them), strengthened its agitation. [They] travelled from one German office to
another, to determine that the Jews should be confined in a ghetto and separated
from the Christians.
The second week of December, a Sunday, the Haus-Kommandant came
to kościół⁶⁴⁷ and, in his presence, the priest had to hold a Jew-baiting sermon.
The Jews are the leeches of Polish peasants, they spread various diseases, dishonour the Catholic religion, etc. One must therefore put an end to them. The
same thing occurred in several neighbouring villages. Immediately on the following
morning, in the county town, Radom, at the Kreishauptmann,⁶⁴⁸ there
was a conference of all the village council heads and village heads from the
entire [3] county of Radom, regarding the establishment of Jewish quarters
everywhere. This was immediately conveyed to all the Polish communes and
Jewish kehillahs.
The task of installing the Garbatka Jews in the ghetto was given to the
previously mentioned commandant, Krawczyk. The Jewish community board
selected a place, totally off to a side, near a tract by the highway, taking into
account that they could have contact with the outside world. Approval of the
chosen place meant payment to the Haus-Kommandant of 10,000 zlotys and
several furs. The Haus-Kommandant informed the Kreishauptmann that he had
already decided on a place of residence for the Jews of Garbatka. The other
responded that he must come himself, see and approve the place (a message
had reached him from the Endek group that Jews would live too well there).
At precisely 3 o’clock in the afternoon, on 28 December, the Kreishauptmann
arrived from Radom and surveyed the selected place. He was accompanied by
the experts on the ghetto matters. He immediately proclaimed that it will be
too good for the Jews in this place. They will have too much free movement
and will breathe fresh air. He apparently declared as follows:
“I must have you Jews in one place. You must not be too spread out. It is
enough that you are dispersed across the entire world. I must keep an eye on
you at all times. I will not go looking for you when it will be necessary.”
647 (Polish) church.
648 Friedrich Egen (1903–1974), from September to December 1939, the Stadthauptmann of Radom and Landrat in Sandomierz; head of the Radom District from December 1939 to June 1942 and from September 1943 to the end of 1944; from January 1940 also vice-governor of the Radom District. After the war, he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. See M. Roth, Herrenmenschen, p. 469.
