Sobibor, Poland: The Sobibor extermination camp was used to kill 250,000 Jews as part of “Operation Reinhart,” the official Nazi project of genocide. While only in operation for one year, Sobibor was used exclusively to carry out mass murder. The camp is also notable for being the site of one of the only successful revolts against the SS, and in 1943, a group of prisoners killed numerous guards. While the effort was only partially successful, hundreds of prisoners escaped. As the Nazis began their retreat at the end of the war, they dismantled the camp, tore the gas chambers down and planted a forest in an attempt to cover evidence. Extensive excavations of the site began in 2000, and the ruins of the gas chambers have since been unearthed. Several large mounds of ash have been interred in memorials and there are numerous plaques at the site, honoring the victims of the Holocaust.
