WŁADYSŁAW STRZELCZYK

Warsaw, 26 January 1950. Trainee Judge Irena Skonieczna, acting as a member of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, interviewed the person named below, who testified as follows:


Name and surname Władysław Strzelczyk
Date and place of birth 25 January 1887, Bartniki, Łowicz county
Parents’ names Piotr and Maria, née Tylkowska
Father’s occupation farmer
Citizenship and nationality Polish
Religion Roman Catholic
Education 6 classes of elementary school
Occupation waiter
Place of residence Warsaw, Przechodnia Street 6, flat 14
Criminal record none

When the Warsaw Uprising broke out, I was in my house at Przechodnia Street 6. Our street was occupied by the insurgents until 7 August 1944. On that day the Germans – Wehrmacht soldiers – entered our street and ordered all the residents to leave their houses. At the time, the insurgents were still holding the bank at the corner of Przechodnia Street and Bankowy Square.

First we were led to the Saski Garden, where SS-men wanted to put us – the men – on their tanks, however the soldier who was escorting us refused, saying that we were required for work. So he led us along the Mirowski Market. At the corner of Ptasia Street we saw the bodies of some ten murdered people, both women and men. We were led between the market halls. Here the men were stopped, while the women and children marched on, in the direction of Wola. A German ordered us to remove our jackets and start clearing the street of barricades.

In the meantime a drunken SS man came out of one of the market halls – he wanted to shoot four of our young men. Yet again, the commander of our escort interceded. He tore the drunken SS man’s weapon from his hands, and when the soldier retreated to the hall – where more SS-men were gathered – the commander ordered us to don our jackets and walk quickly in the direction of Wola. We passed through Chłodna Street escorted by “Ukrainians”, who commanded us to run with our arms raised; they also searched us and hit us with their rifle butts, and stole everything of greater value.

We reached the church at the corner of Wolska and Bema streets. On the next day the Germans selected 160 men from the group gathered in the church, ostensibly for work. I later learned, however, that these men were shot. A friend of mine, Rymsza, died along with them.

On the next day we were taken to the Western Railway Station, from where we were transported to Pruszków.

While walking along Wolska Street to the church in Wola, at the corner of Skierniewicka Street, I saw a German shoot an elderly woman who was unable to walk on her own and was being assisted by another woman.

At this point the report was brought to a close and read out.