Le conseil juif de Varsovie

Abstract

On November 28, 1939, after a collapse of Poland, the Governor General, Hans Frank, issued a decree on setting up Jewish Councils (Judenrate) in the General Government. Their task was to be to represent local Jewish communities in relations with the occupation authorities. In fact, despite a facade of independence, the Jewish councils (Judenrate) were there above all to carry out the orders and directives of the Germans. In the area of occupied Poland c. 400 Judenrate were set up, representing Jewish communities of varied size : from 500 to nearly 500,000 people. The occupation authorities confirmed the appointment of Adam Czerniakow to the post that he already held of chairman of the Judenrat in Warsaw. The Judenrat was considered by the Jews to be the government of the ghetto, responsible for all internal matters – and to a great extent matters outside the boundaries. In reality, the Judenrat had little power, was acting in restricted circumstances, according to rules laid down by the Germans, and its activities were further hampered by conflicts between different instances of the occupation authorities. The article shows the structure and activities of Warsaw’s Judenrat from its beginning in 1939 till the end on July 22, 1942, and later – after the suicide of Adam Czerniakow.