ABSTRACT
The Underground was originally organized by, and made up almost entirely of, German communists and social democrats, including German Jews. Credit must be given to the German communists and social democrats whose strong will and ideological commitment made the Underground a success. The network of contacts within the Underground was arranged so that each person knew only those whom he had to know. In this way, there was less of a chance of someone being betrayed. To compel cooperation from those who had more than enough food but refused to share, the Underground leaders would punish them for minor infractions, things that they might normally have overlooked. The Underground made sure that the ill and elderly political prisoners and the old-timers were put on the good details such as darning socks or working in the mailroom. The members of the Underground carried out a wide range of activities.
