Dates to Remember

16/05/1943: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Ends

Following the invasion of Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto was opened in October 1940 to house Jews from the city and surrounding towns. Several hundred Romani were also imprisoned in the Ghetto.

At one point more than 400,000 people lived in this Ghetto where disease was rife and thousands died of disease, hunger or cold or were murdered by guards.

Mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto began in July 1942 – by September of that year approximately 300,000 Jews had been deported, the majority to the Treblinka extermination camp. As news reached Warsaw that deportations to killing centres were to take place, pockets of armed resistance broke out and deportations were suspended until later in the year.

When the Nazis entered the Warsaw Ghetto on 19 April 1943 to carry out its liquidation, approximately 750 inhabitants of the ghetto fought the well-armed and trained soldiers. The revolt lasted until 16 May 1943 when they were finally defeated.

More than 56,000 Jews were taken from the Warsaw Ghetto during the liquidation with 7,000 being shot upon capture and the remaining 49,000 deported to concentration camps.

While the uprising was ultimately unsuccessful it reminds us that we can all make the choice to resist discrimination, hatred and exclusion where we see it taking place.

Find out more about:

Life in the ghettos
Acts of resistance