Majdanek: Rozprawa Przed Specjalnym Sadem Karnym w Lublinie (Court Proceedings of the Special Criminal Court in Lublin)
[Krakow]: Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik" (Czytelnik Publishing Cooperative), 1945. First edition. Softcover. Octavo (8 1/4 x 6"). 93pp. + 13 leaves of double sided photographic plates (interleaved, and unpaginated). Illustrated tan, red and black wrappers, with black lettering on the front cover. Photographic b/w frontispiece. Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik."
Possibly an earlier publication on lower quality paper compare to a slightly smaller publication by the "Library of the Union of Polish Patriots in the USSR" (Biblioteczka Zwiazku Patriotów Polskich w ZSRR), with the same text in different layout. That publication issued on higher quality paper and with twenty-eight photogravures, three more than in this publication, with twelve photographs appearing in both publications though in lesser quality here.
Court Proceedings of the Polish-Soviet Special Criminal Court established in Lublin in August 1944, in order to investigate the crimes committed by the Germans in the Majdanek extermination camp. Despite the importance of this document, it must be mentioned that the Commission made erroneous assumptions regarding the duration of the camp and the number of people killed at Majdanek. The Publishing cooperative "Czytelnik" was established behind Soviet front lines in 1944. It became the first post-World War II. publisher in Poland.
The total numbers of the victims is still controversial: In this report, 1.5 million victims of different nationalities were counted, however, according to the latest researches, there were 79,000 victims, 59,000 of whom were Jews (See: Kranz, T.: "Bookkeeping of Death and Prisoner Mortality at Majdanek." pp. 81-110. In: Silberklang, D. (Ed.): Yad Vashem Studies. Vol. 35:1. Jerusalem, 2007].
Illustrated with 25 pages of b/w photographic reproductions (including a frontispiece), on 13 double-sided interleaved plates, altogether thirty-two photographs depicting members of the Commission, Nazi guards (now prisoners) who used to run the camp, and survivors alike testifying before the Commission. Also includes views of the actual concentration camp, piles of suitcases, Zyklon B poison gas pellets, gas chambers, ovens, and survivors amid corpses.
Wrappers with some chipping, rubbing, creasing and/or closed tears to extremities. Small stain on the back cover, and side edge of book block. Verso of frontispiece with a vertical crease. Some pages throughout with some light age toning or small water spots. Overall text and images clear and vibrant. Wrappers in good, interior in very good- condition overall. g to von-. Item #47189
*One of two editions of this work published in Moscow and Krakow in 1945. It is not certain which was released first. Each has different wrappers, size, pagination and publishers.
Price: $1,250.00