Invasion of Poland and the Ghetto System, 1939-1941

Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939 placed under occupation the territory with the largest Jewish population in Europe, and repressive policies against Polish Jews began immediately, including confiscations, forced labor, and public humiliation. Jewish Councils, known as Judenrate, were established and compelled to cooperate with the occupation administration, while the first urban ghettos were created as spaces of confinement and isolation for the Jewish population.