TREBLINKA: - Holocaust Handbooks

Chapter III: Investigations, Camp Plans, Statistics 87
On December 29, 1945, after the conclusion of his preliminary investigations,
�ukaszkiewicz issued a protocol with 14 paragraphs, which – as already
mentioned – was presented by the Soviets at the Nuremberg Trial as Document
USSR-344. In the third paragraph, which bears the title “Current condition
of the camp terrain”, it says the following: 209
“With the assistance of an expert surveyor and witnesses, I made an
exact inspection of the terrain. According to the measurements, the area of
the camp is approximately 13.45 hectares and had the shape of an irregular
quadrilateral. No remnants of facilities of the former death camp exist
any longer. The only things that remain of the structures are: a ditch with
remains of burned wooden poles protruding up, which lead into the cellar,
wall bricks from the foundations of the camp’s domestic economics building
and the site of the well. Here and there one finds traces of the burnedout
wooden poles of the fence and remains of barbed wire. There are still a
few sections of paved walks. Nonetheless, there are still other traces that
hint at the existence and functions of the camp. In the northwestern section
of the area, the surface is covered for about 2 hectares by a mixture of
ashes and sand. In this mixture, one finds countless human bones, often
still covered with tissue remains, which are in a condition of decomposition.
During the inspection, which I made with the assistance of an expert
in forensic medicine, it was determined that the ashes are without any
doubt of human origin (remains of cremated human bones). The examination
of human skulls could discover no trace of wounding. At a distance of
some 100 m, there is now an unpleasant odor of burning and decay. In the
southwestern direction, a portion of the camp terrain is covered by aluminum
– enamel – glass and porcelain dishes – kitchen utensils – hand luggage
– rucksacks – pieces of clothing, etc. There are innumerable holes
and craters on the property.”
�ukaszkiewicz summarized the investigations carried out a month earlier at
that location as follows: 210
“During the work on the terrain, I found no mass graves, which, in
connection with the statements by the witnesses Romanowski and Wiernik,
leads to the conclusion that nearly all of the bodies of the victims were
burned, all the more so since the camp was liquidated early and the murderers
had much time. The ground of the camp was ploughed and sown.
Ukrainians were settled there; they fled before the arrival of the Red Army
(witnesses Kucharek and Lopuszy�ski).”
On August 9 and 10, 1946, �ukaszkiewicz, along with the surveyor Trautsolt
and the court physician Wakulicz, searched for mass graves in the area of
the camp Treblinka I. In the forest by the village of Maliszewa, about 500 m
209
USSR-344. GARF, 7445-2-126, pp. 19a-20 (p. 3f of the report).
210
Ibid., p. 324a (p. 12).