The borders of the Ghetto were guarded by Polish and German police from the outside, and by Jewish police from the inside. Since October 15, 1941, the Jews who were staying outside the Ghetto without a permit, and the people providing them with any assistance whatsoever were subject to capital punishment.
The administrative functions in the district were fulfilled by the Jewish Council (Judenrat), set up by order of the Gestapo in September 1939. The main duty of the Council was to duly fulfill the orders of the occupying authorities.
Work assignments were distributed by the Employment Service (Arbeitsamt). The Jewish workers were not protected by any laws. At first they received minimum wages; later they worked unpaid.
The Krakow Ghetto consisted of fifteen different streets, contained 320 buildings comprising 3,200 rooms. The Ghetto was sealed off, a high wall was erected around it, and there were four gates. Access by Ghetto inhabitants to the rest of Krakow was restricted to an absolute minimum. Even windows looking outwards were bricked up.
