Lublin is a city in Poland. The capital of Lublin Voivodeship, Lublin is the country's ninth largest city in terms of population. The city is also quite old, with written records mentioning it in 1198. It was central to the Polish Renissance, and became home to one of Poland's largest Jewish communities.
Lublin has been the target of foreign invaders throughout its history. This includes Germany during both World Wars. In the closing months of World War I, Lublin was the temporary capital of the nascent Republic of Poland, until the Germans withdrew from Warsaw. During World War II, Lublin served as the headquarters for Operation Reinhard, the main Nazi effort to exterminate the Jews in Poland. In 1944, it was liberated by the Soviet Union, and once again became the temporary national capital. In 1980, Lublin was ground zero for Solidarity, the movement that eventually overthrew the Communist regime.
Lublin in "Shtetl Days"[]
After the War of Retribution, the German Reich rebuilt Lublin to German standards. By the middle of the 21st century, Lublin was a thoroughly German city.
Historical re-enactor Veit Harlan and his wife, Kristi Söderbaum lived in Lublin. They commuted daily to Wawolnice, the mock Jewish shtetl established by the Reich's Commissariat for the Strengthening of the German Populace. Lublin was about thirty minutes away from the shtetl by Autobahn.
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