Figure 1.--.

Especially constituted SD Einsatzkommandos from the very beginning undertook a calculated campaign of repression. These units were created and trained under Heydrich's command. Regular units of the Wehrmacht were also involved in this campaign, but their activities were not as carefully calculated as the actions of the Einsatzkommandos. SD Einsatzkommandos carried out standard operations. They were trained in these actions. The normal procedure was that once a town was taken by comat troops, the Einsatzkommandos was entered and arrested a group of Jews or Poles. Normally men were taken for hostages. They were then kept as hostages and usually shot when some excuse was found. The idea was to terrify the town and discourage any thought of resistance. Dpending on the proclivities of the individuals involved, the hostages were often tormented. This was especially true of the Jewish hostages. The Einsatzkommandos persued a special campaign against synagogues. Many synagougues were burbned as in Kristallnacht. Estimates indicte that that several hundred synagogues were destroyed during September and October 1939. There are many accounts of what happened to the synagogues in different Polish towns. The Germans in many towns and cities conducted mass roundups of Jews. These roundups were simetimes whole families, includuing men, women, and children. Sometimes the round up methods separatedd children from their families. These people then were interened. Regular Wehrmact units participsated in these attricities. It was not just the the Einsatzkommandos and other SS units. At the same time many Wehrmact officers were appalled at the attrocities they witnessed. In fact the Wehrmacht actually arrested some German soldiers for excesses in Poland.

Repression Campaign

Esespecially constituted SD Einsatzkommandos from the very beginning undertook a calculated campaign of repression. These units were created and trained under Heydrich's command. Regular units of the Wehrmacht were also involved in this campaign, but their activities were not as carefully calculated as the actions of the Einsatzkommandos. Here I am not fully sure just how involved the Wehrmact was and to what extent this was the actions of individual commanders.

Actions in Occupied Towns

SD Einsatzkommandos carried out standard operations. They were trained in these actions. The normal procedure was that once a town was taken by comat troops, the Einsatzkommandoswas entered and arrested a group of Jews or Poles. Normally men were taken for hostages. This deopended somewhat on the population of the town. They were then kept as hostages and usually shot when some excuse was found. The idea was to terrify the town and discourage any thought of resistance. Dpending on the proclivities of the individuals involved, the hostages were often tormented. This was especially true of the Jewish hostages. The Germans might stage mock executions. The hostages might be forced to stand for hours in dread oif their life. Accounts reveal a wide range of torments. A special target was devout Jews with beards. The Germans loved to cut off their beards. Often they would chose painful ways of doing this with sheers or dull razors that cut the unfortunate victim's face. Some especially brutal Germans burned the beards off. Other Germans forced the hostages to do exercises for exctended periods or dreamed up demeaning activities such a making them crawl on all fours or ride hoister hostages. They were made to sing anti-Semetic songs or chant hateful slogans. Some Jews were made to fight each other. While both Jrewish and Christian hostages were taken, these toirments were lrgely visited on the Jewish histages. Often this was done in the town square in the full view of all.

Synagougues Targeted

The Einsatzkommandos persued a special campaign against synagogues. Many synagougues were burbned as in Kristallnacht. Estimates indicte that that several hundred synagogues were destroyed during September and October 1939. Some many synagogues were burned, but many were not. After all they were often large substantial edifices. Again this was planned in advance. The NAZIs would normally first destroy the interiors. Then they were turned into some non-religious use. They were usually turned into some lowly use, such as stables, warehouses, or bathhouses. Some were even turned into public latrines.

Tactics

The Jews were not only not allowed to fight the fires lit in the synagogues nor were they allowed to rescue the religious artifacts--especially the Torah scrolls. Any Jew who attempted to enter a synagogue to save the Torah scrolls was normally shot or not allowed to leave the burning building. The NAZIs in several towns staged a kind of ritual burning of Torah scrolls, Hebrew books, and other religious articles. The town Jews would be force to dance around the fire and sing or chant anti-Semetic material. A favorite was to force them to parrot a chant saying Jews were responsible for the War. The town Jews werethen forced to clean up the rubble or to pay for the cost of cleaning up the rubble and tearing dwn any walls that had not collapsed. [Trunk]

Individual towns

There are many accounts of what happened to the synagogues in different Polish towns.
Bedzin: The synagogue by the the old market place in Bedzin was burned (Septemver 9, 1939). The fire spread burning down surrounding Jewish houses. The SS cordoned off the neighborhood. The Jews were not allowed to leavethe area of the fir or fight the fire. There were 56 homes consumed in the fire and many residents burned in their homes.
Wloclawek: The leader or rabbi of the Jewish community in Wloclawek was made to sign a "confession" that the Jews had started the fire. The community then had to pay a fine for arson. This was also done after Kristallnacht. Tenants in burned houses had to face a military trial. This also occurred in other Polish towns. [Trunk]

Planned Arressts

The Wehrmacht High Command issued precise written instructions concerning the arrest of Polish civilians (July 24, 1939). The orders covered internment of Polish civilians, Jews and Poles of military age. The orders did not specify the execution of the internees. The actual operation once the invasion was underway varied across Poland, depending on the commanders involved and the presence of the Einsatzkommandos. The Gremans in some ares persued an indiscriminate hunt for Jews, regardless of age or gender along with Christian Poles.

Mass Arrests

The German roundup methods varied. The Germans in many towns and cities conducted mass roundups of Jews. People were often just arrested in the streets. In other instances they were dragged out of their houses and apartments. These roundups were sometimes whole families, includuing men, women, and children. Sometimes the round up methods separated children from their families.

Internment

These people then were interened. A variety of large buildings were used as concentration camps were not yet availavle. Buildings like synagogues, churches, movie houses, and other large structures were normally used. Others were simplly surrounded by barb wire in open fields and thus exposed to the elements. Like the hostages, these Jews were often tormented by the guards.

Disposition

The fate of the Jews interened at this early stage of the German occupation varied widely.

Executions

Civilians were executed in several Polish towns. Some of the worst attrocities were carried out in: Bydgoszcz, Czestochowa, Dynow, Lipsk-Kielecki, Mszczonow, and Przemysl. Some times the victims were simply shot. In other onstances the victims were locked in buildings which were either burned or blown up. Anyone managaing to escape from the building were shot. There were numerous such actioins, but the total number of Jews actually killed was relatuively limited, usually measured in the hundreds. The NAZIs had not yet made the decession to commit genocide.

Concentration

Jews from small towns were often forced marched to larger towns (Wegrow, Lomza, Sieradz, and Tomaszow Mazowiecki). Once there some were released.

Forced labor

Others were made to do forced labor. At this stage tghere was often no real labor projects involved. Rather the labor brigades were simply measure to torture and humiliate Jews. They were often beaten and set to perform demeaning often sebceless activities. Some were made to cleaning latrines with only their bare hands abd no supplies.

Propaganda

Some were shipped to Germany where they were used in propaganda campaigns. Jews from Kalisz and Wieruszow were put in truicks in and driven around in trucks with signs saying: "These are the Jewish swine who shot at German soldiers." [Trunk]

Seizure of Jewish Property

The NAZI authorities began almost immediatelt seize Jewish property. What was doine iver several years in Germany, was done in a matter of days in Poland. Hans Frank who was to prove one oif the most notorious NAZI occupaion officials was attached to the Wehrmact as the chief civilian occupation official. His first action was to order Jews to display a Sar of David or other emblem on their stores and business (September 8, 1939). The order went into effect the following day. This of course was designed to simplify the idetification of Jewish property so it could be seized. The NAZIs quickly proceeeded to deprive Jews of their property as rapidly as possible. Sometimes they simply ordered the closure of all Jewish stores. Or they foirced Jews to see all their goods at minimal prices or gave the Jews worthless receipts for seized oproperty. The NAZIs also required Jewish communities to make large contributions in money, gold, silver, and jewelry. NAZI officials extorted large amounts of money in extr-legal actions from wealthy individuals under threast of arrest and execution. More regularized official robbery through the banking system. Jews were restricted as to the maximum amount they could hold in bank accounts and the accounts were blocked. Jews were also restricted in how much cash they could have in their homes. A wide range of regulatuioins were issued toi restruictvJewish ecoinomic activity. One of the first was a prohibition on engaging in the textile and leather goods industry. Their inventories were registered and seized by MAZI occupation authorities. Any violation of these regulation could result in extrodinarily severe penalties, including sumary execution. [Trunk]

Arressts for War Crimes

Regular Wehrmact units participsated in these attricities. It was not just the the Einsatzkommandos and other SS units. At the same time many Wehrmact officers were appalled at the attrocities they witnessed. In fact the Wehrmacht actually arrested some German soldiers for excesses in Poland. Honorable officers like Admiral Canaris, comander of the Abwer (military intelligence) were appaled. Canaris wanted to report this to Hitler until Keitel warned him that it was not advisable. Apparently it was not until this that he realized the true nature of Hitler. The soldiers involved later were released by Hitler and in future campaigns the Wehrmact no longer made such arrestts.

Sources

Trunk, Isaiah. "Jewish History of Poland: Holocaust Period".

Created: May 23, 2004
Last updated: May 23, 2004