The Extermination Camp, Treblinka: An Overview

The Extermination Camp in Treblinka was built in the spring of 1942 near an existing penal labor camp and covered an area of 17 hectares. The camp was surrounded by a high barbed wire fence camouflaged with interwoven greenery to hide what was happening inside. Anti-tank obstacles ("Spanish horses") and rolls of barbed wire were placed outside the fence. Watch towers were additionally positioned around the camp.
The staff consisted of 25-30 Germans and Austrians who supervised the camp together with a guard company of about 100 men, mostly Ukrainians.
The first camp commandant was Dr Irmfr…