2014-Winter-DU-Magazine

DEADLY DECEPTION US NEWS
DEADLY DECEPTION
AT SOB I BO R
Archaeology, Documentary Shine Light
on Once - Hidden Jewish Death Camp
A documentary honoring the 70th anniversary of a
Jewish rebellion at the Nazi extermination camp of Sobibor
was screened at the Power Center on November 11.
The free, public event included a screening of the
director’s cut of the film, Deadly Deception at Sobibor, and
featured Dr. Philip Reeder and Yoram Haimi, who spoke of
their research of the camp.
An environmental scientist specializing in paleoenvironmental
and paleo-climate reconstruction, Reeder—
dean of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental
Sciences—was a participant in research at Sobibor, The
Science of Sobibor, and was responsible for all surveying
and map production associated with the project. Haimi,
Israel Antiquities Authority regional archaeologist, whose
two uncles perished in the death camp, provided an
illustrated lecture, Archaeology of the Holocaust: Excavations
at Sobibor, showcasing his quest of a lifetime.
The documentary chronicles Haimi’s attempt to
understand what happened to his family during the
Holocaust. Sobibor, an extermination camp on the remote
edges of eastern Poland, was the site of a successful,
large-scale rebellion on Oct. 14, 1943. Following the escape
of about 500 Jewish prisoners, the Nazis quickly buried the
camp under tons of dirt and planted trees to stop word of
the rebellion from spreading and inspiring others.
Ironically, the effort to hide the camp inadvertently
preserved it. This research effort, which involved the work
of scholars from around the world, including Reeder, used
ground-penetrating radar to perform high-tech mapping,
ensuring that burial sites would not be disturbed.
The excavations uncovered artifacts of victims,
including children, in their original locations along the
walkways and buildings used to exterminate nearly
250,000 Jews. The documentary shows how technology,
conventional archaeology and the testimonies of survivors
uncovered this piece of history that was intended to remain
hidden.
The event was sponsored by the Nathan J. and Helen
Goldrich Foundation, Duquesne and the Bayer School of
Natural and Environmental Sciences.
www.duq.edu 13