Chaim Sztajer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 July 1909 Częstochowa, Poland |
| Died | 16 February 2008 (aged 98) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Polish, Australian |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
| Known for | Treblinka survivor |
| Notable work | Model of Treblinka extermination camp (displayed at Jewish Holocaust Centre in Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia) |
| Spouses | Hela Majorczyk
(m. 1939; died 1942)Chana Sztal
(m. 1945; died 1971)Rosa Granek (m. 1973) |
Chaim Sztajer (15 July 1909 – 16 February 2008) was a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor known for his participation in the Treblinka uprising.[1][2] Sztajer was detained as a Sonderkommando in the Treblinka extermination camp for ten months, from early October 1942 until 2 August 1943, when he managed to escape during the uprising. Sztajer was held in Treblinka II, known as the 'death camp', in the final months of his detention. In secret communications with Jankiel Wiernek, who was held in Treblinka I, Sztajer assisted in coordinating the uprising between the two camps.
Sztajer was among many survivors who volunteered to give evidence in the trial of John Demanjuk, a Ukrainian-American man accused of being the notorious Treblinka guard known as Ivan the Terrible. Sztajer claimed that during the uprising, he struck Ivan the Terrible on the back, causing him to fall over.[3] Sztajer travelled to Jerusalem for the trial, however, he was eventually asked by the prosecution not to testify.
Sztajer is also known for his miniature model of the Treblinka camp, which is on display at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Melbourne, Australia.[4][1]
- ^ a b Witcomb, Andrea. (2009). "Remembering The Dead By Affecting The Living: The Case Of A Miniature Model Of Treblinka". In Museum Materialities: Objects, Engagements, Interpretations, edited by Sandra Dudley, pp.39-52. London: Routledge.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Jewish Holocaust Center". European Holocaust Research Infrastructure Portal. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search