Thomas Blatt is also the author of two book's:

• Sobibor - The Forgotten Revolt • From The Ashes of Sobibor

    

The story of the revolt was told in the award-winning Chrysler Corporation film special for the year 1987:

• Escape From Sobibor

PRESIDENT
REPUBLIC OF POLAND

Warsaw, October 14, 1993

To the participants of the fiftieth anniversary of the revolt at Sobibor:

There are places on Polish soil that are symbols of human tragedy and human bestiality, heroism and cruelty. These are the death camps. Built by Hitler's engineers, administered by the Nazi "professionals" - they served only one purpose: total genocide and the annihilation of the Jewish race. Sobibor was such a place. A manmade hell in which fifty years ago the Jews revolted, without the chance of a victory, but not without hope.

A heroic fight ensued, not in the defense of life, but in the hope of a dignified death. In defending the dignity of the 250,000 victims, the majority of whom were Polish citizens, the Jews achieved a moral victory. They saved their dignity, their honor, and in a way, saved humanity. Their deeds cannot be forgotten, especially today when in many places on earth, bigotry, racism and intolerance are springing up again. And, where again, the crime of genocide is being committed.

Sobibor remains as a reminder and a warning. But it also represents the testimony of a people and their dignity, and a triumph for all of humanity.

I pay reverence to the memory of all, Jews from Poland and from all of Europe, who were tortured to death here, on this soil.

Lech Walesa

PRIME MINISTER
REPUBLIC OF POLAND

Warsaw, October 12, 1993

Mr. Thomas Blatt
Chairman of the Holocaust Sites Preservation Committee

Honorable Mr. Chairman, Honorable Mr. Wojewodo, Honorable Assembly:

Please accept my sincere words of thanks for the honor of inviting me to the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the revolt in the Sobibor death camp.

Unfortunately, because of urgent matters, I cannot take part in today's events in person. However, I wish to send my homage to the heroes - the victims of Hitler's terror and cruel genocide. The prisoners of Sobibor, the horrible death camp for Jews, took the heroic decision to fight, and in effect, they chose above all a way to die, because they were fully aware that if anyone survived, they would be only a few. In this inhuman world of the totalitarian system of death camps, slavery, and human degradation, in which we saw mainly death, the prisoners of Sobibor have shown how to act and fight heroically, so as to be morally victorious.

The history of Sobibor has also shown us that even in the face of extreme terror and extermination, Hitler's hangmen were not able to kill in the victimized and tormented people the will to fight for freedom, even if the road led to death.

The history of the Holocaust is the most monstrous tragedy of a people's destiny, where the most appaling chapters took place on our soil. It is the duty of all of us - and I do not need to justify deeper - to know more, understand more, and remember those terrible, murderous times and the heroes of those days.

In paying reverence to those who chose the battle call of death in Sobibor death camp, we must remember the prize for the final victory over totalitarianism. We should do everything so as not to allow the emergence of another "inhuman world" and their indescribable crimes.

Respectfully,

H. Suchocka