ŁAJA PINES

On this day, 12 July 1948, in Radom, Bolesław Papiewski [?], Investigating Judge of the District Court in Radom with headquarters in Radom, with the participation of trainee reporter [illegible], interviewed the person named below as a sworn witness. Having advised the witness of the criminal liability for making false declarations, of the wording of Article 254 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and of the significance of the oath, the judge swore in the witness, whereupon the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Łaja Pines
Age 45
Parents’ names Jakub and Gizia née Zylberg
Place of residence Radom, 7 Szpitalna Street
Occupation teacher
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

Regarding this matter, I only know that among the Jews it was said that Herbert Böttcher was the most highly-ranked figure in the former district of Radom, as far as the SS and the German police were concerned, and that he was a bad man, a criminal. That is what they used to say about him in the ghetto.

I lived in the Old Town during the liquidation of the [small] ghetto in the borough of Glinice, and [later] during the liquidation [of the large ghetto], I was quartered at the Syrena factory. For this reason, I do not know what was happening within the boundaries of either ghetto. Personally, I never saw Böttcher. I heard that he supposedly oversaw the deportation of the Jews. In general, it was known that Böttcher issued orders for all the actions [illegible] population: deportation, seizure of property, etc. During the liquidation of the [large] ghetto at Wałowa Street, I heard gunfire.

The report was read out.