Polish museum shows items recently uncovered at the former Sobibor Nazi death camp

Record ID: 165882

  • Title: Polish museum shows items recently uncovered at the former Sobibor Nazi death camp
  • Date: 27th January 2017
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PHOTOGRAPHS IN ALBUM
  • Embargoed: 10th February 2017 11:44
  • Keywords: Holocaust anniversary
  • Location: LUBLIN, POLAND
  • City: LUBLIN, POLAND
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA00260UV8S9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Over 3,000 items found during recent archaeological research on the premises of the former Nazi death camp in Sobibor are put on display at the Majdanek state museum in the Polish city of Lublin - each of them a testimony of a human existence.
    The mainly personal items such as glasses, rings, cutlery and watches belonged to the inmates of the Sobibor camp and were taken away from them before they were send to the gas chambers, including also children's belongings like a Mickey mouse brooch and a piece of a children's mug.
    "This is material inheritance, a document and sometimes the only testimony that was left behind by those murdered," said Wiesława Zlot, manager of the collectibles department at the museum.
    In most of the cases it is impossible to establish who the items belonged to. Based on coins dug out at the execution sites, scientists can deduce the countries camp inmates came from: Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland. A few people could be identified thanks to metal pendants.
    "In the museum there are three identification nameplates of Dutch children who came to Sobibor from March to July, these are the nameplates for Deddi Zak, an eight-year-old boy who came from Amsterdam, Leay Judith de La Penny, a six year-old girl and Anne Kapper, an eleven year-old girl. The children immediately after their arrival to Sobibor were killed in the gas chambers with their parents," said Zlot.
    Germans tried to erase the traces of their crime by blowing up the gas chambers. However, fragments of the prisoner's belongings remained covered by dirt.
    The foundations of the gas chambers at Sobibor were discovered in 2014 by archaeologists. Close by the highest number of items was uncovered during excavation works, including also combs, women's hair-pins and house-keys.
    "They are very soiled, there are layers of corrosion, they are fragile and they need to be handled in a specialist way. The conservation of these objects conducted in our workroom is of a conservative nature, which means that first of all we focus on clearing the objects of dirt and properly securing them. The most difficult objects are those made of iron because they are very poorly preserved and they have a lot of layers (of rust), so we limit ourselves to removing a part of corrosion and securing them not to lose the form of the object," explained restorer Weronika Wojcik.
    At the time more valuable items have been taken away from the prisoners and were placed in warehouses in Lublin, from where they were driven out to various locations in the 'Third Reich'. Their number or whereabouts still remains unknown.
    "Items found on the premises of the former Nazi Death Camp in Sobibor mostly belonged to the people murdered there. They were waiting underground along with the ashes of their owners for seventy years. That fact alone makes them more than just museum artifacts to us, they are relics of exceptional historical significance and tremendous impact. On one hand they are evidence of a crime, the mass extermination of Jews, an operation code named "Reinhardt", on the other hand they are moving testimonies of lives of victims before their deportation to Sobibor," said Tomasz Kranz, director of the Majdanek state museum.
    Photographs and documents taken away from the Jewish victims were burnt. There was supposed to be no sign left of the prisoners.
    However, in 1942 on the roadside of the village of Krasniczyn, through which the Jews were deported from Germany to the camp, a photo album was found. It belonged to Serra Adler, who most likely was murdered in Sobibor along with her family.
    Part of the items found in Sobibor are going to be exhibited in a permanent exhibition in the future domicile of the Sobibor Museum at the former death camp.
    The extermination camp in Sobibor was established in 1942 within the framework of "Operation Reinhardt", part of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jewish community in occupied territories. The total number of victims is not known, but it is estimated that between March 1942 and October 1943 at least 250 thousand Jews were murdered in the camp.
    Over 3300 items found during archaeological research led on the premises of the former Nazi Death Camp in Sobibor have been placed in the State Museum at Majdanek in Lublin. Most of them are personal items: glasses, rings, cutlery and watches. Two third of collection has been cleared of dirt and rust and preserved against corrosion. Some of them will be available to see in a new Museum in Sobibor.
    More valuable items have been taken away from the prisoners. They were placed in warehouses in Lublin, from where they were driven out to Third Reich. What were the items or how many of them were there remains unknown.
    "Items found on the premises of the former Nazi Death Camp in Sobibor have mainly belonged to the people murdered there. They were waiting underground along with the remains of their owners for seventy years. That fact alone makes the collectibles special to us, they are relics of exceptional historical significance and tremendous impact force. On one hand they are the evidence of crime, the mass Jews extermination, an operation encrypted as "Reinhardt" code name, on the other hand they are moving testimonies of lives of victims before deportation to Sobibor." says dr Tomasz Kranz, Director of the State Museum at Majdanek in Lublin.
    Photographs and documents taken away from the Jewish victims were burnt. There were supposed to be no mark after the prisoners. However, in 1942 on the roadside of Krasniczyn village, through which the Jews deported from Germany were led the album with photos has been found. It belonged to Serra Adler who most likely has been murdered in Sobibor along with her family.
    A part of the items found in Sobibor by Archaeologists will be exhibited on a permanent exhibition in the future domicile of the Museum of the Former Death Camp in Sobibor. Before the construction starts, Archaeologists have to finish securing the places of Mass tombs- these works are planned until April. The date of opening of the Museum is still unspecified.
    Death Camp in Sobibor was created between April and May 1942 as a second after Bełzec center for Jews extermination within "Operation Reinhardt". In Sobibor, there has been murdered at least 250 thousand Jews.
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