General Government - Demographics

Demographics

The population in the General Government's territory was initially about 12 million, but this increased as about 860,000 Poles and Jews were expelled from the Germany-annexed areas and "resettled" in the General Government. Offsetting this was the German campaign of extermination of the Polish intelligentsia and other elements thought likely to resist. From 1941 disease and hunger also began to reduce the population.

Poles were also deported in large numbers to work as forced labor in Germany: eventually about a million were deported, of whom many died in Germany. In 1940 the population was divided into different groups. Each group had different rights, food rations, allowed strips in the cities, public transportation and restricted restaurants. Listed from the most privileged to the least:

• Germans from Germany (Reichdeutsche),
• Germans from outside, active ethnic Germans, Volksliste category 1 and 2 (see Volksdeutsche).
• Germans from outside, passive Germans and members of families (this group included also some ethnic Poles), Volksliste category 3 and 4,
• Ukrainians,
• Highlanders (Goralenvolk) – an attempt to split the Polish nation by using local collaborators
• Poles (partially exterminated),
• Gypsies (eventually largely exterminated as a category),
• Jews (eventually largely exterminated as a category).