MARIA LEWICKA

Warsaw, 8 January 1947. Acting Investigating Judge Halina Wereńko, delegated to the District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, interviewed the person specified below as a witness; having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Forename and surname Maria Leona Władysława Lewicka née Strehl
Date of birth 26 March 1888
Religious affiliation Roman-Catholic
Marital status widow
Place of residence Warsaw, Górnośląska Street 31
Education university
Occupation head teacher of a vocational secondary school

In 1939, my husband, Dr Józef Lewicki, a Free Polish University professor, started taking an active part in the work of the Polish Underground State, especially in the Department of propaganda and education.

On 4 July 1942, the Gestapo came to our flat, at Krakowskie Przedmieście Street 35, and arrested my husband, simultaneously stealing valuables that were in our flat, for example a collection of atlases. My husband was taken to Daniłowiczowska Street. According to the information given by members of the underground organization, he was interrogated at the Gestapo HQ at aleja Szucha 25.

On 10 July, I was summoned to the Gestapo HQ, where I was informed that my husband had been executed because firearms had been found in his flat, which was not true. As far as I know, no firearms had been found; they had only found some materials that belonged to the organization. Dr Leon Prusak and Dr Leon Kryński (residing at Orla Street 4) informed me that on 5 July 1942, the Gestapo had brought a man in a car, who had been executed in the gateway at Orla Street 4. The corpse was later removed by Jewish laborers. Doctors Prusak and Kryński found my husband’s papers on the corpse.

Dr Prusak is currently in Łódź, while Dr Kryński has gone abroad. That day, I heard, some other university professors were executed, for example Pruszkowski, the chancellor of the Academy of Fine Arts.

This is my testimony. My interview report was read out.