OST-Arbeiter - History - Conditions

Conditions

In Germany Ostarbeiters lived in both private camps owned and managed by the large companies, and special camps guarded by privately paid police services known as the Werkschutz.

They worked an average of 12 hours a day, six days a week.

The pay was approximately 30% of German workers' wages; however, most of the money went toward food, clothing and board. The labor authorities complained that many firms viewed these former Soviet civilian workers as "civilian prisoners", treated them accordingly, and paid no wages at all to them. Those who were paid were paid with specially printed paper money and savings stamps, which could only be used toward the purchase of a limited number of items in special camp stores. By law, they were given worse food rations than other forced labor groups. Starvation rations and primitive accommodation were given to these unfortunates in Germany.

The Ostarbeiters were restricted to their place of residence (in some cases labor camps) and forbidden to fraternize with Germans. They were regarded as sub-human, and were ordered to be kept separated from the German population. The Germans considered the Ukrainians Untermenschen ("inferior humans"), who could be kicked, beaten, terrorized, and killed for their least transgression. Those who tried to escape were hanged where other workers could see their bodies. Leave without authorization or escape was punished by death. All sexual relations, even those that did not result in pregnancy, were severely punished as rassenschande (racial pollution).

Many died when the factories where they were employed were bombed during Allied bombing raids. Many also perished because the German authorities ordered that "they should be worked to death".

Nazi authorities attempted to reproduce such conditions on the farm, where farmers were ordered to integrate the Eastern workers into their workforce while enforcing total social separation, including not permitting them to eat at the same table, but this proved far more difficult to enforce. Sexual relationships in particular were able to take place despite efforts to raise German women's "racial consciousness". When the war condition worsened, these workers' conditions often improved as the farmers tried to protect themselves against a defeat.

Few were able to get released and return to Ukraine to tell their story. Cases are known where girls had chopped off their fingers in a machine in order to get back home.