84 years ago, doing good became a crime. On October 15, 1941, Hans Frank signed a decree that imposed the death penalty for helping Jews in occupied Poland. From that moment on, any gesture of solidarity – a slice of bread, shelter, a warning – could cost someone their life. This was not only a record of the law of terror, but also a symbol of the dramatic choices and relations between Poles and Jews during World War II.
The road to Frank's decree
After the creation of the General Government in October 1939, Hans Frank systematically introduced repressive measures restricting the rights of Jews – from the obligation to wear an armband with the Star of David, a ban on changing places of residence, to restrictions on communication and a curfew.
The “Third Regulation on Restrictions on Residence in the General Government” (German: Dritte Verordnung über Aufenthaltsbeschränkungen im Generalgouvernement) became one of the most cruel legal acts of the occupier. Its paragraph stated: “Jews who leave their designated district without authorization are subject to the death penalty. The same punishment applies to persons who knowingly give shelter to such Jews.”
The introduction of this provision was intended to sever contacts between Jews and Poles – both commercial and neighborly. The Germans knew very well that mutual assistance sustained life in the ghettos and undermined their policy of isolation. Therefore, they tried – as one of the official NSDAP documents proclaimed – to “divide and conquer Poles and Jews.”
Solidarity in the shadow of death
Despite the threat of the death penalty, many Poles continued to support their Jewish neighbors. The Institute of National Remembrance recalls the post-war testimony of Izajasz Leszcz from the Radom ghetto. "Officially, we were given 15 decagrams of bread, a little sugar, and salt. A lot was smuggled in. (...) Not everyone knew how to smuggle," he said. Such everyday gestures – exchanging goods, smuggling food, passing on messages – were often the only way for Jews to survive.
However, Frank's decree made them criminal acts, and its enforcement quickly took on brutal forms. Already in November 1941, the first death sentences were announced – public announcements were intended to spread fear and discourage people from helping.
Escalation of terror
However, German law failed to completely sever relations between people. Researchers point out that contacts and assistance continued despite the horror. It was their scale that prompted the Germans to further tighten penalties – from the fall of 1942, the death penalty also began to apply to the families of those who helped Jews.
The 1941 decree thus became not only an instrument of terror, but also an attempt to destroy the remnants of humanity in the occupied society.
Commemorating heroism
From the perspective of 84 years, it is clear that Frank's “death law” did not break everyone's conscience. Many Poles, often motivated by faith and the belief in the equal dignity of every human being, chose good – even though it meant death. These heroic deeds have been honored for years by the Yad Vashem Institute. According to data from January 1, 2023, out of 28,500 Righteous Among the Nations, over 7,000 are Poles, constituting the largest national group in this circle.
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