2. What was the Warsaw
Ghetto?
A designated area of a city in which Jews were permitted to live.
Ghettos were sometimes surrounded by a wall and had gates that
would be closed for the night, and were sometimes called "Jewish cities"
or "Jewish quarters". The term "ghetto" was probably first used in the
sixteenth century, though its origins are unclear.
Separate Jewish districts began to be created in the late
eleventh and early twelfth centuries during the Crusades.
This was in part brought about by the need to defend
themselves against the Crusaders, but also because of
the Jews' own desire to maintain their religious identity.
3. What was the Warsaw
Ghetto like?
All Jews over the age of twelve years were
forced to identify themselves by wearing a Star
of David on their sleeve. These first measures
were just the start of a long process however,
and with more edicts issued every month it
wasn't long before the Jews were reduced to
the status of slaves and chattel.
Life in the ghetto started off tough and quickly got
worse. At first some semblance of normal life
presided: cafes were still open, newspapers
published (newspapers from 'the outside' were
forbidden), school lessons took place and people
strived to continue a normal existence as best as
they could.
4. When did the Warsaw
ghetto begin?
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest ghetto in
Nazi-occupied Europe. The Warsaw Ghetto was
established on the orders of Hans Frank who was
the most senior Nazi in Poland after the success of
the invasion that started on September 1st 1939.
As with all Nazi-created ghettos, a
Jewish Council was created within
the Warsaw Ghetto and was
headed by Adam Czerniaków. The
Jewish Council believed that a
policy of co-operation with the
Nazis was better than a policy of
dissent as the latter would only
lead to overt repression within the
ghetto.
5. Who started the Warsaw
ghetto?
- The establishment of Jewish quarters and limitations of the right of Jews to
take up residence or establish an economic existence are not new in the
history of the East [i.e., Eastern Europe]. Their beginnings go back to the 13th
century and have been observed again and again in the course of history,
down to the establishment of the Polish Republic.
- It had originally been planned by the Governor to place the Jewish quarter in
a suburb of Warsaw which is bordered on the east by the [River] Vistula.
The head of the Department of Resettlement was instructed to carry this out.
It was clear that this idea must at first appear to be incapable of execution,
owing to the specific and extremely complicated conditions in the city of
Warsaw.
