Litzmannstadt Ghetto

The Litzmannstadt Ghetto, also known as the Łódź Ghetto, was one of the largest and longest-existing ghettos in Poland. It was established in Łódź in February 1940 and was completely isolated from the rest of the city by April of the same year. Architecturally, the area consisted of three parts, divided by exterritorial streets, with dense housing where approximately 200,000 Jews lived on just 4.13 km². Under conditions of extreme overcrowding, by 1942, there were over 42,000 inhabitants per square kilometer. The first phase of the ghetto's operation resembled its pre-war structure, with an extensive Jewish administration and cultural institutions, including schools, a post office, and a cultural center. The most important figure was Chaim Rumkowski, the Elder of the Jews, who attempted to save the inhabitants by organizing forced labor. Culturally, the ghetto hosted theater performances and concerts, and a weekly newspaper, "Getto Cajtung," was published. After the September 1942 "Gehsperre" (curfew and mass deportation action), which led to the deportation of children, the elderly, and the sick, the ghetto was transformed into a labor camp, resulting in the collapse of the community and mass deportations. In 1944, the liquidation of the ghetto began, and its inhabitants were sent to extermination camps, primarily Auschwitz-Birkenau. Of the entire community, approximately 44,000 people died from disease and starvation, and the largest number of survivors, around 10,000, were those who endured through forced labor. It is worth noting that the Łódź Ghetto preserved almost all of its archival documentation, including the "Chronicle of the Łódź Ghetto," making it unique among other ghettos. An interesting fact is that the ghetto had its own tram system and created an internal monetary system. Despite the extreme conditions, the inhabitants strived to maintain culture and education until the final liquidation in September 1944.