- Operation
- Spring 1942–late 1943
- Function
- Killing center
- Victims
- At least about 167,000 Jews
- Revolt
- October 14, 1943
Purpose and operation
Sobibór was built in the Lublin District as a purpose-built killing center. Deportees came from occupied Poland and from countries including the Netherlands, France, Slovakia, the Protectorate, Germany and Austria. Most were murdered shortly after arrival.
Arrival and killing
Victims were told they would bathe or be disinfected. They surrendered luggage and valuables, undressed and were driven through a fenced path into gas chambers. Engine exhaust killed those sealed inside. Jewish prisoners removed bodies, searched for valuables and later burned corpses.
Forced labor and daily existence
“Camp life” applies only to the few hundred Jews selected temporarily for work. They unloaded transports, sorted property, cut hair and maintained workshops under constant threat of murder. Social bonds, religious observance and escape planning existed under extreme coercion.
The underground
Polish Jewish prisoners led by Leon Feldhendler had already discussed escape. The arrival of Soviet Jewish POW Alexander Pechersky strengthened planning and brought military experience. The plan was to lure SS men into workshops, kill them quietly, seize weapons and leave in formation.
The October 14 revolt
On October 14, 1943, conspirators killed several SS men and guards. Discovery and timing problems forced a mass breakout through fences and minefields. About 300 prisoners escaped the perimeter; more than 100 were recaptured and killed, and roughly 50 revolt escapees survived the war.
Dismantling and archaeology
After the revolt, the SS murdered remaining prisoners, dismantled buildings, planted the site and established a farm. Modern archaeology has located structural remains, paths and victims’ personal objects, providing material evidence that complements survivor testimony.
Sources
This page is based on institutional and scholarly sources. Media credit links point to the original source page.