On 18 June 1947 in Bydgoszcz, Investigative Judge of the District Court in Bydgoszcz with its seat in Bydgoszcz, K. Gąsiorowski, interviewed the person named below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the legal liability for making false statements, the witness testified as follows:
| Name and surname | Marta Baranowska |
| Age | 44 years old |
| Parents’ names | Mikołaj and Teresa |
| Place of residence | Bydgoszcz, Cieszkowskiego Street 4 |
| Occupation | married, husband works as public officer |
| Criminal record | none |
| Relationship to the parties | none |
I stayed in the concentration camp in Ravensbrück from 9 August 1941 to 28 April 1945, that is, until the liquidation of the camp. I was sent to the camp by the Bydgoszcz Gestapo. My camp number was 6738.
In the photographs I am shown (the witness is shown four photographs attached to the motion of 5 June 1945, No. 443/47 of the Kraków District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland) I recognize Maria Mandl. I also recall the women whom I knew by sight and who are in the three remaining photographs (the witness has indicated the photos of Emma Boden, Elfriede Kock, and Luise Danz). Although I remember these three women, I never had any direct contact with them, and I am unable to give any detailed information about them.
I remember that when I arrived in the camp Maria Mandl served as bunker leader. I wasn’t put in the bunker, so, for this reason, I never interacted with her while she was performing this duty. From among my friends, it was Jolanta Krzyżanowska who was put in the bunker. (A medical student who lives in Kraków. Her married name is Bieńkowska. Her last address I know is Kraków, Pierackiego Street 15, at Bubczyńska’s place). From those who were put in the bunker I learned that Mandl set dogs on prisoners and made them starve in the fall in the cold bunker. Those women whom she kept there had only summer skirts on.
In the spring of 1942, when the hitherto Oberaufseherin [senior overseer] Langenfeld left, probably for Auschwitz, her place was taken by Mandl. From that moment on she was the most important person in the whole camp and our situation had changed for the worse. She would storm into our barracks during the roll-calls and beat prisoners for no reason at all. She kicked them and beat them with her hands and fists.
Once, when I was serving as block elder in block 13, following her orders I reported with trash cans for inspection. She beat me because in her opinion the cans weren’t shiny.
On another occasion – for no reason at all – she severely beat my sister Leokadia Fac (she lives in Bydgoszcz at Śląska Street 16) during the roll-call. I wish to note that my sister was standing along with a group of other prisoners and didn’t have any special function.
Jadwiga Kulczycka (I don’t know her address) told me that she had also been beaten by Mandl for no reason at all.
Mandl mistreated a group of women who were Jehovah’s Witnesses and who didn’t want to go out for the roll-calls. Following Mandl’s orders, other prisoners carried them out of the barracks and the women were made to take part. Then they were beaten by Mandl who ordered the other prisoners to douse them with cold water. There was a whole operation set in motion against these women. On orders from the camp commandant and Mandl, the women were locked for a period of about three weeks in the barrack without food (they were given only water), blankets and mattresses. As a result, many of them died from hunger- typhus.
In the summer of 1942, when Mandl was serving as Oberaufseherin, special attention was paid to ensuring that all the Jewish women, including the oldest ones, were sent to work. Even the women who were more than seventy years old were made to work. As a result, they suffered from purulent wounds in their legs caused by the scorching sun, and the wounds became infested with worms. Mandl and Erich strictly saw to it that this order was carried out. As a result, many women died.
Around the autumn of 1942, Mandl left for the camp in Auschwitz. Lagenfeld returned to resume her former position. Her return filled prisoners with great joy.
Following prisoners’ requests, Lagenfeld carried out the segregation. Particular nationalities were put in separate blocks and the political prisoners were separated from the criminal and antisocial element. This was of great importance.
The duration of the roll-calls was significantly shortened which was of great importance in the winter.
In addition, Langefeld didn’t beat us and didn’t met out as severe punishments for various misconduct as Mandl. With Mandl as Oberaufseherin, there were no transports of destruction. The transports were organized under Langefeld.
Experimental operations were carried out under both Mandl and Lagenfeld. I don’t know what, if any, Mandl’s and Lagenfeld’s direct involvement in these experiments was. At any rate, lists of those who were required to report for such experiments came into our blocks from the Oberaufseherin office as well as the lists of those who were to be shot.
This is all I have to testify. The report was read out.