Soviet Treblinka Investigation 1944-August - Revision history

Pilgrimofdark at 14:56, 5 January 2026

2026-01-05T14:56:33Z

Pilgrimofdark: /* III */

2025-12-17T14:27:37Z

III

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	Exhausted and starving, the prisoners performed forced labor in the ballast pit, in the fields, and in the workshops. They worked 10 to 16 hours a day.		Exhausted and starving, the prisoners performed forced labor in the ballast pit, in the fields, and in the workshops. They worked 10 to 16 hours a day.

	For the slightest "violation" of the established regime, the camp administration and guards subjected the prisoners to sophisticated abuse and torture. For example:# The "guilty" were stripped naked, placed on boards, and beaten 25 to 50 times with rubber truncheons (witness testimony: Franciszek WIESELOWSKI, Józef ŁUKASZEK, Marianna ŁUKASZEK, and Barbara ZEMKIEWICZ);		For the slightest "violation" of the established regime, the camp administration and guards subjected the prisoners to sophisticated abuse and torture. For example:
			# The "guilty" were stripped naked, placed on boards, and beaten 25 to 50 times with rubber truncheons (witness testimony: Franciszek WIESELOWSKI, Józef ŁUKASZEK, Marianna ŁUKASZEK, and Barbara ZEMKIEWICZ);
	# The prisoners were hauled up the quarry hill and thrown down from a height of 10-12 meters (witness testimony: Józef ŁUKASZEK and Stanisław KRYM);		# The prisoners were hauled up the quarry hill and thrown down from a height of 10-12 meters (witness testimony: Józef ŁUKASZEK and Stanisław KRYM);
	# The women were gathered into a group, mounted on horses, and galloped into the crowd, crushing them. This was carried out by the camp commander, Hauptsturmführer <u>VAN EUPEN</u> (witness testimony: Barbara ZEMKIEWICZ);<ref name="ftn73">The name is underlined in blue ink.</ref>		# The women were gathered into a group, mounted on horses, and galloped into the crowd, crushing them. This was carried out by the camp commander, Hauptsturmführer <u>VAN EUPEN</u> (witness testimony: Barbara ZEMKIEWICZ);<ref name="ftn73">The name is underlined in blue ink.</ref>

Pilgrimofdark: /* Testimony of Henryk Brenner on the situation of prisoners at the Treblinka death camp. Żarki, August 17, 1944. */

2025-12-17T14:27:19Z

Testimony of Henryk Brenner on the situation of prisoners at the Treblinka death camp. Żarki, August 17, 1944.

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	From the railway line built long ago to the Milewko farmstead, the Germans built a short railway line to the Jewish camp. The line was 20 cars long. The train was divided into three parts. <u>The Jews did not live in the camp for long</u>.<ref name="ftn41">The sentence is underlined with a blue pen.</ref> They were killed on the same day they were brought in. The barracks in the camp could accommodate no more than 1,000 Jews serving the camp. They were also killed.		From the railway line built long ago to the Milewko farmstead, the Germans built a short railway line to the Jewish camp. The line was 20 cars long. The train was divided into three parts. <u>The Jews did not live in the camp for long</u>.<ref name="ftn41">The sentence is underlined with a blue pen.</ref> They were killed on the same day they were brought in. The barracks in the camp could accommodate no more than 1,000 Jews serving the camp. They were also killed.

	To keep the camp secret, the Germans did the following:<ref name="ftn42">On the left, the sentence is highlighted with a double vertical line (drawn with a pen).</ref># The train guards were not allowed into the camp.		To keep the camp secret, the Germans did the following:<ref name="ftn42">On the left, the sentence is highlighted with a double vertical line (drawn with a pen).</ref>
			# The train guards were not allowed into the camp.
	# The barbed wire fence was covered with branches so that it was impossible to see what was going on in the camp.		# The barbed wire fence was covered with branches so that it was impossible to see what was going on in the camp.
	# At the entrance to the camp there was a sign: "Boarding to Wołkowysk and Białystok." A platform was made. A railway ticket office was built. A luggage storage room. A passenger train schedule. A large railway clock. The appearance of a railway station was created. The "station" was not called Treblinka, but "Ober-Majdan."		# At the entrance to the camp there was a sign: "Boarding to Wołkowysk and Białystok." A platform was made. A railway ticket office was built. A luggage storage room. A passenger train schedule. A large railway clock. The appearance of a railway station was created. The "station" was not called Treblinka, but "Ober-Majdan."

Pilgrimofdark: /* IV */

2025-12-17T00:12:40Z

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	While it is difficult to uncover the traces and secrets of this oven-like incineration factory, the available data allows us to imagine it.		While it is difficult to uncover the traces and secrets of this oven-like incineration factory, the available data allows us to imagine it.

	The furnace is a large ditch dug by an excavator. It is 250-300 meters long, 20-25 meters wide, and 5-6 meters deep. Three rows of reinforced concrete pillars, up to one and a half meters high, are dug into the bottom of the ditch. The pillars are connected by crossbars, or rails. Rails are laid on the crossbars, spaced 5-7 cm apart. This serves as a giant grate for the furnace. A narrow-gauge railway ran along the edges of the ditch (witness testimony from KON Abe, DRENERA Khoinokh, and Samuil ~~RAIZMAN~~, and materials from the book "A Year in Treblinka").		The furnace is a large ditch dug by an excavator. It is 250-300 meters long, 20-25 meters wide, and 5-6 meters deep. Three rows of reinforced concrete pillars, up to one and a half meters high, are dug into the bottom of the ditch. The pillars are connected by crossbars, or rails. Rails are laid on the crossbars, spaced 5-7 cm apart. This serves as a giant grate for the furnace. A narrow-gauge railway ran along the edges of the ditch (witness testimony from KON Abe, DRENERA Khoinokh, and Samuil RAJZMAN, and materials from the book "A Year in Treblinka").

	"I am one of the few," says ~~Raizman~~, "who were not burned. I arrived at the camp in September 1942 and escaped in September 1943. During my escape, I caught a glimpse of the oven where the Jews were burned. In 11 months, I believe the Germans burned about 3 million people."		"I am one of the few," says Rajzman, "who were not burned. I arrived at the camp in September 1942 and escaped in September 1943. During my escape, I caught a glimpse of the oven where the Jews were burned. In 11 months, I believe the Germans burned about 3 million people."

	Hundreds of villagers within a 10-15 km radius of the camp reported smelling the unbearable stench of burning meat, seeing giant plumes of black smoke, and at night, the glow of a fire could be seen 15 km away. Residents of the village of Wólka Okrąglik, two kilometers from the camp, confirmed hearing terrifying screams.		Hundreds of villagers within a 10-15 km radius of the camp reported smelling the unbearable stench of burning meat, seeing giant plumes of black smoke, and at night, the glow of a fire could be seen 15 km away. Residents of the village of Wólka Okrąglik, two kilometers from the camp, confirmed hearing terrifying screams.

Pilgrimofdark: /* Testimony of Stanisław Zdonek about the first months of the Treblinka labor camp. Village of Kosów Lacki, [August 1944] */

2025-12-17T00:10:16Z

Testimony of Stanisław Zdonek about the first months of the Treblinka labor camp. Village of Kosów Lacki, [August 1944]

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	I was old and sick, and I couldn't keep up with the younger workers in the stump-pulling work. I was beaten with sticks more than once. Under threat of death, I strained myself to work. After work, someone from the management would come and inspect our work. If he felt we hadn't accomplished enough, he would order everyone beaten with sticks. People were shot every day. The Germans continually selected and shot all those prisoners who, due to exhaustion or illness, lost their ability to work. We lived in terribly cramped conditions, in cold barracks, on bare boards. The filth and crowding led to illness, especially typhus; weakened people quickly died from typhus.		I was old and sick, and I couldn't keep up with the younger workers in the stump-pulling work. I was beaten with sticks more than once. Under threat of death, I strained myself to work. After work, someone from the management would come and inspect our work. If he felt we hadn't accomplished enough, he would order everyone beaten with sticks. People were shot every day. The Germans continually selected and shot all those prisoners who, due to exhaustion or illness, lost their ability to work. We lived in terribly cramped conditions, in cold barracks, on bare boards. The filth and crowding led to illness, especially typhus; weakened people quickly died from typhus.

	Signature: Stanisław Zdonek.Correct: Major /signature/		Signature: Stanisław Zdonek.

			Correct: Major /signature/

	= Testimony of Barbara Zemkiewicz about German abuses in the Treblinka labor camp. Village of Kosów-Lacki, [August 1944] =		= Testimony of Barbara Zemkiewicz about German abuses in the Treblinka labor camp. Village of Kosów-Lacki, [August 1944] =

Pilgrimofdark: /* Testimony of Józef Łukaszek about the cruelty of the administration of the Treblinka labor camp and the executions of prisoners. The village of Kosów-Lacki, [August 1944] */

2025-12-17T00:07:05Z

Testimony of Józef Łukaszek about the cruelty of the administration of the Treblinka labor camp and the executions of prisoners. The village of Kosów-Lacki, [August 1944]

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	I was sentenced to a year in Treblinka without questioning. After serving that sentence, my wife approached the headman and offered a bribe (butter, eggs), and I was released.		I was sentenced to a year in Treblinka without questioning. After serving that sentence, my wife approached the headman and offered a bribe (butter, eggs), and I was released.

	Łukaszek Józef.CORRECT: Major /signature/		Łukaszek Józef.

			CORRECT: Major /signature/

	= Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] =		= Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] =

Pilgrimofdark: /* Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] */

2025-12-17T00:06:53Z

Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944]

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	Signature: Lucjan Puchała.		Signature: Lucjan Puchała.

	Correct: Major /signature/		Correct: Major /signature/

Pilgrimofdark: /* Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] */

2025-12-17T00:06:36Z

Testimony of senior railway worker Lucjan Puchała about the conditions of detention in the Treblinka camps. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944]

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	From July 1, 1942, until August 1943, trains arrived at the camp daily—one, two, or three trains a day, each with 60 carriages.<ref name="ftn12">To the left, this sentence is highlighted with a pencil.</ref> Each carriage held between <u>150 and 250</u> people.<ref name="ftn13">The numbers are underlined with a pencil.</ref> The camps were so densely packed that in the summer, more than half of them arrived at the camp suffocated. The carriages included men and children as young as two, five, or six months old. They were mostly Jews and Roma, with significantly fewer Poles. As the train approached and the cars were being unloaded, none of us were allowed near. The Germans even removed their own guards. Meanwhile, a brass band played marches at full blast, and excavator engines roared to drown out the cries of the unfortunate "passengers." Items were thrown into a pile, then the valuables were selected and taken to Germany, while the less valuable items were burned or buried. All men, women, and children were stripped naked and herded into a chamber, where they were murdered. On average, 12,000 to 18,000 people were killed this way daily. This took place in a Jewish "death camp." In the Polish camp, people did various jobs. They made furniture, did metalwork, blacksmithing, tailoring, and other work for the German army, or exported their products to Germany. I worked in a sand quarry as a foreman, loading sand onto wagons. Although the camp was called Polish, there were still many Jews and people of other nationalities there. The working conditions were unbearable. Guards killed people without reason. They killed for refusing to pay the guard, or for having good boots, which the guard took away when killing the prisoner. They also killed for "fun." They killed with a blow to the head with a shovel, hung them from train cars, threw them down from a 12-15 meter quarry, and buried them alive. I repeatedly saw people hanged by their feet, upside down, by their arms, and then, after holding the unfortunate man in this position for an hour, remove him for a break, and then hang him again. Repeating this several times, they finally killed their victim. Those who worked nonstop for 10 or more hours were given 150 grams of bread per day, consisting of water and a few potatoes. Many died of exhaustion. The unsanitary conditions of the camp led to widespread illness. Many people died of typhus.		From July 1, 1942, until August 1943, trains arrived at the camp daily—one, two, or three trains a day, each with 60 carriages.<ref name="ftn12">To the left, this sentence is highlighted with a pencil.</ref> Each carriage held between <u>150 and 250</u> people.<ref name="ftn13">The numbers are underlined with a pencil.</ref> The camps were so densely packed that in the summer, more than half of them arrived at the camp suffocated. The carriages included men and children as young as two, five, or six months old. They were mostly Jews and Roma, with significantly fewer Poles. As the train approached and the cars were being unloaded, none of us were allowed near. The Germans even removed their own guards. Meanwhile, a brass band played marches at full blast, and excavator engines roared to drown out the cries of the unfortunate "passengers." Items were thrown into a pile, then the valuables were selected and taken to Germany, while the less valuable items were burned or buried. All men, women, and children were stripped naked and herded into a chamber, where they were murdered. On average, 12,000 to 18,000 people were killed this way daily. This took place in a Jewish "death camp." In the Polish camp, people did various jobs. They made furniture, did metalwork, blacksmithing, tailoring, and other work for the German army, or exported their products to Germany. I worked in a sand quarry as a foreman, loading sand onto wagons. Although the camp was called Polish, there were still many Jews and people of other nationalities there. The working conditions were unbearable. Guards killed people without reason. They killed for refusing to pay the guard, or for having good boots, which the guard took away when killing the prisoner. They also killed for "fun." They killed with a blow to the head with a shovel, hung them from train cars, threw them down from a 12-15 meter quarry, and buried them alive. I repeatedly saw people hanged by their feet, upside down, by their arms, and then, after holding the unfortunate man in this position for an hour, remove him for a break, and then hang him again. Repeating this several times, they finally killed their victim. Those who worked nonstop for 10 or more hours were given 150 grams of bread per day, consisting of water and a few potatoes. Many died of exhaustion. The unsanitary conditions of the camp led to widespread illness. Many people died of typhus.

	Signature: Lucjan Puchała.Correct: Major /signature/		Signature: Lucjan Puchała.
			Correct: Major /signature/

	= Testimony of prisoner Kazimierz Skarżyński about the disposal of ashes from burnt corpses in the Treblinka death camp. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] =		= Testimony of prisoner Kazimierz Skarżyński about the disposal of ashes from burnt corpses in the Treblinka death camp. The village of Wólka Okrąglik, [August 1944] =

Pilgrimofdark: /* Sources */

2025-12-16T21:47:00Z

Sources

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	Mattogno, Carlo, Thomas Kues, and Jürgen Graf. ''The “Extermination Camps” of “Aktion Reinhardt”: An Analysis and Refutation of Factitious “Evidence,” Deceptions and Flawed Argumentation of the “Holocaust Controversies” Bloggers.'' 2nd, slightly corrected edition eds. Vol. 2. Castle Hill Publishers, 2015.		Mattogno, Carlo, Thomas Kues, and Jürgen Graf. ''The “Extermination Camps” of “Aktion Reinhardt”: An Analysis and Refutation of Factitious “Evidence,” Deceptions and Flawed Argumentation of the “Holocaust Controversies” Bloggers.'' 2nd, slightly corrected edition eds. Vol. 2. Castle Hill Publishers, 2015.

	Pachaljuk, Konstantin Aleksandrovič, ed. ''Treblinka: Research, Memories, Documents.'' Naučnoe izdanie. Яуза, 2021. Originally published as ''Treblinka: Issledovanija, vospominanija, dokumenty.''		Pachaljuk, Konstantin Aleksandrovič, ed. ''Treblinka: Research, Memories, Documents.'' Naučnoe izdanie. Яуза, 2021. Originally published as ''Treblinka: Issledovanija, vospominanija, dokumenty.'' https://docs.historyrussia.org/ru/nodes/354229-treblinka-issledovaniya-vospominaniya-dokumenty

	= Archival References =		= Archival References =

Pilgrimofdark at 17:01, 16 December 2025

2025-12-16T17:01:19Z

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	= See also =		= See also =

	*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-September\|Soviet-Polish Commission]]		*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-September\|September 1944, Soviet-Polish Commission]]
	*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-SMERSH\|SMERSH]]		*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-SMERSH\|September/November 1944, SMERSH]]
	*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-ChGK\|Extaordinary State Commission (ChGK)]]		*[[Soviet_Treblinka_Investigation_1944-ChGK\|October/December 1944, Extaordinary State Commission (ChGK)]]