To protect against the worst...

One of the propaganda fiction aired by the leading representatives of the Slovak Republic was a view, that Jews don’t work, but parasite on Slovaks instead. The  forced labor camps, the largest of which emerged in the towns of Sereď, Nováky and Vyhne, were founded by The Jewish Council as role models of benefits brought by the Jews for Slovak economy. The mastermind behind the concept was the architect Andrej Steiner, member of the Working Group led by Gisi Fleischmann. The wholly impoverished Jews, with no opportunity to earn any income, accepted the camps as an opportunity of temporary rescue from deportations to Poland. The camps had a strict régime and were driven by the endeavour to prove to the Slovak leadership the utility of Jews. It was particularly the state institutions to get access for little money to high quality products made in carpentry, tailor, leather-processing, cardboard and other workshops. The Minister Šaňo Mach, who continued to threaten with the new wave of deportations after the first wave was over in the Autumn of 1942, thus acquired furniture for his flat at a symbolic price from the forced labour camp in Sereď. It was allegedly a bribe to get Gisi Fleischmann released from prison. Labor camps were an important part of Gisi’s agenda: she kept fundraising for their equipment and upkeep.