WŁADYSŁAW ROCHOWICZ

2 May 1946, Municipal Court in Ostrowiec
The case of Ryszard Hospodar
Present: Judge R. Kretko
Reporter: R. Pater
Court in session at 10:00 AM

The judge ordered evidentiary hearing and advised the accused that he was allowed to make comments and explain each evidence (Article 335 of the Code of Criminal Procedure). After summoning the witnesses to the room, the judge advised all witnesses and experts about the criminal liability for making false declarations. When asked about the names, surnames, occupation, place of residence, and relationship to the parties, witnesses and experts stated as follows:


Name and surname Władysław Rochowicz
Age 45 years old
Father’s name Antoni
Relationship to the parties none
Criminal record none

[Interviewed witness] without an oath. Other witnesses were made exempt from an oath by the parties. Judge decided to interview those witnesses without an oath. Witnesses were again moved to another room. Each witness was summoned to the court room individually and interviewed in the absence of those witnesses who had not yet testified.

Władysław Rochowicz testifies: Ryszard Hospodar was the driver of the Gestapo unit in Opatów. Regardless of his function, his position was high in both the party and SD, and because of that, he displayed much cruelty towards the people. I know two cases: when Hospodar personally killed a mill worker, Niewójt, for entering the ghetto, and a man named Rolecki, for breaking into a German store. Apart from that, I recall him killing a post officer for, allegedly, stealing from packages. Hospodar came from the Sudetes and spoke Czech, if I remember correctly. I gave a film with photographs of his likeness to the head of the Municipal Court in Ostrowiec: it included a few pictures of him.