On 5 September 1939 the Germans occupied Piotrków Trybunalski. At that time there were 10,000 Jews living in the city. During the first two days of the occupation, the Germans murdered dozens of the city’s Jews, who had been placed under curfew and allowed to walk in the streets for only two hours a day. Sale of food to Jews was forbidden, even by Jewish-owned businesses, and the restriction was enforced by German soldiers who were assisted by Polish informers. The theft of Jewish-owned property also began with the occupation, and was aided by Polish informers and the local German population (the Volksdeutsche), who pointed out Jewish-owned stores and warehouses. Jewish storeowners were forced to open their stores to serve the Germans and their apartments were looted by German soldiers. They were required to pay considerable sums of money to the Germans, and to provide them with large quantities of food, merchandise and raw materials for industry. Jewish houses were handed over to the Germans, and German managers were installed in Jewish businesses. In March 1940 this process was expedited when every Jew in the city was forced to declare his property.
Clockwise: Lolek Altman, Rutka from Lodz - murdered in Treblinka, Roth Kriger Horowicz - survived, Kuba Meilshpeis - murdered in Treblinka, Julek Miller - survived, Erlich Fredeck - survived, Jerzy Poznanski - a cousin of Ytzhak Reichenbaum – survived, Beniek Flato - murdered in Treblinka, Wecio Markowicz - murdered in Treblinka, Hendel Heniek - survived, Ytzhak Reichenbaum – survived and identified himself in the photograph.
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Some of them are wearing an armband identifying them as Jews. Among those photographed is the head of the local Judenrat.
Identified in the photograph: first from left, with his back to the camera – Leib Famstein, the head of the Judenrat; standing on the right, wearing a hat, Dr. Josef Federbuch, a member of the Judenrat; Motl Grabschrift; Naftali Hezenkpof; Leon Bender; Feiwel Schecter; Manes Dabicer; Josef Goldberg.
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Courtesy of the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum
This photograph was attached to a request for a foreign passport, submitted in an attempt to save her life.
Left: Ruchla Rywka Pudlowska, born on 30 June 1890 in Piotrków Trybunalski to Mendel Hersz and Sura Aronowicz Miedrinski. Ruchla married Zalmen David Pudlowski. Her last known place of residence was 24 Horst Wessel Street in Belchatow, the district of Lodz, Poland.
Right: A young woman by the name of Rivka, born on 16 March 1926 in Belchatow, the district of Lodz, Poland.
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among them Yitzchak (Itzik) Reichenbaum (husband of Bela Reichenbaum, who donated the photograph) standing second from the right.
Three of the children are wearing hats belonging to the Jewish Order Police. It seems the Jewish Policemen must have given them the hats for the purposes of the photo, perhaps even taking it themselves.
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