Following the Wannsee Conference, which took place on January 20th, 1942, Adolf Eichmann, who headed the Jewish desk at the RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt - Reich Main Security Office), informed the Gestapo-leadership on January 31st, that the previous expulsions of Jews from various regions in the Third Reich had constituted only the beginning of the "Final Solution" of the “Jewish Question” in Germany, Austria and the Protectorate."
Show more Eichmann also stressed that the first deportation campaigns had been limited in size, but that new destinations were going to be prepared in order to allow the deportation of additional groups of Jews. Naturally, these preparations would take some time.
On March 6th, 1942, Eichmann convened a meeting of Gestapo representatives from all over the Third Reich to discuss the expulsion of 55,000 Jews from the Reich and from the Protectorate. He instructed the participants not to include elderly Jews among the deportees and not to notify the Jews in advance of their imminent expulsion. Additionally, Eichmann determined that notification of upcoming transports would be sent to local Gestapo offices only six days beforehand, apparently in order to prevent the spread of rumors among the Jewish population.
In May 1942, the Nazi security forces renewed their efforts to implement the "Final Solution"-policy by resuming transports of Jews from the Third Reich to Minsk in Belorussia, which had been stopped several months earlier. However, unlike with previous transports, which had been destined for Minsk ghetto, from this point on the Jews were transported to the village of Maly Trostenets, situated approximately 15 km southeast of Minsk. Close to the village was a former Soviet kolkhoz, which was now used by the SS.
The Central Office for Jewish Emigration (Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung), under the command of Alois Brunner, was responsible for deportations from Vienna (Wien). As in previous transports of Jewish deportees, the Central Office distributed orders to the Jews on the deportation list, which included instructions where and when they had to report. Each deportee was allowed to take personal luggage weighing no more than 50 kg and cash amounting to 100 Reichsmark (RM).
The Jews that had been selected for this transport had to report to the assembly camp in a former school situated in the 2nd Viennese district, Kleine Sperlgasse 2. In many cases, Jews were brought to the assembly point by SS personnel or by “marshals”, Jews hired by the SS to assist in the deportation process. The very appearance of these Jewish marshals would strike terror in the community as it signaled imminent deportation. At the command of the SS, they blocked off streets inhabited by Jews - usually at night. Then, they forced their way into the homes of those Jews whose names appeared on the deportation list and ensure that that were ready to leave. Where necessary, the Jewish marshals would assist in packing. In cases where potential deportees were not at home, they were in serious danger of being included in the transport themselves, as replacements. On arrival at the school grounds, Jewish deportees had to hand over the keys to their homes.
The assembly camp was supervised by members of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration. Sometimes as many as 2,000 people were stranded for days - even weeks - at the site, awaiting deportation. They would sleep on the floor or on bags filled with straw. The sanitary conditions at the site were terrible, as was the mood of the deportees. Some people suffered nervous breakdowns and some even committed suicide. The two doctors and nurses at the site did all they could to help. While they waited for deportation the Jews underwent a registration process (Kommissionierung), which was often accompanied by violence. The staff of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Vienna, along them Anton Brunner, forced the Jews to declare their property. Then they had to sign a document confirming that they transferred everything to the state. They were also forced to hand over all valuables and cash to the representatives of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration. The Gestapo sold the Jewish property after the transport left.
Transport No. 23, labeled Da 204, departed from Aspangbahnhof in Vienna (Wien) on May 27, 1942, and arrived in Minsk on June 1. The transport consisted of 1000 Jews, 244 of them were older than 61 years. The average age of the deportees was 50. Fifteen armed uniformed policemen (Schutzpolizei) watched over the expelled Jews throughout the trainride. The names of the commanding officer as well as of two sergeants have been identified in the relevant documentation. The sergeants were Josef Bittermann and Josef Hauer and their commanding officer was Josef Fischmann. The guards were instructed to report at the rail station at 11 am and await the arrival of the deportees. The Jews were brought to the train station after having spent several days at the assembly point under guard and under excruciating conditions.
According to a telegram dated May 27, 1942, sent from the office of the rail administration in Vienna, the transport set out in a train marked RU-4601, which had earlier brought Soviet forced labor to Vienna. In accordance with SS requirements, the rail administration charged the SS 20.20 Reichsmark for each deportee.
At Wolkowysk in the southeast of Belorussia, the Jews were transferred from passenger to freight cars. The train resumed its journey through Baranovichi to Koydanovo. Because of the weekend vacation, the train remained at the rail station in Koydanovo under guard and with all the Jews on board. The train resumed its journey on Monday, June 1, at 4:39 AM and arrived at the freight station in Minsk at 6:09 am.
On arrival of the transport in Minsk, a group of SD-members (Sicherheitsdienst) and local uniformed policemen took charge of offloading the deportees and their baggage. The German security forces plundered anything of value that the Jews still had in their possession before selecting 20 to 50 men for forced labor. Most of these men were murdered at the end of July 1944. The remaining Jews were transported in trucks to freshly dug pits in Blagovshchina forest, near Maly Trostenets. They were all shot dead beside the open pits by men of the Waffen SS and Schutzpolizei.
In his operation report dated May 16, Waffen SS Unterscharführer Arlt, whose unit was stationed in the Minsk area during the summer of 1942, described the arrival and murder of the Jews from Vienna: "An additional pit was dug on May 28 and 29. On May 30, Minister Rosenberg paid a visit to the city of Minsk. The department undertook the assignment of securing the Minister’s safety. Another transport of Jews arrived here on June 1."
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