Treblinka II Extermination Camp

Treblinka is arguably the largest Nazi extermination camp. Most estimates vary around 800,000, but some go above a million, which would put the death toll higher than Auschwitz. Until the arrival of the Hungarian Jews in the summer of 1944, Treblinka was by far the largest camp. Treblinka is located in eastern Poland near the city of Treblinka, hence the name. Treblinka was built for the disposal of the Jews of Warsaw and some of the surrounding areas. Like Auschwitz, Treblinka had two camps. The Treblinka I was used as a labor camp for Poles where about 20,000 inmates died. Treblinka I was closed and converted into the extermination camp.

Treblinka is another one of the Operational Rheinhard camps. It was opened between July 23rd, 1942 ans October 19th, 1943. (It should be noted that the “Big Round-up” Groβe Aktion in Warsaw in which 300,000 Jews were deported started on July 22nd of 1942) Many Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) also perished at Treblinka as well as Soviets, Poles, etc.

Jews being helb in Warsaw befor deportation.

Treblinka was an extermination camp meant only to kill the Jewish race. Besides a small amount to handle the remands, 99% of Jews who arrived at Treblinka were gassed immediately. Treblinka used carbon monoxide instead of the more famous zyklon B. They did not have crematoriums but mass pyres and graves.

Each stone represents a City or village of Jews who perished at Treblinka.

The prisoners staged a revolt at Treblinka on September 11th, 1942. About 300 of the 600-800 prisoners escaped. The rest were made to demolish the camp than sent to the Sobibor extermination to be gassed. (They wrote notes on the cattle cars which the Sobibor inmates found. This helped fuel their revolt in October 1943.)

Imfried Eberl was the only physician to command an extermination camp/ he had previous work killing the mentally and physically handicapped in Germany’s T4 operation. His dreams for Treblinka was to exceed all other death camps.

There are only 40 known Treblinka survivors.

Some survivors who had participated in the revolt.