Deportations
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| Deportations |
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Deportation action was one of the forms of terror on the occupied Polish land. It took place both on the territory remaining under German occupation, as well as (until 1941) under Soviet occupation.
The first decree referring to deportations was issued by the chief of the SS and police, Heinrich Himmler, as early as 30 October 1939. A special re-settling office was set up with the abode in Łódź. It was subordinated to security police in Poznań. Its delegatures were established in counties. A similar office operated in Gdańsk.
In November 1939 deportations from the Polish lands incorporated to the Third Reich commenced. Until February 1940 German authorities intended to deport around one million people (400.000 of which from Pomerania). The action which had commenced in Gdynia intensified in the winter 1939/1940. Special transitional camps were created, where the selection of Poles was taking place. Younng people were taken away to the Reich as forced laboureres.
In the years 1940-1941 deportations continued in the General Gouvernement, in the Radom area, as well as between Kolbuszowa, Nisko, Dębica and Rozwadowo. This action was most intense towards the end of 1942.
From 28 November 1942 (intensive) action of deportations was in progress in Zamość district, where Germans from other parts of Europe were to be settled. Until March 1943 as many as 116 villages were completely deported, many people were shot on the spot. In the next stage of the action (23 June - 15 July 1943) a pacification action and deportations were carried out, as result of these 170 villages were emptied. The inhabitants were sent to concentration camps, or to forced labour in the Reich. Some children were sent, after selection, to Germany in order to become germanized. Due to the strong resistance of the underground in this area (fight of the Peasants' Batallions and the Home Army) occupational authorities were forced to interrupt this operation.
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The last victims of deportations were the inhabitants of Warsaw after the downfall of the uprising in October 1944. They were sent to concentration camps (around 60.000) to forced labour (around 70.000) and the remaining ones were allowed to settle in the General Gouvernement.
All in all, German deportations affected approximately 2.500.000 Poles.
Similar actions were undertaken also by the Soviet occupier. In four deportations (9/10 February 1940, 12/13 April 1940, 29/30 June 1940 and June 1941) at least 330.000 Polish citizens were sent to the hinterland -including many Jews, Ukrainians or Belarussians. They were settled in completely unfamiliar and harsh natural conditions -among others in the north-eastern part of the USSR and in Kazakhstan. As a result of hunger and deseases, before September 1941 around 20.000 of them died. The action of deportations was inerrupted by the German invasion of the USSR (22 June 1941).
In all, as a result of various actions undertaken by the Soviet occupier, over 600.000 Polish citizens were deported to the east.
