▁P ohl ▁and ▁Peter ▁W itte , ▁gave ▁an ▁estimate ▁of ▁ 4 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 5 4 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁Michael ▁T reg enza ▁stated ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁possible ▁to ▁have ▁buried ▁up ▁to ▁one ▁million ▁vict ims ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁although ▁the ▁true ▁death ▁to ll ▁is ▁probably ▁around ▁half ▁that ▁number . ▁ ▁The ▁cru cial ▁piece ▁of ▁evidence ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁dec lass ified ▁Hö f le ▁Tele gram ▁sent ▁to ▁Berlin ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁by ▁Operation ▁Rein hard ' s ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁Hermann ▁Hö f le . ▁It ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁by ▁Stephen ▁Ty as ▁and ▁Peter ▁W itte . ▁The ▁radio ▁tele gram ▁indicated ▁that ▁ 4 3 4 , 5 0 8 ▁Jews ▁were ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Be ł ż ec ▁through ▁ 3 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁based ▁on ▁numbers ▁shared ▁by ▁the ▁SS ▁with ▁the ▁state - run ▁Deutsche ▁Reichs bahn ▁( DR G ). ▁The ▁camp ▁had ▁ceased ▁to ▁operate ▁for ▁mass ▁kill ings ▁by ▁then . ▁The ▁clean - up ▁comm ando ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁camp , ▁dis inter ring ▁the ▁bodies ▁and ▁burning ▁them . ▁The ▁Son der k omm ando ▁was ▁transport ed ▁to ▁Sob ib or ▁ex termin ation ▁camp ▁around ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁murder ed ▁on ▁arrival . ▁" In