Transport from Chelm, Chelm, Lublin, Poland to Hrubieszow, Hrubieszow, Lublin, Poland on 01/12/1939

In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Chełm, a Polish city 70 kilometers east of Lublin and 25 kilometers west of the Bug River (which forms the present-day border with Ukraine), had a population of about 33,000. It consisted of Jews, who made up the majority (over 50%), Poles (40%), Ukrainians (5%), and a small community of Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans).^[1] The city was occupied by Soviet forces on September 25, 1939, but ceded to the Wehrmacht shortly thereafter, in accordance with the German–Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty from September 28, 1939.^[2] The Red Army departed from Chełm on October 7, along with 2,000-3,000 Jews who were convinced that leaving was preferable to life under German rule. The Germans occupied the city two days later, immediately subjecting its remaining Jewish residents to robbery, destruction of all synagogues, and physical torture.^[3] On October 26, 1939, Nazi Germany established the General Government (GG) as a separate administrative unit in occupied Poland. In November 1939, Chełm was incorporated into the Lublin District of the General Government as a Stadthauptmannschaft (city county).^[4] Gerhard Hager, a jurist and the former mayor of Glindow, became its first Stadthauptmann (County Commissioner of a city with county status). He was in charge of the local civil administration, and was legally responsible for the deportations during his time in office.

The earliest actions against the Jews of Chełm that resulted in mass deportation are known today as the first death marches of the Holocaust.^[5] They were a concerted initiative on the part of Stadthauptmann Hager and Gerhard Behrend, Kreishauptmann (County Commissioner) of the Hrubieszów County, to eliminate large numbers of Jews in a rapid, unbureaucratic manner.^[6]

The deportation was carried out by SiPo officers of the KdS branch in Chełm, also known as the Grenzpolizeikommissariat (Border Police post), ^[7] under the command of SS-Obersturmführer Hermann Rohlfing.^[8] His office was located on Kolejowastrasse, near the train station.^[9] He set up a Judenrat (Jewish Council) by taking Jews hostage, and was known for his ruthlessness in implementing the orders of his superiors....