Poland September 1939 - July 1941 (PDF)

This landmark collection of primary sources provides unique first-hand insights into the persecution and murder of the Jews of Europe under Nazi rule. The documents, all translated from the language of the original source, range from the police orders and administrative decrees issued by the Nazi apparatus across Germany and occupied Europe to the diaries and letters of Jewish men, women, and children facing discrimination, impoverishment, violent assaults, incarceration, deportation, and death. The observations and reactions of bystanders not directly involved in the crimes - some shocked, some indifferent, some approving - also come across vividly. Substantial introductions, scholarly footnotes, and an extensive thematic index help guide the reader through the rich documentary material and add to the value of the series as a resource for teaching and learning about the Second World War and the Holocaust.

Series edited on behalf of the German Federal Archives, the Institute for Contemporary History Munich-Berlin, and the Chair for Modern History at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. In cooperation with Yad Vashem.

Explore the documents! Search in categories like 'Nuremberg Laws 1938', 'Eviction and Disposession' or 'November Pogroms 1938' to read and download documents from the published PMJ volumes for free.

See also the corresponding German series Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933-1945.

For more information on the edition, please visit the project website. Follow us on Twitter @PMJ_documents.

Klaus-Peter Friedrich; Caroline Pearce, Institute of Contemporary History, Munich - Berlin, Germany.