Poniatowa Concentration Camp / Former factory: Zakłady Elektromaszynowe EDA (Poniatowa)

 factory, production, concentration camp

This factory used to be the chief employer in Poniatowa, before it went bankrupt in early 1990s. It produced components for refrigerators and kitchen appliances.

The first industrial facility was under construction on this site by Poland just before World War II started in September 1939. A new factory was built after 1945, employing 5000 people in its heyday.

Under the German occupation a concentration camp was established on the site, first for Soviet POW's, 20,000 of whom perished here, followed by Jews. About 15,000 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto were transported here. On November 3-4, 1943, as part of Aktion Erntefest (Operation Harvest Festival) between 15,000 and 15,500 Jews were shot to death. See www.deathcamps.org/occupation/poniatowa.html and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_Erntefest