JAN NIEDZIAŁEK

On 5 September 1947 in Lublin, P. Kwiatkowski, Investigative Judge of the Fourth District Court in Lublin, which is seated in Lublin, pursuant to art. 19 of the provisions enacting the Code of Criminal Procedure, interviewed the following person as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of criminal liability for making false declarations and of the wording of art. 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Jan Niedziałek
Age 37
Parents’ names Mateusz and Helena
Place of residence Dziesiąta village, Zemborzyce commune, Lublin district
Occupation farmer
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

In 1941, as far as I can recall, the Germans commenced the construction of the Majdanek concentration camp, in the fields of Dziesiąta village near Lublin. I am a resident of said village and during the construction works on the camp grounds I made a living with my horse and cart, carrying various building materials there. During that period, i.e. in 1942, when the construction of a new crematorium had already begun, I saw a German there who went by the name of Muhsfeldt. His first name I do not know. The prisoners as well as the other Germans looked on him as head of the local crematorium. I never had any contacts with him, bar one incident, whereby I once peeped inside the crematorium to see with my own eyes what you heard people talking about all the time. I was halted there by some German, who wanted to arrest me and have me dressed in a striped uniform because I dared to look inside. Then Muhsfeldt came and ordered him to let me go.

I obviously do not know what functions Muhsfeldt carried out in the crematorium. As I have already indicated, I heard he was head of the crematorium, i.e. he ran the office and kept records of the bodies burnt. I do not know if he participated in single or mass murders perpetrated by the SS on the grounds of Majdanek.

I heard that Muhsfeldt had allegedly facilitated the escape of some prisoners, who were supposedly driven outside the camp undercover, but whether this is true and who the prisoners were that Muhsfeldt helped escape and how many of them there were, as well as whether he did this unselfishly or was paid, I do not know as well.

I heard nothing about Muhsfeldt’s particular cruelty toward the prisoners; it is possible I simply had no occasion to learn anything about it. I sometimes saw Muhsfeldt outside the camp, too, that is when he walked to Dziesiąta village to shop, to buy eggs.

Out of the persons who like myself were hired at Majdanek I can name the following: Stanisław Goljan, son of Józef; Władysław Skowronek, son of Antoni; Marian Król, son of Jan; and Stanisław Rodak, son of Franciszek, residents of Dziesiąta village. It is possible that they will know more about Muhsfeldt. I recall that from among the residents of Dziesiąta village, Henryk Skowronek was detained at the Majdanek camp, and his father-in-law was even killed there. He will likely be able to contribute some information about this case. I have no further information.

The report was read out.