The Będzin Ghetto (a.k.a. the Bendzin Ghetto, Yiddish : בענדינער געטאָ , Bendiner geto; German : Ghetto von Bendsburg ) was a World War II ghetto set up by Nazi Germany for the Polish Jews in the town of Będzin in occupied south-western Poland . The formation of the 'Jewish Quarter' was pronounced by the German authorities in July 1940. Over 20,000 local Jews from Będzin, along with additional 10,000 Jews expelled from neighbouring communities, were forced to subsist there until the end of the ghetto history during the Holocaust . Most of the able-bodied poor were forced to work in German military factories before being transported aboard Holocaust trains to the nearby concentration camp at Auschwitz where they were exterminated. The last major deportation of the ghetto inmates by the German SS – men, women and children – between 1 and 3 August 1943 was marked by the ghetto uprising by members of the Jewish Combat Organization .
85-731: The Będzin Ghetto formed a single administrative unit with the Sosnowiec Ghetto in the bordering Środula district of Sosnowiec, because both cities are a part of the same urban area in the Dąbrowa Basin . The Jews from both ghettos shared the "Farma" vegetable garden allocated to Zionist youth by the Judenrat. Fridrich Kuczynski a member of the Organization Schmelt , sentenced to death for being responsible of 100,000 Jewish victims. Before
170-757: A book or in a video. The Eyes from the Ashes Foundation administers the collection. In 2004, Będzin City Council decided to dedicate the city square to the heroes of the Jewish ghetto uprising in Będzin. In August 2005 new memorial was unveiled at the site of the Będzin Ghetto. Ghetto Partisans: Hirsch Barenblat , the conductor of the Israel National Opera, was first tried in 1964 for having turned Jews over to
255-558: A hard surface, the glass would shatter and the contents would instantly ignite, liberating choking fumes of phosphorus pentoxide and sulfur dioxide as well as producing a great deal of heat. Strict instructions were issued to store the grenades safely, preferably underwater and certainly never in a house. Mainly issued to the Home Guard as an anti-tank weapon, it was produced in vast numbers; by August 1941 well over 6,000,000 had been manufactured. There were many who were sceptical about
340-452: A length of cinema film (then composed of highly flammable nitrocellulose ) as a source of ignition. On 29 July 1940, manufacturers Albright & Wilson of Oldbury demonstrated to the RAF how their white phosphorus could be used to ignite incendiary bombs. The demonstration involved throwing glass bottles containing a mixture of petrol and phosphorus at pieces of wood and into a hut. On breaking,
425-477: A light [i.e., a source of ignition]. Put a corner of the material down in front of you, turn the bottle over so that petrol soaks out round the mouth of the bottle and drips on to this corner of the material. Turn the bottle right way up again, hold it in your right hand, most of the blanket bunched beneath the bottle, with your left hand take the blanket near the corner that is wetted with petrol. Wait for your tank. When near enough, your pal [or comrade-in-arms] lights
510-497: A result, the Finns sarcastically dubbed the Soviet incendiary cluster bombs " Molotov bread baskets " ( Finnish : Molotovin leipäkori ) in reference to Molotov's propaganda broadcasts. When the hand-held bottle firebomb was developed to attack and destroy Soviet tanks, the Finns called it the "Molotov cocktail", as "a drink to go with his food parcels". Despite the now infamous name,
595-525: A stout iron bar in the tracks can immobilise the vehicle, leaving it at the mercy of further petrol bombs – which will suffocate the engine and possibly the crew – or an explosive charge or anti-tank mine. By August 1940, the War Office produced training instructions for the creation and use of Molotov cocktails. The instructions suggested scoring the bottles vertically with a diamond to ensure breakage and providing fuel-soaked rag, windproof matches or
680-402: A tube of nitric acid and a lump of metallic sodium to ignite a mixture of petrol and diesel fuel. The Polish Home Army developed a version which ignited on impact without the need of a wick. Ignition was caused by a reaction between concentrated sulfuric acid mixed with the fuel and a mixture of potassium chlorate and sugar which was crystallized from solution onto a rag attached to
765-612: A vestibule with the door into the corridor. Fryda with Fela escaped from the Holocaust train. During police searches, the Jews used to descend into two dugouts constructed by the men under the floors, so the Sitko women could pretend that they did not harbor fugitives, which carried the death penalty in those days. Wanda Sitko stole an identity card while visiting the police station, and gave it to Jerzy Feder which allowed him to go outside with her to obtain
850-497: A veteran of the International Brigades , later publicised his recommended method of using them: We made use of "petrol bombs" roughly as follows: take a 2lb glass jam jar. Fill with petrol. Take a heavy curtain, half a blanket, or some other heavy material. Wrap this over the mouth of the jar, tie it round the neck with string, leave the ends of the material hanging free. When you want to use it have somebody standing by with
935-413: Is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a frangible container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flammable liquids sealed with a cloth wick ). In use, the fuse attached to the container is lit and the weapon is thrown, shattering on impact. This ignites the flammable substances contained in the bottle and spreads flames as
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#17328987470281020-548: Is a glass bottle containing a flammable substance such as petrol (gasoline), alcohol or a napalm -like mixture and a source of ignition, such as a burning cloth wick , held in place by the bottle's stopper. The wick is usually soaked in alcohol or kerosene rather than petrol. For winter warfare , a method of ignition has been to attach storm matches to the side of the bottle, as these are less likely to be put out by wind. Some examples are fitted with ballast for improved throwing accuracy (such as filling 1 ⁄ 3 of
1105-606: Is not known how many Jews he saved inside until the danger subsided; likely more than one hundred. Father Zawadzki was awarded the title of the Polish Righteous Among the Nations posthumously in 2007. He died in 1975 in Będzin. While the Synagogue burned, other houses caught fire as well. Many escaping Jews saved by Father Zawadzki were also wounded and required medical help. They were rescued by Dr. Tadeusz Kosibowicz, director of
1190-418: Is very limited; a turret-mounted machine gun has a very slow traverse and cannot hope to fend off attackers coming from all directions. Once sufficiently close, it is possible to hide where the tank's gunner cannot see: "The most dangerous distance away from a tank is 200 yards; the safest distance is six inches." Petrol bombs will soon produce a pall of blinding smoke, and a well-placed explosive package or even
1275-590: The Judenrat in Będzin to the resistance was negative from the start, but it changed during the ghetto liquidation. The revolt was an ultimate act of defiance of the ghetto insurgents who fought in the neighbourhoods of Kamionka and Środula. A group of partisans barricaded themselves in the bunker at Podsiadły Street along with their female leader, Frumka Płotnicka , age 29, who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising several weeks earlier. All of them were killed by
1360-597: The 1992 Los Angeles riots . Molotov cocktails were used by protesters and civilian militia in Ukraine during Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity . Protesters during the Ferguson riots also used Molotov cocktails. In Bangladesh , during anti-government protests in 2013 and 2014, many buses and cars were targeted with petrol bombs. A number of people burned to death and many more were injured due to these attacks. During
1445-605: The 2014–17 Venezuelan protests , protesters used Molotov cocktails similar to those used by demonstrators in other countries. As the 2017 Venezuelan protests intensified, demonstrators began using "Puputovs" (a portmanteau of the words "poo-poo" and "Molotov"), with glass containers filled with excrement being thrown at authorities after the PSUV ruling-party official, Jacqueline Faría , mocked protesters who had to crawl through sewage in Caracas ' Guaire River to avoid tear gas. On 8 May,
1530-458: The 2019–20 Hong Kong protests , riots broke out and Molotov cocktails were used to attack the police and create roadblocks. They were also used to attack an MTR station, causing severe damage. A journalist was also struck by a Molotov cocktail during the protests. Molotov cocktails were used by some during the riots following the 2020 George Floyd protests in the United States. During
1615-547: The Polish territories annexed by Germany . The Order Police battalions began to deport Jewish families from all neighbouring communities of the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region into Będzin. Among them were the Jews of Bohumin , Kielce and Oświęcim (Auschwitz). Overall, about 30,000 Jews would live in Będzin during World War II. By late 1942, Będzin and the nearby Sosnowiec bordering Będzin (see Sosnowiec Ghetto ), became
1700-507: The Polish underground ; Rozia used her false Kennkarte to get her fiancé Elek Jakubowicz out of the camp, helped by Johan Brys, a railway man. Rozalia Porębska sheltered them both, and helped many other Jews from Sosnowiec as well. Porębska family and friend, a total of seven individuals, received the Righteous award in 1982. Mosze Kokotek whose wife Brandla was killed by the Germans, escaped from
1785-663: The Sosnowiec Ghetto , with the Jewish police placed by the SS along the perimeter. As was the case in other ghettos across occupied Poland, German authorities exterminated most of the Jews of Będzin during the murderous Operation Reinhard , deporting them to Nazi death camps , primarily to nearby Auschwitz-Birkenau for gassing. During this time, the leaders of the Jewish community in Zagłebie including Moshe Merin (Mojżesz Merin, in Polish) cooperated with
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#17328987470281870-586: The Soviet Union attacked Finland, starting what came to be known as the Winter War . The Finnish perfected the design and tactical use of the petrol bomb. The fuel for the Molotov cocktail was refined to a slightly sticky mixture of alcohol, kerosene , tar , and potassium chlorate . Further refinements included the attachment of wind-proof matches or a phial of chemicals that would ignite on breakage, thereby removing
1955-562: The Ukrainian Defense Ministry told civilians to make Molotov cocktails, locally called " Bandera smoothies", to fight Russian troops. The defense ministry distributed a recipe for producing Molotov cocktails to civilians through Ukrainian television, which included the use of styrofoam as a thickening agent to aid in helping the burning liquid stick to vehicles or other targets. The Pravda Brewery of Lviv , which converted from making beer to Molotov cocktails, said that its recipe
2040-634: The Ukrainian volunteer units during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . During World War II , Molotov cocktails were even factory produced in several countries, such as Finland , Nazi Germany , the Soviet Union , Sweden , and the United States ; some featuring specially designed frangible containers and fuses (such as the US Frangible Grenade M1 for example). The name "Molotov cocktail" ( Finnish : Molotovin cocktail )
2125-481: The "Farma" vegetable garden allocated to Zionist youth by the Judenrat. Before the war, there were about 30,000 Jews in Sosnowiec , making up about 20% of the town's population. Over the next two years the Germans resettled thousands of Jews from smaller towns to Sosnowiec, temporarily increasing the size of the local Jewish community to 45,000. By late 1942, Będzin and nearby Sosnowiec (which bordered Będzin), became
2210-427: The "Molotov cocktail", a bottle filled with resin, petrol and tar which if thrown on top of a tank will ignite, and if you throw half a dozen or more on it you have them cooked. It is quite an effective thing. If you can use your ingenuity, I give you a picture of a [road] block with two houses close to the block, overlooking it. There are many villages like that. Out of the top windows is the place to drop these things on
2295-521: The 1939 invasion of Poland at the onset of World War II, Będzin had a vibrant Jewish community . According to the Polish census of 1921 , the town's Jewish population consisted of 17,298 people, or 62.1 percent of its total population. By 1938, the number of Jews had increased to about 22,500. During the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland , the German military overran the area in early September 1939. The army
2380-706: The Cross of Grunwald from the Polish Committee of National Liberation on 19 April 1945 . The Christian efforts to rescue Jews from the Nazi persecution began immediately during the German invasion. When on 8 September 1939 the Synagogue was set on fire by the SS with a crowd of Jewish worshippers inside, the Catholic priest, Father Mieczysław Zawadzki (pl) , opened the gates of his church at Góra Zamkowa for all runaways seeking refuge. It
2465-498: The German forces once they ran out of bullets, but the fighting, which began on 3 August 1943, lasted for several days. Most of the remaining Jews perished soon thereafter, when the ghetto was liquidated, although the deportations had to be extended from a few days to two weeks and the SS from Auschwitz (45 km distance) was summoned to assist. Posthumously, Frumka Płotnicka received the Order of
2550-765: The Germans in the hope that the survival of the Jews might be tied to their forced labour exploitation. It was a false assumption. Major deportation actions, commanded by SS-Standartenführer Alexander von Woedtke, took place in 1942 with 2,000 Jews sent to be murdered in Auschwitz in May and 5,000 Jews in August. Another 5,000 jews of the ghettos were deported from Będzin aboard Holocaust trains between August 1942 and June 1943. The last major deportations took place in 1943 whereas 5,000 Jews were sent away on 22 June 1943 and 8,000 around 1–3 August 1943. About 1,000 remaining Jews were deported in
2635-455: The Germans. The uprising, which began on 3 August 1943, was led by Cwi (Tzvi) Brandes, Frumka Płotnicka , and the Kożuch brothers. It was the final act of defiance of the local population with no chance of success. Most of the young Jewish fighters perished (400 killed in action ), fighting the overwhelming German forces. The last Holocaust transport to Auschwitz-Birkenau with Jews forced to bury
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2720-608: The Jewish underground in Warsaw. Pistols and hand-grenades were smuggled in perilous train rides. Edzia Pejsachson was caught and tortured to death. Using patterns supplied by the headquarters the Molotov cocktails were being manufactured. The bombs that the Jews produced – according to surviving testimonies – were comparable with those of the Nazis. Several bunkers were dug out within the ghetto boundary to produce and hide these weapons. The attitude of
2805-570: The NDRC showing the highest technological level. These incendiary devices employed the most technologically advanced fillers in the conflict. The M1 frangible grenade was the standard US device, but each division of the army could come up with its own. Two non-industrial models of these grenades were developed and manufactured in a certain quantity. In all, about five thousand were manufactured. The frangible grenades featured standardized chemical igniters, some were specific to each flammable filler. Most of
2890-520: The Nazis as head of the Jewish police in the Bendzin ghetto, Poland. Having arrived in Israel in 1958-9, Barenblat was arrested after a ghetto survivor recognised him while he was conducting an opera. Found guilty of helping the Nazis by ensuring that Jews selected for the death camps did not escape, Barenblat was sentenced to five years in prison. On May 1, 1964, having served three months of the sentence, Barenblat
2975-567: The PIRA tended to use them in attacks rather than in self-defence. Over time, as the PIRA became more co-ordinated, it shifted to using IEDs rather than petrol bombs. During the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004, U.S. Marines employed Molotov cocktails made with "one part liquid laundry detergent, two parts gas [gasoline]" while clearing houses "when contact is made in a house and the enemy must be burned out". The tactic "was developed in response to
3060-494: The Righteous in 2004, long after Stanisław Grzybowski died of old age. There are several diaries from survivors and hundreds of written correspondences made to relations from those in the ghetto at the time. Photos of many of the ghetto's deportees to Auschwitz were preserved. A collection of over 2,000 photographs was discovered in October, 1986, including many images of life in Będzin and the ghetto. Some of them have been published in
3145-684: The United States, Molotov cocktails are considered " destructive devices " under the National Firearms Act and are regulated by the ATF . Wil Casey Floyd, from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin , was arrested after throwing Molotov cocktails at Seattle police officers during a protest in May 2016; he pleaded guilty for using the incendiary devices in February 2018. In Simpson County, Kentucky , 20-year-old Trey Alexander Gwathney-Law attempted to burn Franklin-Simpson County Middle School with five Molotov cocktails; he
3230-834: The bottle with sand). In action, the wick/match is lit and the bottle hurled at a target such as a vehicle or fortification. When the bottle smashes on impact, the ensuing cloud of fuel droplets and vapour is ignited by the attached wick, causing an immediate fireball followed by spreading flames as the remainder of the fuel is consumed. Other flammable liquids, such as diesel fuel , methanol , turpentine , jet fuel , acetone , and isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), have been used in place of, or combined with, petrol. Thickening agents, such as solvents , extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam (known colloquially as styrofoam ), baking soda , petroleum jelly , tar , strips of tyre tubing , nitrocellulose , motor oil , rubber cement , detergent and dish soap , have been added to promote adhesion of
3315-648: The bottle. During the Norwegian campaign in 1940 the Norwegian Army lacking suitable anti-tank weaponry had to rely on petrol bombs and other improvised weapons to fight German armored vehicles. Instructions from Norwegian High Command sent to army units in April 1940 encouraged soldiers to start ad-hoc production of "Hitler cocktails" (a different take on the Finnish nickname for the weapon) to combat tanks and armored cars. During
3400-494: The bunkers in small groups by ŻOB members: Fela Kac, Schmuel Ron and Kasia Szancer. Polish rescuers who picked them up on the 'Aryan' side of the city included Roman Kołodziej, killed for saving Jews on 2 January 1944, and Zofia Klemens arrested by Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp; Klemens survived. She was awarded the title of the Righteous in 1964. The Kobylec family rescued over seventy Jews; they received Righteous medals twenty years later. Escape attempts took place during
3485-451: The burning liquid and to create clouds of thick, choking smoke. There also exist variations on the Molotov cocktail-concept where the bottle is filled with a smoke generating mixture such as sulfur trioxide dissolved in chlorosulfonic acid . These so-called "smoke bottles" do not need a source for ignition, as the mixture reacts with the air once the bottle is smashed. Improvised incendiary devices of this type were used in warfare for
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3570-629: The campaign there were instances of petrol bombs being relatively effective against the lighter tanks employed in Norway by Germany, such as the Panzer I and Panzer II . During the Troubles , both the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and civilians used petrol bombs, although with different uses. Civilians tended to use petrol bombs and rocks against police officers in riots; however,
3655-533: The dead, left Sosnowiec on 15 January 1944. Resistance of the ghetto inhabitants is commemorated by one of the streets in Sosnowiec, bearing the name "Street of the Ghetto Heroes" (Ul. Bohaterów Getta). There is also Kożuch Brothers square (Plac Braci Kożuchów) with a ghetto memorial. The Catholic convent of Carmelite Nuns led by Mother Teresa Kierocińska aided the Jews in the ghetto and hiding. Kierocińska
3740-554: The efficacy of Molotov cocktails and SIPs grenades against the more modern German tanks. Weapon designer Stuart Macrae witnessed a trial of the SIPs grenade at Farnborough : "There was some concern that, if the tank drivers could not pull up quickly enough and hop out, they were likely to be frizzled to death, but after looking at the bottles they said they would be happy to take a chance." The drivers were proved right, trials on modern British tanks confirmed that Molotov and SIP grenades caused
3825-399: The enemy's tactics" of guerrilla warfare and particularly martyrdom tactics which often resulted in U.S. Marine casualties. The cocktail was a less expedient alternative to white phosphorus mortar rounds or propane tanks detonated with C4 (nicknamed the "House Guest"), all of which proved effective at burning out engaged enemy combatants. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine ,
3910-715: The first time in the Spanish Civil War between July 1936 and April 1939, before they became known as "Molotov cocktails". In 1936, General Francisco Franco ordered Spanish Nationalist forces to use the weapon against Soviet T-26 tanks supporting the Spanish Republicans in a failed assault on the Nationalist stronghold of Seseña , near Toledo , 40 km (25 mi) south of Madrid . After that, both sides used simple petrol bombs set fire with toxic gas or petrol-soaked blankets with some success. Tom Wintringham ,
3995-402: The formal Finnish military term for the weapon type was, and continues to be, "burn-bottle" ( Finnish : polttopullo , Fenno-Swedish : brännflaska ). The weapon most often known as the Molotov cocktail goes under a great variety of other names around the globe. Some are more formal than others but the weapon is often given a descriptive name in the respective language. A Molotov cocktail
4080-401: The frangible devices were made in an improvised way, with no standardization regarding the bottle and filling. The frangible grenades were eventually declared obsolete, due to the very limited destructive effect. 1107 frangible, M1, NP type were supplied to the navy and its units for field use at Iwo Jima . The United States Marine Corps developed a version during World War II that used
4165-407: The fuel burns. Due to their relative ease of production, Molotov cocktails are typically improvised weapons . Their improvised usage spans criminals , gangsters , rioters , football hooligans , urban guerrillas , terrorists , irregular soldiers , freedom fighters , and even regular soldiers ; usage in the latter case is often due to a shortage of equivalent military-issued munitions. Despite
4250-402: The general population. Ever since the ghetto was established, numerous deportation actions were organized by the Germans with the help of the Judenrat and Merin , selecting healthy men for slave labor at the camps . Large transfers of Jews took part in May (1,500) and June 1942 (2,000). Around October 1942 - January 1943 the ghetto was moved to the Środula district. Środula also bordered
4335-537: The ghetto liquidation actions. Cela Kleinmann and her brother Icchak escaped from the Holocaust train in 1943 thanks to a loose plank in the roof. They were rescued by the family of Stanisław Grzybowski, with whom their father had worked in a coal mine. However, Cela was caught while looking for "Aryan" ID paper and murdered. After that, Grzybowski brought Icchak to his own daughter Wanda and her husband Kazimierz in 1944. Wanda and Kazimierz Kafarski were awarded recognition as
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#17328987470284420-583: The ghetto liquidation, Danuta Szwarcbaum-Bachmajer escaped with her new baby and was rescued by the Chawiński couple. Szloma Szpringer (Springer) with his 5-year-old son Wolf was rescued by Pelagia Huczak , another recipient of the Righteous Among the Nations award. Adela Zawadzka with her 3-year-old child and her sister Rozia Zawadzka escaped from the 1943 deportation and were rescued by Józefa Hankus and her sister Rozalia Porębska who got them false papers from
4505-582: The ghetto with his 9-year-old daughter Felicja and stayed with the Poles on the Aryan side until 1944. They left the city together after Sosnowiec became Judenfrei . Little Felicja was taken in by Leokadia Statnik (Pessel) in Ochojec near Katowice . Mosze left them there and perished, but his daughter grew up in the care of Leokadia, and in 1957 immigrated to Israel. Another child, Zofia Goldman, rescued by Maria Suszczewicz,
4590-572: The hashtag #puputov became the top trending hashtag on Twitter in Venezuela, as reports of authorities vomiting after being drenched in excrement began to circulate. A month later, on 4 June 2017, during protests against Donald Trump in Portland, Oregon , police claimed protesters began throwing balloons filled with "unknown, foul-smelling liquid" at officers. As incendiary devices, Molotov cocktails are illegal to manufacture or possess in many regions. In
4675-565: The intention of using them against enemy tanks . The Finns had found that they were effective when used in the right way and in sufficient numbers. Although the experience of the Spanish Civil War received more publicity, the more sophisticated petroleum warfare tactics of the Finns were not lost on British commanders. In his 5 June address to LDV leaders, General Ironside said: I want to develop this thing they developed in Finland, called
4760-487: The matches with a small ampoule inside the bottle; it ignited when the bottle broke. By spring 1940 they had produced 542,104 bottles. Early in 1940, with the prospect of immediate invasion , the possibilities of the petrol bomb gripped the imagination of the British public. For laypersons, the petrol bomb had the benefit of using entirely familiar and available materials, and they were quickly improvised in large numbers, with
4845-493: The necessities of life on the Aryan side of the city. All Jews survived the Holocaust. Thirty years later in 1986 – after her mother's death – Wanda Sitko-Gelbhart received a letter from the survivors which stated: "You and your mother at the risk of your life did things impossible and great, all this disinterestedly, acting only from the heart, which at that time was truly heroic. Molotov cocktail A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – see § Etymology )
4930-499: The need to pre-ignite the bottle, and leaving the bottle about one-third empty was found to make breaking more likely. A British War Office report dated June 1940 noted that: The Finns' policy was to allow the Russian tanks to penetrate their defences, even inducing them to do so by 'canalising' them through gaps and concentrating their small arms fire on the infantry following them. The tanks that penetrated were taken on by gun fire in
5015-538: The occupants of the tanks "no inconvenience whatsoever." Wintringham, though enthusiastic about improvised weapons, cautioned against a reliance on petrol bombs and repeatedly emphasised the importance of using explosive charges. The US army designated Molotov cocktails as frangible grenades. They presented a notable amount of variations, from those that used thin fuel with varied ignition systems, to those that used obscurants and chemical weapons . Various frangible grenade designs were developed, with those investiged by
5100-463: The only two cities in the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region that were inhabited by the Jews. From October 1940 to May 1942, about 4,000 Jewish people were deported from Będzin to slave labour in the rapidly growing number of camps. Until October 1942 the internal boundaries of the ghetto remained unmarked. No fence was built. The area was defined by neighbourhoods of Kamionka and Mała Środula bordering
5185-484: The only two cities in the Zagłębie Dąbrowskie region that were still inhabited by Jews. The city, located on the pre-war Polish-German border, was taken over by the Germans on the first day of the invasion of Poland . Arrests and beatings among more prominent Jews began the next morning. On 9 September 1939 the Great Synagogue in Sosnowiec was burned. Local Jews were being evicted from better homes and terrorized on
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#17328987470285270-489: The open and by small parties of men armed with explosive charges and petrol bombs in the forests and villages... The essence of the policy was the separation of the AFVs from the infantry, as once on their own the tank has many blind spots and once brought to a stop can be disposed of at leisure. Molotov cocktails were eventually mass-produced by the Alko corporation at its Rajamäki distillery , bundled with matches to light them. A 500 ml (0.53 US qt) bottle
5355-406: The petrol soaked corner of the blanket. Throw the bottle and blanket as soon as this corner is flaring. (You cannot throw it far.) See that it drops in front of the tank. The blanket should catch in the tracks or in a cog-wheel, or wind itself round an axle. The bottle will smash, but the petrol should soak the blanket well enough to make a really healthy fire which will burn the rubber wheels on which
5440-457: The phosphorus was exposed to the air and spontaneously ignited; the petrol also burned, resulting in a fierce fire. Because of safety concerns, the RAF was not interested in white phosphorus as a source of ignition, but the idea of a self-igniting petrol bomb took hold. Initially known as an A.W. bomb, it was officially named the No. 76 Grenade , but more commonly known as the SIP (Self-Igniting Phosphorus) grenade. The perfected list of ingredients
5525-457: The power of life and death over local Jews. A labour camp was established for the Jews deported to Sosnowiec from Czechoslovakia to work at the factory of the Shine brothers. Numerous forced labour facilities were established for the locals; making uniforms, underwear, corsets, bags, leather handbags, and military boots. In 1940 some 2,592 German war profiteers arrived in the city. By 1942, their number rose to 10,749 settlers, constituting 10% of
5610-499: The site of the Będzin Ghetto . At this point about 13,000 Jews still lived in Sosnowiec. The creation of the Sosnowiec ghetto ended on 10 March 1943, when it was finally closed off from the outside world. Thousands of Jews were deported from Sosnowiec to Auschwitz in June 1943 during the major deportation action extending to nearby Będzin. The ghetto was liquidated two months later in August, whereas almost all remaining Jews were also deported to Auschwitz. A few hundred Jews remained in
5695-455: The state hospital in Będzin, aided by Dr. Ryszard Nyc and Sister Rufina Świrska. The critically injured Jews were taken by them to the hospital under false names. Other Jews hid at the hospital also by being given instant employment. However, Director Kosibowicz was denounced by one of his ethnically German patients and arrested by the Gestapo on 8 May 1940. All three rescuers were sentenced to death, soon commuted to camp imprisonment. Dr Kosibowicz
5780-438: The streets. Jewish businesses were plundered by individual soldiers and closed by the Nazis pending confiscation proceedings. Shootings and first mass executions followed soon afterwards. Forced relocations into crowded tenements slowly created a ghetto. Judenrat and the Jewish Ghetto Police were soon established on German orders; the head of the Sosnowiec Judenrat was Moshe Merin (Mojżesz Merin in Polish). Food rationing
5865-421: The subsequent months. It is estimated that of the 30,000 inhabitants of the ghetto, only 2,000 survivors remained. During the final deportation action of early August 1943, the Jewish Combat Organization (ŻOB) in Będzin staged an uprising against the Germans (as in nearby Sosnowiec). Already in 1941 a local chapter of ŻOB was created in Będzin, on the advice of Mordechai Anielewicz . Weapons were obtained from
5950-403: The tank as it passes the block. It may only stop it for two minutes there, but it will be quite effective. Wintringham advised that a tank that was isolated from supporting infantry was potentially vulnerable to men who had the required determination and cunning to get close. Rifles or even a shotgun would be sufficient to persuade the crew to close all the hatches, and then the view from the tank
6035-566: The tank track runs, set fire to the carburettor or frizzle the crew. Do not play with these things. They are highly dangerous. The Battle of Khalkhin Gol , a border conflict of 1939 ostensibly between Mongolia and Manchukuo , saw heavy fighting between Japanese and Soviet forces. Short of anti-tank equipment, Japanese infantry attacked Soviet tanks with gasoline-filled bottles. Japanese infantrymen claimed that several hundred Soviet tanks had been destroyed this way, though Soviet loss records do not support this assessment. On 30 November 1939,
6120-475: The weapon's improvised nature and uncertain quality, many modern militaries exercise the use of Molotov cocktails. However, Molotov cocktails are not always improvised in the field. It is not uncommon for them to be mass-produced to a certain standard as part of preparation for combat. Some examples of this being done are the anti-invasion preparations of the British Home Guard during World War II and
6205-570: The Środula ghetto, which was liquidated in January 1944. There had been considerable underground activity among the Jews in Sosnowiec and Będzin Ghetto nearby, organized by the youth organizations Ha-No'ar ha-Ziyyoni , Gordonia, and Ha-Shomer ha-Za'ir . During the final major deportation push in August 1943, the Jewish Combat Organization ( Polish : Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa , ŻOB) in Będzin and Sosnowiec staged an uprising against
6290-446: Was "3 cups polystyrene, 2 cups grated soap, 500 millilitres gasoline, 100 millilitres oil, 1 jumbo tampon fuse." The Russian media control organisation Roskomnadzor sued Twitter for not removing instructions for how to prepare and use molotov cocktails, so that Twitter had to pay a fine of 3 million roubles (US$ 41,000). Molotov cocktails were reportedly used in the United States for arson attacks on shops and other buildings during
6375-632: Was absolved of the charge, freed and Israel's Supreme Court quashed his conviction. Sosnowiec Ghetto The Sosnowiec Ghetto ( German : Ghetto von Sosnowitz ) was a World War II ghetto set up by Nazi German authorities for Polish Jews in the Środula district of Sosnowiec in the Province of Upper Silesia . During the Holocaust in occupied Poland , most inmates, estimated at over 35,000 Jewish men, women and children were deported to Auschwitz death camp aboard Holocaust trains following roundups lasting from June until August 1943. The ghetto
6460-553: Was awarded a medal of the Righteous 46 years after her death. She was declared "heroic in virtue" by Pope Francis in 2013. The Carmelite Sisters run an orphanage at the monastery. They delivered free bread to Jews in hiding, send food parcels to Auschwitz, and rescued Jewish children by hiding them under false names among the Christian orphans. The convent was frequently inspected by the Gestapo on suspicion of illegal activities. During
6545-460: Was claimed back by her father Henryk who survived, and went with him to Australia. Six Jews were sheltered for two years from 1943 until the arrival of the Soviets in 1945 by Maria Sitko and her daughter Wanda Sitko-Gelbhart, including Fela Kac and her aunt Fryda, Heniek Mandelbaum, Jerzy Feder, as well as Felicja and Leon Weintraub. They shared a tiny apartment consisting of one room with a kitchen and
6630-679: Was coined by the Finns during the Winter War in 1939. The name was a pejorative reference to Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov , who was one of the architects of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on the eve of World War II . The name's origin came from the propaganda Molotov produced during the Winter War, mainly his declaration on Soviet state radio that incendiary bombing missions over Finland were actually "airborne humanitarian food deliveries" for their "starving" neighbours. As
6715-404: Was filled with a mixture of petrol and paraffin, plus a small amount of tar. The basic bottle had two long pyrotechnic storm matches attached to either side. Before use, one or both of the matches were lit; when the bottle broke on impact, the mixture ignited. The storm matches were found to be safer to use than a burning rag on the mouth of the bottle. There was also an "A bottle". This replaced
6800-553: Was followed by mobile death squads of the Einsatzgruppen , and the persecution of the Jews began immediately. On 7 September the first draconian economic sanctions were imposed. A day later, on 8 September, the Będzin Synagogue was burned. On 9 September 1939 the first mass murder of local Jews took place with 40 prominent individuals executed. A month later, on 8 October 1939, Hitler declared that Będzin would become part of
6885-420: Was found guilty of making and possessing illegal firearms and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2018. Due to the Molotov's ease of production and use by civilian forces, the Molotov cocktail has become a symbol of civil uprising and revolution . The Molotov's extensive use by civilian, and partisan forces has also thereby led to the Molotov becoming a symbol representing civil unrest. The contrast of
6970-737: Was in KZ Dachau , KL Sachsenhausen , in Majdanek (KL Lublin) as well as in KL Gross-Rosen . He worked as prisoner medic and survived. Kosibowicz returned to Będzin after liberation and resumed his position of the hospital director. He died on 6 July 1971; and was awarded the title of Righteous posthumously in 2006 by the State of Israel. Hundreds of Polish Jews remained in hiding when the Auschwitz deportations ended in August 1943. The survivors were smuggled out of
7055-686: Was introduced. The Jews were prohibited from buying anything outside their own community. In the first months of 1940 the Zentrale der Jüdischen Ältestenräte in Oberschlesien (Central Office of the Jewish Councils of Elders in Upper Silesia), headed by Merin, was created in Sosnowiec, representing about 45 communities. For a time, Merin became infamous as the dictator of the Jews of the Zaglebie region, with
7140-456: Was liquidated during an uprising, a final act of defiance of its Underground Jewish Combat Organization (ŻOB) made up of youth. Most of the Jewish fighters perished. The Sosnowiec Ghetto formed a single administrative unit with the Będzin Ghetto , because both cities are a part of the same metropolitan area in the Dąbrowa Basin . Prior to deportations, the Jews from the two ghettos shared
7225-402: Was white phosphorus, benzene , water and a two-inch strip of raw rubber; all in a half-pint bottle sealed with a crown stopper . Over time, the rubber would slowly dissolve, making the contents slightly sticky, and the mixture would separate into two layers – this was intentional, and the grenade should not be shaken to mix the layers, as this would only delay ignition. When thrown against
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