CYWJA (SYLWIA) BRANICKA

Sent to the Military Auditor
Brussels, 21 November 1945
Police Commissioner

Brussels City
2nd Police Division

Interview report no. 2757/S
17 November 1945

Cab: 59
File no. 58685/45

PRO JUSTITIA

On 20 November 1945 at 4.15 p.m. the named person appeared before me, Leon Blaise, commissioner assigned to the police, delegated by the commissioner of the 2nd Police Division to perform the present duties, and responded to [my] questions as follows:

Cywja (Sylwia) Branicka, born 20 May 1925 in Przedbórz (Poland), vendor, residing [at] rue du Miroir 14 [Brussels], who replies as follows:

I was an inmate at Birkenau, Ravensbrück, Malchow and Thora [Mittelbau-Dora]. I knew Hössler, a German from Birkenau and eventually from Auschwitz, where he was head of the camp. I saw Mala, who lived in Antwerp before the war. She committed suicide by slashing the artery on her wrist [while waiting to] be hanged. As regards Schnaider, who also lived in Antwerp before the war, she was killed by a German SS soldier, who battered her with the butt of his gun for stealing a potato. I saw the German Hössler abuse prisoners on several occasions. He only hit me once with a stick on the buttocks, after which I had marks for eight days.

The report was read out and signed.