Places of the Holocaust that are almost forgotten
Why the Sites of “Operation Reinhardt” Deserve More Attention

For Lena Altman, Co-CEO of the Alfred Landecker Foundation, it was also a deeply personal journey - back to places closely connected to Alfred Landecker’s fate and to the less visible chapters of German remembrance culture.

“Twenty years ago, I visited Bełżec for the first time - shortly after the memorial site had opened. Then, as now, this place took my breath away.

Between 1942 and 1943, the Nazis murdered around 1.8 million Jews as part of the so-called ‘Operation Reinhardt.’ Places like Bełżec, Sobibór, Treblinka and Majdanek stand as examples of this systematic extermination. Less well known, but just as central, are transit ghettos such as Izbica and Piaski - places of waiting, fear, and deception.

Jews from all over Europe were deported there, including from Germany and the Netherlands, before being sent on to the extermination camps. Alfred Landecker himself was deported from Mannheim to Izbica in 1942. The last surviving document connected to him also comes from there: A letter in which he asks his children to send him food.
Our foundation bears his name to remember his fate and that of six million murdered Jews.

At the same time, this journey was also a search for traces of the rich Jewish life that shaped the Lublin region for centuries. Izbica was one of many “shtetls” in southeastern Poland - places where Jewish life had formed the economic, religious, and cultural center since the Middle Ages.

Today, in Izbica, Piaski, and many other places, almost nothing remains to remind us of that. One memorial stone outside the town, another in the Jewish cemetery - that is all. In between: unmarked mass graves, places of humiliation and execution, neglected, overgrown, with no indication of what happened here - or that this was once an important center of Jewish life long before the German occupation. This absence makes the scale of the destruction visible. Without the expert guidance of Dr. Andreas Kahrs and Nora Zirkelbach from what matters, much of this would have remained invisible.

It is here that the systematic and highly organized nature of the Holocaust also becomes clear. In Bełżec and Sobibór, around 120 men organized the murder of approximately 740,000 people. Many of them came from the so-called ‘Aktion T4,’ the Nazi murder program targeting people with physical and mental disabilities in Germany. Bełżec was closed again after only a few months - the traces of the crime largely erased. The perpetrators celebrated the completion of their ‘mission’ with trips to Berlin and Potsdam together with their wives.

Another central place on the journey was Majdanek. Here, the cynically named ‘Operation Harvest Festival’ stands for one of the largest massacres of the Holocaust: in November 1943, more than 42,000 Jewish women, men, and children were shot in and around Majdanek within just two days.

One of the very few female survivors later described how her ten-year-old daughter knelt naked at the edge of the pit, in the freezing cold, with piles of corpses before her. The child asked her mother to cover her eyes because she was so afraid. The mother did - and in the next moment felt the bullet pierce through her own hand. In that instant, she knew her daughter had been murdered.

Stories like this defy language.

One particularly powerful moment for me was standing before the memorial wall in Bełżec and seeing the first names of my own children - among thousands of others. A brief moment that erased the distance between past and present.

This journey strengthened my conviction of how concrete remembrance must be. Especially in Germany, we continue to witness debates about drawing a final line under history - as if responsibility could somehow expire. At the same time, Holocaust survivors are still living among us.

For us at the Alfred Landecker Foundation, this means clearly: we must not treat remembrance as something completed and consigned to the past. We support Holocaust survivors around the world so that they can age with dignity - because their reality is part of our present, not only our history.

At the same time, we work to strengthen a living and contemporary culture of remembrance: through exhibitions, educational journeys, serious games, and research into underexamined aspects of the Holocaust; by supporting organizations that develop tailored responses to antisemitism in arts and culture, sports, public institutions, schools, and universities; and through initiatives that strengthen Jewish life.

Making the lesser-known chapters of the Shoah visible remains a central task - also because there is still so much to do. Too many places are forgotten, too many stories remain untold, too many traces have been erased or left to chance.

This journey, ‘In the Shadow of Auschwitz,’ reminded me once again how important it is to visit these places, to pass on knowledge, and to actively shape remembrance - not only as a look into the past, but as a responsibility for the present.”

Many participants described the journey as far more than a historical educational trip. The direct encounter with the sites of extermination, with individual fates, and with the often barely visible traces of Jewish life not only deepened knowledge - it also shattered personal certainties, created speechlessness, and gave rise to a new sense of responsibility.

What becomes clear again and again in their reflections is this: from experiencing these places firsthand grows not only remembrance, but also conviction - a sharpened awareness of antisemitism and exclusion in the present, a stronger sense of personal responsibility, and often the feeling of having found allies in this work.

What participants said about the trip

Christian Schleicher, Deputy Head of Political Education Forums and Head of Political Education Forums South, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

“A superbly designed and executed educational trip, with a focus on a careful and sensitive approach to both the subject matter and the sites of terror. The portrayal of individual fates was a central method for making the scale of Operation Reinhardt and the immense suffering of the Jewish victims tangible and comprehensible. In this way, the organizers succeeded in giving faces and names to the abstract figure of 1.8 million victims. It is also very positive that various actors working in the fields of remembrance and combating antisemitism were able to connect with one another. A journey that will resonate for a very long time!”

Thomas Ziem, Contact Person for Group-Focused Enmity, Central Office for Prevention – Berlin State Criminal Police Office

“The ‘In the Shadow of Auschwitz’ trip was an unparalleled experience. Over four days, thanks to the expertise of the what-matters team, we were able to engage intensively with lesser-known sites and events of the Shoah, gaining profound insights into this dark chapter of human history. With the support of the Alfred Landecker Foundation and the World Jewish Congress, an impressive and diverse group came together, all of whom were enriched by this unforgettable journey to eastern Poland.”

Katharina Bartsch, Research Assistant in the constituency office of Konstantin von Notz, Member of the German Bundestag (Alliance 90/The Greens)

“I had the opportunity, at the invitation of the Alfred Landecker Foundation and the World Jewish Congress, to take part in a trip to Lublin. For four days, I looked into an abyss of humanity. I encountered details and connections that were previously unknown to me—testimonies of a total collapse of civilization and morality. These impressions pushed me to the limits of what I could bear. My mind is filled with images and accounts that deeply horrify me. And yet, at the same time, my unwavering determination has been strengthened to oppose, with everything I have, all that is once again pushing our society toward fascism today.

I return with horror in my mind. What sustained me was a group of people who supported me when I felt despair—who shared their stories, thoughts, and knowledge with me. People whom I now know to stand beside me in the shared fight against antisemitism, racism, and all forms of hatred. That such a strong community could emerge in such a short time is also thanks to the incredibly experienced and empathetic guides, Nora and Andreas. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take part in this journey—and above all for the encounter with these remarkable people.”

Sandra Görgen, Office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism, Dr. Felix Klein, Federal Ministry of the Interior

“I would like to sincerely thank the Alfred Landecker Foundation and the World Jewish Congress for the opportunity to participate in this trip to Poland. The ‘In the Shadow of Auschwitz’ journey showed me that while I know some things, there is so much more that I do not know. A shadow can reach immense proportions, and this is how I perceived the sites of mass murder in Bełżec, Sobibor, and Majdanek. It became even clearer to me how important it is to protect these places, the transit ghettos, and the cemeteries that are at risk of being forgotten or have already been partially desecrated.

Dr. Andreas Kahrs and Nora Zirkelbach of what matters GmbH succeed in conveying geographical and historical details as well as the individual fates of murdered Jews and survivors in an outstanding way. What remains? The sense of powerlessness on site and the initial speechlessness are now followed by the question: How can we ensure that remembrance does not fade after more than 80 years, and that it is not ‘enough’? I have become a witness to testimony—and that is now my responsibility.”

Anja Spiller, Advisor – Task Force on Jewish Life, Civil Society and Interreligious Dialogue, Department Democracy and Engagement, Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

“This trip once again demonstrated how important it is not only to talk about ‘Never again!’. Far more important is to visit the sites of mass extermination; to preserve the few remaining testimonies of Jewish culture, which are increasingly disappearing; and to find allies for the work that must be done today—for democracy and against antisemitism.”

Finja Marie Grotkasten, Research Assistant, Donata Vogtschmidt, Member of the German Bundestag (The Left)

“The journey to the ‘forgotten’ sites of the Holocaust once again vividly illustrated the complexity of the events: alongside precisely organized structures, there were also elements of chance and a gradual development and adaptation of practices of violence—carried out by perpetrators ranging from convinced actors to unreflective followers, who together enabled the unprecedented Nazi machinery of extermination.

We also came to understand the culture of remembrance in Poland as complex and shaped by different perspectives. Precisely for this reason, the specific sites and the work with sources in their regional context are essential in order to avoid abstracting what happened. From this complexity of remembrance arises an equally complex responsibility: to decisively oppose fascism in all its continuities and (re-)emergences—not only where it is obvious, but especially in the small, inconspicuous, and seemingly harmless.

Remembrance must not remain an end in itself, but must lead to active engagement: protecting and strengthening spaces for Jewish life and culture—and at the same time remaining vigilant and resolute against those forces that seek to threaten and restrict these spaces. This journey was both a moment of pause and a renewed, deepened awareness of historical as well as present-day connections—and it should serve as a starting point for a sharpened sense of responsibility that translates into conscious action in both everyday life and professional contexts. It is a great enrichment that such a program makes this form of learning and remembrance possible. Thank you!”

Sarah Laubenstein, Advisor in Government Coordination on Antisemitism, Anti-Discrimination and Equality, Berlin Senate Chancellery

“The trip to Lublin, Bełżec, Sobibor, Majdanek, and numerous other sites will remain unforgettable to me for many reasons. Firstly, because of the sheer magnitude of the destruction of Polish Jewry, which was brought home to us once again in a particularly stark way by the incredibly knowledgeable and pedagogically sensitive team of Andreas Kahrs and Nora Zirkelbach—leaving me speechless, not for the first time, but enriched by many facets that I had not previously fully grasped.

Secondly, because of the people I had the opportunity to meet on this journey. Not only were we able to network professionally and thus strengthen one another in the fight against antisemitism; on a personal level, too, these were deeply appreciative encounters that moved me profoundly and for which I am very grateful to the Alfred Landecker Foundation and the World Jewish Congress.”

Dr. Ingrid von Stumm, Division H III 3 “Combating Antisemitism”, Federal Ministry of the Interior

“The ‘In the Shadow of Auschwitz’ trip deeply moved me and showed me how little I had previously understood about the unimaginable. Through their combination of different approaches, small details, and broader contexts, Andreas and Nora painted a new and more nuanced picture of the monstrous crime and its perpetrators. Being there in person and directly sensing the fate of the victims added a powerful dimension.

I believe that this journey has given me a different, more grounded understanding of my role—combating antisemitism—and its significance. The many, often very personal conversations within the group, reflecting different perspectives, also contributed to this. Perhaps it was precisely the intense shared experience of visiting these places of horror that brought us so close together in such a short time.”

Julia Löffler, Policy Advisor for Cultural Affairs, Parliamentary Group of Alliance 90/The Greens in the German Bundestag

“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in this journey. After returning, I spoke with many people in both my private and professional circles, and it became clear how little even we, as informed individuals, actually know about the crimes of the National Socialists in what is now eastern Poland. It is hard to comprehend that in 2026 there are still mass graves over which footpaths now run. After all the suffering, the victims have still not been commemorated with dignity—and we are all allowing this to happen.

Understanding this is only possible when one has the opportunity to take part in such a journey, accompanied by competent academic guidance and facilitators who provide emotional support. All of this was present during our trip in April 2026. It will stay with all participants for a long time and at the same time serves as a mandate to keep the memory of the victims alive and to preserve their legacy. There is still much to be done, and I hope that many more people will have the opportunity to have such deeply moving experiences.”