Screening 'Deadly Deception at Sobibor'
The denial and distortion of the Holocaust has its origins with the Nazis. In an attempt to cover up the murder of some 180,000 Jews and the daring uprising and mass escape of over 300 prisoners in 1943, the Nazis meticulously destroyed the 'top-secret' Sobibor extermination camp. All traces were obliterated. Today, a forest hides this crime scene.
Deadly Deception at Sobibor meticulously shows the archaeological reconstruction of what happened at Sobibor. Since 2008, filmmaker Gary Hochman has followed years of intensive research, led by archaeologists Wojciech Mazurek (Poland), Yoram Haimi (Israel), and Ivar Schutte (Netherlands). They uncovered what the Nazis had tried to erase from history. The excavations represent the most extensive archaeological investigations ever conducted at a Holocaust site.
The archaeologists found over sixty thousand objects at the site where the camp once stood. Traces in the soil indicated the last path the prisoners had walked to their death. The foundations of the gas chambers were also uncovered. In deep pits, the archaeologists found the ashes of the dead.
The film also presents the results of additional studies, including geophysical research and the analysis of Luftwaffe archive documents and aerial photographs. It also shows the impact that found personal objects, such as children's name tags, have on the victims' relatives.
These discoveries shed new light on the scale of atrocities and provide concrete evidence of the crimes committed at the time.
Admission
Admission is free, but reservations are required and can be made here. Walk-in is from 14.30. There will be drinks afterwards.
The film ties in with the NIOD symposium 'Excavating Sobibor' to be held at the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam on 14 March.