Transport from Kcynia, Szubin, Poznan, Poland to Gniezno, Gniezno, Poznan, Poland on 09/1939

Shortly after the annexation of Poland, the German authorities began to expel and deport thousands of Poles and Jews from Posen Regierunsbezirk (administrative district) and the northwest area of Hohensalza Regierungsbezirk to the General Government (Generalgouvernement, the zone of Nazi-occupied central Poland not formally annexed to the Reich).^[1] The Landkreise (counties) that were affected included Dietfurt (Żnin), Gnesen (Gniezno), Eichenbrück (Wągrowiec) and Schubin (Szubin, Altburgund).^[2] Former POW camps in the affected counties were transformed into transit camps, able to receive deportees from the beginning of November 1939.^[3] Research suggests that the Landräte (county commissioners) initiated the expulsion of Jews from their counties, taking an active role in the deportations of both Jews and Poles.^[4]

Landkreis Schubin was created as a result of the Germans’ annexation of western Poland on October 26, 1939. A largely rural area, two of the towns hosted Jewish populations: Kcynia (German: Exin) and Szubin. In 1939, Kcynia had only a small Jewish community within its total population of between 4,500 and 5,000. After its occupation in September 1939, fewer than 100 Jews were left in the town.^[5] In the town of Szubin lived approximately thirty Jews amongst a population of roughly 3,500 people.^[6]

Shortly after the annexation of the towns, both Jews and Poles were murdered. The killings took place in Szubin between September 8 and 12, 1939. In Kcynia, the Germans burned down the synagogue on September 16, accusing the Jews of arson; the next day, they murdered approximately a dozen Jewish women in a nearby forest.^[7] An additional twenty Jews were murdered by the Germans in Kcynia on November 19, 1939. The remaining Jews in Kcynia and Szubin were deported to the General Government before the end of 1939.^[8]...