Ghettos
Ghettos were the beginning, kind of like a starting point for the Holocaust. It was a way for the Nazi German Government to kind of separate Jews from the rest of society and put them all in one place. This was very convenient when it came time to migrate them to concentration and death camps.
Ghettos were typically located towards the outskirts of big cities or in towns that were already heavily populated by Jews and sometimes Romas. The first ghetto to be created occupied Piotrkow, Poland in October of 1939.
At first this idea was welcomed, Jews weren’t originally confined to these ghettos and could leave on their own free will. It also gave them a designated place to live. Unfortunately this didn’t last for long, especially in Nazi-occupied Germany.
Ghettos in Germany felt more like prisons, they were guarded and had big walls surrounding the outside. A council called Judenrat was formed inside these ghettos, members of these councils were often treated better compared to the rest living there.
There was often little to no access to basic amenities such as food, water, electricity, and medicine.
The Warsaw ghetto in Poland was the biggest, it started operation about a year after Piotrkow and housed about 500,000 Jews by the end.
Travel by Box Car
Box Cars were the main source for transportation for migrating Jews and other prisoners to either ghettos or concentration camps. The conditions of these box cars could only be described as horrible and even deadly. To say the least, this was a very depressing mode of transportation and weighed heavily on those who had to suffer through it. It was cramped and cold, and often very little-to-no food was given throughout the entire journey. Many jumped off while the box cars were in motion rather then make it to an even worse location.
Gas Chambers and Crematoriums- a story
When arriving at a concentration camp after getting out of the box car you would be directed to form a line. At the head of the line would be a doctor or physician of some kind.
For the purpose of this story, let's say death is right and life is left.
As you approach the front of the line you notice everyone going right looking absolutely miserable. Your family is up, it’s you, your younger sister, mama, papa, and grandmother. Papa and you get to go left, your mama, sister, and grandmother are directed to the right. They have been sentenced to death in front of your eyes, cry about it and you follow them. Now you’re a monster, why do you get to live, why do you have to live? Your younger sister is tugging on mama’s sleeve, wondering what is wrong. You will never see them again.
Your mother, sister, and grandmother were ordered to strip naked in the outside air and told they needed to be cleared of disease to enter the camp. People whisper around them of the truth, they are going to die. They are directed into an awful smelling room, it’s the smell of death. Hundreds of them are in this room, tightly packed and bawling. Mother’s trying to protect their naked kids while also keeping their own decency. It’s a mess. The door is locked, it’s time. Death.
You and Papa are separated, you are only 15, and he is too old to do the work you can. You never see him again. You are now alone, all alone in this death ridden place. You can smell it, you know what it is, it’s the smell of burning flesh. More death, it surrounds you every minute of every day. There is no escape.
Now, of course this is a fictional story. But this was very similar to the experiences of millions.
There were lots of other terrible going-ons inside concentration camps, death camps, and ghettos.
Here is a link to the USHMM's webpage on ghettos in Poland- https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/ghettos-in-poland
Here is a link to the USHMM's webpage on concentration and death camps-https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-camps
