the border | line

In September 1939 Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. At that time, Germany acquired 48.4% of Polish land, and the remaining areas were placed under German administration known as the “General Government”. Non-German population was subject to Germanisation, compulsory resettlement, economic exploitation, and eventually extermination. Almost instantly after the invasion in 1939, Nazi German authorities started forcibly conscripting labourers, and establishing concentration camps in German-controlled territories.

A large number of Polish people were expelled from territories intended for German expansion and forced to settle in the General Government area. There was a lack of food, fuel and medical supplies. Moreover, thousands of Poles were killed for resisting German forces or for other trivial reasons such as owning your own wheat grinder or crossing the border between the Third Reich and the General Government area. This was a period when nearly 21.4% of Poland's population died.

This short film was awarded the RPS Moving Image Award: https://www.rgs.org/about-us/our-work/earth-photo/winners-and-shortlisted-entries/earth-photo-2024