Belzec extermination camp

When most people think of the holocaust, the gates of Auschwitz is usually the first image that pops into most peoples minds. Some people think the Auschwitz was the first or only camp but this was not true. Auschwitz was not even open to be used in the Final Solution of the Jewish problem. It was originally used for Poles.

Layout of Belzec


Poland had the largest number of Jews, 3.3million. It mad sense financially to have the camps there. Also the Nazis were not particularly worried about the Polish population since they had a history of being anti-Semitic.

The three operation Rheinhard camps are Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka II. (The other Treblinka camp being a concentration camp for Poles.) Camp commanders and personal were recuited from those who had assisted in the killings of mentally handicapped. Other guards were known anit-Semites. Instead of Zyklon B, the Operation Rheinhard camps used Carbon Monoxide that was pumped from trucks.

Jews being deported to their deaths at Belzec

Tank of Carbon Monoxide that was used to murder Jews.

Belzec was the first camp and opened in April 1940. It was located in Galicia in southern Poland. Its purpose was specifically the murder of all who had the misfortune of being sent there. Around 500,000 Jews were killed in Belzec along with Gypsies, Soviets, Poles and a few others. Belzec was open for less than a year but reopened for three months in 1943. Belzec was the model camp for the other two operation Rheinhard camps.

When Belzec closed, the special commando unit who were in charge of disposing of the bodies were shipped to Sobibor and gassed there. Unlike all the other extermination camps, except fot Chelmno, there was no revolt at Belzec. It was known for its brutality and prisoners were discarded of every three months usually.

There are only 3 known survivors from Belzec, Rudolf Reder and Chaim Hirszman. The other was later recaptured and deported to another camp where he perished.

Rudolf Reder

Psychiatrists under Nazism

Many psychiatrists were persecuted by the Nazis during the Holocaust. A lot of psychiatrists were Jewish or were of Jewish decent. Many escaped to England or America before the deportations started. This wave of immigration started the psychoanalysis movement in America. Most of the immigrants settled in New York.

Sigmund Freud and Wife

One of the most famous psychiatrists was Sigmund Freud who was an Austrian of Jewish decent but was not a practicing Jew and denounced religion. A Nazi, Anton Sauerwald, saved Freud and his family. He was an admirer of Freud’s work and a student of a close friend of Freud. Sauerwald signed Freud’s visa to London prior to his escape. A book was written about the family’s escape, The Escape of Sigmund Freud. In return, Freud’s daughter saved Sauerwald after he was arrested by a Freud’s nephew, a U.S. soldier. Sauerwald also saved some of the families money and property. Some of Freud’s books were saved by Sauerwald and hidden in the Austrian National library.

Viktor Frankl was another psychiatrist persecuted by the Nazis. Unlike Freud, he did not escape and was deported. With his parents and wife, Frankl was sent to Theresienstadt transit camp. Their, he still practiced and worked to prevent suicide among inmates. Eventually, he was deported to Auschwitz. His father got sick and died within the Theresienstadt camp, his mother was gassed at Auschwitz, his brother died in a camp, and his wife died in Bergen-Belsen. His only surviving family member was a sister who had escaped to Australia. His stay in the concentration camps lead to his theory of logotherapy, the thought that everything had meaning. This is the Third Viennese school of Psychotherapy, under Freud and Adler. Frankl was eventually liberated by the Americans.

Viktor Frankl





The Escape of Sigmund Freud by David Cohen

Man’s search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

The Holocaust in Iraq

Jews have lived in Iraq for the past 2,600 years.

Jewish family in Iraq

By 1951, 80% of all Iraqi Jews have immigrated, alomost all to Israel. The time during the Holocaust resulted in the beginning of the end to the Jewish community in Iraq.

Mass Grave


Rashid Ali was the pro-nazi government of Iraq at the time of the Holocaust. Many Muslim joined the Nazi party. A youth group was made in Iraq based off the Hitler's Youth program, Al-Fatwa. At this time, Iraq was under British control. They decided to place 'Abd al-Ilah as the leader of Iraq.

Muslim Nazis

Germany had strong ties to Iraq. Iraq had a German embassy. From the very start of Hitler's Third Reich, propoganda was shown in Iraq. Mein Kampf was translated into Arabic. Pro-nazi Iraqi officers were known as The Golden Square.

On April 1st, 1941, the Golden Square susscessfully over threw the British-imposed Iraqi government. Confortation happened between the Iraqi and the British armies. Hitler decided to fully back Iraq while the British asked Roosevelt for assistance.

On May 30th, the Britians were able to drive the Golden Coup out of Iraq. Most of them escaped through Iran to Germany.

Farhud is the name of the Iraqi pogrom against the Jews on June 1st and 2nd of 1941. Around 180 Jews were killed, about 900 homes and businesses destroyed and looted, and between 250 and 2000 Jews injured. The Israeli-based Babylonian Heritage Museum claims that in addition to 180 identified victims there are about 600 unidentified victims buried in a mass grave. Eight people were sentenced to death by the pro-British Iraqi government.

Farhud, the forgotton pogrom of the Holocaust marks the beginning of the dispora from Iraq. More lootings, harrassment, and abuse followed. By 2003, less than 100 Jews were left in this once great Jewish community. By 2008, the Jewish community in Iraq numbered a mere 7 people.