Stanisław Szmajzner

Stanisław Szmajzner (13 March 1927 – 3 March 1989 ) was a Polish-born Holocaust survivor who was one of 58 known survivors of the Sobibór extermination camp in German-occupied Poland, who participated in the 1943 camp-wide revolt and escape from Sobibór. He was born in Puławy, Poland and died in Goiânia, Brazil.

Internment

Szmajzner arrived at Sobibór extermination camp on 12 May 1942 in a transport of about 2,000 Jews from the Eastern Poland Ghetto of Opole Lubelskie, together with his parents, a sister, brother, cousin, and nephew.

Occupations

On arrival, he was not murdered in the gas chambers because he proved to be a goldsmith, having carried along his bag of tools. He also managed to protect his brother, cousin, and nephew, insisting he needed their assistance.

Revolt

16-year-old Szmajzner learned about the mass killings at Sobibór through messages from a friend forced to work at the gas chambers, secretly delivered by a Volksdeutsch guard. In the turmoil of the escape, Szmajzner shot a tower guard. who managed to escape from the camp into the nearby woods. He was part of Pechersky's group, consisting of 57 persons. To avoid discovery, the escapees split into smaller groups. Pechersky and seven other Russian POWs left to purchase food and make contact with the Home Army, with the remaining persons waiting for their return. After Pechersky did not return, they split into smaller groups and sought separate ways. Of Szmajzner's group of 15 or 16 survivors, 12 or 13 were later shot and killed by Polish bandits. He survived by dropping to the ground and playing dead.

After World War II In 1947, Szmajzner immigrated to Brazil, where in 1967 he recognized Franz Stangl. In May 1978, he also confirmed the identity of Gustav Wagner in a São Paulo police station. He visited West Germany a number of times to testify in trials, including against Stangl. Szmajzner wrote a book about his experiences as an adolescent in the death camp, which was published in 1968 in Brazil.

Works