THE GHETTOS DURING THE HOLOCAUST

By : CHRISMENE DORCENAT

GHETTOS A ghetto is a part of a city where a minority group lives, especially because of social, economic, or legal reasons. A ghetto is now described as an overcrowded city area often associated with a specific ethnic or racial group. During World War II, Jewish people and families were forced to live in ghettos, enclosed areas of the city. Conditions were terrible—many families were forced to live in one home with little food, water, and heat. People got very sick as a result of the poor conditions.

GHETTOS BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST•Even before the Holocaust, ghettoes existed. The Nazis did not invent the ghettos. They were created during Medieval Times. “For example, in 1791, Catherine the Great created the Pale of Settlement in western Russia. Most Jews were only allowed to live within the Pale, and even there some cities were prohibited to them. Even earlier, in 1290, Edward I had expelled all Jews from England. They were not to be officially permitted to return until the time of Oliver Cromwell in 1655.”

THE KRAKOW GHETTOS

When the Germans occupied Krakow on 6 September 1939, approximately 90,000 Jews lived in the city. The persecutions of the Jews began almost immediately and they were herded into the ghettos.

WALLING THEM IN

In the Warsaw Ghetto the Nazis forced people to build brick walls to keep the Jewish people from escaping.

INSIDE THE GHETTOS

Inside the ghetto people had very little to do, so they

swapped books and discussed religious issues to

keep their minds going

JEWISH POLICEInside the ghetto the Nazis stationed Jewish

police officers to keep control of the other Jewish people and to report any possible

problems.

GUARDING THE GHETTO

The Jewish people were imprisoned inside the ghetto, but Nazi soldiers were posted outside in case someone tried to escape.

STARVATION IN THE GHETTO

When in the Ghetto, the Nazis did not give the Jewish people very

much to eat so they began to starve.

FIRING SQUAD

When the Nazis started to shoot the Jewish people, they lined

them up against a wall and fired until they were all dead.

LEAVING FOR THE CAMPS

Nazi soldiers marched Jewish men, women and children out of the

Warsaw Ghetto in May 1943.Their next stop: the concentration camps.

RULES WITHIN THE GHETTOS

There were many rules within the ghettos. This sign, for example, states that Jews were forbidden to walk on this side of the street. All Jewish people were required to wear arm badges with a Jewish star. Stores owned by Jews had to be marked with a Star of David. Jews were not allowed to enter certain parts of the ghetto such as the park or market square in some cases.

Below, we see a Jews must wear arm bands or badge with a Jewish star.

Above we see the Jewish people walking in the street wearing a badge on the arm.