BELZEC

Although Belzec, Poland, is not one of the most well-known death camps, it was an appalling theatre of the Nazi extermination. It is estimated that between March and December 1942, about 600,000 Jews were murdered, deported mainly from Krakow and L’vov, but also from Germany,Austria and Czechoslovakia.The deportees were usually murdered few hours after their arrival and promptly hidden. In the first months of 1943 the death camp was dismantled, the dead bodies dug up and cremated to conceal the traces: the ground was levelled and trees were planted. Nevertheless, the Russians found the terrible truth.The only survivor from Belzec was Rudolf Reder, who wrote a memorial of his terrible experience.