Bełżec (approximate Polish
pronunciation bew-zhets) was the first of the
Nazi German Extermination camps created for implementing
Operation Reinhard during the Holocaust. Operating
in 1942, the camp was situated in occupied Poland about
half a mile south of the local railroad station Bełżec
in theLubin district of the General Government.
At least 434,500 Jews were killed at Bełżec, and an unknown number of other Poles and members of the Roma People, and only two Jews are known to have survived Bełżec: Rudolf Reder and Chaim Herszman. The lack of survivors may be the reason why this camp is so little known despite its number of victims.
