The European rail network played a crucial role in the
implementation of the Final Solution. Jews from Germany and
German-occupied Europe were deported by rail to extermination
camps in occupied Poland, where they were killed. The Germans
attempted to disguise their intentions, referring to
deportations as "resettlement to the east." The victims were
told they were to be taken to labor camps, but in reality, from
1942 onward, deportation meant transit to killing centers for
most Jews. Deportations on this scale required the coordination
of numerous German government ministries, including the Reich
Security Main Office (RSHA), the Transport Ministry, and the
Foreign Office. The RSHA coordinated and directed the
deportations; the Transport Ministry organized train schedules;
and the Foreign Office negotiated with German-allied states to
hand over their Jews. US Holocaust Memorial Museum