Polish Forced Labour (Zwangsarbeiter/Fremdarbeiter) collection

[dastier]

Thanks Tony and 4thskorpion. Its the efficient bureaucratic nature of the Nazi (and Soviet) evil that I find so chilling. The Nazi admininstration made it seem so 'normal'.

[StefanM]

Above: Polish forced labourer, Jan Sowka awaits execution in the forest near Buchenwald concentration camp.

On April 26, 1942, a Polish forced labourer, who worked at Bauern Schmidt's couryard was beaten to the point of unconsciousness by a German policeman, Albin Gottwald. Two Poles took revenge on Gottwald and stabbed him to death on a forest path between Poppenhausen and Einoed. The two Poles then escaped. One of the two Poles, Jan Sowka (b. 10/19/22 in Thayngen, Switzerland) was apprehended shortly after his escape. On May 11, 1942, nineteen prisoners from Buchenwald were taken to the place in the woods where Gottwald's body had been found. The Buchenwald SS built three gallows -- two consisted of ten hooks each, and one was a single gallows. The nineteen Polish prisoners were positioned behind the gallows, and Jan Sowka stood on the opposite side.



Above: In the forest near Buchenwald concentration camp, SS officers oversee the construction of the newly erected gallows on which Jan Sowka was hanged.



Above: An SS officer standing in front of the newly constructed gallows.


The executions began at 10:50 where the prisoners and Jan Sowka were hanged one after another on the single gallows. At the end, they were all hanged from the two group gallows. Hundreds of Polish forced laborers from the surrounding area were rounded up and forced to watch the executions.



Above: Prisoners from Buchenwald awaiting execution in the forest near the camp.

Source: USHMM

[StefanM]

Excited to find this ID and "P" patch for forced worker at Bruhn-Werke GmbH in Eisfeld in the district of Hildburghausen, Southern Thuringia, Germany... should be winging its way to me shortly







During the Second World War the city of Eisfeld "employed" 733 foreign forced laborers, including 542 women in Bruhn-Werke GmbH, Ritzma-Werk, Eiso-Schrauben GmbH and the companies of Günsel and Dressel.

Bruhn-Werke GmbH manufactured cockpit instruments such as below for the German Luftwaffe.

[StefanM]

Also a few recent portraits to add the forced labour thread photo library:

[StefanM]

Slaves and Serfs—a small public information booklet describing German forced labour published in 1942 by British mine workers union...with heavy socialist (Soviet) slant as one would expect from the trade union movement in Great Britain of that period.

[StefanM]

Just acquired this strip of original patches which show just how these were purchased by the worker....not the half cut through large swaths of patches sometimes offered.

Will post the related arbeitskarte and arbeitsbuch when they arrive



Update: Arbeitskarte and Arbeitsbuch

[StefanM]

A new find

Political poster issued by Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego PKWN (Polish Committee of National Liberation in France). A propaganda message aimed at former Polish deportees, KL prisoners, PoWs and Intereenes finding themselves in France.






If someone could kindly find the time translate this poster for the thread (as my Polish is sadly limited) that would be a most welcome contribution

[StefanM]

...and a new "OST" photograph.



These seem to be much harder to find than Polish forced labourer photos.

[StefanM]

Large group of Forced labourers post liberation—Warta, 1945. Warta near the city of Kalisz (German: Kalisch) was annexed by Nazi Germany.







Any thoughts on the uniformed and armed man standing on the left in the above? Post-war Polish Militia or army?

[dastier]

All I can say is that the rifle is a mauser and not Soviet made.