Introduction to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising : A "Jewish District" in the World's Most Jewish City

This session explores pre-war Warsaw—then the vibrant heartbeat of European diaspora culture—and its systematic destruction. We will trace the forced creation of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940, analyzing how the sealing of its walls created an artificial landscape of extreme overcrowding, starvation, and disease. The lecture will dive into the social and psychological mechanics of survival inside the walls before pivoting to the tragic turning point of July 1942. In addition, we will examine the social mechanics of the mass deportations of over 265,000 Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp over a two-month period.