Ghettos were designed as temporary, closed quarters to isolate, control, and segregate Jewish populations. Conditions were characterized by extreme deprivation:
: Authorities often withheld food and water supplies, leading to rampant starvation and outbreaks of infectious diseases like typhus. Ghetto Prisoners
: In some locations, such as Theresienstadt, a "polis" mentality emerged among functionaries who viewed the ghetto as a reformed society, albeit with limited autonomy from the SS. Ghettos were designed as temporary, closed quarters to