beaten with sticks, etc. They had to stand in water up to their chests in their
shoes and trousers and drag the stones out of the water. They were forced to
kneel, to lie face down in the mud and dung, while singing Jewish religious
songs. They were kept there till 3 a.m. The Jews of Koło called that day ‘Black
Tuesday.’ Starting the next day, all men had to report for various tasks. A few
days later the process of forming a Judenrat began, with Leyb Bruksztejn[?] as
the elder, Engel, Brener, Koniński, Fuks as members, and Frankowski as secretary.
Soon after, the Judenrat started to work and established an Arbeitsamt
to supply workers for the Germans, according to specific quotas. This situation
lasted until 1 December 1939. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, 1 December, the mayor
called on the Judenrat and announced that Jews should prepare themselves for
deportation from the town. He made the point that they should have enough
food for a three-day journey. That same day, several streets were evacuated
and the people were taken to the bet hamidrash and kept there until Friday,
8 December, when all those 1,100 people, men, women, and children, were
herded into freight cars and sent to Izbica Lubelska.⁸²⁰ Their suffering during
the journey was indescribable: cold, hunger, 80 people to a car. The Jews
remaining in Koło lived in constant fear of a further evacuation. There were
rumours that everyone would be deported. With time, the atmosphere got a bit
calmer and there were no further deportations for the moment. However, Jews
had to leave [. . .] streets like Piłsudskiego Square, Warszawska, Kaliska [. . .]
Kościelna [. . .] in both suburbs and [. . .] on New Market Square and the narrow
streets. Thus the Jews lived [. . .] a few soldiers, policemen and Volksdeutsche
took [. . .] whatever they pleased, household goods [. . .] step by step everything
the Jews of Koło possessed was taken from them. [2] Craftsmen were ordered
[. . .] but when the money was taken, the equipment followed [. . .] were not
allowed to walk on the pavements. If someone was found [. . .] he was taken
to the police station and beaten severely [. . .] had to pay a fine of 25 RM.
With time [. . .] the terrible situation of the Koło Jews was somewhat alleviated
[. . .] On market day Jews were not allowed on the streets. The Judenrat
obtained permission from the mayor to organise a Jewish police force which
would see to it that Jews followed orders and, first of all, did not roam the
streets. And a Jewish police force was indeed established. Ayzik Wołkowicz⁸²¹
820 See Doc 62.
821 Member of the Koło city council before WWII.
