. NMT05-T0127
Volume V · Page 127
| DVL procedure, and were forced to leave their
native lands. Intimidation and deceit in various forms were employed to force
registration of the populations on the German People's List and after
registration, to force the population to remain on the list. Typical of the
measures taken in this coercion of the population was the threat of German
authorities to take the children of those refusing to sign, and the actual
taking of such children from their parents; the threat of placing persons
refusing to sign in concentration camps, and the actual placing of such persons
in concentration camps. Many of these resettlers were deceived into believing
that they would find much better living conditions in the land to be resettled
and would receive compensation in kind for property left behind; but, instead,
they found themselves for months in VoMi camps, enduring hardships and living
under very unfavorable conditions. Hundreds of thousands were never resettled,
but remained in VoMi camps until the end of the war, and never received any
compensation whatever for their property; and by the thousands others of these
resettlers, instead of resettlement, were forced to work within the Reich in
industry and agriculture. Many of the resettlers, who had steadfastly refused to succumb to threats and deceit, were nevertheless placed on the German People's List without their knowledge and notwithstanding they had not applied to authorities to be placed on the list. By January 1944, nearly three million Poles alone had been registered on the DVL procedure. Hundreds of thousands had been deported to the Government General or to the Reich to labor in factories, in agriculture, and other enterprises. These Poles had no choice, but their disposition was governed entirely by the whim of the conquerors. As Poles were deported, a corresponding number of resettlers were evacuated from their homeland and resettled on the Polish property left behind by those Poles who had been evacuated. These resettlement actions were so immense that many times it was necessary to await an evacuation of Polish citizens before the resettlers could be accommodated. And in addition to those hundreds of thousands going to the Incorporated Eastern Territories, other hundreds of thousands of resettlers went direct to the Reich as laborers. They, too, had no choice in the matter and were allocated to such jobs as those in authority desired to place them. The enormity of the crimes committed in the evacuation and resettlement actions are shown by reports made by high German officials during the period when these actions were taking place. Shortly after Poland was conquered, the Commander in Chief East, in his own notes made for the purpose of reporting to the |
