Fabrikaktion

Fabrikaktion (German pronunciation: [fabʁi:kakt͡sjoːn], 'Factory Action') is the term for the last major roundup of Jews for deportation from Berlin, which began on 27 February 1943, and ended about a week later.

The term Fabrikaktion was coined by survivors after World War II; the Gestapo had designated the plan Große Fabrik-Aktion (Large Factory Action).

[1] While the plan was not restricted to Berlin, it later became most notable for catalyzing the Rosenstrasse protest, the only mass public demonstration of German citizens which contested the Nazi government's deportation of the Jews.

[2] The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) took action planning multiple deportation trains to Riga and Auschwitz.

[3] Because the war consumed most of the transportation capacity the deportations were not performed immediately, but the factories were informed that their Jewish labour workers would be "evacuated" at the end of March 1943.

On 20 February 1943, SS-Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann (a main architect of the Holocaust) and head of sub-department (Referat IV B4) of the RSHA issued details on the "technische Durchführung der Evakuierung von Juden nach dem Osten" (Technical Procedures for the Evacuation of Jews to the East).

In the majority of other German cities, Jews were notified on February 26 that they were to register the next day with the Gestapo for a check of their labour papers.

A group of Jewish forced laborers working in the RSHA library were taken to Auschwitz following this event, with the two surviving men having been saved by their German wives.