often, persistent news circulated that a ghetto was going to be established
in Łódź, and each day, sometimes even several times a day, there were new
versions of the boundaries of the future [x]¹⁴³ Jewish ‘autonomous territorial
unit.’ Some said that the ghetto would be from Nawrot Street, others that
from Narutowicza Street, others again — Wolności Square, but no one even
imagined the actual boundaries to which the Germans would subsequently
reduce the Łódź Ghetto. There were more pessimistic rumours: that the Jewish
population would be deported from Łódź. The latter version was a result of
posters about annexing Łódź to the Reich and information about several
transports of Jews deported from Łódź. The rumour about the impending
cleansing of Łódź of the Jews was becoming more persistent each day; people
began to quote various dates and evacuation plans, finally resulting in a real
psychosis, which gave way to a panicked mass departure of Jews from Łódź.
People were fleeing by rail, buses, in cars, on wagons and rolwagas,¹⁴⁴ taking
their belongings with them or leaving with nothing. Wagons and rolwagas full
of people and things filled the roads in the direction of Koluszki¹⁴⁵ and particularly
Głowno.¹⁴⁶ To prevent further spread of panicked escape, the Community
sent out special people, especially rabbis, charging them with the task [39] of
explaining to the population that the rumour about the intended cleansing
of Łódź of the Jews was false and that they should not succumb to panic and
flee the city, because the consequences of such a panicked mass flight would be
awful. These concerns about the terrible consequences of escape immediately
came true. Not to mention the material losses (those fleeing sold their possessions
for mere groszes); there was much loss of life: longer nights were very
cold and many children froze to death while escaping. On the road, especially
at border points, in particular near Głowno, congestion built up, and many
refugees had to return to the city, having been utterly ruined. Flight by train
did not stop, but was hampered because train tickets were not sold to Jews.
The Jews bought tickets through Christians, for whom it became a source of
income, one of the many Christian earning opportunities that grew on the
ruins of Jewish fortunes, as a side effect of the Jews being pushed beyond
143 [x] quarter.
144 Heavy transportation wagons.
145 Koluszki (Brzeziny County).
146 Głowno (Brzeziny County).
