school). There were 12 synagogues and some 100 private prayer homes, 3 cemeteries, a Jewish hospital, orphanage, and elderly shelter. The Jewish community had their own schools. A few assmilated Jews attended the state schools. Weare not yet sure how common this was and the degree to which Jewish children were accepted. There were two Yidish-language newspapers (Lubliner Tugblat ("Lublin Daily") and Lubliner Stimme). Jewish parties and organisations were active. The Jews had a representation in the town counci. Jews formed many commercial and social organisations. Jews were a major part of the Lublin economy. Jews dominated commerce. They owned more than 50 percent of the city's workshops and some 30 percent of the factories. Probably because of the size of the Jewish community, there was aelativekly low level of assimilation. Only about 1,000 of the city's 40,000 Jews reported using the Polish language at home. Most of the younger generation, however, spoke Polish fluently.

German Invasion (September 1939)

The German panzers smashed across the Polish border (September 1). The German invasion launched Workd War II. Britain and France honored their pledge to Opland and declred war on Germany (September 3), but offered no material support to Poland. The Luftwaffe bombed Lublin (September 8). There was a brief battle in the suburbs (September 18). There would have been a larger battle. The Poles were attempting to majke astand on the Vistula. The Soviets invaded Poland from the East (September 17). This made continued resistance futile. The Germans thus entered the city after the short battle in the Suburbs. Many buildings were destroyed, forcing families to find shetler with friends and family.

Inutial Military Occupation (September-October 1939)

German actions against the city Jews began immediately. The city was initially governed by military authorities. They ordered the city Jews to pay 300,000 zlotys as a contribution to the German Wehrmacht (October 14). German soldiers rotiely rounded up Jews in the streets and forced them at gun point to work. Often they were beaten or tortured as a kind of entertaiment. Humiliating Jews in various waysbecame aopular gamne for the troops. Notice that these actions were taken by Whermacht officers and men and not the SS. SS actions tended to be more organized bnd deadly. German soldiers proceeded to break into Jewish shops and apartments and loot them searching for valuables. German’s destroyed the books in the Talmudic Acadamy. A German soldier described the action, “We threw the huge Talmudic library out of the building and carried the books to the market place where we set fire to them. The fire lasted twenty hours. The Lublin Jews assembled around and wept bitterly, almost silencing us with their cries. We summoned the military band, and with joyful shouts the soldiers drowned out the sounds of the Jewish cries.” The Whermacht Occupation authorities required Jews to register (October 25). The registered total anounted to 37,054 people. Many young healthy Jews attempted to sneak out of the city and reach the relatively nearby Soviet occuption zone. Politically active Jews in particular attemted to escape.

German Civil Administration (November 1939)

The German civil administratio was established (November 1). The German Governor was Ernst Zörner who established his offices at the Distriksstrasse. This was all part of the establishment of the Generalgouvernement. Zörner was a World War I veteran and early NAZI Party member. He was a close associate of Hans Frank, the German General Govenor. Odilo Globocnik was appointed SS- und Polizeiführer in the Lublin district (November 9). Eventually political infighting would develop between the Party (Frank and Zörner) AND THE SS (Himmler and Globocnik). On the same day a major anti-Jewish action was carried out, overseen by Globocnik. Early in the morning, SS-men surrounded the town center. Jews were forced out of their aparmnents, hving only minutes to leave. Most lost all of their possessions. The stunned Jews were resettled to the Jewish Town and Old Town. Many decided to leave the city. Next German German authorities ordered that Jews to mark their shops, workshops, and factories with the Star of David (November ??). This facilitated looting and seizure. Next Jews were ordered to wear Star of David armbands (Decmber ??). Jews wwre shocked as many hd becoe used to emancipation and the achievement of full civil status. One Polish Jew writes, "On 1 December we were 'decorated' by the yellow Star of David. This winter morning Dr Mordechaj Tenenbaum, old children doctor, came to work. On his overcoat he had a yellow 'patch' and in his eyes tears. It was horrible! He, who loved every sick child, stood before us and was degraded. He smiled, wiped off the tears and by trembling voice appeased everybody: 'It is nothing, my children. We have not to be shamed - in spite of all we are still Jews.'" [Erlichman-Bank]

Judenrat (December 1939)

The Germnan authorties ordered the Jewish community to establish a Lublin Judenrat (Council). This was essentialy to provide a beaurecratic mechanisms by which orders could be communicated to the city's Jews and facilitate their control. The Lublin Judenrat was made of 24 members. The Jewish community selected the members. There were extensive discussions concerning how to collaborate with the Germans. Ing. Henryk Bekker was chosen presdent. He had been the leader of the Folkspartaj in Lublin. The Germansordered all political prties disbnded. He was also deputy to the Town Council and president of the Jewish Community Council. Tghecfew suyrvuivors of the Lublin Ghetto remember Bekker as a kind and caring person. Two vice presidents were selected. The first vice-president was Dr Marek Alten, a lawyer, former Austro-Hungarian officer, and a leader of the Zionist Organisation. The second vice president was Salomon Kestenberg, a paper merchant and vice-president of the pre-war Jewish Community Board. A few German-controlled Jewish institutions were permitted, including the Jüdische Soziale Selbsthilfe and several committees. The Judenrat controlled the Jewish Hospital, orphanage and shelter for the eldery which were allowed to continue operating.

Judenreservat

German authorities designated the Lublin district became a Judenreservat (Jewish reservoir). Jews living in the Generalgouvernement, the occupied Polish areas annexed to the Reich, and the German Reich would be deported and concentrated there. This appears to have been adecision taken before it was decided to take the Final Sollution--the NAZI term for murder. The numbers of Jews actually deported to the Lublin distruct was relatively small. Only 6,300 Jews were deported to the Lublin district, among them around 1,200 German Jews from Stettin (until February 1940). Most were sent to small ghettos in Piaski, Glusk and Belzyce.

Belzac Roundups (1940)

The SS and police organized round-ups in Lublin and nearby towns. The thousands of men rounded up were transported to the Belzec work camp. There they were put to work building a defensive Eastern Wall along the demarcation line with Soviet-occupied oland. Many of them died as a result of lack of food and sheklter.

Conditions in the City (1940-41)

Most Lublin Jews continued living in their homes, mostly apartments (until March 1941). Themajor exception was the town center from which they had been expelled. Here they were prohibited from walking on the main street. They esentally became German slaves. Jews were required to work for German institutions and companies. There was a Forced Labor Camp Lipowa Street 7. The Germans constantly conducted round-ups in the Jewish district to find Jews for forced labor. German police and solders continued looting Jewish shops that had not been seized or shtdown as well as apartments. One Jewish observer who managed to visit the Warsaw Ghetto wrote, "After my return from Warsaw I realized exactly the differences of the conditions in both ghettos. In Lublin there was not an intensive social and cultural life. There were many reasons of this situation. At first, in the beginning of the war, Soviet troops came almost to Lublin what facilitated the escapes. Mostly the political activists and youth escaped. The big number of the resettled people from the western part of Poland were deported to Lublin. Most of them were poor people from low social classes. Intelligentsia, for example from Lodz and surroundings escaped to Warsaw, believing that the capital will have a better fate. Lodz’s intelligentsia was very active in Warsaw and replaced the Warsaw one which has escaped. Also the buildings of both towns were different. The great houses with the back-premises gathered inside the big number of inhabitants, and a part of them could go into the underground, making social work during the police time. The buildings in Lublin were smaller and separated frome each other, so in the evening it was impossible to organize themselves. There was the positive side of Lublin also. The misery was here much more 'modest' than in Warsaw. Here people didn’t die in the streets. They agonized only in the silence of the houses, or shelters for the refugees, or in the hospitals. We can say it was more "decently". Also Lublin’s nouveaux riches behaved themselves quite decently." [Erlichman-Bank] Food was more available in Lublin than Warsaw. Until the Lublin Ghetto was closed, many Warsaw Jews tried to escape escaped to Lublin, having hear rumors that it was a richer town with much food. And the biggest problem in the Lublin ghetto was not the shortage of food as in Warsaw, but a typhus epidemic and overcrowded apartments.

Expullsion (March 1941)

NAZI authorities several days before establishing the ghetto forced about 14,000 Jews out of Lublin. Most were poor and unemployed. They were resettled to several small towns around Lublin. We are not sure just why this was done. The decesion to begin killing had not yet beeen made or at least not communicated to subordinate commanders, so the need for concerntration was not yet fully understood. Some of these residents returned to Lublin without permission because of better conditions and a general feeling of safety in numbers.

Creation of the Ghetto (March 1941)

NAZI Lublin governor Zörner announced the creation of a ghetto (March 1941). The oldest and poorest part of the historical Jewish district Old Town was chosen. Around 40,000 Jews were present in Lublin when the ghetto was established. The Ghetto at first was a residential zone and not closed. Jewish movement was regulated, but they were not yet confined within the Ghetto. They were prohibited from entering the 'Aryan streets'". Nor were the Jews forced ingo the Ghetto. Quite a few Jewish families lived outside the Ghetto. This was especially true of Jews with specialty skills working for German institutions. As a result, conditions in the Ghetto were not as bad as in Warsaw and Lodz and other ghettoes where food shortages were already becoming severe. Many Jews in the Lublin ghetto had some contact with the outside world which meant some access to food. They were able to smuggle food into the Ghetto. Nazi newspapers commented on a widespead black market.

Preparation for Murder (late-1941)

Germany lauched Operain Barbarossa, the invasion of the Sioviet Union (June 1941). From the beginning Einsatzgrupopen begn killing Jews in large numbersm, something they had not done in Poland. This meant that it was just aatter of time before the killing began in Poland. Himmler decided he wanted ae industrial approach to the killing. German authorities began opreparing for the murder of Lublin Jews (October 1941). Round ups of young men began. Only the 25,000 Jewsd working for the Whermacht, SS and police were to an extent protected. Rounds ups were conducted to send young men to Majdanek to begin contructing the camp and to die in the process (December 1941).

Dividing the Ghetto (early-1942)

Globocnik's headquarters decided on the deportation of the Lublin Jews to the Belzec death camp. Aspart of this process, the Germans decided to split the Ghetto into two parts (early-1942). The purpose was to divide the workers who were useful from the non-workers, esentially culling out the nonworkers so they could be more easily rounded up for transport and murder. Ghetto A was the so-called Big Ghetto with non-working Jews. Ghetto B or the Small Ghetto was for the working Jews. It was composed of the 'better' part of the ghetto (Grodzka Street*, Kowalska Street, Rybna Street). The Judenrat offices and nstitutions were located in Ghetto B. Jews who worked for the Germans lived here along with doctors from the Jewish hospitals. The Germans oproceeded to isolate Ghetto B with barbed wire. Those Jews living in both parts of the ghetto, were allowed to visit each other at specified times during the day, but this required special permission.

Closure (March 1942)

NAZI authorities finally closed the Lublin Ghetto (March 1942). By this time the killing had begun at Chelmo and the death camps were nearing completion for Operation Reinhard. The Lublin Ghetto was the first ghetto in the Generalgouvernement to be liquidated. German authorities gained a great deal of experience as a result of the operation as to how to go about future deportation actions. The deported Lublin Jews from Lublin were the first victims of the newly constructed Belzac death camp.

Preparations (March 1942)

The SS several days before beginning the deportations started, registered all Jewish workers. Tthe Sicherheitspolizei (Security Police) stamp their ID cards. These wre the only persons exempted from deportation. Once their IDs were stamped, they had to move to Ghetto B. SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Höfle, with just a few hours notice, met the representatives of all Nazi institutions in Lublin (March 16). He informed them that the Ghetto was to be liquidated. He informed his colleagues that all unemployed Jews would be deported to Belzec "which is the last station in Lublin district", and "that these people never will come back. For the Jewish workers the SS is building a big camp (Majdanek) which will be main reservoir of the Jewish labour power for the German factories in the town." He explained that during the deportation the SS would select people capable of work.

Deportations and Murder: Ghetto A (March-April 1942)

The SS and Ukrainians from Trawniki surrounded the Ghetto (March 16, 10pm). They lit the main ghetto street with flood lights. At the same time, theGhetto Jews were being driven out of their homes. Many of them, especially the elderly and sick who could not walknor walk fast enough were simply shot. About midnight SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Worthoff from the Gestapo Lublin, who was responsible for Jewish affairs, summoned a meeting of the Judenrat. He ordered them to produce 1,500 people daily to be deported 'to the East, for work'. They would be allowed to take 15 kg of luggage with them, along with their valuables and cash. The first group were herded toward the Great Synagogue which was now being used as an assembly point for the deportees. They were brought to the Umschlagplatz near the town slaughterhouse. The first Lublin Jews were deported to the Belzec death camp (early morning March 17). At this time the Jews did not know about about the fate of these deportees nor the destination of their tansports. Somehow a little boy (he has never been uidentified) manage to escape from Belzec. He got back to Lublin and described the the fate of the deportees. Of course noone wanted to believe the auful truth. Some 26,000 Lublin Jews were sent to Belzec and killed there (by Aoril 14). There wee smaller actions in theLublin area. About 200 children from the Jewish Orphanage were murdered together with their teachers in a Lublin suburb. Several hundred patients from the hospitals together with their doctors and nurses.were shot at Niemce Forest (15 km from Lublin).

Sources

Erlichman-Bank, Sujka. Listy z piekła (Białystok, 1992).

Created: 5:41 AM 6/8/2010
Last updated: 5:41 AM 6/8/2010