** World War II Holocaust -- initial German steps in Poland 1939-40








The Holocaust in Poland: Initial German Steps (1939-40)


Figure 1.--This Polish boy wjo looks to be about 9-10 years old, is selling NAZI mandated Star of David arm band. NAZI occupation authorities wanted to be able to easily identify Jews. , about nine or ten, with Jewish religious items in his hand, perhaps for sale. Notice that he is wearing one himself. The location is not identified, but was orobably Warsaw in the General Government. The photograph was taken in the summer 1940 just before Warsaw Jews were forced into a ghetto. After the gehettios were estanlished, the armbands were replaced with sewn-on yellow Star of David badges. Bundesarchiv Bild 10-1111-Wisniewski-010-21A.

Even before the NAZI invasion of Poland was completed, the NAZIs began planning the suppression of the Jews. This process varied depending on where the Jews lived. Reinhard Heydrich, head of the SS Security Police (SD) ordered that plans begin for concentrating all Jews in Poland and Czechoslovakia into ghettos (September 21, 1939). General Governor Hans Frank issued an ordinance required that Jews 10 years of age and older living in the General Government had to wear a yellow Star of David on their chest or a blue and white armband with the the Star of David (November 23, 1939). Regulations varied in other areas. The Star of David insignia of course simplified the problem of identifying Jews. The NAZIs had leaned in the Reich that not all Jews actually looked like the images of Jews they had. Jews who failed to desplay the badges could be shot. NAZI authorities in the areas of Poland that were being annexing to the Reich began deporting Jews to the Government General. Many Poles would also be deported. The NAZIs opened the first ghetto at Piotrekow (Novermber 28). The process proved more complicated than they had anticipated. Thus the immediated ghettoization of Polish Jews had to be delayed. Piotrekow was a fairly small ghetto, but the NAZIs perfected the system there that they would use for the larger ghettos. NAZI authorities began conscripted all Jewish males in Poland between the age of 14 and 60 years for forced slave labor (December 1939). This had begun earlier as ad hoc work round-ups.

First Steps (September 1939)

Jews in medieval Europe were often confined to certain city areas and required to weavidebtifiable clothing. The term 'ghetto' appeared as tg name of the Jewish quarter in Venice. Authorities compelled Jews to live thee (1516). Even before the Germans launched the invasion of Poland and World War II, the SS had began planning how to deal with the country's large Jewish popultion. The decesion was made that the goal was separation and without having to deal with German law, the obvious approach was gheotoization, the medieval approach to the Jews. This process varied depending on where the Jews lived. Reinhard Heydrich, head of the SS Security Police (SD) ordered that plans begin for concentrating all Jews in Poland and Czechoslovakia into ghettos (September 21, 1939). The process proved more commplicated thn SS planners had anticipted. Eventualy more than 1,000 ghettoes were establish, most for only short periods.

Jewish Badges (November 1939)

Various NAZI officilas in different areas of occupied Poland, including both areas annexed and the General Government began adopting regulations requiring Jews to wear identifying badges. There was no consistency about the size, color, and shape of the these early Jewish badges. This began as a local ordinance. There never was a single overall NAZI policy. As a result there was a great diverity of these badges. Apparently the idea originated with SD Chief Reinhard Heydrich. Frank readily accepted the idea. Govenor General Hans Frank, three months after the Germann invasion decreed that all Jews above 10 years of age were to wear a white badge with a Star of David on their right arm (November 23, 1939). Jews in the Reich were not required to wear rgese badges until another 2 years (1941). This theoretically covered all areas of the General Govrnment. We also notice a yellow Star of David wornn on the chest and back. The white arm band with the blue the Star of David and no word The yellow Sstar of Davids appear to have the word 'Jude', meaning Jew. This may have been used in he areas of Poland annexed to the Reich and thus not part of the General Government. (Many of these Jews wre, however, very rapidly deported to the General Government, often under deplorable conditions.) As far as we know the Polish word was never used. In other occupied areas such as France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia, the local word for Jew was use. And in some countries such as Belgium just the first letter of the world for Jew was used. As afar aas we can tell the Polish badges either did not use a word or used the German word in the Fraktur script. The Star of David insignia of course simplified the problem of identifying Jews. The NAZIs had leaned in the Reich that not all Jews actually looked like the images of Jews they had. Forcing Jews to identify themselves simpified the whole process of seoarating them from society and taking actions against thm. The regulation informed the population that 'severe punishment is in store for Jews who do not wear the yellow badgeon back and front.' In practice this meant that Jews who failed to desplay the badges could be shot. This dracoania enforcement action forced widespread compliance.

Labor Conscription (October-December 1939)

The NAZIs began using forced labor almost immediately upon seizing power (January 1933). The first victims were the political prisoners (Communists and Social Democrats) in Dachau and the other early concentration camps. From the beginning there was brutality and murder involved. There werevno real limitations on the conduct of the SS and SA personnel in the camps. German law no longer applied. Some Jews were also arrested, but were not a major target until Kristalnacht (November 1938). From that point, forced labor became an element of NAZI persecution, limited almost entirely to Jewish males. The invasion and occupation of Poland meant a quantum leap in German use of forced labor (September 1939). Poland had a large Jewish population and in German occupied Poland there were no legl constraints on German actions. Conscription of Jews for forced labpr began informally almost immediately aftr German troops reached a town or village. This began with ad hoc work round-ups, often accompanied with harassment, tauntings, considerable brutality and even shootings. Male Jews including teenagers were pressed ganged into labor service. Jews becamme legally liable for forced labor (October 1939). NAZI authorities began formally conscripting all Jewish males in Poland between the age of 14 and 60 years for forced slave labor (December 1939).

Government General (GG)

The Germans nenamed central Poland the Government General (GG), a World War I term. This was the area of occupied Poland the Germans did not immediateky plan to annex and aranize. The GG as it was originally constituted included four districts: Warsaw, Lublin, Radom, and Cracow. When a fifth district was added (Galicia) after Barbarossa (1941), the Jewish population reached 2.1 million people. Jews in the Government General as Jewsh elsewhere in Poland were subject to unpreductable acts of terror from both German soldiers and security police as well as Polish civilans. The Germans transferred administrative authority from the military to civilian authorities (late-October 1939). This had little impact on the harsh conditions established for Jews by military authorities. Only now the unpredictable terror slowly turned into legalized, coordinated actions. General Governor Hans Frank first decree stated "there will be no room in the GG for Jewish exploiters." (October 26, 1939). That was the beginning of a flood of anti-Semetiv measures designed to first strips Polish Jews of their possessions and livlihood and force them into ghettos. Personal rights were severly restricted and eventually done away entirely. All areas of f private and social life were affected, Jews lost any freedom of movement. They were prohibited from disposing ofvtheir property as NAZI authorities planned how to most efficently seize it. They were not allowed to practice their professions. Nor were they allowed to receive any benefit from their labor. Any social and medical insurance they had was cancelled. Nor were they allowed to collect any personal or proprrty insure they might have. Jewish religious observance (including ritual slaughter and public worship was prohibited. Jews were expelled from all schools still functioning. All Jewish social organizations and institutions were disbanded and properties seized. Jews could no longer associate freely and any gathering invited arrests and violence. Jewish institutions were replaced with the NAZI controlled Judenrat, theoretically a representative body, but actually an administrative authority tompass NAZI decress on to the Jewish population. As Jews in other areas were largely deported to the GG, it became occupied Poland for most of the Polish Jews who survived the first few months of German occupation.

Deportations from Areas Annexed to the Reich

NAZI authorities in the areas of Poland that were being annexing to the Reich began deporting Jews to the Government General. Many Poles would also be deported. The Holocaust unfolded differently in Polabd depending ob where the Jews lived, bit the finalmoutcome was not different. The basic idea was to concentrate the Jews in the Government General where they woukd be ghettoized. Most Polished Jews lived in what becane the Government General. Jews in the areas to be annexed to the Reich were driven into the Government General. The process was so brutal that many died before reaching the Governmrnt General or were in sych ppor condition, died soon after arrival. Thus the Polish Jews were confined into ghettos and easily accessablr for roundups and transport to the death camps as part of Operation Reinhard (1941-42). Only in Sliesia were conditions generally better for a time. Even though the war had begun to shift against the Germans and skilled workers were needed for the war effort, German authoritie sent sent skilled workers to Auschwutz (1942). The remaining Jews were first ghetoized and then also deported to Auschwitz (1943).

Ghettoization

The NAZIs opened the first ghetto at Piotrekow (Novermber 28). The process proved more complicated than they had anticipated. Thus the immediated ghettoization of Polish Jews had to be delayed. Piotrekow was a fairly small ghetto, but the NAZIs perfected the system there that they would use for the larger ghettos. Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Security Police, ordered that all Jews in Poland and Czechoslovakia be isolated and concentrated in ghettos (Sepember 21, 1939). This did not take place immediately because of the level of organization involved. The Jews were to be concentrated in ghettos set up in in Poland's larger cities. The NAZIS used Jewish neighborhoods in the major cities for the major ghettoes (Warsaw , L�dz, Krak�w, Lublin, and Lvov). Hans Frank was the leading NAZI Jurist. He was made the commander of the Government General, the area of NAZI controlled Poland not annexed by the Reich. He implemented Heydrich's orders. The ghettos were a key part of the evolving NAZI plan of dealing with Jews. From the NAZI perspective there were various advantages. 1) Once confined in ghettoes the Jews could be easily forced to work as slave labor to support the War-effort. 2) Their consumption of food and goods could be restricted to help avoid war time shortages in Germahny. 3) As they were concentrated and separated from the general Polish popultion, future actions could be nore easily conducted. Here the NAZIs may hve originally been thinking of deportation east, but this soon turned to mass murder. The decession to establish the ghettos appears to have been taken befor the decssion to commit genocide, but once that decession was taken the concebntration made the killing opperation easier. 4) The process of stripping Jews of their property could be completed. The Jews were foirced out of their homes and required to hand over valuables as they entered the ghettoes. NAZI propaganda maintained that Jews were genetic carriers of various diseases (particularly typhus) and thus there were public health considerations. The German people were told that the Jews were natural enemies of the Reich and Aryan race and thus encarcerating the Jews was a nececessary war-time measure.

Sources

Heydrich, Reinhard. "Schnellbrief" (September 21, 1939.

Himmler, Heinrich. Secret memo to RHSA and security agencues.







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Created: 9:54 AM 4/6/2011
Last updated: 6:12 AM 5/31/2014