A- A+

DEPORTATION OF JEWS FROM OŚWIĘCIM

EXPULSION OF POLISH AND JEWISH POPULATION FROM OŚWIĘCIM AND THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES

DEPORTATION OF JEWS FROM OŚWIĘCIM

In 1940, the German authorities, implementing plans for the Germanisation of Upper Silesia, conducted the resettlement of Jews from the western part of the Katowice Regierungsbezirk to its eastern fringe (Oststreifen – eastern strip), including Oświęcim. The next year, the expulsion of the Jews and some of the Poles was also planned for Oświęcim to make room for German settlers.

Information regarding the planned deportations gradually reached the local authorities. On 22nd January 1941, Mayor Heinrich Gutsche was instructed by the Settlements South Staff (Ansiedlungsstab-Süd) to remove from Oświęcim within two months a large proportion of the Jewish population. Presumably, the evictions and deportation to the General Government were to encompass persons who were unable to work. People who were fit and able, on the other hand, were to be put under the disposal of the plenipotentiary for the employment of foreign workforces SS-Oberführer Albrecht Schmelt and directed to labour camps in Silesia.

Source: A-BSMA

Mayor Heinrich Gutsche writes that he has be instructed by the Settlements South Staff (Ansiedlungsstab-Süd) to remove from Oświęcim within two months a large proportion of the Jewish population.

Soon, however, following the decision of IG Farben to build a chemical factory (Buna-Werke) to the east of Oświęcim, the German authorities decided to expel all the Oświęcim Jews. This is because the chemical company needed accommodation for Germans employed in the realisation of this project. The Poles, on the other hand, were for the time being to remain in Oświęcim, as they would be needed as the physical builders of the factory. Ordinances for the resettlement of Jews and temporary retention of some Poles were issued on 18th February 1941 by Reichsmarschall Herman Göring (as plenipotentiary for the implementation of the Four Year Plan), and confirmed eight days later by Heinrich Himmler (who as Reichskommissar for the consolidation of German nationhood was responsible for the implementation of population policy in the East, including resettlements).

Ordinance of Reichsmarschall Herman Göring as plenipotentiary for the implantation of the Four Year Plan, issued on 18th February 1941 in connection with the planned construction of the IG Farben chemical factory

Source: A-BSMA

Initial paragraphs: „To cover demand for the workforce and to accommodate workers for the scheduled for early April construction of the Buna factory in Auschwitz (Upper Silesia), which should be carried out as fast as possible, the following steps will be undertaken: 1) fast evacuation of Jews from the city of Auschwitz and its surroundings in order to get their houses empty for the accommodation of the Buna construction workers. 2) Poles from the city of Auschwitz and its surroundings shall be temporary left in their houses until they complete the task as construction workers. […]”.

Probably towards the end of February or at the start of March 1941, the Oświęcim Jews learned about the planned deportation. For this reason, some of them wrote letters to the German mayor of Auschwitz with requests to be excluded from the resettlements.

Source: A-BSMA

Letter from Israel Feiner, 4th March 1941, in which he requests to be excluded from the list of deportees. He states that during the First World War, he had fought as an ally, that he was a war invalid and that later he was actively involved in the Vereinigte Verbände Heimattreuer Oberschlesier (United Associations of Upper Silesians Loyal to the Fatherland). Despite this loyalty, the annotation in the margin states “wird ausgesiedelt” (will be expelled).

Source: A-BSMA

Letter from Fela Matzner, 10th March 1941, requesting that she and her husband should not be deported. She justified this request by stating that her husband was sick and bedridden and that she herself had a disability.

Excerpt from the letter of Jacob Hennenberg, a resident of Oświęcim, on the evictions:

In 1940, the Germans started deporting the Christians, but they left the Jews in relative peace. Of course, there was the so-called Judenrat, who managed Jewish affairs the way the Germans told them to. Already in 1939, some 350 young Jews went to work in the barracks where now there is the Museum. I myself worked at the barracks where the Podhale Regiment horses stood. Before the war, I also worked in the so-called “tabaku” [snuff] warehouse. I knew the whole area, because before the war, we had … form the side of Mały Rynek (the Small Market Square). And I went to the warehouse for cigarettes and rectified spirit. Also, when the Germans were repairing the bridge over the Sola River, they were always able to commandeer some people to work on the bridge.

It began more or less at the end of 1940, posters were put up with the following message: “Alle Juden nach Palestyna [Palästina] fahren wollen, sollen sich beim Judenrat melden” – which means “All Jews wishing to go to Palestine must register at the Judenrat”. Of course, everyone wanted to escape – and that is how they obtained a list of all the people. We allowed ourselves to be fooled. At the start of March, notification was given that, during that month, we would have to leave Oświęcim. They granted us permission to take everything. There were three cities to choose from: Sosnowiec, Będzin and Chrzanów. My father said: “We’ll go to Chrzanów.” Those who went to Sosnowiec and Będzin, travelled on a special train. We were picked up by a peasant from Polanki, who took us in his cart to Chrzanów. His operation did come as a surprise, one way or another, we were helpless. I never found out who moved into our house and home.

When we arrived in Chrzanów, they gave us a single room, somewhere in a hull. I do not remember anything about the ration cards. I was 15 when the war broke out and I do not remember any case of anyone not conforming, that is if they wanted to live. On 8th May 1941, I was apprehended in Chrzanów and sent to the camps. The last one was Waldenburg concentration camp (No. 64242).

On 18th-19th February 1943, the rest of my family was sent from Chrzanów straight to a gas chamber in Auschwitz. Karol’s only sister survived in a camp in the Sudetenland (the Sudety Mountains).

Before the war, everyone in Oświęcim knew the Hennenberg family. My grandfather, Naftali Bochner, had a small house in Mały Rynek, he was a city councillor and a chief member of the Qahal.”

Source: Collection of Edyta Chowaniec.

As a consequence of these ordinances, at the start of April, all the remaining Jews were deported from Oświęcim. This was not the first deportation, because in September 1940, the Jewish community in Oświęcim was forced to provide the Schmelt Organisation with around 500 men aged from 19 to 40, who were sent to a camp in Annaberg (Góra Świętej Anny – Saint Anne Mountain), where they were employed in building motorways. The Jewish community was again forced to provide a quota of workers in March 1941. When the Jews failed to meet the quota, the police carried out a street roundup. The thus captured Jews were sent to a labour camp in the Żywiec region. Moreover, also in March – as was mentioned – 500 Jews were deported to the General Government. As a result of all these deportations, the Jewish population in Oświęcim was gradually reduced. While in February 1941 there were 6,500 Jews, by March their number had fallen to 6,000.

The expulsion of the Oświęcim Jews was carried out in the first days of April 1941. Earlier, they were notified that they had to leave their homes and that they could choose one of three towns, Sosnowiec, Będzin or Chrzanów, to which they would be resettled. Most chose Sosnowiec, to which over 3,000 people were deported, the second most popular choice was Będzin – around 2,000, and the remainder were resettled in Chrzanów. According to some accounts, however, Jews were already deported to Chrzanów in March. The deportations were overseen by the German police with the assistance of Jewish police brought over from Sosnowiec.

The Jews left their homes and gathered at designated points. They were allowed to take as many belongings as they wanted, provided that they covered the entire cost of the transport. Their belongings were loaded onto horse carts provided by the town authorities, which took them to the railway station. From there the Jews and their property were transported to Sosnowiec or Będzin. Many Jews could not afford to pay for the transport and therefore had to leave all their property. Later, a large proportion of these belongings were stored in the Salesian monastery.

Excerpt from the account of Karol Lehrer, a resident of Oświęcim, on the evictions of Jews from Oświęcim:

At the beginning of April 1941, 5,000 Jews from Oświęcim were removed to Sosnowiec and Będzin inlcluding me. I explain that they were the residents of Oświęcim. The action was carried out by Liedner and Knoll. Then Jews were allowed to take everything, there were even trains for furniture thanks to efforts of the Jewish community. The transfer took place between 2nd and 7th April 1941.

Source: A-BSMA, Höss Trial Fond, vol. 5, p. 141.

Market Square in Oświęcim. On the market square there are horse-drawn ladder carts arranged in several rows. People are standing by the carts.

Source: A-BSMA

Oświęcim, the main square. Local peasants arrived with horse carts on the instruction of the German authorities. The carts were used to transport some of the Jews and their belongings. Photo by Andrzej Kasza.

Displacements from Oświęcim. Horse-drawn ladder carts loaded with furniture. People walking around the carts.

Source: A-BSMA

Deportation of Oświęcim Jews. Loading of furniture onto horse carts. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Displacements from Oświęcim. Horse-drawn ladder cart loaded with furniture and mattresses. There are people walking around the cart, men in coats, women and children.

Source: A-BSMA

Deportation of Oświęcim Jews. Loading of furniture onto a horse cart. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Displacements from Oświęcim. Children and a woman riding on a ladder cart. Horse-drawn cart driven by a driver.

Source: A-BSMA

Deportation of Oświęcim Jews. Transport of children. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Furniture storage yard on the Boulevards by the Soła River.

Source: A-BSMA

Oświęcim. Transportation of furniture left behind by deported Jews. The furniture was stored in a terrain of the Salesian monastery from part of which the Germans had evicted the Salesian monks.

The evicted Jews were escorted by the German police to Oświęcim railway station and most of them were transported by train to Będzin or Sosnowiec, some 40 km away. Alternatively, those who decided to be resettled in Chrzanów, which was around 20 km way, were transported together with their property by horse cart. A group of about 50 Jews remained in Oświęcim, because the German town authorities instructed them to empty the evacuated Jewish apartments. After a few weeks, when this work was finished, they were transported to Sosnowiec or Będzin, too.

Excerpt from the testimony of Anna Hoenig, a resident of Oświęcim deported to Będzin:

… The Germans lied to us that if we paid the contributions, we would not be deported. We paid the contributions several times, but it did not help us. When the time came, we were deported anyway. …

In mid-March 1941, all the Jews were expelled from Zasole to the city. Round-ups to pressgang people for work and the robbing of Jewish property occurred on a daily basis.

In 1941, before our deportation to Będzin, the Germans registered all the Jewish furniture to stop any of the Jews from trying to sell it. …

All the Oświęcim Jews were expelled to Będzin in April 1941. There we were very badly treated by the community and the Judenrat tried to have us deported at the first given opportunity. This, however, turned out to be to our advantage, because many of the younger people survived the camps, whereas during later expulsions, the Germans killed large numbers of people on the spot.

Source: Auschwitz Jewish Center

Excerpt from the testimony of Taube Grunn, a resident of Oświęcim deported to Sosnowiec:

… One day, several prisoners escaped from the camp. The whole town was searched. The Jews suffered particularly in these searches. During the searches, the SS beat them mercilessly, and additionally took everything they could lay their hands on. Such searches became more and more frequent. Life in the city was becoming unbearable. Jews were forced to leave the most attractive streets. A week later, all those living close to the camp were forced to move to the city. Thus, the whole of Zasole was cleared of Jews. The city was getting increasingly crowded. Three or four families were living in one room. It was dangerous to go out into the street. The SS beat passers-by.

In the second half of April [1941], the order came: all the Jews had to leave Oświęcim. With a heavy heart, belongings were loaded onto wagons, which transported people and their possessions to Sosnowiec. It was hard to leave the family home and go out into the uncertain world, but a certain sense of relief came over us all when the train moved from that terrible city, where people would return, but only after death.

After being expelled from Oświęcim, I lived with my family in Sosnowiec. There, life for those expelled was very difficult …

Source: Auschwitz Jewish Center.

Excerpt from the testimony of Ewa Neiger, a resident of Oświęcim deported to Sosnowiec:

Jews were not allowed to walk down Jagiellońska, the city’s main street. Jews who lived in that street had to leave it in 1940. The Jews were also not allowed to walk on the side of the market square which was adjacent to Jagiellońska Street.

In Easter (Pesach) 1941, the entire Jewish population of Oświęcim was deported. The operation lasted for over a week. The evictions were carried out street by street. The gmina issued cards. We were allowed to take everything, but most people left their furniture behind. Some of the Jews (the rich ones) sent their furniture on in carts, but it did not usually reach its destination.

Jews were deported from Oświęcim to Sosnowiec and Będzin. The wealthy and those who had relatives there, tried to get to Chrzanów. The evictees and their belongings were put on passenger trains. I was assigned to Sosnowiec. Later I managed to get my furniture sent to Chrzanów and travelled there myself too.

Source: Auschwitz Jewish Center.

Video alternate text

TRANSCRIPT

Excerpt from the account of Abraham and Jerzy Feiner, pre-war residents of Oświęcim, deported to Chrzanów:

When Germans arrived in 1939, I remember that the first bomb felt on the road to the Klucznikowica, at the left side and there my friend has been killed. It was on Thursday night. Not far there was Gerstner’s bakery and you could go to Nosola’s garden. I think this garden is still today. Nosol was well-known back then. And there, in this Nosola’s house lived our family, my uncle. But they didn’t survive. From the whole family only my brother, next to me, survived.

Eviction.

The eviction began. They worked day and night, they loaded those carts and even let people to do the laundry . They usually travelled to Będzin or Sosnowiec. But my father decided that in Chrzanów we would have a small house. So, we went to Chrzanów, my sister, my brother, my parents and me. I did not stay in Chrzanów for long, because there was a roundup, I got caught and transported to Blechhammer camp. There I met my brother transported from Annaberg here. And throughout my experiences in the concentration camps I was with him.

Today , from my all experience from the concentration camps, I have completely lost my faith; I have no longer any faith. I only believe in humans; my faith is in humankind.

Displacements from Oświęcim. Men in coats, women and children with luggage and bundles are walking down the street, guarded by German policemen in uniforms.

Source: A-BSMA

Oświęcim. Evicted Jews escorted by German policemen. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Loading furniture into freight wagons. The train is standing on a railway siding.

Source: A-BSMA

Oświęcim railway station. Loading of the belongings of the deported Jews. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Loading furniture into freight wagons straight from horse-drawn ladder carts. The train is standing on a railway siding.

Source: A-BSMA

Oświęcim railway station. Loading of the belongings of the deported Jews. Photo: Andrzej Kasza.

Railway ramp (called Judenrampe) near Birkenau. There is a freight train on the ramp and wooden warehouse buildings on the left.

Source: A-BSMA

The “Jewish ramp” near Birkenau. This was where in the years 1942-1944 transports of Jewish Holocaust victims stopped. Among them there were also the Jews of Oświęcim, who had been deported to Bedzin and Sosnowiec. SS photo.

Graphic design: Jerzy Pietruczuk

Source: A-BSM

Map of the divided Polish lands in the years 1939-1941. Marked on the map there are the towns of Sosnowiec, Będzin and Chrzanów, to which the Jews of Oświęcim were deported in 1941.

All the Jewish institutions in Oświęcim were liquidated, and their synagogues were converted into warehouses. The German authorities did, however, allow a few people of Jewish descent who were married to Catholics to remain. These persons were not given any ration cards and they had to report to the Gestapo every week. On the other hand, they were not subjected to any other repressions and therefore they were able to survive until the end of the war.

Gazeta Żydowska [The Jewish Newspaper], No. 31, 18th April 1941. On the page 4, there is an article entitled “Resettlement of Jews from Oświęcim”.

Source: Central Jewish Library, https://cbj.jhi.pl/

By the consent of the German authorities, Gazeta Żydowska came out two or three times a week from 23rd July 1940 to 28th August 1942. It was a Polish-language periodical for the inhabitants of ghettos in the General Government.

After arriving in Będzin or Sosnowiec, the Oświęcim Jews were initially placed in five resettlement camps. Next, employees of the Council of Jewish Elders Head Office allocated apartments for them, to which they could bring their belongings from four warehouses where they had been deposited. The addition of several thousand new inhabitants contributed to a considerable deterioration in living conditions and an even greater housing shortage. Some of the Jews in the Dąbrowa Basin were employed in local plants, where sewed and repaired uniforms, whereas others were directed to labour camps run by the Schmelt Organisation. The experiences of the Jews deported to Chrzanów were similar.

Excerpt from the testimony of Mania Lerner, née Halfman, a resident of Oświęcim deported to Sosnowiec:

Our place was in Jagiellońska Street. … A couple of days before Easter, in April 1941, a decree was issued stating that Oświęcim was to be “Judenfrei” and that everyone was to gather in the market square with their belongings. I think you were also allowed to take furniture on the train if you could pay for it. And so, we had to leave our town, which had been rebuilt with Jewish hands.

Some of us were resettled in Będzin, and others were resettled in Sosnowiec. Our family was sent to Sosnowiec and lodged in a school. Who had family and friends, was put up by them, but we had no one and spent Easter at the school. Next, we were given a tiny room behind a small shop. I could sew and knit, so I immediately started working. At that time, they took my father to the camp and he never returned…

Source: Auschwitz Jewish Center.

A significant proportion of the Oświęcim Jews shared the fate of other Jews living in Chrzanów, Będzin and Sosnowiec. The ghettos that were formed in these towns were next gradually liquidated by the German authorities, and the inhabitants were chiefly sent to Auschwitz concentration camp, where they were murdered in the gas chambers. The annihilation of the Jews in Chrzanów was carried out in two stages (June 1942 and February 1943), whereas in the case of Sosnowiec and Bedzin, the process required several stages, with the most intensive mass exterminations occurring in May, June and August 1942 and August 1943. The number of Oświęcim Jews deported to Auschwitz is unknown, as it is also unknown the number of those who died in that camp on the outskirts of their hometown. We can only presume that the vast majority of them perished. We also do not know exactly how many of the survivors returned to Oświęcim after the war. According to the minutes of the Town Council of 22nd May 1945, there were 27 Jews living in Oświęcim, whereas a Town Council report of 25th September that same year states that there were 186 Jews. However, we do not know how many of these Jews were originally from Oświęcim and how many settled in the town for the first time after the war.

Excerpt from the account of Janina Pilarska, née Czarnik, a resident of Oświęcim, on help provided to Jews hiding after the expulsion operation:

During the occupation, my family helped a little Jewish girl. When the Jews were expelled from Oświęcim, one of the Jewish families gave Magdalena Matlak their daughter, who had been her servant. Magdalena Matlak hid the girl with the Molenda family in Przeciszów, Mr Molenda had recently died. We gave this Jewish girl Maria Matlak’s ration cards. The girl survived the war. Today, she lives abroad.

Source: A-BSMA, Testimonies Fond, vol. 101, p. 62.