The Black Market

 

Overview:

 

During World War II, all Germans goods were rationed. The war and Allied submarine warfare in the Atlantic restricted the amount of food that was able to enter Germany. The supply of food was so low and rations were needed to split among civilians, and in response, the civilian black market was created. Oftentimes, black markets were regular markets with stalls and vendors. Trading in the black market was illegal and people would face consequences if they were caught being involved in the black market. Some of these punishment included: stiff fines, 2 years in jail, paying 3 times the amount of what they were buying/selling on top of a fine, having their market raided, or even being killed.

For Jews in the ghettos, their rations were extremely small (around 185 calories per day), so they also created black markets. The black market in the ghettos consisted of mostly children sneaking out, getting food from outside, and bringing it back in for their families to trade. Children did this job because they could crawl underneath the small openings to escape.  Wealthy Jews were able to get more food because they could afford food and necessities at the black market.

Different items were sold at the black market illegally.  Food items such as bread, meat, and medicine were sold. Other popular items included bullets, cigarettes, leather,  and false papers. Poor people could not usually afford to buy things from the black market.

 

Connection to Train:

 

The black market connects to Train because of the scene when Marko snatches a bag in Hackescher Market.  He is then attacked by an African boy, however, Elyse appears which allows Marko to escape.  Marko gives away some of the items from the black market to Kizzy and uses other items for his survival and rescue.

 

Vocabulary:

 

Ghetto: Ghettos were sections of a city, where most of the Jews from the city and surrounding areas were forced to live in. Oftentimes, ghettos were surrounded by barbed wire or walls and were sealed off from the city.

 

Food rations: A fixed allowance of food or goods. An allotted amount.  

 

Smuggle:  To import or export goods secretly, in violation of the law, especially without payment of legal duty.

Raid- A sudden attack upon something that will be seized or suppressed.

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Links:

General information about the black market:

 

https://gherkinstomatoes.com/2012/02/22/25500/

 

https://prezi.com/qmrvtao8crvq/the-black-market/

 

Interview describes black market activity in the Theresienstadt ghetto [Interview: 1990]

 

This interview describes that unless you could deal in the black market you really had no food.

http://www.yadvashem.org/odot_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20-%202591.pdf

 

This interview is about a family who smuggled and sold goods in the blackmarket to provide for a sick family member.

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/idcard.php?ModuleId=10006356

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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