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''Zivilarbeiter'' () refers primarily to ethnic Polish residents from the
Google Print, p.206
/ref> The history of Polish Zivilarbeiters dates back to October 1939, when German authorities issued a decree, which introduced mandatory work system for all residents aged 18 to 60. In December 1939, the system also covered those aged 14 to 18, with severe punishments for law breakers. The people who did not work were called by the local authorities, and sent to work in Germany. Since the Third Reich suffered from shortage of workers, as time went by also those Poles who had permanent employment, but were not regarded as necessary for the economy, were sent to Germany. Other methods were also used, such as the infamous roundups, called "łapanka" in Poland. Those who did not present a certificate of employment were automatically sent to Germany. Most Polish Zivilarbeiters worked in agriculture, forestry, gardening, fishing, also in transport and industry. Some were employed as housekeepers. None signed any contracts, and their working hours were determined by the employers.
Image:Polenabzeichen.jpg, Polish-forced-workers' badge
File:Verordnung 30 september 1939.JPG, German notice from 30 September 1939 in
''Zivilarbeiter'' () refers primarily to ethnic Polish residents from the General Government
The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...
(Nazi-occupied central Poland), used during World War II as forced laborers in the Third Reich
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
.
Polish Zivilarbeiters
The residents of occupied Poland were conscripted on the basis of the so-called Polish decrees (''Polenerlasse''), and were subject to discriminatory regulation. Compared to German workers or foreign workers from neutral and German-allied countries (''Gastarbeitnehmer''), Polish ''Zivilarbeiters'' received lower wages and were not allowed to use public conveniences (such as public transport) or visit many public spaces and businesses (for example they were not allowed to attend German church services, visit swimming pools or restaurants); they had to work longer hours than Germans; they received smaller food rations; they were subject to acurfew
A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...
; they often were denied holidays and had to work seven days a week; could not enter a marriage without permission; possess money or objects of value. Bicycles, cameras and even lighters were forbidden. They were required to wear a sign – the "Polish-P" – attached to their clothing.
In late 1939 there were about 300,000 prisoners from Poland working in Germany; and By autumn of 1944 their number swelled to about 2.8 million (approximately 10% of Generalgouvernement workforce). Poles from territories taken over after the German invasion of the Soviet Union and not included in the General Government
The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...
(see Kresy) were treated as Ostarbeiters. Günter Bischof, Fritz Plasser, Oliver Saasa, ''New Perspectives on Austrians and World War II'', Transaction Publishers, 2009, Google Print, p.206
/ref> The history of Polish Zivilarbeiters dates back to October 1939, when German authorities issued a decree, which introduced mandatory work system for all residents aged 18 to 60. In December 1939, the system also covered those aged 14 to 18, with severe punishments for law breakers. The people who did not work were called by the local authorities, and sent to work in Germany. Since the Third Reich suffered from shortage of workers, as time went by also those Poles who had permanent employment, but were not regarded as necessary for the economy, were sent to Germany. Other methods were also used, such as the infamous roundups, called "łapanka" in Poland. Those who did not present a certificate of employment were automatically sent to Germany. Most Polish Zivilarbeiters worked in agriculture, forestry, gardening, fishing, also in transport and industry. Some were employed as housekeepers. None signed any contracts, and their working hours were determined by the employers.
occupied Poland
' (Norwegian language, Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV 2 (Norway), TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. ...
with warning of death penalty for refusing work during harvest.
Image:Pflichten der polen.jpg, German and Polish poster describing "Obligations of Polish workers in Germany" including death sentence to every man and woman from Poland for sex with a German
References
{{commons category, Zivilarbeiter Nazi war crimes in Poland Forced migrations in Europe Nazi forced labour