Sobibor: A History of a Nazi Death Camp

by Jules Schelvis

Auschwitz. Treblinka. The very names of these Nazi camps evoke unspeakable cruelty. Sobibor is less well known, and this book discloses the horrors perpetrated there.

Established in German-occupied Poland, the camp at Sobibor began its dreadful killing operation in May 1942. By October 1943, approximately 150,000 people had been murdered there. Sobibor is not well documented, and were it not for an extraordinary uprising in October 1943, we would know little about it. On October 14th, prisoners staged a remarkable uprising in which three hundred men and women escaped. The author identifies only forty-seven who survived the war.

Sent in June 1943 to Sobibor, where his wife and family were murdered, Jules Schelvis has written the first book-length, fully documented account of the camp. He details the creation of the killing center, its personnel, the use of railways, selections, forced labor, gas chambers, escape attempts, and the historic uprising.

In documenting this part of Holocaust history, this compelling and well-researched account advances our knowledge and understanding of the Nazi attempt to annihilate the European Jews.

Genres: Holocaust, History, Nonfiction, World War II, Memoir

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jules Schelvis (1921-2016) werd geboren in Amsterdam. In 1943 werd hij met zijn vrouw en haar familie via Westerbork gedeporteerd naar Sobibor. Hij had geluk en werd op verder transport gezet. Na omzwervingen via o.a. Lublin en Auschwitz keerde hij uiteindelijk in Nederland terug. Hij was auteur van het standaardwerk Vernietigingskamp Sobibor en van Binnen de poorten, een verslag van zijn omzwervingen. In 2009 en 2010 was Jules Schelvis een van de Nebenkläger bij het proces tegen de Oekraïense oorlogsmisdadiger Demjanjuk. In 2010 verscheen Ooggetuigen van Sobibor, een verzameling interviews met twaalf overlevenden van vernietigingskamp Sobibor. Op bol.com vind je alle boeken van Jules Schelvis.

Reviews

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****************************SPOILERS***********************************

An intense history of the extermination camp Sobibor located near Lublin, Poland. This book clearly sparked many emotions both sadness for the loss of the massive amounts of children, women, and men and hatred to those Nazi and Ukrainian guards whose utter cruelty made them inhuman.

Jules Schelvis, a surviver of WWII Nazi labor camps wrote this amazing history. Sadly his wife and family perished at Sobibor. The time he put into the research was amazing. I am so glad he was able to write down this history for those who are willing to listen.

Mr. Schelvis spent a short time in Sobibor, and was lucky to be chosen to go to a labor camp from the horrible death the devoured Sobibor.

The figures of the innocent children, women and men who parished at the death camp is so sad. So many beautiful people who had much to offer the world, mercilessly murdered in the name of hate.

This book is a must read, to learn the horrors of Sobibor and cruelty of the Nazi and Ukrainian guards. A lesson to all of us of the value of human life and the value of survival. You will need a tissue box when reading this book as it will bring tears to your eyes.

In May of 1942 the camp began taking transports of Jewish prisioners to Sobibor and by approximately October 1943 around 167,000 people had been murdered there. Few choosen for work had formed a group who planned a revolt, on October 14, 1943.

This was a well thought out plan by Jewish prisioners who used their axes to kill 12 Nazi's and several Ukrain Guards. 300 prisioners escaped during the revold. 47 of the Sobibor prisioners from the revolt survived the war.

The hardest part was reading the end of the book. The last chapter goes over the Nazi SS officers in charge of Sobibor. Several went on trial and they had no remorse for their evil crimes and worst of all continued to appeal the courts. They didn't get appropriate punishment for the crimes that they committed at Sobibor, in my opinion.

I am glad that Jules shared this horrific story. The pictures in the book are an added bonus.

[Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een goed boek bijna een naslagwerk geschreven door een overlever van Sobibor; het kamp dat na een Joodse opstand opgedoekt werd.
Het leest traag omdat er zoveel en soms tot in het details informatie instaat. Evenals cijfers en statistieken.
Een aanrader voor de liefhebber. Geen aanrader als je voor het eerst over concentratiekampen gaat lezen.

[Luciano Lorenzelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un po' prolisso, non scorre

Non scritto da professionisti , troppo freddo. Testimonianza interessante ed impressionante, ma stile da libro di statistica. Comunque da leggere

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schelvis casts a light on one of the lesser-seen corners of the Holocaust in this book, which reads like a cross between history and memoir (say 90-10; Schelvis himself is a survivor, and spent a short time in Sobibor itself; it's where his family was killed). His connection to the camp results in a passionately detailed account of the camp's existence, including a fairly thrilling recount of the revolt led by prisoners in October of 1943. If you're interested in this sort of thing--it's not exactly beach reading--it's well worth your time.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eindelijk een boek over een vernietigingskamp, want dat is wat Sobibor was. Van de 33.000 Nederlandse Joden die naar Sobibor zijn gestuurd, zijn er 18 teruggekomen omdat ze direct werden geselecteerd om elders te werken. Vertrek uit Westerbork naar Sobibor betekende bij aankomst na 3 dagen direct de gaskamers in.....

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the late 60s and have never forgotten the horror that the Jews suffered in this camp. A searing reminder of the inhumanity of man.