Zygmunt Imiłkowski (third from left) during forced labour in an aircraft factory Flugzeugwerk Gotenhafen

The occupying authorities ruthlessly exploited the country economically with organised plunder of state and private property. The German authorities made forced labour compulsory for all persons between 14 and 60 years of age. Many people were forced to perform unpaid slave labour and rural inhabitants had to supply mandatory quotas of agricultural products. People avoiding mandatory work details, or simply the unemployed, were sent to Germany to do forced labour.