(in Polish, Lwow; in Ukrainian, Lviv; in German, Lemberg).
City located in East Galicia, now part of the Ukraine. Prior to World War II, Lvov was under Polish control, but was also claimed by Ukrainian nationalists. In 1939, there were 110,000 Jews in Lvov, comprising one-third of the city's total population.
Based on the terms of the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed just before the war broke out, the Soviets occupied Lvov in September, 1939. Shortly after the takeover, 100,000 Jewish refugees arrived from German-occupied areas of western Poland.
In June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union, its former ally. As soon as the Germans entered Lvov, Jews were murdered. By early July, 4,000 Jews had been killed, mostly by Ukrainian collaborators. A few days later the Ukrainians carried out another pogrom, killing 2,000 Jews.
By the end of July a Judenrat was established. Its chairman, Joseph Parnes, refused to surrender Jews to be sent to concentration camps, and in late October was killed for his efforts. Throughout the summer Jews were sent to do forced labor, synagogues were burnt and Jewish property  was pillaged.
A ghetto was established in November 1941. Tens of thousands of Jews were crammed inside. Initially, about 5,000 sick and elderly Jews were killed so as not to "crowd" the ghetto. In March 1942, the Judenrat assisted the Germans prepare lists of Jews to be deported. Over the next month, 15,000 Jews were sent to Belzec.
Throughout the summer of 1942, 50,000 Jews were sent to Belzec and Janowska, a camp within the city. In September, the remaining Jews were moved into a smaller ghetto, and in November, "unproductive" Jews were either sent to Janowska or Belzec to be murdered.
In January 1943, the Judenrat was dissolved, the ghetto was turned into a labor camp, and 10,000 Jews without work cards were killed. In May and June, the Germans began murdering Jews with work cards. A small underground group attempted to defend itself and killed several Nazis. A few of its members managed to reach the partisans in the forest.
Lvov was liberated in 1944 and several hundred Jews came out of hiding.