Judenviertel,³²³ because German ‘modesty’ did not permit the word ‘ghetto’ to
be mentioned even in conversation, on pain of severe punishment). It was
to consist of Północna Street (in its entirety), the even numbers on Ogrodowa
Street, and the odd numbers from Nowomiejska Street to Zachodnia Street.
Naturally, Jews expelled from their flats in other parts of the city now sought
accommodation to the north of this line, i.e. in the Old Town and Bałuty.
However, no one was permitted to rent accommodation there without the
knowledge and permission of the Judenrat housing department. (In this connection, it should be noted that Jews who had not yet been expelled from their
homes in the other parts of the city were not permitted to vacate their flats on
their own initiative without the permission of the authorities.) The Judenrat
had records of all available flats in the northern district, i.e. the flats of the
above-mentioned people, who had left either forcibly or ‘voluntarily,’ both Jews
and non-Jews, and the flats abandoned by people who had left the city earlier.
In addition, the Judenrat had detailed information on the cubic capacity
of all the larger flats in that district. It had obtained all its information about
the flats from a detailed housing survey carried out in January or directly
from the German authorities (Housing Requisition Department). Almost all
of the flats in the district were very small and unsanitary. Most of them were
bug-ridden and infested with all sorts of vermin. In addition, they had no
conveniences: the toilets and water pump were in the courtyard, in a highly
neglected state. Only 10 to 15 per cent of the flats had electric lighting, not
to mention gas. Before the war, this had been the poorest part of the city,
inhabited by the Polish lumpenproletariat.³²⁴ It also contained a large number
of meliny,³²⁵ thieves’ meeting places, and brothels. Even the Polish police
were afraid to frequent the neglected alleyways and hovels during the day.
Despite the terrible, literally fatal living conditions in the district which was
to become the centre of Jewish life in the coming months, the wealthy nevertheless
managed to get hold of tolerable flats by dint of a łapówka³²⁶ to officials
of the Judenrat housing department. All authorisations to move into
flats in the district had to be signed by the chief of the German gendarmerie.
323 (German) Jewish quarter.
324 The lowest level of proletariat including unskilled workers and petty criminals.
325 (Polish) criminals’ dens.
326 (Polish) bribe.
