Casting of a cobblestone pathway at Treblinka killing center

Identifier
irn14216
Language of Description
English
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

a: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 210.500 inches (534.67 cm) | Depth: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)

b: Height: 0.500 inches (1.27 cm) | Width: 156.875 inches (398.463 cm) | Depth: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)

c: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 170.500 inches (433.07 cm) | Depth: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)

d: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 175.000 inches (444.5 cm) | Depth: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)

e: Height: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Width: 19.000 inches (48.26 cm) | Depth: 28.500 inches (72.39 cm)

Creator(s)

Archival History

The pathway casting was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

Scope and Content

Fiberglass casting of a portion of the Czarna Droga (Black Road) at Treblinka concentration camp, commissioned by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for installation in the museum’s permanent exhibition. The Czarna Droga was a cobblestone road, approximately two kilometers long, which connected Treblinka I (forced-labor camp) and Treblinka II (killing center) in German-occupied Poland. Some of the cobblestones contain Hebrew inscriptions that are most likely fragments of desecrated tombstones from a Jewish cemetery. Treblinka was established in November 1941, as a forced-labor camp for Jews under Operation Reinhard (Aktion Reinhard). Operation Reinhard was a code name for the plan to kill the two million Jews who resided in specific areas of German-occupied Poland. Treblinka I had Jewish and non-Jewish inmates, most of whom worked in a nearby gravel pit. As part of Operation Reinhard, the SS constructed three new killing centers, one of which was Treblinka II, completed in July 1942. Upon arriving at the killing center, deportees had to surrender all valuables and possessions, and undress prior to entering what they believed to be showers, but were really gas chambers. A group of Jewish prisoners known as the Sonderkommando was forced to work in the killing center, sorting possessions, cleaning freight cars, and disposing of bodies. Initially, the bodies were buried in mass graves, but were later exhumed and burned. On August 2, 1943, Jewish inmates attempted to revolt and escape; though a small number did escape successfully, most were killed as a result. Between 870,000 and 925,000 Jews were killed at Treblinka II, which was dismantled in the fall of 1943. Treblinka I continued operations until July 1944, when Soviet troops moved into the area.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Thin, fiberglass casting of a cobblestone pathway separated into five pieces (a-e), with two segments on the left of the exhibition walkway and three on the right. The stones are irregular in size, shape, and color—various shades of gray, tan, and pink—not densely placed in the tan ground surrounding them. The pathway is painted to look authentic and each section has a few stones with illegible impressions of Hebrew text, ranging from two to longer strings of characters. These are likely fragments of headstones from Jewish cemeteries. a. The leftmost segment is long and rectangular in shape. The right end is cut in a curved edge, where it joins with segment b. b. Long, rectangular segment that is immediately to the left of the exhibition walkway. The left end is cut in a curved edge, where it joins with segment a. The right end partially extends beneath the exhibition walkway. c. Long, rectangular segment that is immediately to the right of the exhibition walkway. The left end partially extends beneath the walkway. The right end is cut in a curved edge, where it joins with segment d. d. Long, rectangular segment to the right of c. The left end is cut in a curved edge, where it joins with segment c. The right end has a relatively straight, cut or cracked edge, where it joins with segment e. Segments d and e were likely once a single piece, but have since become separated. e. The rightmost segment, which is significantly smaller than the others. The left end has a relatively straight, cut or cracked edge, where it joins with segment d. Segments d and e were likely once a single piece, but have since become separated.

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.