Why Is Camp Sobibor Important

Camp Sobibor The first commandant of Camp Sobibor was called Franz Stangl. Franz got his experience in being commandant for the camp was the Christian Wirth in Belzec. At the time the Christian Wirth was a death camp. It was estimated that the commandant had 20 to 20 SS soldiers that worked for Franz. Feldhendler was second in command. A very brave man named Lieutenant Aleksandr Pechersky, was made leader of a group of prisoners that were going to escape Sobibor. Camp Sobibor was constructed in March 1942. A railroad was constructed going into the camp and a fence woven with branches would block the view to make sure passengers and other viewers wouldn’t see what was happening. The first transport of prisoners had arrived on April 7, 1942. Between April 1942 and October 1942 approximately half a million Jews were murdered at Sobibor. On July 5 1943, bunkers were built and to improve security, mines were places around the camp. In March, the biggest transport was from France containing over 4,000 prisoners arrived to the camp. Early in the morning, November 23, 1943, it was announced that the final liquidation would take place. The camp was closed down at

More than 2,000 Jews from many countries would be transported to Sobibor. Once the Jews arrived, they were forced to write letters to their families to let them know that they had safely arrived at camp. The strongest would live and the weak would die. A survivor had said, “They mistreated us, they shot the old and the sick new arrivals who couldn't walk anymore”(The Sobibor Death Camp). The Jews that got to stay were carpenters, tailors, and shoemakers. One of the survivors said, “I polished SS boots as dying people screamed”(The Sobibor Death Camp). The elderly, sick, and invalids were told they would receive medical treatment, but instead, they were put into carts, be taken behind the Chapel, and they would be