The Sobibór Extermination Camp Museum

The Sobibór Museum of the Former Extermination Camp, located near the village of Żłobek, is a memorial site dedicated to the victims of one of the most tragic chapters of World War II – the German extermination camp. It was established on October 14, 1993, on the 50th anniversary of the armed uprising of the camp’s prisoners. Initially, it operated as a branch of the Museum of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lakeland. The museum complex included a monument of a Jewish mother with a child, a mound containing the ashes of the victims, and a museum building where, since 2000, a permanent exhibition about the camp was displayed. Due to financial difficulties, the museum had to close in 2011, but in 2012 it was transformed into a branch of the State Museum at Majdanek. In recent years, archaeological work has been carried out on the site of the former camp, and new forms of commemorating the victims are being planned. The museum has gained international recognition, receiving an award in the 2024 European Museum of the Year competition. The Sobibór Museum of the Former Extermination Camp is an important cultural institution that combines elements of memorial architecture, history, and education, serving as a poignant and essential reminder of the genocide.