Glossary

The “Ostarbeiter Decrees” were the discriminatory regulations imposed on forced labourers from the Soviet Union. They were issued on 20 February 1942 and forbade forced labourers from the Soviet Union from leaving their homes, using public transport and other public spaces. They stipulated that they should be housed in fenced camps and prohibited contact with “Aryan” Germans. In addition, a special tax was levied on the wages of Soviet forced labourers and they were given less food. They had to wear an “OST” (EAST) badge on their clothing.