ROMAN SZUSZKIEWICZ

On 2 October 1947 in Tarnów, the Municipal Court in Tarnów, Fourth Branch, with Judge Sidorowicz (MA) presiding and with the participation of court reporter [illegible], heard the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the wording of Article 106 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Dr. Roman Szuszkiewicz
Age 40
Parents; names Franciszek and Pelagia
Place of residence Tarnów, Katedralna Street
Occupation doctor
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record no
Relationship to the parties none

Due to the extensive material covering about 90 people – German officers of the concentration camp in Auschwitz [illegible] other camps – the court has decided to give the witness a list of these people in order to consider individual [suspects and] remind the witness of some suspects [and] facts. He will send his explanation in writing to the criminal records of Department III, [room] no. 14 (2nd floor), and on 9 October this year at 9.00 a.m. will appear in person in room no. 75.

This provision was announced to the witness, which he confirmed with his own signature.

On 9 October 1947 in Tarnów, the Municipal Court in Tarnów, with Judge Sidorowicz (MA) presiding and with the participation of court reporter, apprentice [illegible], heard the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the significance of the oath, the witness was sworn pursuant to article 113 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and testified as follows:

Name and surname Roman Szuszkiewicz

Personal data as in the report dated 2 October 1947.

The witness presents his statement upon the request of the Kraków District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, which I enclose under “A”, and declare it to be a valid testimony. In addition, the witness testifies:

I can’t recall the names of those killed by Aumeier and Grabner today because of the fact that they committed the crimes en masse, and secondly, the prisoners usually didn’t know each other by surname but by first name.

Whoever dealt with the gold transferred by the administration to Berlin, I am not able to remember.

As for the two above mentioned, they took part in the execution of prisoners in the so-called “shoot-outs”. This involved the prisoners having their hands tied behind their backs with wire, being stripped naked [and lain down] facing the ground. [Next], they were shot with a short rifle, probably a 9 mm caliber, which the [SS men] pressed directly to the back of the head, often keeping the head of the victim still with their foot. This was in order to conduct the execution as silently as possible.

If the victim was still alive, he would be shot a second time in the temple.