This Month in Holocaust History Jews of Polish nationality who have been expelled from   Germany to the Polish border town of Zbaszyn, wait outside   with their luggage in an open area near the train station. (Photo courtesy of USHMM.) The expulsion of polish jews from germany to zbaszyn, poland Beginning on October 27, 1938, the Nazis expelled Polish Jews living in Germany. The Jews were given no time to collect belongings or arrange affairs. Often times, just the head of the household was forced to leave, though in many circumstances, entire families were expelled and deported by train to Zbaszyn, a Polish city on the German-Polish border. An estimated ten thousand expelled Jews passed through this city. Many looked to find family members in other parts of Poland, though those who had no family remained as refugees in Zbaszyn. On October 31, 1938, 5,799 Jews arrived from Germany and on the same day, an order was issued by the Polish authorities forbidding Jews from leaving Zbaszyn. The Polish authorities hoped that if the Germans saw the overwhelming number of deportees, they would feel pressure to stop the deportation to Poland and return the Jews who had been living in Germany. A camp was formed to serve the refugees, primarily funded by the American Joint Jewish Distribution Committee, and Jews from Poland. The restrictions caused the Jews to protest. In late November, authorities began closing down this camp, though negotiations between German and Polish officials about the settlement of these Jews continued through January of 1939, when small groups of deportees were allowed back into Germany for a short period of time only to settle affairs. The Polish government allowed family members of the deportees to join them in Poland. This process of resettling the Jews went on until the summer of 1939. The war broke out on September 1, 1939. Consider posing the following questions to students: Why did the Germans want to take away citizenship of Polish Jews living in Germany in 1938? In what way were these Jews dependant on others while in Zbaszyn? Discuss the role of the Joint Distribution Committee during this time. How does this event foreshadow the future of the war? Consider discussing the laws implemented by the Germans restricting freedom, as well as their dominance over Poland.