Ghetto in Dabrowa Gornicza and Bedzin

Identifier
irn1002725
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2003.473.1
  • RG-60.3837
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • Silent
  • Music
Source
EHRI Partner

Creator(s)

Biographical History

The SS-appointed German manager of a textile factory, Alfred Rossner, protected and saved some Jewish workers and has been named a "Righteous Gentile" by Yad Vashem. For more information about Alfred Rossner, see the chapter in Mordechai Paldiel's book "Saving the Jews: Amazing Stories of Men and Women who Defied the 'Final Solution'" (2000).

Scope and Content

Jews walking on sidewalk, nicely dressed, past storefronts, CUs. Funny angle up, Jewish star on clothes of boy and his dad. Policeman passing quickly close to camera. Large group of many smiling women with Jewish stars close together, elevated camera angle. CU, pan CU to more faces. Wider shot, big crowd on street in front of building. Pan up brick building to window with bars, three men lean heads out window. CU men from elevated angle. Serious-looking man, grim woman, two boys smiling awkwardly at camera, man with beard. Crowd on street, CU. Crowd walking, smiles and excitement. Men arm in arm, pose for camera. Various CUs, old man with beard walks down street, people strolling down sidewalk. Large sign over shop, obscured by barred gate: "Schumacherei" [Shoemaker]. Two men wait for cue, then begin walking down street. A little girl and well dressed woman (no Jewish star badge), a pregnant young woman, and little Jewish boys. Shtetl-like street and buildings, probably Dabrowa Gornicza. Pan of children in street. Close view of little girl. Pan of village street. Toddler with Jewish star plays with string, CUs. Man with pails of water. Cows. Men gesturing with hands as in livestock trade. Pan of a box covered with black cloth and bearing a Star of David. Sign on the box with words in print and handwritten on three lines: "KOMITEE - [Unclear script, may indicate Jewish Community property] - Dombrowa 06". The object is about shoulder high. Camera pans slightly to close view of man in cap. Several shots, outdoors, fence in background. Three brief views of object with sign. Sewing workshop, with sewing machines and hand sewing. Men and women all wearing Jewish stars. Row of six men at sewing machine, manager walks around. CUs one at a time on the sewing machines and the "sewer" SINGER. Big room of women with scraps piled up, lights hang down. MCU, pan CU, slow pan of two women cutting fabric into strips, throwing scraps. Pan of two women at table, cutting, sewing by hand, all very busy, serious, quiet. Nicely dressed VCU, a wedding ring on sewer's hand. Men standing for camera, posing VCU, the tall man at right is the German-appointed SS manager of this textile factory, Alfred Rossner, who protected and saved some Jewish workers and has been named a "Righteous Gentile" by Yad Vashem. Machine stitching (good, some white spots). Faces of women, mid-20s, no smiles or just barely, with intense eyes. Women sewing by hand, wearing Jewish stars, all seated on bench. Street scene. Young men looking up to camera, heads cut off at first, focus on the Jewish star. Old man VCU, with hat and glasses and beard.

Note(s)

  • See also RG-60.0134 on Film ID 11 for better quality footage in the public domain. Probaby filmed in two locations in Poland: Bedzin and Dabrowa Gornicza. Dabrowa Gornicza is in the vicinity of Auschwitz (Dabrowa is pronounced "Dombrova"). USHMM Photo Archive image #29876, obtained from Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz, appears to be a frame from this film, located at 01:07:32:10. The original BPK caption reads: "In der Schneiderei von Dombrowa - der "Judenstern" muss auch am Artbeitsplatz getragen werden. 1941" Morris Rosen, survivor-volunteer, is from this region and recognizes many of these people. He has provided many details. The WFDiF production entitled "Zydzi Polscy" ["The Polish Jews"] runs 97 minutes and contains film documents from the archive, added music and sound effects. USHMM catalogs the complete production under RG-60.3834, RG-60.3835, RG-60.3836, RG-60.3837, RG-60.3838, RG-60.3839, RG-60.3840, RG-60.3841, and RG-60.3842, on Film ID 2661. USHMM Betacam made from VHS copies provided by WFDiF.

  • According to USHMM Photo Archive: "Bedzin, Sosnowiec and Dabrowa Gornicza are 3 neighboring towns in the Zaglebie district in southwest Poland. On the eve of WWII, Bedzin and Sosnowiec supported Jewish communities of c. 28,000 each, while Dabrowa had 5,000....During 1940-41 the situation in [these locations] was considered somewhat better than elsewhere in occupied Poland. There, the Jews resided in open ghettos and their lives retained a semblance of normalcy...."

Subjects

Places

Genre

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.