Key Problems of the Jewish History and Culture - Belzec: A Forgotten Death Camp 2900-JSM-WPHIKZ-BZO

The Holocaust claimed nearly 6 million lives. The Nazi genocide in Poland is often represented by gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Most of Polish Jews who fell victim to the Holocaust, however, was murdered in the death camps of Aktion Reinhardt or during deportations to these camps. The first of the Aktion Reinhardt death camps was Belzec. Over 400,000 people were murdered there between March and December 1942. The majority of them was killed in gas chambers but some were shot in mass executions in the camp. Many others were killed during deportations or during transport to Belzec – in cattle cars or during escape attempts. Traces of mass murder and the camp existence were covered up by the perpetrators already in 1943. For many years after WWII a sawmill operated at the site of the former camp. Most likely only two Jewish inmates survived the camp and only one of them left testimony. All the above factors contributed to the fact that for decades Belzec death camp was forgotten and few people were aware of its existence and role in the Holocaust. To large extent this forgetting continues even today. This course familiarizes the participants with literature and historical sources for researching the history of Belzec death camp and Aktion Reinhardt deportations to the camp. An integral part of the course is a four-day field trip to Lublin region and Bełżec. During the field trip course participants will visit some of the places about which they read in historical literature and sources. Employees of Yahad-In Unum, a French NGO which collected oral history interviews with Polish witnesses of deportations to Belzec death camp and mass executions accompanying them will accompany the group during the field trip.
Cost of transportation and accommodation for participants of the course is covered. Due to funding limitations, the participants will need to cover the cost of their meals. The field trip is prepared together with Yahad-In Unum and subsidized by Yahad-In Unum and Fundusz Doskonałości Dydaktycznej UW.

Prerequisites (description)

1. Completed course The Holocaust (lecture) (On a day of beginning of the course). 2. Advanced English (ability to understand long academic texts). 3. Due to limited number of participants, the decision regarding course enrollment will be made by the lecturer after individual conversations with candidates about the history of the Holocaust and their motivations to participate in the course. The interviews with candidates will take place on January 14, 2026 at 4 pm (room 122). Enrollment for this course is controlled by the lecturer.

Course coordinators

Łukasz Krzyżanowski
Anna Michałowska-Mycielska

Type of course

elective courses

Requirements

General:

The Holocaust (lecture)

Term 2025L:

The Holocaust (lecture)

Mode

Classroom and field classes

Learning outcomes

Course participants become familiar with selected historical works and sources on the history of Belzec death camp, deportations and executions during Aktion Reinhardt. They learn critical approach toward sources and are introduced to Yahad-In Unum collection of oral histories pertaining to deportations, executions, and Belzec death camp.

Assessment criteria

Attendance (one absence during in-classroom part of the course possible, participation in field trip is mandatory), preparation for the class (reading assigned texts and sources prior to the meeting), participation in classroom discussions, individual and group assignments (incl. library and archival research), group assignments, participation in four-day field trip (March 24-27, 2026).

Bibliography

Selected reading:

Arad I., Obozy śmierci akcji „Reinhardt”. Bełżec, Sobibór, Treblinka, Warszawa 2021.
Burzlaff J., „In the Shadow of the Gas Chambers: Social Dynamics and Everyday Life around the Killing Center at Bełżec (1941-1944), w: Holocaust and Genocide Studies, vol. 35, nr 3, Winter 2021.
D. Libionka, Zagłada Żydów w Generalnym Gubernatorstwie. Zarys problematyki, Lublin 2017.
Historia w przestrzeniach pamięci. Obozy – „miejsca po” – muzea, red. T. Kranz, Lublin 2021.
Jarząbek M., Podręcznik do historii mówionej, Warszawa 2024 (https://cas.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Podrecznik_do_historii_mowionej_M.Jarzabek-1.pdf).
Kocik K., Przetłumaczyć rzeczy nieludzkie, Kraków 2023.
Kola A., Hitlerowski obóz zagłady Żydów w Bełżcu w świetle źródeł archeologicznych. Badania 1997-1999, Warszawa-Waszyngton 2000.
Kuwałek R., Obóz zagłady w Bełżcu, Lublin 2010.
Lahnstaedt S., Czas zabijania. Bełżec, Sobibór, Treblinka i Akcja Reinhardt, Warszawa 2018.
M. Orwid, Przeżyć… i co dalej?, rozmawiają K. Zimmerer, K. Szwajca, Kraków 2006.
Obóz zagłady w Bełżcu w relacjach ocalonych i zeznaniach polskich świadków, red. D. Libionka, Lublin 2025.
Sendyka R., Poza obozem. Nie-miejsca pamięci – próba rozpoznania, Warszawa 2021.
Silberklang D., Bramy łez. Zagłada w dystrykcie lubelskim, Lublin 2022.
Thompson P., Bornat J., Głos przeszłości. Wprowadzenie do historii mówionej, Warszawa 2021.

Changes to the reading list can be introduced depending on the needs of a group.

Term 2025L:

Selected reading:

Changes to the reading list can be introduced depending on the needs of a group.

Notes

Term 2025L:

Entry requirements:
1. Completed course The Holocaust (lecture) (On a day of beginning of the course).
2. Advanced English (ability to understand long academic texts).
3. Due to limited number of participants, the decision regarding course enrollment will be made by the lecturer after individual conversations with candidates about the history of the Holocaust and their motivations to participate in the course. The interviews with candidates will take place on January 14, 2026 at 4 pm (room 122). Enrollment for this course is controlled by the lecturer.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2900-JSM-WPHIKZ-BZO in USOSweb