Essential war work

Essential war work refers to activities that were considered crucial to the war effort during the Second World War. These included the production of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment, as well as work in the armaments industry, agriculture and supplying the population.

The Nazis used many forced labourers, including Jews and people from the occupied territories, for work that was vital to the war effort. This work involved extreme conditions, oppression and exploitation, and many of the forced labourers died as a result of the harsh working conditions.