MINSK, 3 June (BelTA) – Semion Rosenfeld, the last living survivor of the Sobibor Uprising, died at 96 in Israel, Israel's Channel 9 informs.
“This morning we have been saddened by the news about the death of Semion Rosenfeld, the last living survivor of the uprising in the Sobibor death camp. Semion fought in the Red Army, was taken captive and sent to the death camp,” Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel Isaac Herzog said.
Semion Rosenfeld will be laid to rest in the town of Bnei Ayish on 3 June.
Semion Rosenfeld was born in Vinnitsa Oblast. He was drafted into the Red Army in October 1940 and served in the 150th heavy artillery regiment stationed between Minsk and Baranovichi. In late July 1941 he got into encirclement, was wounded and taken captive. At first he was sent to a concentration camp located on Shirokaya Street in Minsk; in September 1943 he was transferred to the Sobibor death camp in Poland.
On 14 October 1943 he took an active part in the uprising led by Alexander Pechersky. After the Sobibor underground killed 12 SS officers, the inmates broke free. Rosenfeld and a small group of former inmates hid in forests till the polish town of Chelm was liberated by the Soviet troops in spring 1944. After that he joined the Red Army, took part in the Battle of Berlin. He left an inscription “Baranovichi-Sobibor-Berlin” on the Reichstag wall.
