“It was not the will to live that drove me...”: Escapees from Treblinka Death Camp Returning to the Warsaw Ghetto

Abstract

Abstract This article examines a pivotal moment during the Holocaust among the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto—the return to Warsaw of eyewitness survivors who managed to escape from the Treblinka death camp during summer and autumn 1942. These individuals, who had personally witnessed the atrocities, were fueled by a profound sense of duty to attest to the horrors of the extermination camp, and thus they sought to inform and caution the remaining Jewish population. This article explores the dynamics of these escapees’ return and delves into the details of their testimonies, as well as how the ghetto population reacted to information about Treblinka. While many were eager to uncover the truth about the fate of the deportees, the harsh reality proved difficult to bear for many and escapees’ accounts often faced skepticism. The article also reveals that the urge to alert fellow Jews about the ongoing Holocaust heavily motivated those who fled Treblinka in this time. On a more general level, this case study broadly examines the process by which information transforms into knowledge.