VI. ROBOTNÝ PRÁPOR PRACOVNÉHO ZBORU MNO A DEPORTÁCIE ŽIDOV V ROKU 1942

• Authors: Baka Igor

Title variants

VI. Labour Battalion of the MND Labour Corps and the deportation of Jews in 1942

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

The study in question deals with the problem of the deportation of Jews from Slovakia in 1942, reflecting the specific situation of the Jews on labour duty assigned to the VI Labour Battalion of the Labour Corps of the Ministry of National Defence at the time of the deportation. The first part of the study presents a summary overview of the legal norms resulting in the discriminatory status of Jews in the conscription of the Slovak State, but at the same time some of them (e.g. the Conscription Act of 18 January 1940) ultimately protecting them from the deportations taking place in 1942. In the second part of the study, the author notes that various claims and interpretations about the responsibility for the Jews of the VI. Labour Battalion avoiding the first stage of deportations in 1942 still appeared in both the scientific and the memoir literature, but the reasons for the halt of the planned deportation of Jews on labour duty have not been further investigated. Therefore the author has concentrated on identifying the decisive reasons for Jews remaining not only in attendance, but also for Jews retained in active labour duty - for the duration of the war - until the end of May 1943. In the third part of the study, the author uses specific examples to show the impact of the ongoing deportations on the mood of the Jewish workers and their actions, manifested by the tense situation in the units of the VI Labour Battalion, the generally despondent mood of their members, fear for their relatives, concern that they, too, would be included in the deportation, desertion, and the desire to be baptised. On the other hand, he points out the ways in which the military authorities tried to eliminate the negative effects of the ongoing deportations on the actions of the Jewish workers by tightening surveillance, abolishing the granting of permits and passes, and preventing their free movement.

Keywords

EN

WORLD WAR II; LABOUR BATTALION OF THE MND; LABOUR CORPS; DEPORTATION; JEWS

• Publisher: Vojenský historický ústav Bratislava
• Journal: Vojenská história
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 107 - 132

Contributors

author

Baka Igor

• Vojenský historický ústav, Krajná 27, 821 04 Bratislava, Slovak Republic