Figure 1.--Street trading was the primary commercial activity in the warsaw ghetto. Here a lady seems to have a hand cart and is selling her possessions. She must have some good items, although we do not see any food, as their appears to be a line, mostly women except for the teenage boy. The photograph was probably taken in 1941. This may be a photograph taken in a Paris market, if so we will have to shift the image.

The Germans attempted to starve the ghetoized Jews. It was one of the reasons that the ghettoes were established. This was part of the NAZI Hunger Plan. As a result, trading became a very important aspect of ghetto life. And food became the most important item in the life of the ghetto residents. And the commercial life in the ghetto primarily resolved around obtaing food. It was not the only item in demand. Warm clothing was alo prized, but food was the most important. Ghetto residents were always hungary because the Germans allowed so little food into the ghetto. The Judenrat issued the inhabitants ration cards. An adult requires about 3,500 calories daily. Privlidges Jews and key workers were allocated 1,000 calories. Everybody else was allocated only 300 calories. This mean starvation. To avoid starvation, Jews had to trade for food. n the Warsaw ghetto there were a few depressing stores that managed to continue operating, but they had little to offer. The commercial life of the ghetto revolved around street trading. Various residents had some money or valuables they could traded for food smuggled into the ghetto. Much of this was done by children, usually under the age of 12 years smuggle food into the ghetto. Much of the smuggling was done by children under the age of 12 because they did not have to wear the Jewish armband and thus were not so easily spotted by the Germans. They could also squeeze into small spaces. Adults caught smuggling were shot or hanged. The food the children smuggled helped keep he family alive abd any excess could be easily trded on the streets. Ghetto Jews set up workshops to produce all kinds of items including pots and pans, brushes and buttons, clothes and mattresses, dolls and other toys, anything that could traded for food. Larger workshops were organised for Jews to work on orders from the Germans, but until the transport liquadation period began, smuggling remained the chief form of trade with the outside and food was the primary item. There was a huge disparity between prices in the ghetto and outside which formed the basis for trade. Only as time went on, the Jews had less and less they could offer in trde and the prices demanded increased.

Created: 11:39 AM 11/29/2015
Last updated: 11:39 AM 11/29/2015