Ghettos
Moving into the Ghettos
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After the beginning of World War II, Nazis began ordering all Jews to live within certain, very specific, areas of big cities, called ghettos. Jews were forced out of their homes and moved into smaller apartments, often shared with other families. Some ghettos started out as "open," which meant that Jews could leave the area during the daytime but often had to be back within the ghetto by a curfew. Later, all ghettos became "closed," which meant that Jews were trapped within the confines of the ghetto and not allowed to leave. A few of the major ghettos were located in the cities of Bialystok, Kovno, Lodz, Minsk, Riga, Vilna, and Warsaw. The largest ghetto was in Warsaw, with its highest population reaching 445,000 in March 1941. |
Death penalties was enforced on Jews caught trying to escape the ghetto, or any Pole who tried to help Jews in any way. Although there were Jews who tried to fight against the Nazis, they quickly ran out of supplies, were swiftly caught and punished, killed or taken to prison.
There were curfews and guards on duty at all times along the walls to make sure no Jews crossed over to the non-Jewish side. Many Jews suffered from disease, which spread rapidly in such close quarters. For example, a typhus epidemic broke out about a year after the ghetto was created, killing many. Due to low food rationing, Jews inevitably starved to death. Some chose to kill themselves rather than stand the physical and emotional pain any longer. Despite all these brutal conditions and the Nazis' attempt to control and degrade them through oppression, the Jews tried to maintain their dignity and some sense of normalcy in a world gone awry. They secretly studied, prayed and conducted religious services, set up schools for their children, put on theatrical plays, wrote diaries and histories in the ghettos. They continued the struggle to self-govern themselves even from within the ghettos. |
Life in the Ghettos
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Labor in the Ghettos
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The ghettos served as bases for utilizing Jewish labor. The Nazis used forced labor on the Jews for economic gain. Labor shortages in the German war economy became critical. This led the the increased use of prisoners as forced laborers in German industries. German factory owners set up factories within the ghetto. Despite the low wages, fear of deportation drove man Jews to work in these factories. |