Sobibor

Sobibor was a Nazi German extermination camp established in occupied Poland during World War II. It was part of Operation Reinhard, the deadliest phase of the Holocaust, which aimed to exterminate the Jewish population of Poland. The camp operated from May 1942 until October 1943, when it was closed following a prisoner uprising.

Historical Context

Sobibor was one of three Operation Reinhard camps, the other two being Belzec and Treblinka. These camps were designed specifically for mass murder, unlike concentration camps which also functioned as labor camps. The primary purpose of Sobibor was the systematic extermination of Jews, although some Romani people and Soviet POWs were also killed there.

Construction and Layout

The construction of Sobibor began in March 1942, under the supervision of SS-Obersturmführer Richard Thomalla. The camp was located near the village of Sobibór, in the Lublin district of Poland. It was strategically situated near a railway line to facilitate the transport of victims.

The camp was divided into three main areas: the administration area, the reception area, and the extermination area. The administration area housed the SS staff and Ukrainian guards. The reception area included the railway platform, undressing barracks, and storage for the belongings of the victims. The extermination area contained gas chambers and mass graves.

Operation

Sobibor began operations in May 1942. Trains carrying Jews from various ghettos and transit camps arrived at the camp's railway platform. Upon arrival, victims were told they were being resettled and were ordered to undress and hand over their valuables. They were then led to the gas chambers, which were disguised as shower rooms. Carbon monoxide gas, produced by a diesel engine, was used to kill the victims.

The bodies were initially buried in mass graves, but later, as part of Operation 1005, they were exhumed and burned to eliminate evidence of the atrocities. This task was carried out by a Sonderkommando, a group of Jewish prisoners forced to work in the extermination process.

The Uprising

On October 14, 1943, a group of prisoners organized a revolt, led by Soviet POW Alexander Pechersky and Polish-Jewish prisoner Leon Feldhendler. The plan involved killing the SS officers and guards, seizing weapons, and escaping through the main gate. Although the uprising did not go entirely as planned, around 300 prisoners managed to escape. However, many were recaptured and killed. The revolt led to the closure of the camp, and the Nazis attempted to erase all traces of its existence by dismantling the structures and planting trees over the site.

Aftermath

Following the uprising, the remaining prisoners were either killed or transferred to other camps. The site of Sobibor was abandoned and largely forgotten until the 1960s when archaeological investigations began. These excavations uncovered remnants of the gas chambers, mass graves, and personal belongings of the victims.

In 2004, a memorial and museum were established at the site to honor the victims and educate the public about the atrocities committed there. The Sobibor Museum now serves as a place of remembrance and a source of historical research.

Legacy and Memory

The story of Sobibor has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films. The 1987 film "Escape from Sobibor" dramatizes the events of the uprising and has helped to bring wider recognition to the camp's history. The Sobibor revolt is often cited as a symbol of resistance and courage in the face of unimaginable horror.