by Chris Webb
Cover Photograph: SS-men outside the Kommandantur—(Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Introduction: Chris Webb—Belzec Station Sign—July 2002 (Chris Webb Private Archive).
Cover Photograph With Caption: SS-men outside the Kommandantur—Unknown, Fritz Tauscher, Reinhold Feix, Unknown, Max Gringers, Ernst Zierke, Lorenz Hackenholt, Arthur Dachsel, and Heinrich Barbl. (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 1. Belzec Village (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 2. Belzec railway station—German soldiers winter 1940 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 3. Belzec railway station—German troops by cattle car (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 4. Belzec—German soldiers 1940 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 5. Tomaszow Lubelski (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 6. Jews from Tomaszow Lubeslski en route to Belzec labor camp (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 7. Jewish inmates from the labor camp pose with guard (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 8. Building the Otto Line (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 9. Belzec labor camp—Jew Shot at the Latrine (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 10. Belzec Goods Station—Winter 1940 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 11. Belzec Gypsy camp (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 12. Belzec Gypsy camp—Gypsy King Kwiek at the gates (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 13. Belzec Gypsy camp—Women (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 14. Belzec Gypsy camp—Children (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 15. Belzec Kommandantur (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 16. Trawnikimänner at the entrance to the Belzec Death Camp. From left to right: Trautwein, Samuel, Rosenholz, unknown, Kunz, unknown, unknown (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski).
Fig. 17. Josef Oberhauser, Fritz Jirmann, Kurt Franz—Road entrance of the Belzec Kommandantur (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 18. Johann Schwarzenbacher, Christian Wirth, Jurgen Lassmann (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 19. Odilo Globocnik—Gauleiter of Vienna (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 20. Belzec death camp—Jewish Kapo’s by the Sorting Sheds (Berko Nachitigall holding stick (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 21. Polish mechanics with Commandant Hering’s car (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 22. Erwin Fichtner exits the administration building—Armoury to the right (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 23. Belzec Death Camp—Rudolf Kamm by the sorting sheds (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 24. Rudolf Gockel—Reichsbahn Official for Belzec Station (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 25. Transport from Drohobycz to Belzec, August 1942 (Wiener Library)
Fig. 26. Kurt Franz and unknown SS Officer by the Sorting Sheds (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel )
Fig. 27. Rudolf Kamm without SS cap by the Sorting Sheds (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 28. Lorenz Hackenholt 1942 (Chris Webb Archive – courtesy of Mike Tregenza)
Fig. 29. Gottlieb Hering, Paul Groth, Unknown, Unknown, Kurt Bolender, and Ernst Zierke celebrate (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 30. Heinrich Unverhau at the rear of the photo (wearing glasses) at Belzec (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 31. Siegfried Graetschus (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 32. Gottfried Schwarz (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 33. Ivan Huzjia – Ukrainian Guard – Wirth’s Driver and Gassing Mechanic (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 34. Johann Niemann (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 35. Hans Girtzig (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 36. Robert Juhrs in Italy – far right. (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 37. Three Trawnikimänner in the Komadowski Bar Belzec; Stefan Zadziol, Pitnowy, Genrikh, and Edward Wlasiuk (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 38. Two unknown Ukrainians relaxing (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 39. Kessler’s Mill—unknown Ukrainian officer (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 40. Two Trawnikimaner at Belzec; Boris Kotychin and Stefan Zadziol (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 41. Two unknown Trawnikimänner with bicycles in Belzec (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 42. Heini Schmidt in Italy (Chris Webb Archive – courtesy of Mike Tregenza)
Fig. 43. Three Ukrainian Trawnikimänner from Belzec death camp (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 44. Rawa Ruska station (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 45. Belzec railway station fire drill, 1943 (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 46. Belzec railway station destroyed, 1944 (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig. 47. Bernard Wallerang and Heinrich Gley at Poniatowa Jewish labor camp (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 48. Belzec locomotive sheds, 1944 (Regional Museum Tomaszow Lubelski)
Fig 49. Josef Oberhauser at his trial in Munich (Ghetto Fighters House, Israel)
Fig. 50. Gassing Outlet Pipe discovered at Belzec—July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 51. Belzec Former Death Camp – Garage Foundations – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 52. Belzec Former Kommandantur – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 53. Belzec Foundations – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 54. Belzec Former Death Camp – General View – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 55. Belzec Former Death Camp – Generator Housing – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 56. Belzec Locomotive Sheds – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 57. Belzec Village – Former Bakery for the Death Camp – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 58. Eugeniusz Hanejko and Mike Tregenza by the former armoury in Belzec – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig 59. Former Kommandantur and SS Quarters – July 2000 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig 60. Belzec Former Trawniki Bar – July 2002 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig 61. Discussion with locals in the back garden of the former SS quarters in Belzec filmed by Billy Rutherford – July 2002 (Chris Webb Private Archive)
Fig. 62. Belzec Former Death Camp – General View – 2004 (Cameron Munro)
Drawings, Maps, and Sources
Draw. 1. Belzec Camp Dezember 1942: Drawing by William “Billy” Rutherford (Chris Webb Private Collection)
Draw. 2. Belzec First Gas Chamber Drawing: William “Billy” Rutherford (Chris Webb Private Collection)
Draw. 3. Belzec Second Gas Chamber Drawing: William “Billy” Rutherford (Chris Webb Private Collection)
Draw. 4. Heinrich Gley Sketch of Belzec Death Camp 1961
Draw. 5. Hans Girtzig Sketch of Belzec Death Camp 1961
Draw. 6. Robert Juhrs Sketch of Belzec Death Camp 1961
Draw. 7. Heinrich Unverhau Sketch of Belzec Death Camp 1961
Draw. 8. Karl Schluch Sketch of Belzec Death Camp 1961 (Drawings 4–8 Holocaust Historical Society UK)
Draw. 9. Principal Deportations to Belzec Map (Used with permission from Sir Martin Gilbert)
Documents and Sources
Doc. 1. Lublin Judenrat Letter to Hermann Dolp (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 2. Zamosc Area Census, March 1942 (Holocaust Historical Society UK)
Doc. 3. Reuter memorandum of a meeting with Höfle, dated 17 March, 1942 (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 4. Letter from Ganzenmuller, State Secretary for Transport to Karl Wolf (Bundesarchiv Koblenz)
Doc. 5. Polizei Battalion 24 Report from Rawa Ruska to SS Sonderkommando Belzec and others (USHMM Washington DC)
Doc. 6. Ignacy Schwarzbart Telegram regarding gassings at Belzec August 1942 (National Archives Kew)
Doc. 7. Höfle—Decoded Message by British Intelligence January 1943 (National Archives Kew)
> Doc. 8. Belzec Delivery Note Sorted Leather Waste (Holocaust Historical Society UK)
Doc. 9. Einsatz Reinhard Promotion List March 1943 (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 10. Belzec Delivery Note February 1943 (State Museum Majdanek)
Doc. 11. Christian Wirth Fragebogen (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 12. Richard Thomalla –Report by Odilo Globocnik (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 13. Reinhold Feix—Cover of Paybook (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 14. Erwin Fichtner—Fragebogen (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 15. Heinrich Barbl—Fragebogen (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 16. Lorenz Hackenholt (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 17. Transferstelle Warschau—Bricks Order June 1942 Fichtner (reproduced in Letzte Spuren)
Doc. 18. Hering and Schwarz—Court Judgement Himmler Letter (NARA Washington)
Doc. 19. Johann Niemann—May 1943 (NARA Washington)
Doc. 20. Police Report on the Deportation of Jews in Kolomea to Belzec, September 6–9, 1942 (Yad Vashem)
Doc. 21. Delegatura Report to the Polish Government in exile on Belzec April 1942 (Yad Vashem)
Appendix 1
Alphabetical List of Ukrainian Guards—Belzec
Name
Additional Information
ALEKSEJEV, Peter
BARTELS, Iwan
Volksdeutscher
BAUMANN, Maks
BENDER, Ivan
Volksdeutscher
BERG
Volksdeutscher
BIALAKOW, Wasyl
BUDZIAK
BULJI, Waslyl
DALKE, Heinrich
Volksdeutscher. Also served at Sobibor death camp
DYNER
FLEISCH
Volksdeutscher
GRUZIN, Wasyl
HAWRYLUCH
HAZDICKI
HUBER, Michal
Volksdeutscher
HULEYT, Vasyl
HUTYT, Wasyl
HUZIJA, Iwan
JADZIOL, Stefan
JAKOVEVITS, Diner
JESCHKE, Adolf
Volksdeutscher
KOBAWCZENKO
KOLISYN, Borys
KOLONKO, Adolf
Volksdeutscher
KOSTENKOW, Kyril
KOTYCHYN, Borys
KOZENDE, Mikolaj
KOZLOWSKI, Iwan
KUCZERCHA, Iwan
KULYCHIN, Wasyl
KUNZ, Samuel
Volksdeutscher. Arrested but died before he could stand trial in 2010. See Chapter 17
LAZARENKO
LITUS, Petro
LUSSE
LYNGKIN
MALAGON, Nikolai
Also served at Treblinka death camp
MAMCZUR
MATWIJENKO, Nikolai
MOTYGULAN, Sagudula
NIKOFOROW, Iwan
OLEJNIK, Taras
OLJIEWSKI
ORLOVSKIJ, Vasily
OSTER, Peter
Volksdeutscher
PAMIN, Franz
Volksdeutscher
PAVLI, Nikolai
PECZENYT, Grygory
PIECZONY, Gregorz
PIETKA, Alexej
PITKONYT
PITNOWY, Genrikh
POCHOLENKO, Michal
PODIENKO, Wasyl
PODIONAK, Wasyl
POHL
Volksdeutscher
POKOLENKO, Michal
PROCHENKO, Wasyl
PROCHIN, Dymytri
PRUS, Alexander
Volksdeutscher
PRYMAK
ROGOSA, Boris
Also served at Treblinka death camp, as head of the Ukranian guards
ROHLE, Heinrich
Volksdeutscher
ROSENHOLZ
Volksdeutscher
ROSENKO, Arnold
SABAT, Viktor
SAMUEL
SCHARF
SCHMIDT, Heinrich
Volksdeutscher from the Baltic States. Remembered by Rudolf Reder ‘as the worst of the thugs. Went to Italy after the conclusion of Aktion Reinhardt. He committed suicide in Italy.
SCHMITZ
Volksdeutscher
SCHULTZ, Alexander
Volksdeutscher
SIEVERT, Reinhard
Volksdeutscher
SIMIONOW, Alexander
STEINER
Volksdeutscher
STEPANOW, Peter
STETCZENKO
STURM
Volksdeutscher
SYSTOLA, Jakub
SZACHOLIJ, Wasyl
SZPAK, Dimitri
SZPAK, Profiry
SZWAB, Alexander
TICHONOWSKI, Iwan
TRAUTTWEIN, Karol
Volksdeutscher
TRUBENKO, Wasyl
TWERDOCHLIB, Alexander
VEITH
Volksdeutscher
WANOCHA
WEDRYHAN, Fiodor
WEDRYHAN, Petro
WERDENIK, Ivan
WLASIUK, Edward
WOLOSZYN, Iwan
WONK, Michal
WOWK, Viktor
WYSOTA, Jakub
ZAGREBAJEW
ZAJCZEW, Iwan
ZAPLAWNYJ, Iwan
ZIMBERT
Volksdeutscher
ZUJEW
ZUK, Ignatz
Appendix 2
Glossary of Nazi Terms
Abteilung: A branch, section or sub-section of a main department or office (Hauptamt, Amstgruppe or Amt, q.v.) Also a military or paramilitary unit of up to battalion strength, i.e. approximately 700 men.
Aktion Reinhardt: The code name used in honor of Reinhard Heydrich for the mass murder of Polish Jewry program
Allgemeine-SS: General body of the SS consisting of full-time, part-time, and inactive or honorary members, as distinct from the Waffen-SS (see entry for Waffen-SS).
Amt: A directorate or an office of a ministry.
Amtsgruppe: A branch of a Hauptamt.
Anschluß: Annexation of Austria to the German Reich in March 1938
Arbeitslager: Labor / Work Camp.
Außenstelle / Außendienststelle: Out-station of an office, agency or ministry.
Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD: Commander in Chief of the SIPO and SD.
Deutsche Ausrüstungswerke (DAW): German Armaments Factories
Gau: One of 42 main territorial divisions of the Nazi Party.
Gauleiter: The highest ranking party official in a Gau, responsible for all political and economic activity, mobilization of labor, and civil defence.