This unit examines the first years of World War II in Poland. The Nazis invaded and occupied Poland on September 1, 1939. Within months, Jews were separated into ghettoes; in 1942, ghettoes were being emptied out with Jews sent to killing centers or labor camps. What characterizes this period is the Nazi violence against Jews as they forced them into ghettoes and labor camps while the Polish people looked on or participated in pillaging Jewish property. Much less common in this era of violence and brutality were individuals or small groups that sought to help Jews.
