The Belzec Death Camp

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.