Gone but not Forgotten: Archaeological approaches to the site of the former Treblinka Extermination Camp in Poland
Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały, No. Holocaust Studies and Materials (2013), Pages: 253-289
Submission Date: 2020-12-13Publication Date: 2013-02-20
https://doi.org/10.32927/zzsim.809
Abstract
Public impression of the Holocaust is unquestionably centred on knowledge about, and the image of, Auschwitz-Birkenau – the gas chambers, the crematoria, the systematic and industrialized killing of victims. Conversely, knowledge of the former extermination camp at Treblinka, which stands in stark contrast in terms of the visible evidence that survives pertaining to it, is less embedded in general public consciousness. As this paper argues, the contrasting level of knowledge about Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka is centred upon the belief that physical evidence of the camps only survives when it is visible and above-ground. The perception of Treblinka as having been “destroyed” by the Nazis, and the belief that the bodies of all of the victims were cremated without trace, has resulted in a lack of investigation aimed at answering questions about the extent and nature of the camp, and the locations of mass graves and cremation pits. This paper discusses the evidence that demonstrates that traces of the camp do survive. It outlines how archival research and non-invasive archaeological survey has been used to re-evaluate the physical evidence pertaining to Treblinka in a way that respects Jewish Halacha Law. As well as facilitating spatial and temporal analysis of the former extermination camp, this survey has also revealed information about the cultural memory associated with the site and how much has been forgotten about its history.
Keywords
Treblinka , Holocaust archaeology , extermination camp , physical evidence , Jewish Halacha law
License
Copyright (c) 2013 Author&"Holocaust Studies and Materials"

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The journal is published under the Diamond Open Access Standard, CC-BY-4.0 Deed - Attribution 4.0 International - Creative Commons
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Caroline Sturdy Colls, Gone but not forgotten: Archaeological Approaches to the Site of the Former Treblinka Extermination Camp in Poland , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 8 (2012)
Similar Articles
- Barbara Engelking, “We are competely dependent on them...” – relations between the helpers and the hiding as exemplified by Fela Fischbein’s diary , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 4 (2008)
- Karin Ohry-Kossoy, Agnieszka Haska, Sonia Wajselfisz’s List [Karin Ohry, Sonia’s List; Agnieszka Haska, “Hundreds of Friends.” A List from Bergen-Belsen] , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 12 (2016)
- Karolina Sulej, Jacek Leociak, “He Smiled at Me and Sent Kisses with His Hand”. On Dora Sztatman’s testimony , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 5 (2009)
- Marta Janczewska, Jan Jagielski 1937-2021 , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 17 (2021)
- Jan Grabowski, Saving Jews for money – the help industry , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 4 (2008)
- Marta Janczewska, Memoirs, testimonies, overviews – a Jewish Historical Institute series INB , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 3 (2007)
- Marta, Procedures Reversing Circumcision Performed in Warsaw During World War II. An Initial Attempt at Description , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 13 (2017)
- Zuzanna Schnepf-Kołacz , Polish Help to Jews in the Countryside during the German Occupation. A Sketch Using the Example of the Righteous among the Nations , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. Holocaust Studies and Materials (2013)
- Jan Grabowski, Tadeusz Tomasz Krasnodębski, Policjant konspiratorem. Szesnaście lat na muszce Gestapo i bezpieki [Policeman-Conspirator. Sixteen years on a sight of Gestapo and State Security] , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: 2010: Holocaust Studies and Materials
- Tomasz Sierwierski, Feliks Tych. A Historian of the Holocaust Who Survived It , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 17 (2021)
<< < 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
English
Język Polski
