▁of ▁Lub lin , ▁SS ▁Br iga def ühr er ▁Od ilo ▁Glo bo č nik ▁an ▁order ▁to ▁start ▁German izing ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁Z amo ść , ▁which ▁ent a iled ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁Jews ▁from ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁future ▁settlement . ▁ ▁Camp ▁construction ▁ ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁begin ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁station ary ▁gas ▁ch amb ers ▁in ▁the ▁General ▁Government ▁preced ed ▁the ▁actual ▁W ann see ▁Conference ▁by ▁three ▁months . ▁The ▁first ▁steps ▁were ▁taken ▁between ▁mid - Se ptember ▁and ▁mid - Oct ober ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁construction ▁began ▁around ▁ 1 ▁November . ▁The ▁site ▁near ▁Be ł ż ec ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁several ▁reasons : ▁it ▁was ▁situated ▁on ▁the ▁border ▁between ▁the ▁Lub lin ▁District ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁District ▁of ▁Gal icia ▁formed ▁after ▁Operation ▁Bar bar ossa . ▁It ▁could ▁" process " ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁both ▁regions . ▁The ▁ease ▁of ▁transport ation ▁was ▁secured ▁by ▁the ▁rail road ▁j unction ▁at ▁nearby ▁R awa - R us ka ▁and ▁the ▁highway ▁between ▁Lub lin - St adt ▁and ▁L emberg . ▁The ▁northern ▁boundary ▁of ▁the ▁planned ▁killing ▁centre ▁consisted ▁of ▁an ▁anti - t ank ▁tren ch ▁constructed ▁a ▁year ▁earlier . ▁The ▁d itch , ▁exc av ated ▁originally ▁for ▁military ▁purposes ▁was ▁likely ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁mass ▁grave . ▁G lob oc nik ▁brought ▁in ▁Ober st urm führ er ▁Richard ▁Thom alla ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁civil ▁engineer