The total number of Polish citizens, Jews, and Poles staying in Sweden in the middle of 1945 was around 17,000. Jews, the Holocaust Survivors came to Sweden mainly by UNRRA action known today as White Boats.
Quickly, the Swedish authorities understood that in the case of Jews, the question of "repatriandi" (repatriates) was difficult as Jews had, in reality, no countries to return to. Therefore, there was no pressure or encouragement to repatriate Jews to their countries of origin. However, to move out of Sweden the Holocaust survivors needed valid identification, the passports. To receive an alien´s passport (Swedish främlings-pass) one has to show that one was stateless like German Jews who were officially been as group deprived of their citizenship in the late thirties.
Most of the Holocaust survivors who landed in Sweden at the end of WWII came from concentration camps without any identification documents. Most of them carried DP-2 cards issued by allies in Europe and/or Swedish Inresekort. On the Inresekort there was often a blue stamp that the holder of it had no such documents.
Most of the Holocaust survivors who landed in Sweden at the end of WWII came from concentration camps without any identification documents. Most of them carried DP-2 cards issued by allies in Europe and/or Swedish Inresekort. On the Inresekort there was often a blue stamp that the holder of it had no such documents.
There was no problem to apply and receiving national passports from Polish, Hungarian, or Tjeckoslovakian consulates.
Several Jews, also Piotrków Jews applied to the Swedish authorities for the possibility to visit their countries of origin and thereafter to return back to Sweden. The reason for such trips was the hope to meet a relative or see if something was left of their homes. The main part of the Holocaust survivors who witnessed the departure of the trains to Treblinka, like these in October 1942 from Piotrków Trybunalski knew exactly what the departure to the death camp was and understood that they would never see those relatives alive.
Altman Ruta from Piotrków Trybunalski did not search for her parents, she knew exactly their fate. To a UNRRA official in Lübeck, she stated in July 1945 that her parents, Moszek and Frania Altman, were murdered along with her sister in Treblinka. Those who remained in Piotrków after the great deportation action in October 1942 knew exactly what it meant, death by suffocation in the gas chambers of Treblinka. In most cases, Holocaust survivors who came to Sweden wanted to leave Europe - the largest Jewish burial ground.
Several Jews, also Piotrków Jews applied to the Swedish authorities for the possibility to visit their countries of origin and thereafter to return back to Sweden. The reason for such trips was the hope to meet a relative or see if something was left of their homes. The main part of the Holocaust survivors who witnessed the departure of the trains to Treblinka, like these in October 1942 from Piotrków Trybunalski knew exactly what the departure to the death camp was and understood that they would never see those relatives alive.
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| Altman Ruta from Piotrków Trybunalski did not search for her parents, she knew exactly their fate. To a UNRRA official in Lübeck, she stated in July 1945 that her parents, Moszek and Frania Altman, were murdered along with her sister in Treblinka. Those who remained in Piotrków after the great deportation of 1942 knew exactly what it meant, death in the gas chambers of Treblinka. In most cases, Holocaust survivors who came to Sweden wanted to leave Europe - the largest Jewish burial ground. L 7857 was Ruta Swedish Lübeck number. |
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| The lower part of Altman Ruta DP-2 card. She knew exactly the fate of her parents, Frania and Moszek Altman and also of her sister that was together with her parents in the cattle wagons heading to Treblinka. To a UNRRA official in Lübeck, she stated in July 1945 that her parents were murdered along with her sister in Treblinka. Ruta Altman described also two last places of her imprisonment, concentration camps Ravensbrück and Bergen-Belsen. |
Altman Ruta from Piotrków Trybunalski did not search for her parents, she knew exactly their fate. To a UNRRA official in Lübeck, she stated in July 1945 that her parents, Moszek and Frania Altman, were murdered along with her sister in Treblinka. Those who remained in Piotrków after the great deportation action in October 1942 knew exactly what it meant, death by suffocation in the gas chambers of Treblinka. In most cases, Holocaust survivors who came to Sweden wanted to leave Europe - the largest Jewish burial ground.
Children that survived the Holocaust, came to Sweden at the end of the war. Mainly with UNRRA's campaign White Boats. The very youngest children came from Bergen-Belsen's Kinderheim and arrived to Malmö with the S/S Kastelholm, the last White boat from Lübeck, on July 26, 1945. The very special thing is that the same boat was later used for departures from Sweden, both for Jewish children and young people on their way to Eretz Israel and so-called "repatriandi", returning Polish and Dutch concentration camp prisoners who came to Sweden at the end of the war. Photo taken on departure in May 1946. The boat in the picture is actually S/S Kastelholm which was part of the White Boat fleet during the summer of 1945.
Actually, from November 1945 until June 1947 more than 8 000 Polish citizens had left Sweden which was just half of all Polish citizens residing in Sweden in June 1945. The Polish consulate set up a registration campaign. It was announced that the consulate would offer help only to those who had been registered whereas many of Polish immigrants had not applied for a residence permit. By the end of 1947, 63 percent of Polish citizens had been registered.
Polish "repatriandi were moved to Poland from Sweden on one of the former White Boats KP Ingrid. During nine trips (October and November 1945) between Malmö and Gdynia, 2 828 passengers with Polish citizenship were returned. Also, another former White Boat, S/S Kastelholm was involved in this action.
Actually, from November 1945 until June 1947 more than 8 000 Polish citizens had left Sweden which was just half of all Polish citizens residing in Sweden in June 1945. The Polish consulate set up a registration campaign. It was announced that the consulate would offer help only to those who had been registered whereas many of Polish immigrants had not applied for a residence permit. By the end of 1947, 63 percent of Polish citizens had been registered.
To Poland and thereafter not return to Sweden but to DP camps.
To Poland and return to Sweden and thereafter legal and illegal transport to Eretz Israel
From Sweden thanks to national passports
