26 Facts About Jankiel Wiernik

Jankiel Wiernik was a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor who was an influential figure in the Treblinka extermination camp resistance.

Jankiel Wiernik wrote a clandestine account of the camp's operation, A Year in Treblinka, which was copied and translated for printing in London and the US in English and Yiddish.

Jankiel Wiernik left Poland, emigrating first to Sweden and then to the new state of Israel.

Jankiel Wiernik returned to Poland in 1964, to attend the opening of the Treblinka Memorial.

Jankiel Wiernik grew up and lived with his family in Kobryn, Poland, where he followed his father in becoming a master cabinetmaker.

From 1904 Jankiel Wiernik was a member of the Bund movement.

Jankiel Wiernik lived in Warsaw and worked as a property manager at a house owned by the family of Stefan Krzywoszewski, a popular writer, publisher and theatre director in the Interbellum.

When World War II began with the 1939 invasion of Poland, Jankiel Wiernik was 50 years old.

In late 1940 the German Nazis created the Warsaw Ghetto, and Jankiel Wiernik was forced to relocate there along with all Polish Jews in the capital.

Jankiel Wiernik was transported to Treblinka on 23 August 1942, during the murderous Grossaktion Warsaw.

On his arrival at Treblinka aboard the Holocaust train from Warsaw, Jankiel Wiernik was selected to work as a Sonderkommando; otherwise he would have been immediately gassed and killed that day.

Jankiel Wiernik was encouraged by occasional scenes of brave resistance.

Jankiel Wiernik attributed his survival to being able to build structures needed in the camp.

Jankiel Wiernik escaped Treblinka during the revolt of the prisoners on "a sizzling hot day" of August 2,1943.

Jankiel Wiernik wrote that he "grabbed some guns" and, after spotting an opportunity to make a break for the woods, an axe.

Jankiel Wiernik said he turned around and killed his pursuer with the axe.

Jankiel Wiernik hid in Warsaw, secreted initially by the Polish family of Krzywoszewski, his former employers.

Jankiel Wiernik made contact with members of the Jewish underground working in the 'Aryan' part of Warsaw.

Jankiel Wiernik was persuaded in late 1943 to write A Year in Treblinka, in spite of his initial reluctance.

Jankiel Wiernik continued to live in Warsaw in relative comfort, believing that his 'Aryan' appearance allowed him to do so.

Jankiel Wiernik took part in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, fighting in the Armia Ludowa.

Jankiel Wiernik emigrated to Sweden and afterwards to the newly founded state of Israel.

In 1961 Jankiel Wiernik testified in the Eichmann trial in Israel.

Jankiel Wiernik suffered the after-effects of trauma from his time in the camp.

Jankiel Wiernik's feeling of survivor's guilt was expressed in chapter one of A Year in Treblinka.

Jankiel Wiernik published Rok w Treblince in 1944 as a clandestine booklet.