Transport from Blaszki, Kalisz, Lodz, Poland to Sarnaki, Siedlce, Lublin, Poland on 02/1940

The village of Błaszki, in Landkreis (county) Kalisz (Wartheland), lies some 30 kilometers southeast of Kalisz. As soon as Błaszki was occupied by Nazi Germany in September 1939, the local Jews, back then the majority of Błaszki's inhabitants, were subjected to abuse and murder by the Germans. Already in December 1939, many of the Jewish inhabitants had been expropriated, chased out of their homes and deported, together with the Jews from Kalisz, to Sarnaki and other places in the General Government. In February 1940, more of Błaszki's Jews were deported to Sarnaki, in the Lublin district, more than 400 kilometer northeast of Kalisz, situated near the Soviet border (which was located in Poland). The Jews in Błaszki were assembled in the "Blaszkowianka" ("a woman from Błaszki"), their village's community hall, located at the market square, at 32 Niepodległości Street. They were only allowed to take hand luggage with them. The Germans robbed them of their valuables and took their house keys away....