Polish underground develops and implements first transmitter (radio station)
Easter time: Bund members, especially youth conduct pogroms, lasts 40 days; beatings in streets
November 15th: All Restrictions enforced: all Jewish civil liberties suspended: no one may cross from Aryan side of
Ghetto to Jewish side, and vice versa upon penalty of arrest or death. Barbed Wire is erected around the Ghetto wall.
January-March 1941- First major deportation of Jews
February '41: Zufundt group (resistance) meets ; agrees to fight to death.
February '41: Manhunt begins throughout ghetto for non-reportees to Umschlagplatz*, for deportation.
2-12-41: 17 people crossing to Aryan side are executed, alarming 700 more in jail for same offense. 1
Summer '41-Nazi Soviet War: New boundaries are drawn, and Jews in Poland escape as much as possible to Soviet side.
Mass exterminations begin in Ukraine, White Russia [Belarus], Bialystok area. The news reaches Warsaw but is still not
believed in full scope. (See Operation Reinhard, Mielec-effects of borders)
An alliance of youth groupsnot unlike scouts forms in the ghetto. Later, this group will provide members for recruitment
to the young Zionist resistance groups.1
April 17, 1941-50 Social Workers Arrested and executed.
Jan. 14: -All resistance groups in the ghetto meet to agree on armed resistance as deportation calls increase.
April 19.1942Der Werker a newspaper in the ghetto reports that the violent actions in the ghetto were isolated incidents
and recommends a low profile: Two resistance groups, HaShomer (The Guardian) and Hechalutz, which will join to fight in
the uprising, disagree and warn of impending doom.
April '42'- Youth groups are encouraged to participate in training for arms. Edelman reports weapons transports
of pistols, rifles and grenades. Arms are smuggled in from sympathetic Polish Socialist groups, but in small numbers.
April 18-July 22 '42'- The night of April 18th, 1942 marks a turning point in the ghetto from which point there
are increasing aktions and personal violence against the Jews including nightly raids and shootings. Close to 1000 persons are
killed during this time.
May '42'-110 arrested for crossing to Aryan side, given special treatment' in gas trucks, all killed.
May-July-Massive deportation into the ghetto including not only Jews but Roma Sinti (Gypsies)
July 1942Tens of thousands deported to death camps. Joint effort of SS and Police. 300,000 to Treblinka by end.
July 20, 1942- The Doctors of Gzyste Hospital killed. Many arrests.
July 22, 1942- All unproductive Jews deported: Associated with holiday of Tish B'Av: the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem.
July 23, 1942- Worker's Committees (Labor), HaShomer and Hechalutz urge armed resistance. Many disagree
feeling it would bring greater deaths and retailiation.
July 23, 1942 Adam Czerniakow, head of the Judenrat refuses to sign the order for the deportation and death of the
children of the ghetto stating, "They want me to kill the children of my people"... in a suicide note. He dies at his own
hand as the deportations continue.
July 1942- A resistance member, Zygmundt follows the deportation trains to determine whether their intelligence
is correct or not: he discovers on the Aryan side that the trains are bound for the death camp of Treblinka.
January 9, 1943-Himmler visits Warsaw Ghetto. 8000 ordered deported. Anielewicz calls for resistance.
January 18, 1943-In reaction to the '2nd' liquidation of the ghetto, the Z.O.B., "Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa "
or "Jewish Fighting Organization" resists against the Germans on Mila, or Milo Street: 100 Germans killed. The Z.O.B.,
comprised of a union between HaShomer, HeChalutz and other groups, loses 80% of their members, but goes on to reorganize.
February 1943-The germans bring in confederates from Lublin to convince Warsaw ghetto residents that deportations
are just for 'work' camps. Z.O.B. kills Jewish collaborators.
February '43'- Battle at Hallman's Joinery shop, a factory where only 25 of 1000 report for work. All shops related
to the Joinery arsoned.
March 1943- Germans no longer 'secure' in the ghetto: public attitudes changed. Z.O.B. gains contributions
though a tax and contributions.
April 19, 1943 2 a.m.- Germans approach the ghetto, armed and with tanks. Beginning of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising which will last for 27 days, holding off the final liquidation of the ghetto
and deportation of all citizens. 2:15 a.m.-Z.O.B. at battle stations on Mila Street and Zamenhofa St. Z.O.B. in bunkers surrounding the
central block. 7:00 a.m-Tanks and troops enter the Z.O.B. occupied area/block. Z.O.B. opens fire; relies on explosives to extend
their force limited by few weapons and members: all Nazi soldiers in area killed.
April 20,1943-100 German soldiers killed in entrance to a factory: Silence for the rest of the day as more
troops called in for reinforcement.
May 1,1943- May Day Aktion: German retailiation against the uprising: shortages of food and supplies set in.
May 8, 1943-German and Ukrainian soldiers surround the strongholds of the Z.O.B. in a 2 hour battle to the death.
Arsons and bombings of all buildings orders. Women seen jumping from building as crowds cry out 'Komm, Komm'. (See
Ignacy Schwarzbart telegram) Eighty percent of the Z.O.B. perish.
May 1943 Stroop, the commander of Nazi troops in the Ghetto wires Berlin with the message, "The Warsaw Ghetto
is no more". He keeps a detailed report of the days activities, bombings, killings, arrests, including a photo journal
known now as the "Stroop Report."
May 10,1943- A remnant of Z.O.B. members still alive escape via sewer ducts to the Aryan side where they are met
with a resistance truck which they board in open daylight. They escape. Ihtzak Zuckerman escapes to Israel where he
continues to live for many years. Mordecai Anielewicz, dies in the battle. Many of these escapees join partisans in the
forests in the region and continue resistance work.
May 17, '43'-SYNAGOGUE TLOMACKIE DYNAMITED BY GERMANS ON 17, Patients in JEWISH HOSPITAL FRANCISZKANSKA shot
May 16-18- German factories and magazines dynamited by Z.O.B. This practice was common among resistance movements
in the Ghettos where the Jews resisted in order to leave the Germans nothing of their work.
Small Uprising- by partisans in the forests, some of whom were former Z.O.B. members.
Beginning of cleanup and razing of remainder of the ghetto. Later, prisoners from Auschwitz are brought back
in work details for efforts such as brick reclamation and cleanup, saving some lives.6
End of WWII: 80% of Warsaw's buildings lie in rubble; Ghetto is completely erased. A small concentration
camp is erected and remains till the end of the war. Today a memorial site
stands over the site of the Warsaw Ghetto.
1Marek Edelman, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. [A personal, detailed account by a resistance member] 2USHMM- The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 3Jewish Virtual Library 4Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: World Zionist Organization: http://www.wzo.org.il/en/resources/view.asp?id=915
5Ignacy Schwarzbart telegram to Stephen Wise, American Jewish Conference: From Archives of the Rader Collection,
Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, OH. Collection of documents from World Jewish Congress. 6Interview with Bela Klein, Chattanooga, TN; Holocaust Survivor: participant in the clean up of the Ghetto.
