According to the 1939 census, 85.5 thousand Jews lived in Dnepropetrovsk. They accounted for 18% of local residents. In addition, the city was the center of the region's Jewishness. 65% of the region's Jews were concentrated there.

Evacuation in the city was announced only on August 7, 1941. It was possible to leave the city with special passes, which did not guarantee a seat on the train going east. For some residents of Dnepropetrovsk, the only way to get out of the city was to volunteer for the Red Army.

In addition, part of the Dnepropetrovsk Jews, under the influence of propaganda, did not see the danger, and did not consider the occupation as a tragedy, but hoped to calmly wait it out. As a result, between 30 and 35 thousand Jews remained in the city by the time of the occupation.

By the end of August 1941, soldiers of the occupation army appeared in the city. They sought out Jews at their own discretion and shot those who, in their opinion, had a "Jewish appearance." According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers admitted that they were allowed to take whatever they find in the apartments of the Jews. Therefore, identifying Jews by their appearance has become a method of robbery for many. Until the end of September 1941, there were battles for the city and the Nazis did not remain in the city, changing each other in positions.

As soon as full control over Dnepropetrovsk was established, on September 25, 1941, an order of the occupation authorities appeared on the obligatory insignia for Jews. In October, a decree was issued in which Jews were accused of robbery and were required to pay a fine of 3 million marks or 30 million Soviet rubles. Despite the fact that the Jewish community had to pay the first part of the fine on October 12, 1941, the executions began on October 13. Therefore, historians argue about the advisability of introducing a fine and whether it was one of the ways to solve the "Jewish question".

Among the restrictive measures, the Nazis imposed a 50% tax on the salaries of working Jews, for Jews the curfew began three hours earlier. In addition, the Jews received less bread.

The executions took place in October 1941. The Jews were gathered near the main department store in the city and taken to the territory of the forest plantation. Another place of execution was an anti-tank ditch 4 km from the city.

After mass shootings in December 1941, the Nazis announced the creation of a ghetto, resettling Jews to the territory of a by-product coke plant. The ghetto prisoners were killed by 1942.

According to historians, from 17 to 21 thousand Jews perished in Dnepropetrovsk.