The Clandestine History of the Kovno Jewish Ghetto Police

Contents

Co n T e n T s Preface / samuel schalkowsky ix acknowledgments xv Inside the Kovno Ghetto / Samuel D. Kassow 1 History of tHe Viliampole [KoVno] JewisH GHetto police 1. Introduction 63 2. The Prehistory of the Kovno Ghetto 65 The First Weeks 65 transfer to the Ghetto 70 3. The Gruesome Period from the Beginning of the Ghetto to the Great Action 77 The First days; establishment of the Jewish Ghetto Police 77 The Personal effects and Gold “actions” 85 development and expansion of the Police Force 90 The “Jordan Certificates” and the “rehearsal action” 106 airfield and City Work Brigades 112 The actions: In the “Box” (september 26, 1941) and in the “small Ghetto” (October 4, 1941) 120 The Great action 132 “episode” of the German Jews 147 4. Ghetto Situation after the Great Action (The survivor must live . . .) 158 after the action: Moods and rumors; Camp or Ghetto 158 Labor Quota 161 Material Conditions 170 events in the Ghetto after the Great action 178 5. The Elder Council, the Ghetto Institutions, the Police, and the Ghetto Population: Mutual Interrelationships 187 6. Development of the Administrative Apparatus and of the Police after the Action 208 vi Contents 7. The Ghetto Guard and the Jewish Police 253 The new Ghetto Guard (nsKK) Located inside the Ghetto 253 The Gate and the Gate Guard 263 The Ghetto Guard and the Police Intermediary (relations with Germans and Lithuanians) 269 8. The Ghetto during the Time of the NSKK, Wiedmann, and Hermann (Spring and Summer 1942) 284 Jordan’s Last actions (The riga action and the Book action) 284 departure of Jordan and Kaminski 288 new Masters, new Winds (Wiedmann, Hermann—German Labor Office) 289 evacuation of “Brazilke” 293 Workers for Palemon 294 The Labor Quota 295 economic Conditions; Gardens 297 The vilna Letter episode 299 Ghetto Commissions 300 9. The Police in the Spring and Summer of 1942 (the Caspi Period) 302 The appearance of Caspi 302 The Caspi Personality 308 Police reforms and reorganizations; new Management 312 Caspi’s departure 318 10. The Ghetto in the Times of Koeppen, Miller, and the Vienna Protective Police (Schutz Polizei) 319 an economy without Money 319 days of awe, again Palemon 321 vienozinskio area Cleared again 325 riga a second time 325 The Meck episode 327 assaults 331 Chanukah and the new year—Beginning of the Ghetto Bright Period (the time of Miller) 333 vii Contents 11. The Police in the Last Quarter of 1942 335 new Units (Gate and detention-House Guards; Jail and Workshop Guards) 335 expansion of the administrative Work of the Police (Penal department, Criminal department, “Passportization,” administrative Penalties) 340 The Police as a social Organization (the swearing-in Ceremony, Police Concerts) 357 appendix: evolution of the Manuscript 363 Bibliography 375 Index 379 Maps appear on pages xviii–xix Illustrations appear on pages 152–157, 246–252, and 365–367 This page intentionally left blank ...