Abstract: The aim of our research was to analyze the forced displacement and attempted escapes of Jews in the General Government during the Holocaust (based on Krakow and the surrounding area as a case study) using historical and geographic information systems (HGIS). The article covers the following topics: the methodology, current state of research, and archival sources for researching the Holocaust, their specificity, the research assumptions, and a proposed template for collecting and processing the abovementioned data — that is, a model of a unified database for spatial and historical analyses. The purpose of the database is to synthesize historical and spatial data by means of HGIS systems and collected documents (Polish, German, Jewish) concerning the fate of Jews in the General Government. Some points of reference include the research conducted by members of the Holocaust Geographies Collaborative, the Polish Center for Holocaust Research (Warsaw Ghetto and "Aryan Side" Database), and the Warsaw Ghetto Museum (Map of the Warsaw Ghetto). The assumptions, postulates, and results of the research conducted to date are illustrated through the personal histories of three Jewish families from Krakow, their wartime escapes, their return to their places of origin, and their hiding places, demonstrating the many factors that influenced their eventual fates.
Jarkowska et al. (Thu,) studied this question.