During the war, the steel industry in Esch played an important strategic role for the Germans. To ensure and increase production, unskilled additional labour was needed. Thus, the German occupiers resorted to the occupied peoples of Soviet Union and Poland, who were transported to Luxembourg to work in the steel mills and mines. The first so called Ostarbeiter entered Luxembourg during October 1942 and were placed in different barracks called Ostarbeiterlager. Most of these barracks were located in the south of Luxembourg, close to the iron and steel industries. One of those camps was situated close to what is today the Ramerish roundabout. In Esch, they worked in the ironworks. Although the inhabitants were forbidden to communicate with the Ostarbeiters, some inhabitants gave them food or clothing to compensate for the lack of food and the poor living conditions. In return the Ostarbeiters were crafting wooden dynamic toys for Luxembourgish children.
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