STANISŁAWA MOLENDA

On 10 December 1945, in Radom, Kazimierz Borys, Investigating Judge from the Second District of the District Court in Radom, based in Radom, interviewed the person named below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Stanisława Molenda
Age 65 years old
Names of parents Paweł and Julia
Place of residence Radom, Młodzianowska Street 65
Occupation widow of a janitor at the Railway Directorate
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none
On 13 October 1942, my son Józef Molenda, born on 5 March 1919, was executed by the
Germans on the gallows set up on Kielecka Street in Radom.

The circumstances in which he died were as follows: both before and during the war my son Józef, a turner by profession, worked at the Arms Factory in Radom. Shortly before his arrest he worked from 6.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

On 24 September 1942, upon his return from work, he went into town. That day, at 8.00 p.m., two guards from the Arms Factory turned up while he was away and demanded that he report to his workplace immediately after his return from town. They said he had to deal with some urgent matter. When he got back I passed the guards’ order on to him. However, it wasn’t until the following day that he went to the factory. He never returned. That day, on 25 September 1942, he was taken from the factory at 10.00 a.m. and, after being first put in the Gestapo dungeon, he was placed in the Radom prison. I learned about this from my son’s friends who tried to comfort me by pointing out that he had been taken by factory guards.

I couldn’t wait for him to return, so I went to the prison. There I learned for sure that he was imprisoned. A prison guard, whom I don’t know, informed me of his imprisonment.

On 13 October 1942, my son was executed on the gallows by the Kielce road in Radom. I didn’t witness the execution. I learned about his death from my acquaintances, but I don’t remember their names. A barber whom I don’t know by name saw the Germans hanging Poles by the Kielce road. The barber told me that my son had been hanged eighth. A man who witnessed the execution repeated to me the words which my son had uttered before his death: "Tell my mother that I am innocent. I am dying for Poland".

I don’t know what my son was arrested for. I haven’t seen his body.