Samuel Willenberg

Samuel Willenberg was born in Częstochowa, Poland, to a Jewish father and a Christian mother who converted to Judaism. He volunteered for the Polish Army in 1939, but was wounded and captured by the Soviets. He escaped and returned to his family, who moved to Opatów Ghetto in 1941. In 1942, he was deported to Treblinka extermination camp, where he was selected for forced labor as a Sonderkommando. He witnessed the atrocities committed by the Nazis and decided to join the resistance movement in the camp. He took part in the Treblinka revolt in August 1943, and managed to escape by climbing over the fence of dead bodies. He reached Warsaw and joined the Polish Home Army, fighting in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. After the war, he moved to Israel and became a surveyor. He also pursued his passion for art, creating sculptures and paintings that depicted his experiences in the Holocaust. He wrote a memoir, Revolt in Treblinka, and gave lectures and tours about his life story. He received several honors and awards from Poland and Israel, and was recognized as a hero and a witness of history. He died in 2016 at the age of 93, leaving behind his wife, daughter, and grandchildren.