Fabrikaktion

The Fabrikaktion (Factory Action) is the term for the roundup of the last Jews to be deported starting 27th February 1943. Most of these remaining Jews were working Berlin plants or they were working for the Jewish welfare organisation. The term was coined by the victims after World War II, the Gestapo called the plan Großaktion Juden (Major Action (on) Jews) and in the communications with the factories it was named Evakuierungsaktion (Evacuation Action). While the plan was not restricted to Berlin it became later most notable for the entailing Rosenstrasse protest in Berlin.

Situation
In September 1942 there were about 75.800 Jewish left for labour in the arms industry. Hitler asked on 22. September 1942 to replace them with other people sent in for forced labour. In the course the RSHA took action planning multiple deportation trains to Riga and Auschwitz. Because the war consumed most of the transportation capacity the deportations were not performed immediately but the factories were informed that their Jewish labour workers would be "evacuated" at the end of March 1943.

In the beginning of 1943 the plan included 15.100 Jewish workers in Berlin and 5.300 outside of the capital with most of them living in major cities or labour camps. On the 20th February 1943 the department IV B 4 of the RSHA (where Adolf Eichmann was working) were issuing details on the "technische Durchführung der Evakuierung von Juden nach dem Osten" (Technical Procedures for the Evacuation of Jews to the East). Within that plan some groups of Jews would be excluded from deporation which were
 * Jewish partners in "mixed marriages"
 * Married Geltungsjuden living with Arian relatives
 * Jews over age of 65 unless married to Jews below that age
 * honoured person carrying on of the medals as given in a list
 * and a list of special persons listed by name

Though these persons would not be deported they would not be allowed anymore to work in the arms industry. They were to be placed into different positions where they could be called in without the factories to intervene on the deportation.

Action
In most of the cities the Jews were called in on 26. February 1943 to register the next day with the Gestapo for a check of their labour papers. In Breslau most of the Jews were rounded up without prior signals on the morning of 27. February by interception at their home or work place and transported to the synagogue. In Dresden the labour camp Hellersberg was used for concentration. In most parts of the Reich these actions was finished after two days.

The situation was slightly different in Berlin due to the larger number of Jews so that it lasted about a week. Unlike other locations there were no signals before the "evacuation" took place - Gestapo and SS entered and rounded up the Jews from 100 factories in a coordinated action. The arrested persons were transported to six locations for concentration:


 * der Saal im Konzerthaus Clou in der Mauerstraße im Bezirk Mitte
 * eine Fahrzeughalle der Hermann-Göring-Kaserne in Reinickendorf
 * Pferdeställe einer Kaserne in der Rathenower Straße in Moabit
 * die Synagoge in der Levetzowstraße in Moabit
 * das jüdische Altersheim in der Großen Hamburger Straße im Bezirk Mitte
 * das Gebäude der Jüdischen Gemeinde in der Rosenstraße im Bezirk Mitte

Obviously most of the Jews coming from mixed marriages background were transported to Rosenstraße - these were about 2000 persons. Their relatives gathered in front of the building in what is now called the Rosenstrasse protest.

Fugitives
About 4000 of the persons were able to escape - Goebbels wrote in his diary on 2. March 1943:
 * Sadly it occurred that the better off circles, especially intellectuals, do not understand our Jew politics and in part they take side for the Jews. In consequence our action was betrayed so that a large number of Jews could escape. However we will catch them nonetheless.

This matches with stories of survivors telling that they had been warned by their colleagues and foremen - in one case even a police officer - shortly before the action took place. On the other hand most of the fugitives were captured - the Gestapo used search service and the help of Jewish "Greifer" collaborators. It is estimated that only 1.500 Jews were able to hide away until the end of the war.

Literature

 * Wolf Gruner: Widerstand in der Rosenstraße. Die Fabrik-Aktion und die Verfolgung der „Mischehen“ 1943. fibu 16883, Frankfurt 2005, ISBN 3-596-16883-X
 * Claudia Schoppmann: Die "Fabrikaktion" in Berlin. Hilfe für untergetauchte Juden als Form des humanitären Widerstandes. In: Zeitschrift für Zeitgeschichte 53 (2004), H.2, Seite 138-148
 * Beate Kosmala: Missglückte Hilfe und ihre Folgen: Die Ahndung der "Judenbegünstigung" durch NS-Verfolgungsbehörden. In: B.Kosmala / C.Schoppmann (Hrsg.): Solidarität und Hilfe für Juden während der NS-Zeit. Band 5: Überleben im Untergrund. Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-932482-86-7