International contemporary art platform16.02.1923–19.02.2016
Samuel Willenberg
Samuel Willenberg (1923–2016) was a Polish-Israeli sculptor, artist, writer, and resistance fighter. A Holocaust survivor, he participated in the 1943 Treblinka camp uprising and the Warsaw Uprising during World War II.
Biography
Samuel Willenberg was born on February 16, 1923, in Częstochowa, Poland. He was a sculptor, artist, writer, engineer, soldier, and resistance fighter. During World War II, he was imprisoned in the Treblinka concentration camp, where he served as a Sonderkommando. In August 1943, Willenberg took part in the prisoners' uprising at the camp. Of approximately 300 who escaped during this revolt, around 79 survived the war. After escaping, Willenberg reached Warsaw and participated in the Warsaw Uprising, continuing the fight against the Nazis. After the war, he lived in Israel and was actively engaged in artistic work. Samuel Willenberg died on February 19, 2016, in Tel Aviv, and was the last surviving participant of the 1943 Treblinka uprising.
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