Trams around, in- and through the Warszawa Ghetto - Nur für Juden - Nur für Deutsche

In German-occupied Poland, the racial segregation started early. A.o. in streetcars and trains, the first car was usually reserved for German administrative and military personnel, Nazi party members, and German civilians. Other nationalities had to use the remaining car(s).

It started with streetcars, trams which were divided by signs for Jews and non-Jews.

The racial started segreation started with streetcars, trams which were divided by signs for Jews and non-Jews.

In the last days of September 1940 trams with cars only for Jews appear on the streets of Warsaw with the inscriptions: "Nur für Juden".  If there were two cars in the same tram, the first car was always "aryan".

On November 16, 1940 - the ghetto in Warsaw was sealed off. In 1 483 houses there are almost 400 000 Jewish residents.

On October 23, 1940, transit trams, a.o. line nr, 16, thus passing the ghetto by the Chlodna street, exclusively for "aryans".

On October 23, 1940, transit trams, a.o. line nr. 16, thus passing the ghetto by the Chlodna street, exclusively for "aryans"

On November 26, 1940 - three specially marked tram lines  (number: 16, 28, 29) were opened inside the Great Ghetto, exclusively for Jews. 

In GAZETA ŻYDOWSKA that was one of two legally issued journals published for the Jews and distributed throughout the General Government there were all the lines and changes announced on February 18, 1941. 

On February 21, 1941, three tram lines only for Jews within the ghetto are closed down, and in their place a tram is instituted without a number, with a shield with a blue and white star of David.

 Three months later, on February 21, 1941 - these three tram lines only for Jews are closed down, and in their place a tram is instituted without a number, with a shield with a blue and white star of David.

There were transit trams, line nr, 16, thus passing the Chlodna street. Famous pedestrian bridge over Chlodna Street was connecting the "Great ghetto" inhabited by 300 000 to the north with the "Little ghetto" south of Chlodna Street, inhabited by 100 000. The bridge was constructed to allow the transit aryan tram to pass uninterrupted through the ghetto.

On March 15, 1941 - in the territory of the GG a decree comes into force, forbidding Jews to use the railways, trams, taxis or cabs, without a special pass for each journey.

In March 1941, the number of inhabitants of the ghetto in Warsaw reaches a height - within the walls there are c. 460,000 Jews.

In Spring 1941 in the streets of the ghetto horse-drawn trams (omnibuses) appear, popularly known as kohnhellerki (Kohn and Heller received a licence from the Germans to run the Towarzystwo Komunikacji Omnibusowej - Society for Omnibus Transport).

In Spring 1941 in the streets of the ghetto horse-drawn trams (omnibuses) appear, popularly known as kohnhellerki (Kohn and Heller received a licence from the Germans to run the Towarzystwo Komunikacji Omnibusowej - Society for Omnibus Transport).

On July 22, 1942 - starts the Great deportation action, the Liquidation of Jewish Ghetto; in the Warsaw. Cattle cars transports leave from the Umschlagplatz for the gas chambers of Treblinka. Omnibuses - kohnhellerki appear, appear again on the streets of ghetto, thus transporting Jews to Umschlagplatz.

Tram in Warsaw - "Nur für Deutsche". On the tram, on the roof there is sign of the exact route in German.

Tram in Warsaw - "Nur für Deutsche". On the tram the sign informs that its entrance is just for Germans. This picture shows Poles fighting Germans during Warsaw Uprise in august 1944.