Month: June 2023

Jewish Heritage in Poland

Jewish history in Poland dates back to the 10th century AD when Jews had to flee Western Europe because of persecution and the black death.

Over the centuries the Jewish Population of Poland rose to 3.3 million just before WWII.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland and began his systematic elimination of a race.

1. Hitler began by having all Jews wear the star of David on their clothing

.

Star of David armband

2. Next he segregated them into small areas (ghettos) of the large cities. Professors and religions leaders were some of the first to go.

Jewish Professionals being taken prisoners.
The Great Warsaw Synagogue Postcard from the 1930’s. While not in the Warsaw Ghetto, it was destroyed by the Germans following the Uprising at the Ghetto.

3. Step three was to have the inhabitants of the ghettos construct a wall around themselves.

Ghetto Wall separating Warsaw with the Jews in the ghetto. The Jewish men were forced to build this 9 meter wall around the area of the Ghetto.
Remainder of the wall in 2023. A memorial Park near our hotel in Warsaw.

4. Women, children and male workers were then sent to concentration camps. Women and children for medical experimentation and later extermination. Eventually the plan was to exterminate all Jews.

Women and Children being led to cattle cars for the concentration camp.

Our trip has provided opportunities to understand all that lead to final visit to the concentration and extermination camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Auschwitz barracks and fence
Prisoners slept 5 or 8 to a bed
Gas Chamber at Auschwitz not destroyed . The large hole in the ceiling was where the canisters of lethal gas was dropped. Over 500 were put naked into this room then exterminated. .
Barracks at Birkenau
Destroyed crematoriums at Birkenau

Jewish Memorials

Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw. Today there are less that 20,000 Jews in all of Poland. Some families are brought back from NYC or other locations to be buried in this sacred cemetery.
Empty Chairs Memorial in Krakow. 33 large chairs and 30 regular chairs to use in memory of the more that 6oo,ooo Jews from Krakow that did not return.
Schindler Factory.
Schindler’s Enamel Ware Factory where he as able to protect and save from extermination over 1200 Krakow Jews. I encourage you to read about and watch the movie “Schindler’s List”
Luggage, shoes and eye glasses taken from the Jews before they were killed. Memorial at Auschwitz.
Information about the “final solution” at Auschwitz.
Memorial around Krakow for the Jewish uprising in 1943.

This has taken several days of visiting and writing. I am so thankful for the opportunity to visit Poland. My thanks to Nina-Jo Moore, ASU Professor, for this enriching opportunity.

Ellen ( all images either in public domain or taken by the author)