July 1940
Nazis Establish the Będzin Ghetto
Historical context
In July 1940, German authorities announced a ghetto for Jews in Będzin. The quarter was not sealed at once. German forces liquidated it in August 1943.
Archive record
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- Date
- July 1940
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 5
In July 1940, German authorities announced a ghetto for Jews in Będzin, in occupied southwestern Poland. Local Jews and people expelled from nearby towns were forced into designated streets. The quarter was not fully closed at first; German firms continued to use Jewish forced labor. A Jewish community had lived in Będzin for centuries. In September 1939 German units burned the synagogue and much of the Jewish quarter.
The ghetto was later sealed. In August 1943 German forces liquidated it, deporting Jews to Auschwitz. Armed resistance broke out during that liquidation.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Będzin · Yad Vashem · Encyclopedia of the Ghettos View source
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