Memorial site at chelmno death camp in poland photos by. Vernichtungslager kulmhof, built during world war ii, was the first of the nazi german extermination camps and was situated 50 kilometres 31 miles north of the metropolitan city of lodz at the time renamed to litzmannstadt, near the village of chelmno nad nerem german. The testimonies of the last prisoners in the death camp chelmno. Holocaust experts would have no hesitation in naming the three operation reinhardt camps. The only ones to be saved were a small group of workers selected by the germans for work connected with their criminal activities. In chronicling the history of the first nazi extermination camp at chelmno, montague shows how the camp broke the psychological barrier for establishing subsequent factories of death, and became the model for death camps such as treblinka and auschwitz. This book is the first comprehensive work in any language to detail all aspects of the camp s history, organization, and operations and to remedy the. That these prisoners survived the conditions there, and were this book is a powerful piece of creative nonfiction in the best sense of the term. The chelmno woods were guarded by about eighty ssmen.
As the first extermination camp established by the nazi regime and the prototype of the singlepurpose death camps of treblinka, sobibor and belzec, the chelmno death camp stands as a crucial but largely unexplored element of the holocaust. Download paper pdf united states holocaust memorial museum. In the spring of 1944, the nazis reactivated the dormant killing center in chelmno in preparation for the ghettos liquidation. It is in the middle of summer but not a bird can be heard nearby. The use of gas vans was exploited here under orders from adolf hitler to speed up the extermination of the jewish race. May 16, 2000 i post hereunder the list of the 82 children from the czech village lidice, who were murdered in the gas vans of chelmno, as part of a collective punishment of the nazis to the assault of reinhard heydrich on may 27, 1942. Sshauptsturmfuhrer hans bothmann or hans johann bothmann november 11, 1911 april 4, 1946 was the last commandant of the chelmno extermination camp from 1942 on ss card number 117630. A great number of ground relics of the past are part of the exhibition. The chelmno death camp has historical significance because it is the first place where the jews were gassed in the genocide known as the holocaust, which took the lives of six million jews. Emphasize the importance, and the difficulty, of maintaining a persons pride and integrity in the midst of all of the degradation.
Jewish book world montagues claim for this book as the first comprehensive history of. The first camp where mass executions were carried out using gas, chelmno was a testing ground for the nazis looking to develop increasingly efficient methods to carry out their final solution. Chris webb has studied the holocaust for over 45 years. Jews from the lodz ghetto board deportation trains for the. Creation of extermination camps, 1941 1942 the holocaust. Our book covers the construction of the camp, its unique position in history as the first of hitlers death camps in poland, albeit using gasvans rather than static gas chambers to murder its victims. Lodz transports to the chelmno kulmhof extermination camp. Chelmno, the little known death camp scrapbookpages blog. Some soviet prisoners of war and more than 4,000 roma gypsies. Extermination camp simple english wikipedia, the free. Szimon serbernik, the only witness still alive today 24. On the basis of my observations the total number of ssmen serving in chelmno was about 120. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to know more about this camp. Most people can easily name the most famous death camp.
Many people could also come up with the name majdanek maidenek in german. In a small polish village, the final solution of the jewish question commenced with the establishment in december 1941 of the first camp built for the sole purpose of extermination, at chelmno nad nerem kulmhof an. Word of the nazi extermination camp traveled through the underground sources in poland all the way west to britain. On the grounds of the estate was a large twostory brick country house called the palace. Feb 10, 2010 holocaust survivor shimon srebrnik describes the chelmno death camp. From early december 1941 until midjanuary 1942, the ss and police deported jews by truck from nearby towns and villages. This book is a comprehensive account of the chelmno death camp. This book helps to bring to light the history of this camp.
Chelmno killing center the ending arrival at chelmno the chelmno killing center was established to annihilate the jewish population of the watherland chelmno was the first stationary facility where poison gas was used for mass murder 320,000 people were killed at chelmno on. A man stands outside the site of the chelmno camp after the war shilberg. It was here that huge masses of jewish prisoners were rounded up and mercilessly gassed in socalled gas vans or. Rosie whitehouse visits chelmno, a site dwarfed by visitor numbers to auschwitz but where the nazis experimented with mass murder. At a very minimum 152,000 people were killed in the camp, which would make it the fifth most deadly extermination camp, after sobibor, belzec, treblinka, and auschwitz. Already before ww2 kolo and chelmno were connected by a narrow gauge railway, which ran from kolo to dabie. Almost all of the prisoners sent to chelmno were killed right away. The building of the first nazi extermination camp at chelmno and nerem gassing van used to exterminate jews at chelmno extermination camp and elsewhere the belongings of jews gassed at chelmno cover the floor of a synagogue in nearby kolo, where prisoners were kept before they were taken by truck to the killing center. The worlds premier revisionist scholar, carlo mattogno, focuses his microscope on chelmno, the infamous germanrun death camp located in poland.
The deadliest extermination camp was auschwitzbirkenau, where approximately one million people were murdered. This is the story of the chelmno extermination camp, where jews were first gassed to death, few people know what happened inside this camp. Chelmno was identified as a death camp by the communist main commission for the investigation of german crimes in poland in may 1945. Buy this book in print summary this work is a comprehensive history of the chelmno camp, located in poland, which the author argues was a template for other, better known and documented nazi camps devoted exclusively to the final solution for europes jews and others.
Kulmhof, a town in poland in the region of warta, called warthegau by the germans during the second world war, is of major importance in orthodox holocaust historiography, because it is claimed to be the first death camp built to serve the genocidal agenda of which the germans are accused. The extermination camp at chelmno was a typical death camp, i. Chelmno death camp jewish memorial stones for chelmno victims. The chelmno extermination camp, located in poland, was used for the murder of over 152,000 people during its operations chelmno.
Polish lands incorporated into the reich, the socalled warthegau warthe land zone of operations of the chelmnokulmhof death camp. At first, they killed prisoners at chelmno inside vans, using carbon monoxide exhaust fumes. This book on the sobibor death camp is the latest book in his trilogy of the three aktion reinhardt camps. The death camp in the village of chelmno in the kolo county in central poland became operational on 8 december 1941. These commenced in december 1940 and continued until june 1942. The entire jewish population from the warthegau was to be exterminated there by means of poisonous gases. The author does a good job in using primary sources. It was here that huge masses of jewish prisoners were rounded up and mercilessly gassed in socalled gas vans or shot claims vary from 10,000 to 1. A nazi extermination camp in poland, established at the end of 1941, chelmno was the first of the nazi extermination camps employing carbon monoxide gas vans as the main method of killing.
There were no further deportations to death camps from lodz for the next one and a half years. The video is an excerpt of the film chelmno a testimony from the holocaust history museum in yad vashem. Chelmno is one of the least researched nazi extermination camps. However, the west german prosecution, citing nazi figures during the chelmno trials of 196265, laid charges for at least 180,000 victims. Jewish memorials at chelmno death camp in poland photos by. Later, like at the other death camps, the nazis built gas chambers so they could kill more people at a time. Isbn 3860779338 160 pages in german, photos, 3 maps. Check other interesting facts about chelmno extermination camp below. Detailed accounts from jewish prisoners who worked in the waldlager. In my last article for the carr blog, i wrote a summary of my book on auschwitz which was published in april by ibidemverlag. This book has been cowritten with my late friend and continue reading chelmno. January 17th, 2011 meaghan thanks to meaghan good of the charley project for the guest post. On the night of january 1718 in 1945, szymon srebrnik was shot in the head, along with 46 other jewish prisoners, at the chelmno extermination camp near the village of chelmno in central poland szymon whose name has also. Martin gilbert wrote in his book, entitled holocaust, that 360,000 jews were killed at chelmno just in the first phase of the killing, between december 7, 1941 and march 1943.
After annexation by germany kulmhof was included into reichsgau wartheland in 1939. Krakowski, former head of the yad vashem archives, brings the reader face to face with the cruel reality. This book is the first comprehensive work in any language to detail all aspects of the camps history, organization, and operations and to remedy the dearth of information in holocaust literature about chelmno, which served as a template for the nazis final solution. In the presence of the parties heard a testimony not under oath of the witness mentioned below. Genocide in action, 19411945 emil leon pilpel right 23 january 188926 may 1942 was a polishaustrian jewish accountant. Deportation to death camps began in december 1941, with the transport of gypsies to chelmno. Webb has acted as a consultant on a number of documentaries shown on television regarding the holocaust as well as donating images from his extensive private archive.
Holocaust survivors and victims database the list of 82. On 8 december 1941, chelmno extermination camp was operated by nazi. Rosie whitehouse visits chelmno, a site dwarfed by visitor numbers to auschwitz but. This book is the first comprehensive work in any language to detail all aspects of the camps history, organization, and operations a as the first extermination camp established by the nazi regime and the prototype of the singlepurpose death camps of treblinka, sobibor, and belzec, the chelmno death camp stands as a crucial but largely unexplored. Remembering chelmno volume 56 number 1, januaryfebruary 2003 by juliet golden heartwrenching finds from a nazi death camp. The boy in the striped pajamas by john boyne, rose under fire by elizabeth wein, the hiding place. Oboz smierci w chelmno nad nerem, janusz golczynski, published by the konin museum, 1991. Holocaust survivor shimon srebrnik describes the chelmno death camp. The nazis chose an empty manor house in chelmno called the castle for extermination purposes.
Immediately after the war, the provisional polish government created the central commision for the investigation of german crimes in poland, whose main task was to establish what had happened and prepare the evidence for the nuremberg trial and for subsequent trials of german war criminals in poland. Chelmno is located 60 km northwest of lodz and 14 km southeast of kolo. The history of hitlers first death camp makes it clear that not only did t4 morph into the final solution, at times the two programmes overlapped. Chelmno was the first death camp used by the nazis for the mass killing of jews by poisonous gas. The museums collections document the fate of holocaust victims, survivors, rescuers, liberators, and others through artifacts, documents, photos, films, books, personal stories, and more. Mar 19, 2009 the death camp in the village of chelmno in the kolo county in central poland became operational on 8 december 1941. It was located in central poland, 50 miles from the city of lodz. The testimonies of the last prisoners in the death camp. Chelmno kulemhof as was called by the germans was the first extermination camp erected by the nazis, by full clear intention to serve for mass killing by gas.
The name given by the german occupation authorities to chelmno was kulmhof. The camp began operations on december 7, 1942, and ended operations on march 1943. Between 1941 and 1945, as many as 300,000 adults and children, mostly polish jews, were executed and cremated here. On the night of january 1718 in 1945, szymon srebrnik was shot in the head, along with 46 other jewish prisoners, at the chelmno extermination camp near the village of chelmno in central poland. It opened in december 1941 and closed in january 1945 and was operated to execute jews, most of whom were polish. Jewish memorials at chelmno death camp in poland photos. Wladyslaw bednarzs study of the death camp at chelmno, which had begun. Forest camp memorial for jews who were murdered at chelmno. The staff of t4 was trained in killing centers, and then transferred and relocated to help create and then streamline the assembly line system of extermination used in. Chelmno death camp central commission for investigation of. While several themes from the story are explored in the teacher resource, the. The story is painstakingly told from all sides, the jewish inmates, some who survived the. Chelmno extermination camp university of california, san.
Chelmno kulmhof poland chelmno was established december 1941. A second lesson on the entire book is included in the guide following this lesson on the reading. I first came to chelmno on corpus christi day, a spring religious holiday when poles flock to the streets and join long processions in cities and villages across the country. Treblinka, which existed as an extermination camp, was responsible for the deaths of 800,000 or more people. Poland greater poland chelmno nad nerem this museum is situated in a small building and tells in polish the story of the first kulmhof extermination camp 8 december 1941 march 1943. Chelmno and the majdanek concentration camp, built alongside polish lublin, were also used as extermination camps after 1942, as was auschwitz. Eventually the united states got wind of what was going on and szlameks story ended up on page 6 of the july 2nd, 1942 edition of the new york times chelmno. The camp started to operate on december 8th 1941 and run until april 1943. Home history photo tour email sculpture on mausoleum at the forest camp near chelmno. This commission, set up by the soviet unions administration, produced a report, kept in the warsaw archives, and which contained photographs of a gas van, still used today by holocaust. Jan 01, 2011 as the first extermination camp established by the nazi regime and the prototype of the singlepurpose death camps of treblinka, sobibor, and belzec, the chelmno death camp stands as a crucial but largely unexplored element of the holocaust.
As the first extermination camp established by the nazi regime and the prototype of the singlepurpose death camps of treblinka, sobibor, and belzec, the chelmno death camp stands as a crucial but largely unexplored element of the holocaust. This was followed by a steady flow of jewish transports from january through may 1942, in which 55,000 were taken to chelmno. We would like to thank the crown and goodman family and the abe and ida cooper foundation for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the holocaust encyclopedia. Museum kulmhof chelmno extermination camp chelmno nad.
All seven of these people worked in the burial detachment, burying the mass graves of the jews. Chelmno is the least known of the german death camps established in poland. Then it was operated again during the soviet counter offensive on 23 june 1944 until 18 january 1945. Approximately 152,000 jews, roma, poles and others were murdered there.
Search below to view digital records and find material that you can access at our library and at the shapell center. Majdanek, poland, suitcases taken from the victims in the camp before they were murdered. This is a unique research study in the history of the holocaust. Krakowski, former head of the yad vashem archives, brings. After 46 years, we can finally read, research and investigate the testimony of the last murdered jewish victims in the death camp of chelmno. The synagogue in kolo, where jews were held prior to heading for the chelmno extermination camp before the war and at the beginning of the german occupation i had resided permanently in kolo. A collection of genealogical profiles related to chelmno extermination camp.
Out of all the people brought to chelmno, only 7 men survived. Chelmno extermination camp built during world war ii, was the first of the nazi german. Jun 26, 2018 in my last article for the carr blog, i wrote a summary of my book on auschwitz which was published in april by ibidemverlag. Examining judge of district court in lodz wladyslaw bednarz. On december 8, 1941, the nazis opened another death camp called chelmno. The story is painstakingly told from all sides, the jewish inmates, some. In late december 1941 i cannot remember the date exactly formations of the nskk national socialist motor corps surrounded the town of kolo.
291 1248 957 679 1336 1456 248 511 1242 1013 340 1454 166 1169 1229 1114 244 700 1024 1253 1448 162 44 154 48 24 183 259 1258 1435 171 1423 100 905 648 943 525 860 912