Nauczyciele zamordowani w Lesie Szpęgawskim 1939–1940. Portret zbiorowy

Abstract

The German occupation of Gdańsk Pomerania, apart from the purely territorial dimension, was also associated with a bloody terror that affected its inhabitants. Two great extermination operations were carried out in this area. The first one, codenamed „Intelligence”, concerned people considered by the Germans to constitute a threat to their rule. The second, referred to as „T-4”, affected people with mental disorders. As part of both operations, civilians were murdered, and one of the places of execution was the Szpęgawa Forest near Starogard. Teachers were also one of the professional groups that were to be exterminated by the Germans. This article is an attempt to present the group of educators killed by the Germans in the Szpęgawa Forest. It consists of three parts. In the first part, apart from the broad presentation of the crime, the first murders of teachers were discussed. The second part focuses on the process of creating proscription lists, arrests and subsequent killings in the Szpęgawa Forest. The last part, along with the balance of losses, shows the decisions of the occupying forces regarding education and teachers in Gdańsk Pomerania.