- Thomas Blatt
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Thomas Blatt 
Thomas Blatt in 1940sBorn April 15, 1927
Izbica, PolandKnown for Survivor of the Sobibor extermination camp uprising Religion Jewish Thomas "Toivi" Blatt (born April 15, 1927) was one of the few survivors who successfully escaped Sobibor extermination camp. While fleeing the SS he was betrayed by a farmer who was hiding him resulting in a gunshot injury to the jaw. The bullet remains there to this day. Toivi went on to write From The Ashes of Sobibor about his experience in Sobibor, including his part in the plot that led the 600-prisoner revolt on October 14, 1943, as well as his life before the war leading up to the German occupation of his village, Izbica.
Blatt also interviewed a former German guard from Sobibor, Karl Frenzel, who was given life in prison for his actions at Sobibor, but after serving 16 years, was released on appeal due to a technicality. Blatt believes his interview was the first time after World War II during which the accused spoke face-to-face with the victim.
The award winning 1987 TV movie Escape from Sobibor depicts the events at the death camp Sobibor. Blatt was portrayed in the film as well as revolt leaders Leon Feldhendler and Alexander Pechersky. Blatt assisted Richard Rashke in the making of the book called Escape from Sobibor. Escape from Sobibor gives varied accounts of Jewish escapees on the escape itself.
Blatt currently lives in Santa Barbara, California.
External links
- Sobibor - The Forgotten Revolt
- Interview with Karl Frenzel
- Escape from Sobibor at the Internet Movie Database
Other death camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau · Bełżec · Chełmno · Jasenovac · Majdanek · Maly Trostenets · TreblinkaCamp organizers Odilo Lotario Globocnik • Hermann Julius Höfle • Richard Wolfgang Thomalla • Erwin Hermann Lambert • Karl Steubl • Christian WirthCommandant Deputy commanders Karl August Wilhelm Frenzel • Hermann Michel • Johann Niemann • Gustav Franz WagnerGas chamber executioners Hermann Erich Bauer • Heinz Kurt BolenderOther officers Ernst Bauch • Rudolf Beckmann • Gerhardt Börner • Paul Bredow • Max Bree • Arthur Dachsel • Werner Karl Dubois • Herbert Floss • Erich Fritz Erhard Fuchs • Friedrich Gaulstich • Anton Getzinger • Hubert Gomerski • Siegfried Graetschus • Ferdinand "Ferdl" Grömer • Paul Johannes Groth • Lorenz Hackenholt • Josef "Sepp" Hirtreiter • Franz Hödl • Jakob Alfred Ittner • Robert Emil Franz Xaver Jührs • Aleks Kaizer • Rudolf "Rudi" Kamm • Johann Klier • Fritz Konrad • Erich Gustav Willie Lachmann • Karl Emil Ludwig • Willi Mentz • Adolf Müller • Walter Anton Nowak • Wenzel Fritz Rehwald • Karl Richter • Paul Rost • Walter "Ryba" (Hochberg) • Klaus Schreiber • Hans-Heinz Friedrich Karl Schütt • Thomas Steffl • Ernst Stengelin • Heinrich Unverhau • Josef Vallaster • Otto Weiss • Wilhelm "Willie" Wendland • Franz Wolf • Josef Wolf • Ernst ZierkeGuards Germans/Austrians: Heinrich Barbl
Ukrainians: B. Bielakow • Ivan Demjanjuk • Ivan Klatt • M. Matwiejenko • Ivan Nikiforow • W. Podienko • Mikhail Razgonayev • Emanuel Schultz • Fiodor Tichonowski • Libodenko Wartownick • J. Zajcew • other Volksdeutsche and prisoners of war (up to 200)Prominent victims Helga Deen • Anna Dresden-Polak • Else Feldmann • Isidore Goudeket • Jakob van Hoddis • Han Hollander • Gerrit Kleerekoper • Helena Nordheim • Abraham de Oliveira • Emanuel Querido • Jud Simons • Leo Smit • Michel VellemanResistance and survivors List of survivors of Sobibor (Thomas Blatt • Selma Engel-Wijnberg • Leon Feldhendler • Elka de Levie • Alexander Pechersky • Jules Schelvis)Nazi occupation and organizations Planning, methods,
documents and evidenceWar crimes investigations and trials Memorials Related articles Categories:- 1927 births
- Living people
- Jewish resistance members
- Polish resistance fighters of World War II
- Jewish resistance during the Holocaust
- Sobibor extermination camp survivors
- Jewish writers
- Polish writers
- Polish Jews
- People from Krasnystaw County
- Polish writer stubs
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