Introduction

This exhibit will attempt to discover the role that the Warsaw Ghetto played in the Nazi control of Poland, and the further extension of Nazi power through Europe in addition to the displacement of Jews to ghettos after 1939. Edith Millman’s (b. 1924) testimony—particularly her recounts of growing up in Warsaw before and after the war started and how it affected her and her family—and her experiences as a Jew in Poland will be used to provide first case evidence for the analysis. This analysis will examine education in Warsaw in addition to what education looked like in other Polish ghettos. 

Before diving into the testimony analysis of Edith Millman, it is important to contextualize how quickly her life changed after the orders were given to send Jews to the ghettos. Edith recounts growing up, and that initial shift in how her and her parents were perceived by neighbors, former friends, and strangers before and after Hitler rose to power. It is important to note that although Edith lived in Poland, the reverberations of Hitler’s antisemitic rhetoric could be felt across countries, not just in Germany—even initially.