Secret photos of Jews being deported by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust discovered for first time in 80 years

On By Geri UngureanIn Uncategorized

From nypost.com

A German historian stumbled across a series of saddening photos secretly taken during the beginning stages of the Holocaust of Jewish families being deported from their homes by the Nazi regime.

The 13 photos taken over 80 years ago illuminate one of the most sinister points in history, showing henchmen of the Third Reich forcing Jewish families and members of the community in the Silesian city of Breslau, today Wrocław in Poland, to gather outside a restaurant near the train station for deportation.

Surrounded by armed members of The Gestapo — the secret police force that mercilessly investigated and exposed enemies of the State during the Nazis party’s reign — the unsuspecting civilians carrying troves of luggage could not imagine what was in store for them.

“They look quite calm. It seems clear they did not know they were about to be murdered,” Steffen Heidrich, the historian who recognized the photos, told The Observer last month.

“This was fairly early in the history of these deportations and so they obviously did not expect it.”

Almost all seen in the pictures are believed to have been killed only a few days after they were taken by SS leader and orchestrated of the Holocaust Heinrich Himmler’s mobile killing units — the Einsatzgruppen — in a mass shooting in Lithuania in November 1941, while others are believed to have been killed on a later date in Poland in April 1942, documents show.

The Jews are waiting in front of the assembly point, either standing in groups, or sitting with their luggage: some are engaged in conversation, others are waiting in silence on Nov. 21, 1941. The area is cordoned off along the trees by a wire rope.
The Jews are waiting in front of the assembly point, either standing in groups or sitting with their luggage: some are engaged in conversation, and others are waiting in silence on Nov. 21, 1941. The area is cordoned off along the trees by a wire rope. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden
A group of people arrives at the “Schießwerder”. They probably are Gertrud Cohn, an unknown man, and her daughters Tamara (left) and Susanne (right). A truck from a shipping company, on which luggage was transported, stands in the back.
A group of people arrives at the “Schießwerder” on Nov. 21, 1941. They are probably Gertrud Cohn, an unknown man, and her daughters Tamara (left) and Susanne (right). In the back stands a truck from a shipping company on which luggage was transported. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden
Several groups of people stand in front of the “Schießwerder” restaurant. In the center, a physician, probably Dr. Herbert Hayn, can be seen. To his right stands an armed municipal police officer, hidden behind is a Gestapo officer.
Several groups of people stand in front of the “Schießwerder” restaurant. In the center, a physician, probably Dr. Herbert Hayn, can be seen. To his right stands an armed municipal police officer, hidden behind is a Gestapo officer on Nov. 21, 1941. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden

On Nov. 21, 1941, over 1,000 of Breslau’s residents were detained by members of the Gestapo, then stuffed inhumanly into trains for four days to be deported to Fort IX of the Kaunas Fortress in Kovno, Lithuania.

Upon their arrival, members of Einsatzgruppe A would be tasked to kill the deportees on orders passed down by one of the leading architects and overseers of the “Final Solution,” Reinhard Heydrich.

The killings would be carried out by a sub-group of the mobile death unit, Einsatzkommando 3 under the command of Karl Jäger.

It’s estimated between 45,000 to 50,000 Jews were murdered at the fort.

More Breslau Jews have arrived at the “Schießwerder”; the beer garden is overcrowded. The woman in the center of the picture looks straight in the direction of the photographer.
More Breslau Jews arrived at the “Schießwerder” on Nov. 21, 1941. The woman in the center of the picture looks straight in the direction of the photographer. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden
This final photograph was taken in April 1942 during the second deportation from Breslau. The deportation luggage is packed differently due to a new order from the Gestapo for the second deportation.
This final photograph was taken in April 1942 during the second deportation from Breslau. The deportation luggage is packed differently due to a new order from the Gestapo for the second deportation. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden

Again, on April 9, 1942, nearly 1,000 Jews were rounded up outside the same restaurant before being transported by train to Izbica — a ghetto in eastern Poland with an almost equal death rate to the infamous Warsaw ghetto.

Two people on this later transport survived, according to The Observer.

Heidrich discovered the photographs in an archive in Dresden, Germany, while working with fellow researchers to catalog a large cache.

“When I first picked these photographs up it was an electrifying moment,” Heidrich told the outlet.

Jews are waiting with their luggage in the beer garden of the “Schießwerder” which was used as assembly point. As yet, some chairs are vacant. In the right-hand edge, a truck tarpaulin behind which the photographer hid blocks the view.
Jews are waiting with their luggage in the beer garden of the “Schießwerder,” which was used as an assembly point on Nov. 21, 1941. As yet, some chairs are vacant. On the right-hand edge, a truck tarpaulin behind which the photographer hid blocks the view. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden
Two elderly persons with luggage hurriedly walk the forecourt of the “Schießwerder”. Various vehicles stand in the background of the picture. The loading area of the trailer seems to be empty still.
Two elderly people with luggage hurriedly walk the forecourt of the “Schießwerder” on Nov. 21, 1941. Various vehicles stand in the background of the picture. The trailer’s loading area seems to be empty. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden

“It was clear they were scenes of a deportation. I Googled the name of the restaurant to confirm the location. The other photos, most of which are in a very poor condition, were of Jewish life in the DDR [the former East Germany], or of Jewish life in Dresden before the Shoah [Holocaust], so it was unexpected to find the deportation scenes there.”

The historian, along with other researchers at the Freie Universität in Berlin, hopes that surviving friends and younger relatives will be able to recognize some of those uprooted from their lives and killed by the Nazis within the series of publicly available photos.

Alina Bothe, director of the university project, believes the photos were taken by an architect named Albert Hadda, who secretly snapped them through a wall or a car window during the deportation.

The Jews are waiting in front of the assembly point, either standing in groups, or sitting with their luggage: some are engaged in conversation, others are waiting in silence on Nov. 21, 1941. The area is cordoned off along the trees by a wire rope.
The Jews are waiting in front of the assembly point, either standing in groups or sitting with their luggage: some are engaged in conversation, and others are waiting in silence on Nov. 21, 1941. The area is cordoned off along the trees by a wire rope. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden
A man pushes an elderly woman in a wheelchair who has a suitcase on her legs. In the back, you can see a truck from the shipping company to pick up the luggage. The wall projection on his right shields the photographer from being seen.
A man pushes an elderly woman in a wheelchair who has a suitcase on her legs. In the back, you can see a truck from the shipping company to pick up the luggage. The wall projection on his right shields the photographer from being seen. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden
In the background, a man stands on a pile of luggage overlooking the crowd. In front of him to his right is a municipal officer with a bicycle. On the upper edge of the picture, a truck tarpaulin cuts into the view.
Several men stand in front of the “Schießwerder,” one of them looks straight in the direction of the photographer. On the edge at the bottom, you can see the gate to the loading area of the truck from which the photo was taken. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden

“The accidental and sensational archival discovery opens new perspectives on the expulsion of the Jews who were persecuted in Breslau,” she told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last month.

Hadda, a jew himself, was deported in 1944 to a labor camp but escaped back to Breslau, where he hid until liberation by the Soviet Union.

After the war, Hadda lived in Frankfurt, working for Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius before immigrating to Israel.

In the background, a man stands on a pile of luggage overlooking the crowd. In front of him, to his right, is a municipal officer with a bicycle. On the upper edge of the picture, a truck tarpaulin cuts into the view.
In the background, a man stands on a pile of luggage overlooking the crowd. In front of him, to his right, is a municipal officer with a bicycle. On the upper edge of the picture, a truck tarpaulin cuts into the view. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden
A look into the beer garden of the “Schießwerder”: several transport vehicles are ready to depart. In the background, the people persecuted as Jews stand pressed up against each other.
A look into the beer garden of the “Schießwerder” on Nov. 21, 1941. Several transport vehicles are ready to depart. In the background, the people persecuted as Jews stand pressed up against each other. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden

More than six million Jews were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust — one-third of the Jewish population worldwide.

It’s estimated that over two million of those killed were carried out by members of Third Reichs Einsatzgruppe — which is commonly referred to as the “Holocaust by bullets” before and during the creation of the death camps.

Roughly 1.3 million Jews who lived under Nazi regime or in German-controlled territories survived to see the end of the war.

Further large pieces of luggage are taken there on a cart. In the right edge stands a man who overviews what is happening, probably a Gestapo officer on Nov. 21, 1941.
Further large pieces of luggage are taken there on a cart. On the right edge stands a man who overviews what is happening, probably a Gestapo officer on Nov. 21, 1941. Landesverband Sachsen der Jüdischen Gemeinden in Dresden

The images were shared last month as part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day by the international research project #LastSeen, which published the photos on its website as a stark reminder of the horrors orchestrated by the Nazi regime.

Anyone who does recognize people from the photographs is encouraged to contact the project via email on its website. 

BRETHREN – Please watch this to understand who REALLY orchestrated the murders of 6 million Jews:

 

COME LORD YESHUA!!

8 thoughts on “Secret photos of Jews being deported by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust discovered for first time in 80 years”

  1. Yes! Go Francisco! Brave soul.
    Praying for him. Those pictures coming to light now is timely. They always make me think of The Hiding Place. That book was pivotal in my walk with The Lord. Gen. Eisenhower commanded an Army photographer crew to take many pictures of the concentration camp victims, to preserve a record.
    They are not just after the Jews; also the handicapped
    ( defective people who need purging from the Master Race), the unborn, Christians who defend Jews, certain races of people, elderly, gypsies, really anyone they want. Unquestionably demonic. And we know history repeats itself, so here we go…

  2. When I looked at these photos I wanted to cry. Makes you wonder why they bothered to tell them to bring luggage when they intended to kill them. What a tragedy! It’s unthinkable, yet so true. As for those who declare there was no holocaust, you just want to shake some sense into them. How anyone can deny this horrific time is beyond my imagination. Thanks for sharing these photos, Geri.

      3. It was too late when I read the post and was very tired. I can only watch a screen for so long as my eyes are really bothering me right now. And I have a back/hip problem so I can only sit for so long at my computer, but I will make time specially to watch the video.

  3. Yvonne Knickerbocker

    I read the captions and watched the video in bits & pieces, just finished. I have no words that would add anything. My heart is broken and heavy, as always when contemplating this horrendous time in recent history. Once again, though, I’ll say that it’s firstly our Wonderful GOD & SAVIOUR who people despise, and secondarily all people and things connected to HIM in any way. Those can be attacked & destroyed, THE SOURCE can’t be.

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