Das Vernichtungslager Bełżec

The first research monograph on the death camp in Bełżec. The history of the first “Aktion Reinhardt” death camp (existing from half-March to the end of December 1942) has been presented on the broad background of extermination of Jews in the General Government. The author analyses all the facets of camp’s functioning, from the stages of the decision process which resulted in creating the camp, through the description of the place itself, profiles of the SS and guarding staff to the liquidation of the camp. He also presents the post-war history of the place.

The chapters on the perpetrators were based on the materials from German archives which have not been used in Polish historiography so far. Moreover, the author presents the latest assessments of the number of victims. The appendix contains detailed lists of all the transports coming to the death camp in Bełżec. An insert with photos has been added to the book. One of the photographs which has never been published before shows Chaim Hirszman, one of the three survivors of the camp.