Copy report of transport of Jews from Düsseldorf to Minsk

Identifier
WL1113
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 70967
Dates
1 Jan 1941 - 31 Jan 1941
Level of Description
Collection
Source
EHRI Partner

Biographical History

Altogether 5895 Jews were deported from Düsseldorf, most of them between Autumn 1941 and Summer 1942. This was the only transport to Minsk from Düsseldorf, the other destinations being Theresienstadt, Riga, Litzmannstadt and Izbica. 

Archival History

Provenance unknown

Scope and Content

This is an apparently authentic certified copy of a report about a transport of Jews from Düsseldorf to Minsk, which commenced on 10 November 1941. The author was Hauptmann der Schutzpolizei, Meurin. The document is countersigned by Oberwachtmeister der Sch[utzpolizei?] [illegible]. Whilst the addressee is not explicit, the tenor of the report and the list of recommendations for future transports in the penultimate section suggest that it was written for the attention of the Gestapo, Düsseldorf, ie the organisation responsible for deporting the city's Jews. The description of the embarkation point on the first page of the report, Güterbahnhof Düsseldorf-Derendorf is the same as that of the 22 April 1942 transport to Izbica. The detailed description including the precise route taken; the length of time at each station and the necessity to deviate from the planned path due to threat of attack from 'partisans' all suggest that the report is genuine. Similarly the description of the inhuman conditions and the disproportionate space given to descriptions of attacks on guards by deportees lend credence to it. Finally the recommendations for improvement including the provision of more food and alcohol, more warm clothing, torches and better weapons and protective gear for the guards are further evidence as to the authenticity.

Conditions Governing Access

Open

Related Units of Description

  • Note a digital version of this document can be located at the photo archive ref WL8418-8424

Subjects

Places

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.