August 16, 1943
Białystok Ghetto Uprising Begins
Historical context
On this day, August 16, 1943, Jewish fighters in the Białystok ghetto rose as German forces began the final liquidation. The revolt was the second-largest ghetto uprising after Warsaw.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- August 16, 1943
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 6
On this day, Jewish fighters in the Białystok ghetto opened an armed revolt as German forces and auxiliaries began the final liquidation. The underground, including the Anti-Fascist Military Organisation led by Mordechaj Tenenbaum and Daniel Moszkowicz, had prepared for a last stand. Fighting continued for several days.
The Germans still carried out the planned deportations. Thousands were sent to Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz. Others were shot. A smaller number escaped to nearby forests. The Red Army took Białystok in August 1944. After Warsaw, this was the second-largest ghetto uprising in German-occupied Poland.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Bialystok · United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Holocaust Encyclopedia View source
Share this history
Support the work
If this history matters to you, you can support Jewish Original.