Discrimination against Poles in Germany.
During the Nazi reign:
"In early 1939, there were no anti-Polish riots in the Ruhr area, although Nazi Germany increased both its invigilation of Polish activists and organizations, and the censorship of Polish press.[28] Polish activists, expecting a German attack, secured the files of Polish organizations.[28] On 15 July 1939, the Gestapo entered the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Germany in Bochum, searched it and interrogated its chief Michał Wesołowski.[33] The Nazis then carried out mass searches of Polish organizations in the region and interrogated Polish activists, however, they did not obtain the desired lists of Polish activists, which had been previously hidden by Poles.[34] Nazi terror and persecutions rapidly intensified. The Nazis limited freedom of assembly, increased censorship and confiscated Polish press for reporting on the persecution and arrests of Poles.[34] In response, many Poles from the region came to Bochum for organizational and information meetings.[34] On 24 August 1939, the Gestapo, under threat of arrest, demanded 30 leading Polish activists to appear at the Gestapo station in Bochum and present lists of members of Polish organizations, but again to no avail.[34] Due to increasing German repressions, many Polish organizations suspended public activity.[35]"
"After the outbreak of the Second World War, all remaining Polish organizations in the Ruhr faced dissolution by the Nazis. On 11 September 1939, 249 leading Polish activists from the Ruhr were arrested and then placed in concentration camps.[35] At least 60 of them were murdered for their activities by Nazi Germany.[36][37] Headquarters of Polish organizations and premises in Bochum were looted and expropriated by Nazi Germany.[12] The Gestapo closed the Polish monastery in Bochum, which was then converted into a transit camp for people deported from German-occupied Lithuania.[17] It was destroyed during air raids in 1943, rebuilt afterwards,[17] and eventually demolished in 2012.[38] Shortly before demolition, the church bells were sent to Poland.[38] Polish men and women from German-occupied Poland were deported by the Germans to slave labour in the region, including to the subcamps of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Bochum,[39] Dortmund,[40][41] Essen,[42] Unna[43] and Witten.[44]"
Ruhrpolen
On German deportations of Poles in occupied Poland
During the Nazi reign:
"In early 1939, there were no anti-Polish riots in the Ruhr area, although Nazi Germany increased both its invigilation of Polish activists and organizations, and the censorship of Polish press.[28] Polish activists, expecting a German attack, secured the files of Polish organizations.[28] On 15 July 1939, the Gestapo entered the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Germany in Bochum, searched it and interrogated its chief Michał Wesołowski.[33] The Nazis then carried out mass searches of Polish organizations in the region and interrogated Polish activists, however, they did not obtain the desired lists of Polish activists, which had been previously hidden by Poles.[34] Nazi terror and persecutions rapidly intensified. The Nazis limited freedom of assembly, increased censorship and confiscated Polish press for reporting on the persecution and arrests of Poles.[34] In response, many Poles from the region came to Bochum for organizational and information meetings.[34] On 24 August 1939, the Gestapo, under threat of arrest, demanded 30 leading Polish activists to appear at the Gestapo station in Bochum and present lists of members of Polish organizations, but again to no avail.[34] Due to increasing German repressions, many Polish organizations suspended public activity.[35]"
"After the outbreak of the Second World War, all remaining Polish organizations in the Ruhr faced dissolution by the Nazis. On 11 September 1939, 249 leading Polish activists from the Ruhr were arrested and then placed in concentration camps.[35] At least 60 of them were murdered for their activities by Nazi Germany.[36][37] Headquarters of Polish organizations and premises in Bochum were looted and expropriated by Nazi Germany.[12] The Gestapo closed the Polish monastery in Bochum, which was then converted into a transit camp for people deported from German-occupied Lithuania.[17] It was destroyed during air raids in 1943, rebuilt afterwards,[17] and eventually demolished in 2012.[38] Shortly before demolition, the church bells were sent to Poland.[38] Polish men and women from German-occupied Poland were deported by the Germans to slave labour in the region, including to the subcamps of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Bochum,[39] Dortmund,[40][41] Essen,[42] Unna[43] and Witten.[44]"
Ruhrpolen
On German deportations of Poles in occupied Poland