The Holocaust of the Jews in Kalisz, 1939–1945: Based on Archival Materials

This article examines the Holocaust in Kalisz, one of Poland’s oldest Jewish centers, between 1939 and 1945. Drawing on archival sources from the State Archive in Kalisz, the Institute of National Remembrance, the Jewish Historical Institute, and Yad Vashem, it reconstructs the stages of persecution and annihilation of the local Jewish population. Prior to World War II, Kalisz’s Jewish community numbered approximately 26,000 and played a central role in the city’s cultural, religious, and economic life, rooted in traditions dating back to the Statute of Kalisz (1264). The Nazi occupation brought immediate repression: confiscations, arrests, deportations, and mass executions. In 1940, the establishment of a transit ghetto further facilitated segregation, forced labor, and eventual deportations to extermination camps, primarily Chełmno nad Nerem. The study highlights not only mechanisms of destruction but also forms of resistance, clandestine education, and instances of aid from Polish neighbors despite grave risks. By situating Kalisz within both the broader framework of Nazi genocidal policies and the specific local context of the Wartheland, the article underscores the importance of microhistorical research for understanding the Holocaust’s multifaceted impact and preserving the memory of obliterated communities.