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Ghetto and then Survival

Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and as a result, the UK and other Western European countries declared war. Thus, the Second World War began – but the initial fighting in Poland lasted only a few weeks, as Poland’s old-fashioned army was quickly defeated by the modern, advanced German forces.

Poland was quickly occupied and its citizens soon became the objects of
discrimination by the Nazis. Approximately 3 million Jews lived in Poland and at least half lived in the regions immediately occupied by Germany. Within days antisemitic laws were introduced and in the months following invasion, many more discriminatory laws were added. For example, within two months wearing the Star of David became compulsory for all Jews.

In spring 1940 the Nazis established ghettos in the larger towns and cities. The ghettos were specially selected areas where Jews were forced to live. Some had walls built around them, others were marked out by barbed wire. They were nearly always in the poorest areas of town and desperately cramped with poor sanitation. As time went on, food restrictions were introduced and terrible conditions led to hundreds of thousands dying from disease or malnutrition.

Janina Fischler-Martinho

Janina was born in 1930 and was the middle child of Polish Jews living in Krakow. Her family lived in an integrated area and was popular, as her father was a footballer. However, like other Jews, they were immediately affected by Nazi restrictions. Janina found the closing of her school and library, the most difficult change as reading was her passion and soon afterwards she and her family were moved into the Krakow ghetto in December 1941.

They lived in terrible conditions. Overnight, she stopped being a child and became vital for the whole family and their survival. She became a smuggler of goods in and out of the ghetto. It was a dangerous job, punishable by death, but was essential in order to get enough food.

The family just about managed to survive and sometimes got a little work from non-Jews and the Nazis. But on 8 June 1942, Janina’s parents and younger brother were deported ‘East’- to the death camps – along with 20,000 other Jews from Krakow. Janina and her elder brother continued to live in the ghetto over the next few months, surviving with the help of other relatives and from their own work. As time went on, the relatives were also taken away or died.

In March 1943, the Krakow ghetto was liquidated. It was ordered that everyone must be rounded up and either sent to work camps or deported ‘East’ to the death camps.

Janina recollects the terrible chaos from that time as thousands of people ran through the street trying to flee the Nazis who had surrounded the ghetto.

Together with her brother Joseph, they ran into the streets until they came across a quieter street that contained a manhole at the far end. People were climbing down into the sewers in order to try and escape from the ghetto.

They hid in the sewer for a few hours, walking along the filthy edges until the column of escapees dared to climb up to the world above. Outside, Janina and Joseph said goodbye: he fled to his work contingent and Janina, who was still only 12 years old, was left to survive for herself.

Somehow she made it to the countryside, and spent the next 2 years moving from farm to farm as a casual farm worker, keeping her real identity secret.

Janina knew the war was over in Poland when Russian soldiers marched through the village where she was working. After a few days she packed her bag and returned to Krakow and became a servant.

“January to August 1945, was the hardest time of my life, because nobody came back, nobody wanted me and nobody was glad I had survived,” she recalls.

Miraculously, in August, Joseph found her, and together they left to go to Austria, where Joseph knew other camp survivors. After a time in Austria, the two trekked across the Alps in December, reaching Italy after a long and difficult journey. They wanted to reach an uncle who had fought in the Free Polish forces. The Free Polish forces had been crucial in helping to helping the Allies to liberate Italy and fought valiantly elsewhere, as a consequence they were offered the opportunity to go to Britain in August 1946.

Joseph and Janina took the opportunity to accompany their uncle to the UK as his family. Eventually, some 18 months after she was liberated, Janina was sent to a refugee camp in Edinburgh. A local convent school came to the camp and said that they had decided to offer someone an education. Janina had always wanted an education, but her first thoughts were, “It immediately came to me that I was Jewish and they wouldn’t want me”. However, the nuns didn’t mind and so Janina finally went to school.

In 1949 she went to teacher training college and became a French teacher. “Coming to Britain, felt like coming to a real home, where I wouldn’t be pushed from pillar to post”. When she met her future husband the feelings of fear and rejection returned. He wasn’t Jewish and she was afraid to tell him about herself. But happily, they married and she started to make her own life. However, whilst she was pregnant she had terrible nightmares, “it never goes away”.

But she did survive and she did move on. Getting through the Holocaust her motivation had been – “I wanted to live, enough to eat, to be clean, nothing fancy”, then when it came to rebuilding her life she says,” I did what I could. I’m not angry, but I cannot forgive the Nazis, Germany will have to carry that stain”.

Janina has returned to Krakow a number of times. It reminds her of her family and she has written her story in a book. She visits schools in the UK and tells young people about the horrors that can happen to ordinary people if prejudice and ignorance go unchallenged.

When she is not doing that or spending time with her family ’ including Joseph ’ she indulges in her favourite past time “I read, I read and I read”. Her love of books was not removed.

Further research:

1. The Krakow ghetto is one of the more famous ghettos, find out more information about it and record your findings.
2. Some words in the text are highlighted, find out what these words mean and write down a description and an example. This work can be displayed for the whole class.
3. In the text the word ‘liquidated’ is used, when referring to the ghetto, find some testimony about ghettos being liquidated, what does it tell you about that experience?
4. Janina smuggled goods for survival in the ghetto, try and find out other information about child smugglers in the Holocaust, – why were children suitable for this role?
5. Find out more about the Free Polish Forces, why are they significant?

Discuss:

1. The ghettos isolated the Jews from other citizens discuss as a group why you think the Nazis did this. What would be the advantages to them? In what ways would it affect what happened to the Jews?
2. Janina was desperate to go to school – discuss why you think that was important to her.
3. It took Janina 18 months to find a stable home after what had happened to her – discuss what effect you think this may have had on her, can you think of people now who do not have a stable home?
4. Janina walked through a sewer to get out to some safety – what does this say about her determination to survive, discuss as a class feelings about safety and what would help you to get through tough situations.

• Ghetto and then Survival (pdf)