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Treblinka Extermination Camp



Treblinka was the second largest extermination camp after Auschwitz. The camp was established in 1941. Treblinka had the second largest number of deaths in all the camps, adding to about 850,000 people. The camp was laid out in a rough rectangle 400 m wide by 600 m long. The camp was constructed as an elimination center for Jews in central Europe. The camp was divided into three zones: the SS and Ukraine living area, the reception area (auffanglager) and the extermination area (totenlager). The living and reception area was classified as “lower camp” and the extermination area was classified as “upper camp”. The camp was surrounded by two large barbed wires. The Nazis grew trees between the two fences so that they might conceal the activities in the camp from outsiders. There were four watch towers on each corner of the camp, and additional watch towers were added later to the extermination area. These housed Nazis that were in charge of supervising the prisoners below.  The SS and Ukraine living area was devoted to Nazis and the staff. The living area was located in the northwest section of the camp. It contained the living quarters for the German SS and the Ukrainian employees and other administration building. The building included offices, an infirmary, stores and workshops. The entrance to the camp was also located in this section of the camp. There was a sign next to the entrance that read “SS Sonderkommando Treblinka”. The entrance consisted of two wooden pillars. The wooden pillars were decorated with metal flowers and were connected by a small roof. On the roof were several floodlights. At night the entrance was filled with guards and the floodlights were used in hope of catching any escaping Jews.  A small section of the living area was given to the prisoners. The prisoners were kept in a small 100 x 100 square m space when they were not working. Their sleeping area was located in the center of the camp and was surrounded by barbed wire. Inside the barbed wire there were three barracks that formed a “U” shape. Also in this section of the camp there was a latrine or a toilet covered by a straw roof. The reception area was where many of the prisoners entered the camp. This area is in the southwest section of the death camp. It includes a railway track and a station platform with a ramp. Also in this area was a fake train station. The fake station was designed to trick arriving Jews into believing that they had arrived at a transit camp. The station was constructed with a clock that had painted on numerals that always indicated that it was 6 o’clock, ticket windows, timetables, and arrows. The Lazarett was a small execution site also located in the area. It was used to kill the ill or weak by shooting them in the neck. Behind the Lazarett was a fire pit in which a fire was always burning. The Lazarett was disguised as a Red Cross center and the room in which the Jews were tricked into believing it was a waiting room. Near the Lazarett were the storerooms where the Jew’s belonging were stored.  North of these storerooms was Station Square. Station Square was where the new arrivals went after stepping of the train. Toward the east of this small section was an area classified as the “undressing square”, where men and women were separated. Women went to the northern building and were stripped of their clothes and where forced to cut their hair. Men undressed in the southern building. After the men and women undressed they were forced to run down “the tube”. The Jews however, did not know that “the tube” would be leading them to the gas chambers  The extermination area was where mass killing occurred. The area was located in the southeastern part of the camp. The area was completely isolated from the rest of the death camp. Surrounding the section was barbed wire fence that was covered by trees, mounds of dirt, and buildings. The gas chambers were located inside the extermination area. The Treblinka camp originally had three gas chambers; however, they eventually expanded to having six death chambers. The room was disguised as a shower. Many Jews were tricked by the Nazis who had told them that they were going to be cleansed. The chambers were a room that was connected to a motor. Once all of the Jews had been forced into the gas chamber the motor would pump poisonous carbon monoxide gas into the room.  East of the chambers were the huge ditches. The ditches were used for burying the dead Jews. However, eventually the Nazis ran out of space to put the dead Jews. Across from the ditches was a small building that contained a kitchen, toilet, and a laundry room. There were two barracks next to the small building. One was used as a watchtower and the other as a guardroom.  The Treblinka death camp was a place of terror for thousands of Jews. At the camp every Jew was tricked into believing that they were going to life. The Nazis were clever and disguised many of the buildings as train stations and showers. Little did the Jews know that the train stations were false; they would never escape from Treblinka. The Jews were also tricked by the gas chambers; they thought that they were going to a shower. The death camp was closely guarded by Nazis. As the organization and structure of the camps shows is that the Nazis had no intention of not destroying the Jew’s race.

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 Noland Butler