Żydzi Białostocczyzny w okresie okupacji hitlerowskiej. (Główne problemy)

Abstract

In the first part of the paper devoted to the martyrdom of Jews in the iregion it is demonstrated with examples that the extermination of Jews in this area was carried out in certaim stages. Mass persecutions started when the Gemnans entered the Białystok region, that is on the 22nd of June 1941. Only in the Suwałki district which became a part of East Prussia in 1939 Jews were killed in executions or taken away to extermination camps till the end that year. Entering the region in June and July 1941 the invader carried out mass pogroms murdering about 40 000 - 50 000 Jews. The remaining about 200 000 were confined to 90 ghettoes most of which were suppressed at the beginning of November 1942, with several temporarily left in big towns. During the destruction of the ghettoes in the region about 120 000 to 130 000 Jews were killed. At the beginning of 1943 the remaining ghettoes were suppressed, while the largest one in Białystok was left for 5 more months. The Białystok ghetto had the population of about 50 000 to 60 000 persons. Although it did not suffer as badly from starvation and disease as other big ghettoes, the situation remained difficult. Isolated, humiliated and internally deeply divided population of the ghetto was subject to apathy and illusions sustained by the Judenrat which claimed that fautless work and professional usefullness of Jews would protect them from destruction. Only a small active group of Jews, frequently associated witlh leftist political movements, undertook resistance and prepared for fight. In the second part of the paper various forms and methods of Jewish resistance are discussed, as well as the controversies connected with this subject. Armed resistance during the so called „liquidation" of the ghetto started on the 16th of August 1943 is known as the August Uprisirig of the Białystok Jews. A lot of attention is devoted to Jewish partisan war in the area around Białystok. As far as range and intensity are concerned, the resistance of the Białystok Jews is conisidered second to that in Warsaw. Jewish people, despite threatening punishments, extended help to Jewish fighters who received assistance also from Polish and Soviet resistance movements.