Language:
German
Year of publication:
2010
Titel der Quelle:
Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft
Angaben zur Quelle:
58,10 (2010) 816-837
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Economic aspects
Abstract:
During 1941-42, almost 24,000 Jews worked for the railway in occupied Poland, in different positions. Since Polish prisoners were sent to Germany to work in various industries, Jews were brought in to replace them; the Jewish labor was critical for ensuring the maintenance of the Ostbahn, which transported supplies and soldiers to the Eastern front. The Jewish prisoners worked for 5 zlotys a day, which was far from covering the minimal needs of an individual; besides, they did not receive any contribution toward pension, health, or unemployment funds. As time passed, the Jewish working population began to disappear due to starvation and disease. In 1942-44, the Nazi policy of liquidating ghettos, and of murdering or deporting Jews to camps, especially after "Aktion Reinhard" (January 1942), reduced dramatically the number of Jewish workers. Confrontations arose between the authorities of the Ostbahn and Nazi officials, especially Heinrich Himmler. The former complained that because of the deportation of Jews the Ostbahn could not be maintained, and therefore they could not supply the front in the East. But the Nazi policy of eliminating the Jews prevailed. In 1943, a few hundred Jews still worked for the Ostbahn; from the beginning of 1944, no Jews did.
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