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), Pages: 83-118
Submission Date: 2020-10-27Publication Date: 2012-12-02

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.
Keywords
Treblinka , Holocaust archaeology , extermination camp , physical evidence , Jewish Halacha law
License
Copyright (c) 2012 Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- , 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)
Similar Articles
- Gabriel Finder, The Trial of Shepsl Rotholc and the Politics of Retribution in the Aftermath of the Holocaust , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 2 (2006)
- Jacek Leociak, Understanding the Holocaust. A Task for Generations , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: 2008: Holocaust Studies and Materials
- Dan Michman, Dutch Society and the Jewish Fate: A Puzzling Record , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 12 (2016)
- , 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)
- Michał Kowalski, Treblinka Penal Labor Camp I as Presented in Jewish Testimonies , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 18 (2022)
- Natalia Aleksiun, When Fajga Left Tadeusz. Wartime Relationships of Survivors after the Holocaust , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 17 (2021)
- Joanna Śliwa, A reviev: Agnieszka Witkowska-Krych, Dziecko wobec Zagłady. Instytucjonalna opieka nad sierotami w getcie warszawskim , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 19 (2023)
- Olga Kartashova, Not Just Witnesses: The Efforts of Polish Jewish Survivors and Organizations to Achieve Justice after the Holocaust , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 19 (2023)
- Roni Stauber, Philip Friedman and the Beginning of Holocaust Studies , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 11 (2015)
- Marta Duch-Dyngosz, In Search of Local Memory of the Holocaust. The Case of Commemoration of Jewish Communities in Smaller Towns in Contemporary Poland , Zagłada Żydów. Studia i Materiały: No. 17 (2021)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 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 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.