On this day in 1939, the first ghetto in Poland was established in Piotrków. The Germans took control of the city on September 5, and a month later announced an order that all Jews had to move into the ghetto. By January 1940, all of the Jews in Piotrków, and the surrounding towns, were moved into the ghetto. They were attacked and beaten on the streets and the Nazis, randomly and often, rounded up Jews to be sent to forced labor camps. The ghetto operated until April 1942. During that time, the ghetto had no fence and was not guarded. Jews could come and go as they pleased during certain hours of the day, although they were not allowed in all parts of town. The food supply was controlled going into the ghetto and Jews were not allowed to purchase food outside. This led to a lack of food in the area and many Jews had to smuggle food inside. If caught, they were sent to a labor camp and usually never heard from again. The Judenrat, the Jewish council led by Zalman Tenenbaum, tried to help those in need by setting up soup kitchens and giving out charity. There was also an orphanage and a children’s club. The orphans were adopted by other Jews, even though they struggled to take care of their own families. Once the ghetto was closed in the spring of 1942, conditions worsened. The Jews of the ghetto continued to try to help each other and celebrate the holidays as a community. By the end of 1942, all but 2,000 of the Jews in the ghetto had been deported and in July 1943, the last remaining Jews were either deported or shot. The Nazis then hung a sign at the Piotrków train station that read “Piotrków Trybunalski is Judenrein,” which means ‘Free of Jews’.