SOBIBÓR - Holocaust Handbooks

J. GRAF, T. KUES, C. MATTOGNO, SOBIBÓR 167
The dishonest approach of Gilead et al. becomes even more evident
when considering the following passage in their article: 481
“It is generally agreed that one of the challenges facing the historical
archaeologist is the artifact/text dichotomy. […] If contradictions
are apparent and real, we are talking about spaces between or
within artifact and text, about dissonances, that may reveal additional
aspects hitherto unknown […]. However, to establish if in a
given case dissonances exist, the nature and quality of the evidence,
of both the archaeological and the historical data, should be reexamined
carefully”.
But how can an honest and unbiased re-examination of the evidence
even be possible if the existence of the Sobibór gas chambers – for
which there exist only the weakest type of evidence, namely eye witness
testimony – is taken as an a priori fact? In short, Gilead et al.’s
reasoning serves only to betray their intellectual bankruptcy. Their only
chance to redeem their honor as scientists would be to actually present
physical evidence backing up the gas chamber allegations. To date, this
has not happened.
5.6. The Official “Memorial Map” of the Sobibór
“Death Camp”
Marek Bem, director of the ��czy�sko-W�odawa Museum, is the author
of a brochure aimed at foreign visitors to the memorial at the former
Sobibór camp site, 482 published in 2006, which contains the official
“memorial map” of the alleged extermination camp. A quick comparison
makes evident that the memorial map’s description of camp III is
based on Kola’s excavation map. As noted by Gilead et al., the large
barrack of Object E is here identified as the gas chambers (item #74)
and the smaller one as the “room with gas producing engines” (item
#75). Objects A, B, and D (items #78-80) are all conveniently passed
off as “administrative buildings.” The map further places not one, but
two cremation grates (item #82) inside graves No. 3 and 4, whereas the
cremation pit discovered by Kola (“Grave” No. 7) is described as an ash
481 I. Gilead, Y. Haimi, W. Mazurek, op. cit. (note 293), p. 22.
482 Marek Bem, Masterplan Sobibór: …a place to remember …a place to learn, Muzeum
Pojezierza ��czy�sko-W�odawskiego, W�odawa 2006. Also available online at:
www.Sobibór.edu.pl