From Litzmannstadt Ghetto to the Auschwitz

The Łódź Ghetto or Litzmannstadt Ghetto (after the Nazi German name for Łódź) was established in February 1940 in Łódź by the German occupying authorities. It was the second largest ghetto on the territory of German-occupied Poland, over 200 thousand people in total inhabited the ghetto. Not only Jewish inhabitants of Łódź but also Jews resettled from Warthegau (part of western Poland annexed directly into the Third Reich), deported from Germany, Austria, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Luxemburg as well as the Roma people stayed there. Photo: Yad Vashem Photo Archive

The ghetto was located in the poorest district of the city and isolated from the outside. Its territory was surrounded by barriers, barbed-wire entanglements and watch-towers. A separate currency was implemented in order to prevent any kind of economic exchange and smuggling of food in both ways. Photo: Yad Vashem Photo Archive

Due to diseases, hard work and famine the mortality rate among the inhabitants of the ghetto was very high. The food rations were drastically small. It is estimated, that ¼ of the ghetto inhabitants died, most of them from starvation. Photo: A-BSM Collections

Metal-made ration stamp for bread.
Inscription on the front side: „DER AELT. D. JUDEN/ IN LITZMANNSTADT/ VERPFLEGUNGSABT. /Brot Karte/ N 28000 /Gerszonowicz C. / Łagiewn. 33 / Laden N 16/ M. Rumk. “(Translation: Head of the Jewish Council in Litzmannstadt/ department for food supply/ ration stamp for bread /no. 28000/Gerszonowicz C/Łagiewn. 33/ shop no. 16/ M. Rumk.)

A round monogram with the letters “MW” inside.

The inscription „Litzmannstadt-Getto März 1942” carved on the edge.

(The object was found in the area of the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz II- Birkenau near the crematorium III.) Photo: A-BSM Collections

Cigarette holder with the carving on the inferior part showing a part of a street with overpass.

Under the overpass outlines of a car and a street car are visible, there are also buildings on the left and on the right side of the street.

In the left upper corner silhouette of a church with two towers is visible. Over the overpass there is an inscription: “GHETTO” with the Star of David beneath it, on the right there are initials: “IJ”. Photo: A-BSM Collection

Hexagram with the wheel cut out in the middle and fireman’s symbols inside it: helmet, ladder, hatchet and fire pump. In the corners of the star there are small round holes. Photo: A-BSM Collections

From 1942 to 1943 in the Łódź ghetto existed a group called Flur-Haus-und Feuerwache (field and domestic guard).

The group consisted on civilian guards watching out- as the name suggests- to prevent the farmland from theft and the wooden buildings from lawless demolishing and fire.

After leaving the train the families were divided: on the one side of the ramp women and children, on the other side of the ramp men were gathered. Photo: A-BSM

Then the selection began, in course of which individuals considered unable to work were destined to perish in the gas chambers.

After a few days in KL Auschwitz she was deported to the camp Freiburg near Flossenbürg: „(…) At the moment when the door of our wagon opened, some men approached it. They seemed to spend some time in the camp and to be aware of the camp’ «rules». They gave advice to the women with children: the children should be handed out immediately to the grandmothers or other elderly women...

They said: «Give your children to their grandmothers, it doesn’t have to be your own mother, but it must be an elderly woman… It will make you free, you can go to work.» They know that women with small children will be sent directly to die. Some women followed the advice, the other didn’t. I saw a woman, who after leaving the wagon put her child away. She realized the imminent danger, so that she decided to save her life.

The SS-Mann, that send her to the left in the direction of other women with children, approached her and said: «Take the child!» So, she took the child and marched the indicated direction (…)”. Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 134a, p. 131-135. Photo: A-BSM

Prisoners’ personal file of Sara Lewkovics, born in Łódź, deported form the Łódź ghetto on 17 August 1944.

As a reason for the imprisonment in the camp the document stated: “Polish Jew”. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Grynglas Rachela, born on 1925 in Łodź, deported to KL Auschwitz from the ghetto of Łódź in August 1944, subsequently transported to subcamp of the KL Gross-Rosen named Halbstadt, where she was liberated. Photo from 1945, A-BSM Archive

„(...) We were travelling a dozen hours in the cattle wagon dark inside. There was no toilet inside. We had to indulge ourselves in a bucket. It was horrible. It was dark as the train stopped, and we were told to get out. Then we were divided in groups. Men had to stay separate from women. I went through the moments, I will never forget, it is still before my eyes. Mommy took my hand; daddy took my brothers’ hand, and we started to follow the others. Together with my mommy we reached the place, where a German soldier or soldiers stood. The German asked my mommy how old I was. (…) She must go in the other direction as I had to. At the time I didn’t realize that my mothers’ side signified death and my side- life. I didn’t want to leave my mommy. Holding her I repeated that I will go to her side. I was screaming «Mommy, mommy!» and crying. The German soldier pushed continuously and later he hit me; so that I landed on one side and my mother on the other. This way I found myself among the crowd of people, I didn’t know, without my family, without the loved ones (…)”.
Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 134, p. 92-102.

More than 20 belonged to the Jews deported in August 1944 from the ghetto of Łódź.

Inside the suitcase on the strap holder name of its owner is written: „A. Góralnik Litzmanstadt”. Photo: A-BSM Collections

Suitcase with the piece of paper attached bearing the inscription „KLEBEP/ Litzmanstadt/ HUANSTRASSE 18/8. Photo: A-BSM Collections

Suitcase with the inscription outside made of white letters: „WOLKEN Rudolf Isr. II ZIRKUS – 3”. On the luggage card there is an inscription made with black paint: „WOLKEN Jetti Litzmanstadt”. Photo: A-BSM Collections

Jetti and Rudof Wolken were deported from Vienna to the Łódź ghetto, therefore on the suitcase the Vienna addressee is written. Rudolf perished in the ghetto.

The widow leaving Łódź attached the linen etiquette to it with the last place of residence in Litzmanstadt.

Some of them were directly registered and received a tattooed number on their left forearm.

Those, who were sent to the camp, were subjects to the admission procedure in the so-called central sauna, where they were deprived of private clothing and underwear and their body was shaved.

„(…)
Shortly afterwards we were taken to the bathhouse situated in a very large building. We had to undress completely and hair from the whole body was shaved. The whole time in the bathhouse as we were naked in the presence of passing through male and female Germans was for me and for all of us very unpleasant and humiliating experience. Each one of us would rather die, then to experience such a shame. We all waned fiercely to «sink under the earth surface». As a young teenage girl, I was very ashamed to undress in the presence of the other persons, even it was my mother and sister...

Due to the coincidence I found myself in the bathroom next to the opened window. As I saw myself in the window with my head shaved, looking bad I burst into tears. Many other young women around me were also crying, as they were separated from their mothers. I realized then, that I will probably never find my mother (…)“. Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 134a, p. 131-135. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Fragment of the excerpts of the list of the Jews deported to Auschwitz copied illegally by the prisoners- members of the camp resistance movement. The lists containing amongst others the Jews from the Łódź ghetto registered in the camp.

Under the date of 16.08.1944 there is a number section with the prisoner number of Marian Zelman - B-6839. Photo: A-BSM Archive

After a short stay in the Birkenau he was deported to the subcamp Glewitz IV. „(…) That morning the capo came and told us to hand out all of our valuable assets. Somebody said shyly that we were all naked, so as he could see we didn’t possess any valuable things. The capo  responded, that we hid the things for sure in the anus and furthermore we had golden teeth and dental crones in our mouths. Afterwards began the terrible beating. I just remember that the punches were very often. The huge mass of people began to seethe really badly. In order to avoid hits of the clubs and whips trampled each other; the stones were also thrown on us. I cannot remember how long it took, I lost 2 of my teeth during the incident (…)”. Source: The Archive of the
State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, section for testimonies, vol. 18, p. 51-53.

The Zelwer family together with their cousins. In the pre-war period they were living in Łódź, and after the outbreak of the war in the Łódź ghetto.

In 1944 during the liquidation of the ghetto, the eldest daughter Sara (standing first from the left) together with her mother Malka and four brothers were deported to the KL Auschwitz. Sara is the only survivor from the whole family. Photo: A-BSM Archive

After a short stay
in the Birkenau she was deported to Mittelsteine, the subcamp of Gross Rosen. „ (…) Appeals were conducted very often in the camp. During the appeal we were counted, from time to time it was combined with a selection. Prior to the selection we had to undress completely. We were rushed very hastily and hurriedly to the appeals with the commands “schnell, schnell (faster! Faster!)”. As soon as we stocked in the narrow door we got hit over the head. One day we were so thirsty due to the very hot August temperatures, that we started to scream “Water! Water!” So, we were allowed to use one water tap. All of us rushed in its direction. Some SS-Mann standing nearby were laughing at us and telling that we behaved like animals.
Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 134, p. 101-106.

About 200 Jews from the Łódź Ghetto, especially the young ones, were accommodated in the main camp of Auschwitz as trainees in the camp own bricklayers’ school (Mauerschulle).

On the photograph: The former concentration camp Auschwitz I, block 14. Plaster samples made by the prisoners from the Maurerschule. the plasters are supposed to be used in the future projects in the KL Auschwitz. Photo: I. Bartosik, A-BSM

Secret report of the Cracow organization Help for Prisoners of the Concentration Camps. In spite of some irregularities due to the circumstances of their origin, the reports resulted to be very important testimony of the crimes committed in the camp. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Fragment of the testimony of the former prisoner Jadwiga Trębasiewicz (in the camp: Laskiewicz), camp number: 44 133
„ (…) During our morning march through the gate between the male camp and “the Mexico” (the colloquial description for the Sector BIII of the camp Auschwitz II- Birkenau) we saw transport of 10- or 12- years old boys from the ghetto of Łódź. The kids were located on the place in the front of the weaving plant behind the barbed wire and they were waiting. Probably the machine was broken again. The gathered children were standing in gloomy silence, it was clear, that their FATE reached them. Lala stopped and out of compassion wiped out his face...

The boy, still crying, was complaining: “I know, that they are going to send us to the chimney”. The girl tried to conform him saying that it was not true, and that all the boys after the bath would receive the stripped clothing and were going to work in the farm. The girls looked at each other and confirmed: “Yes, you are going to work just like us.” They were lying, because the fate of the boys was already sealed, but the hope could ease their last moments (…) “
Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 103, p. 170.

In 1961 a small metal can was found buried near the ruins of the crematorium III in Birkenau, the can contained a roll of hand-written documents. It was a kind of diary in form of letters to a friend written continuously regarding exclusively the ghetto of Łódź. The name of the author remains unknown.

The diary was complemented with a comment of a member of the Sonderkommando Zalmen Lewental, who found it probably in the changing room of the crematory III in Birkenau on 15 August 1944 (on this day arrived a transport of approx. 2,000 Jews from Łódź). He hided the diary in order to inform the mankind in the future about the fate of the Jews from Łódź. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Together with the diary was also found a silver, hand-made bracelet probably from the ghetto of Łódź. Photo: A-BSM Collections

Fragment the list of the Jews deported to the subcamp of Auschwitz in Trzebinia from 15 September 1944. The lists containing the name and surname of Benjamin Pilicer B-10246. Photo: A-BSM Archive

He was in the subcamp in Trzebinia, he was 15 years old as he arrived to Auschwitz. „(…) We were sleeping directly on the floor, bent and squeezed like fish in a can. We could lay only on the side. As soon one of us liked to turn, the whole row had to turn also. There was no single inch of the free floor, you had to walk over the people. Entering the barrack, we were literally struggling to get the sleeping place next to the wall and avoid the ones by the door. The people were walking all night long, so the ones by the entrance suffered the most. We received soup in various kinds of containers: in buckets, saucepans and bowls of different sizes. After receiving a portion, we were running away with the body bent over, otherwise we got hits over the head with the stock. Mornings the soup was distributed, evenings the bread. One loaf for five persons, it was difficult to divide it since we didn’t have the knives (…) From time to time the Germans visited our barrack. They were picking the candidates among the people lying on the floor in order to send them to the various “Arbeitslager” (work camps). I was between those destined to leave. (…) Early in the morning we came to Trzebinia. We were supposed to rebuild the oil refineries destroyed by bombing during the war. We came to Trzebinia in mid-January 1945. The front was approaching and the Russian came closer. One night we received food: bread and margarine. Additionally, we got also clothes, as it was frosting cold outside. We were allowed to take it with us. At 1 o’clock in the night we got the marching order, so we departed (…)” Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 59, p. 70-74.

Fragment of the list of the prisoners of the Wirtschaftshof subcamp from 27.09.1944 issued in relation to the medical examination of those prisoners in the Institute of Hygiene of the SS. The list includes Jews from Łódź indicated with the numbers B-7574 – B- 7689. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Near the number B-7640 there is name of Lewczyk, Moses, under this name Mojsze Rybkowski was registered in the camp. Source: A-BSM Archive, section for the Institute of Hygiene of the SS, folder 50, p. 225.

Fragments of the interview with the former prisoner Mojsze Rybowski (in the camp: Mozes Lewczyk) with the camp number: B-7640.
„(…) I was sent to the Wirtschaftshof subcamp. I remember well the horses from the stable. Around forty or even sixty Hungarian Jews were employed as coachmen for those horses. Me and my friends from the Łódź ghetto were appointed to maintain the horses and work as coachman assistants...

(…) On 3 January 1945 I was sent to the Auschwitz I hospital, where I was under observation till 12 January. That day I undergo finally an operation of my hernia. Two doctors-prisoners were conducting the operation: A Pole and a Frenchman. As on 18 January the massive evacuation of the prisoners began, I was still in the hospital (…)”.
Source: A-BSM Archive, Testimonies, vol. 134, p. 223-224.

A page of the index of the former prisoners, which stayed in the camp after the liberation in the hospital of the Polish Red Cross according to the state of 7 March 1945. In the index names and surnames of prisoners are listed in the alphabetical order, sometimes including additional information.

On this page the name of Lewczyk, Moses can be seen, under this name Mojsze Rybkowski was registered in the camp. Photo: A-BSM Archive

Bernard Makowski, a Polish Jew deported to the KL Auschwitz from the Łódź ghetto together with his parents and his younger brother. His mother and brother were murdered directly after the arrival in the gas chamber.

Bernard with his father were sent to the camp, after approximately 2 weeks they were transferred to Kaufering, the subcamp of the KL Dachau. On photograph: Bernard Makowski with his father in July 1945, two months after the liberation. Photo: A-BSM Archive

„(…) People, especially the young ones, keep asking me: tell me, what was the worst thing ever? They expect me to  answer: hunger! They mostly right. The hunger is a kind of obsession, that’s the obsession for eating, it is constantly thinking of alimentation, it is a phantom of a potato, a spoon of soup, a bite of bread that is not leaving you. The one eating normally would not understand it. It is beyond the imagination. But the hunger wasn’t the worst! Perhaps the living conditions? Horrible! Thousand persons in one barrack. Five or six lying on straw on the one bunk. You are considering the bunk you should pick? It is better to avoid the lower ones because the people from the upper ones cannot hold the natural needs, their bladders couldn’t stand the pressure. But the upper ones are also not the best ones.

Surpassingly the Germans are calling for an appeal; it takes a lot of time to get down so you are going to get beaten on your rips, your head, your back. So, the living conditions? No! It wasn’t the worse. Perhaps the chilling cold? 1944 was as cold as this year is, it was terrible and very cold winter. I remember, because I made me a vest out of a cement bag. The German watchman saw it and he beat me badly: „Du hast deutches Vermoegen gestohlen” (You have stolen the German property!) But I wouldn’t say it was the worst.

Perhaps the louses? Indeed, I must admit, I don’t remember any louse in Auschwitz itself or in Buchenwald. But as we were sent to working commandos, where the sanitary facilities were destroyed by bombing, there were plenty of louses. Particularly there were thousands of them during my last march in April 1945. Nevertheless, it wasn’t the worse. What was the worse, then? The worse was the HUMILIATION! The fact that you were not treated as a human being- especially if you were a Jew and because you were a Jew, you were not even treated like an animal, but as if you were an insect, a louse, a nit, a cockroach, a bedbug. And what are you supposed to do with a nit, a cockroach? It should be trampled, crushed, eliminated.

Therefore, if somebody, especially a young person, is asking me: What have you learned from your experience? What would you share with the todays’ generation? From all the words and sciences, if I could sum up it with just one word, I would say: EMPATHY! (…)”.