Jewish houses were demolished, belongings confiscated.⁹¹⁷ Despite all the persecutions, the situation from March to May 1940 remained bearable. From
mid-May there began the mass eviction of Jews from entire Jewish houses.
The Jews were confined in the tobacco factory. During the move, they were
allowed to bring everything with them. Obviously, everyone took what they
could. Upon arrival at the tobacco factory, the possessions which the Jews had
brought with them were confiscated. It turned out that the permission to bring
their belongings with them was used in order to rob them subsequently with
greater efficiency. This continued until the end of May, when things calmed
down. The calm lasted for 10–12 days. Suddenly, a panic broke out in the
town. Rumours spread that major developments were at hand. The Germans
cleaned up an old cukrownia⁹¹⁸ where Polish prisoners of war had previously
been interned. [. . .] by Jewish women who were seized for forced labour. They
were not allowed to throw the rubbish out, but had to collect it in one heap.
The cukrownia was located outside the town, in Konstancja.⁹¹⁹ On the Friday
after Shavuot 1940,⁹²⁰ various panicky rumours began to spread in connection
with the cleaning of the sugar plant, throwing the whole Jewish population
into turmoil. The kehillah board intervened with the Landrat,⁹²¹ seeking to
know the reason for cleaning the cukrownia and whether there was any basis
whatever for the various rumours. The Landrat told them that no harm would
come to the Jews. [2] No orders concerning the Jews were envisaged. The sugar
plant, the Landrat added, was being cleaned because French prisoners of war
were expected. The Judenrat of course believed what he said. The next morning,
Saturday, the Jews awaited the French prisoners in the streets. But instead
of the French, a large number of SD (Sonderdienst) auxiliary police arrived.
At twelve o’clock on the night of Saturday to Sunday, all the Jews were woken
up and told that by 6 p.m. on Sunday they all had to be in Konstancja. And
so, all the Jews of Kutno, numbering eight thousand people, were deported to
the cukrownia in Konstancja. On the way, everyone was searched. A great deal
917 On 12 February the Germans launched a Jewish property ‘revindication’ campaign for the benefit of the German settlers, taking over approximately 70-80 per cent of Jewish property.
918 (Polish) sugar plant.
919 Cf. Docs. 67, 69–71.
920 14 June 1940.
921 The Kutno Landrat was F. von Mylius.
