Sieradz, Kraków, Lwów and Bielsko. The ghetto formation was pronounced by Hamann in June 1941 at which time a 2–3 metre wall was erected along its perimeter, although the ghetto zone existed already since 12 July 1940. It consisted of two interconnected parts of the city centre, both very small. One of them, around Kazimierza Wielkiego Street by the castle, and the second one on the other side of the river, in the so-called Piekło neighbourhood across the Lwowska Street bridge. Some 12,000 Jews were forced to relocate there. In the following months, more Jews were resettled to Nowy Sącz from the General Government and territories of Poland annexed by Nazi Germany; forced by the SS to subsist on little to nothing in extremely overcrowded conditions. Often 20 people were assigned to one room. The Ghetto was entirely dependent on the German authorities for food. Starvation rations were introduced. In the fall of 1941, some 30 Jews where caught and executed following failed escape attempt across the border to the Soviet occupied eastern part of Poland. The total number of Jews in the ghetto grew to 18,000. A number of forced labour camps were set up in the vicinity of Nowy Sącz for the able-bodied prisoners, including the camp in Rożnów (improperly, Różanów) as well as camps in Stary Sącz, Chełmiec, Rytro, and Lipie. Several hundred men were sent to Rabka. All Jewish slave labour was housed at the Zakamienica ghetto located between the river bank and the streets of Zdrojowa (to the north), Hallera, Barska, and Lwowska (to the south). In total, 2,500 Jews were sent away. A system of gradually escalating terror was introduced with publicly announced executions. About 200 men were murdered for alleged Zionist activities, another 70 men were shot for alleged cigarette-smuggling, both within two days of each other. During the German Operation Reinhard which marked the deadliest phase of the Holocaust, from 23 August 1942 the final ghetto liquidation action took place over a three-day period, under the guise of "resettlement in the East" (Umsiedlung). Prior to that, families with the elderly, and the sick, were ordered to relocate to the ghetto at Kazimierza Wielkiego Street. Most of those unable to leave home for the trains at an instance, were shot point blank by Ordnungspolizei during early morning roundups. The long column of Jewish prisoners, gathered for deportation, were led to an open field