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In September 1939 the Germans took control of Poland and Warsaw after a three week siege. There was no love lost between the Germans and the Poles and it soon became clear that the Nazis, considering themselves a 'Master Race', valued Polish life at next to nothing. As was later demonstrated, on an unprecedented scale, this was one step up from the value they put on Jewish life.
As early as November 1939 in Warsaw the first decrees intended to denigrate the Jewish people were issued by the Nazis - the most notable of which was that 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. They were forbidden to work in either key industries or government institutions, to bake bread, to earn more than 500 zloty a month, to travel by train or trolley-bus, to leave the city limits without special permits, to possess gold or jewellery, plus all Jewish shops and enterprises had also to be marked with the Star of David. In addition to these official oppressions, Jews were summarily humiliated, beaten or even executed for little or spurious reason. In short they lived their lives in a state of constant fear.
Plans for a Jewish ghetto had in fact existed since the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, but in October 1940 they finally began to take form. A small district South West of the Old Town, in the centre of the city, was chosen and 113,000 Poles were evacuated to make way for Warsaw's 400,000 Jews. Thirty percent of the city's population were now living in an area that constituted less than three square miles, or 2.4 % of the capital. In November that area was closed off by a formidable wall, topped with barbed wire. 
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 continual a normal existence as best as they could. Those who had managed to hold on to any of their wealth in particular were able to live in a small degree of comfort. Smuggling food into the ghetto was common, either by bribing guards at the gates, or carrying it in via underground canals - whilst poorer people would send their children over to the 'Aryan side' to steal what they could. The official food ration of around 200 calories a day per person was less than 10 percent of the ration for Germans (and about 25% of the ration for Poles).
As more and more Jews were brought in from the neighbouring towns and villages, conditions became yet more cramped. Money for bribes was drying out (and was only ever the privilege of a few) and the poor people of the ghetto, skeletal and wretched, began starving en masse. In addition to death by starvation a typhoid epic, caused by the poor sanitary conditions, broke out; meaning that by April 1941 the mortality rate in the ghetto was a staggering six thousand people per month. Funeral carts would come and collect the bodies every morning, between 4-5am; mostly the corpses were dumped naked on the streets - the families were forced to strip their relatives in order to sell the clothes.
Whilst the Jews in the ghetto were dying, they weren't dying quickly enough as far as Berlin was concerned. Hitler's original plans to ship all European Jews to Africa were proved impractical, and so it was that the chilling 'Final Solution' was decided upon, early in 1942. Between July and September of that year 300,000 ghetto Jews were transported to the Treblinka Extermination Camp, in the Nazis first mass deportation effort. At first few believed, including the Jews themselves, that the rumours of these death camps were real - preferring to believe that they being sent to hard labour camps. Eventually the evidence that was fed back (by escapees from the camps and by various secret agents and journalists) became irrefutable. The 60,000 remaining occupants of the ghetto had no choice but to confront the awful truth.
When the Nazis prepared to organise a second deportation to Treblinka in 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began.
* Several survivors of the ghetto are still alive today. And out of respect to all the internees of the ghetto, we kindly ask that reviewers write only essential comments. Thank you.
This article on the Warsaw Ghetto is meant to be an informative introduction to Warsaw's history for travellers, and is not meant to be used for academic research. Please do not use it for any academic papers, but instead refer to published academic works and textbooks.*
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 | | "i think these conditions were terrible. i cant believe people could be so cruel to other humans!!! " | stormy
United States
Feb.05.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I am in the 7th grade doing a research project on the Warsaw Ghetto after picking it as a topic from reading the book Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. And what happend was very, very sad. It makes me sick to my stomach that this actually happend. " | Sabri
United States
Feb.03.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Okay, Eric, sure us Americans aren't the best, but Hitler started the entire idea ov the holocaust. Adolf was orgianlly from Austria but moved to Germany where he started the Socialist Party. They'd already had the ideas ov extermination ov Jews and death camps before any ov it actually became reality. Germany itself isn't to blame, but Hitler is. And yes, I know, many other races were enslaved in America. Okay!" | Maddie Sventevith
United States
Feb.03.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "" I really think everyone as equals. They shouldn't been treated like that"." | whiteagle711
United States
Jan.27.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "um, yeah eric from the netherlands, germany is ENTIRELY to blame for the holocaust...pretty sure the USA didn't ship millions of Jews to death camps and kill people in the street at random durin WWII" | Jay
United States
Jan.24.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "This is very sad!" | Henry Leyva
United States
Jan.22.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I'm Polish and my wife is from Warszawa and I had no idea that some of the building are still standing and being lived in ! As to the detailed description of the facts that happened in Warsaw and the Ghetto uprising and what to the plans that Hitler had ? I had no idea , sorry enough to say i really am sad that more couldn't been done to save all this people ! the Nazi vermin should have been doubt with faster unfortunately the poles had no resources or help from Allies till 1944 . Sadly said this is a part of historical genocide that forever will haunt Polish nation do to German ignorance and political believe ! For my conclusion Im extremely upset that there is still racial differences in America and the World and that we haven't learned anything from this horrible events ! Sadly that most American people haven't even heard about Holocaust !! Very Sad !! Im proud to be Polish and sad to read details how it all went down ! We should have done more against the Nazi PIGS !! " | Konrad Spedzia
Canada
Jan.21.2010
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "This website has fantastic info but im still trying to find out why the Germans made the ghetto and what was the reasoning behind it." | Mario Figueroa Jr
United States
Jan.21.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "this is very sad it is sick that someone could do this to another human being" | morgan
United States
Jan.15.2010
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I would Like to say that what the germans did was wrong to me personaly and I hope most feel that way. Im 2 years into highschool and I am studing The uprising of the warsaw ghetto and am really interested to learn more." | Brandon greer
United States
Jan.14.2010
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "my flight back to the US was re-directed to Warsaw the first week of 2010, from there to London I was sitting next to a Warsaw girl and never thought of Poland being the way it is until that experience, she was accurate on what part Poland plays on the world, well educated, beatiful and still going to school, conveyed a lot of high values in life and was a conversation that I will never forget, now for sure I WANT to go to Warsaw and learn more about that beautiful city but specially I want to eat walk and live the way they live, to have better life they tend to go to London, I can understand that being an immigrant in the US, I love Warsaw now, may God Bless all that great people" | Leon Garcia
United States
Jan.10.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "its a good website " | vitor aka (unabrow)
Brazil
Jan.07.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Always the whole world, and especially the USA blaims Germany for several cruelties in the second world-war, buth America isn't very innocent too! What about the Indians, you killed by hundredthousands, how did you threath the negroes in the past, how did you behave in Vietnam, with your napalm.
You americans aren't any better as all other people on the world, so don't be so hypocrite to blaim Germany again and again for the holocaust!" | Eric
Netherlands
Jan.04.2010
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I like this passaged, it gave me lots of info i needed" | Joshua Avington
United States
Jan.01.2010
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Thank you.
To be able to survive such events is remarkable and i thank you for being able to let us know what really happened. The jewish citizens in warsaw are the true meaning of courage. Never giving up. no matter what.
thank you - it helped me do my final " | thankful
Canada
Dec.16.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "This site really helped me out with my project for school. It's horrible to think that they actually made the Jewish people go through all of that pain and misery." | Abbey
United States
Dec.16.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "The pianist is a good but sad movie " | Charlie
United Kingdom
Dec.15.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "i like this topic and it gave alot of imformation
" | kynt
United States
Dec.15.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "It was made in 1939, i am doing it at school and this is the best site i have found " | Hatty
United Kingdom
Dec.07.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "i need a lil help when was warsaw built?
" | king
United States
Dec.03.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "this really helped me thanks a lot!!! :) ilove researching this its so intereting to me. im using all this information to write a research paper in my english class so thanks a lot for all the help!!! im sure to get an A with allthe good information i got fromthis website!!!!" | Clarissa lopez
United States
Dec.03.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "in language arts we are doing a reserch projct on the holocaust. it was so sad to see this and how it happend i almost cried" | morgan
United States
Dec.02.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "haha. i am doing a reseach project on this right now!! (:" | Bethany
United States
Nov.25.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "I want facts on Jews that were free." | boby
United States
Nov.23.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "The Holocaust is still happening every day. What happened to those people was horrific and sadly we still have Hitlers in our world." | SZ
United States
Nov.15.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "IT was so FREAKIN SAD I SWEAR I JUST WANT TO BUST OUT IN TEARS" | megan da playa
United States
Nov.12.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "Your information has helped me write a paper for my English class but more importantly realize how lucky i am that i didn't have to go through this." | Malcolm Fuller
United States
Nov.11.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "your info has helped me learn more about world war 2 " | Cristina Macias
United States
Nov.04.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "u guys are all so aweful and very predjudice and this article didnt help gotta look somehweres else" | biotch
United States
Apr.06.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "im glad that happened to them." | Toriii
United States
Apr.06.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "OMG that is sad " | shorty
United States
Apr.06.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "well I think this is wrong for the people because they dont do anything to the people that treats them so bad " | joanna
United States
Apr.03.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "Whooaaaaa!!!! Awesome." | Janiqua
United States
Apr.03.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "what i think of the holocaust is that it was very sad and it makes me want to cry whenever i think about it. i wish i was there to stop it." | kara pipher
Palau
Apr.01.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "we're learning bout the holocaust in history. it's so sad. i nearly burst into tears every lesson! :(" | emz
United Kingdom
Apr.01.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "the holocaust would suck to live through." | gobstoper 17
United States
Apr.01.2009
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "this really helped me out with my research thanks alot." | jim
United States
Mar.26.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "this really helped me out with my research thanks alot." | jim
United States
Mar.26.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "i thouhgt it was sick wat the nazi did to the jews:(" | globojoy5
United States
Mar.26.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "this passage has helped me a lot with my project for my american history two class, so i would like to thank you. The amount of suffering the Jewish experienced is such an amount that no one should ever have to live through. Bless their souls, if only they knew how we remember them and recongnize them everyday. " | amanda
United States
Mar.12.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "It`s important to know the details of holocaust so the next generation be aware of the evil men can do(not an specific race) we are all responsible for the horror and suffering of jew, I hope it wonīt repeat again to any group" | Ruben
Mexico
Mar.03.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "this was a great help, for my history report on the holocaust, being 50% pole and 15% german i find it disgusting that men could do it to one another, i hope something as the such will never happen again." | logan davis
United States
Feb.25.2009
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "This article is pretty good. My state mandates that all public schools have to teach a unit on the Holocaust. I chose to write an essay on the Warsaw Ghetto. Also, there were many other Polish Ghettos such as in Krakow. Schindler's list takes place in the Krakow Ghetto." | Jonathan H.
United States
Feb.15.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Thanks this has helped me so much with my history report. I find it discraceful that some men could be as evil as that. The Pianist is a brilliant film to watch for more information." | higlander
United Kingdom
Feb.04.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "when i read what the jews went through it makes me feel sad. i mean i would not to be able to do what they did i would have just killed my self so i wont have to go through all that misury like they went through. it was realy brav for them to stand up for what they belive in. and not give up hope the thinks will get better. the is true bravery" | cauaron davis
United States
Jan.26.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "What happened to the Jews was a tragedy but with this history of suffering in their history how can they persecute the Palestinians of the Occupied Territories. Gaza is tragedy too." | pat
United Kingdom
Jan.20.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Wow! I feel so sad when I think about these things. It makes me want to cry, and I just might right now! The things that the Jews went through is just unbelievable!!! :"( " | Christina
United States
Jan.14.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "You could have mentioned the Uprising in Warsaw as it was the largest resistance the Jews put up anywhere. ALSO, there are comparisions between the way Israel is treating the Palestinians. Amazing how history rhymns and the abused can become the abuser." | Joe Magner
United States
Jan.14.2009
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "i have to do a project on a book i am reading called "the diary of pelly D." and i wasnt so thrilled wen i realized that the book was based on war diaries from the warsaw ghetto. i just dont find it as interesting and the holocaust was just depressing and i hate reading about it because it was just a horrible time, this page helped me with my project, but also again i wish history wasnt soo depressing :(" | emily
United States
Jan.08.2009
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Actually, "Shindler's List" was set in the Krakow Ghetto, but it is an accurate description of what was happening all over Poland." | Ania
Poland
Dec.29.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "If you want to learn more and see in dept of the horrible things that happen watch "Shindler's list"" | Derrik
United States
Dec.17.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "Illegal workshops created manufacture goods to sell them illegally. Four to five year old Jewish children went across to the Aryan side. they were building shelters and fighting posts and operating against Jewish collaborators. The final battle started in April 19, 1943 then the Nazis entered the ghetto.
" | sammy
United States
Dec.15.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "i reaaly apprechiate thehelp that this website has give me and i feel bad for the people in the holocaust" | shatierra clark
United States
Dec.08.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "If anyone is interested in reading some works of holocaust survivors... I reccommend you read All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein. She was 12 when the war struck and she lost her entire family to the nazis. I have read her story many times. " | Warren
United States
Nov.30.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "im glad there are surviors
" | boba
United States
Nov.18.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "We're all Humans and should have respect for one another, no war was or has never been needed, accept by the greedy jack*ss that decided to dictate everybody. Live and let live, Jew or not! we're all equals. Stop the bullsh*t already. and leave the people alone. You are not the supreme beings that you'd like to think that you are." | Rob
Canada
Nov.11.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "it is the worst" | grass
United Kingdom
Nov.03.2008
rates this page 1/5 |
| | "amazing! i loved it!" | samison
United States
Oct.31.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "i think that what the germans did was absolutey horrible" | gio
United States
Oct.31.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "Wow that is so powerful stuff. It makes me now understand so much more of the war." | Roy
Canada
Oct.30.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I just enjoy reading about history and what happen then, my father went into WW2 he was just 17 years old. After the war when the troops went in to those camps it was just as horrable to see those living people and how they hung on to life. This help me understand" | Pamela Jenkins
United States
Oct.30.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I just enjoy reading about history and what happen then, my father went into WW2 he was just 17 years old. After the war when the troops went in to those camps it was just as horrable to see those living people and how they hung on to life. This help me understand" | Pamela Jenkins
United States
Oct.30.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "very good info on the warsaw ghetto.
But a very sad story. :(" | gabby m.
United States
Oct.24.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "long live the jews" | blahhg444
United States
Oct.23.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "I think that this was an awesome overview of what happened in Warsaw, it really helped me out 'cuz i have to write a speech about this very topic. Again, GOOD JOB!!! " | Daniel
United States
Oct.22.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "If you like reading about this page you should read Milkweed by Jerry Spinneli" | mick
United States
Sep.21.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "alas, it was a great information." | michael jordan
India
Sep.19.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I was waching a video in my school cause were learning about it
and it was REALY sad children getting separrated
and Jews being shot on sight" | Duncan
United Kingdom
Sep.08.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "hey kim this was helpful" | ronald kennedy
United States
Sep.02.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "Such a great and informative site, and such a sad sad story of Misery & loss and whats even sadder is that all these years on, we have still not learned, every minute of each day crimes against humanity are happening WHY ! THIS MUST STOP " | Michelle Holt
United Kingdom
Aug.28.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "it was a very good section. it helped me with my report
" | kimberly
United States
Aug.27.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
| | "i thought it would hav been better if i had of read it thanx anyway" | wes
Zimbabwe
Aug.26.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "This is an excellent overview of the almost unbelievable horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto, and indicative of the extreme cruelty mankind has committed on itself. If only we will learn from history and stop such horrors as Darfur and the U.S. war in Iraq, instead of turning a blind eye to the suffering of our brethren." | Dick Kazan
United States
Jul.22.2008
rates this page 5/5 |
| | "I agree with Raul from Portugal. The only Jewish state in the world is in this very moment imprisoning hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in ghettos like the Gaza Strip. I wonder what the elderly jews who survived the war are thinking about that." | Ed
United States
Jul.22.2008
rates this page 3/5 |
| | "This was a very dark and painful part of human history.
Unfortunately we havenīt learn from it, around the world there are numerous cases os mass abuses of human rights. During WW2 the means of communication were restricted and controled, nowadays we have no excuses to turn a blind eye, we have an harray of communication tools and know whatīs going on in the most remote places of the planet! So why are similar massacres still taking place, why are systematic mass abuses occuring when the world said "never again". Why is Israel starving men, women and children in the Gaza "Ghetto"... have they already forgotten what happen their own kind during WW2?" | Raul
Portugal
Jul.13.2008
rates this page 4/5 |
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