STANISŁAW MILCZAREK

Warsaw, 7 July 1949. A member of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, Norbert Szuman (MA), interviewed the person named below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Stanisław Władysław Milczarek
Date and place of birth 30 April 1909, Kawęczyn, Skierniewice county
Names of parents Władysław and Zofia Zieleńska
Occupation of the father farmer
State affiliation and nationality Polish
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Education elementary and vocational school
Occupation barber
Place of residence Warsaw, Marszałkowska Street 22
Criminal record none

When the Warsaw Uprising broke out, I was in my shop at Litewska Street 13. I was taken from there with my wife and daughter Krystyna to aleja Szucha 25, where from the very beginning I had to work in a barber shop. At first the shop was run by a Pole, barber "Tadeusz," and then a Volksdeutsch from Poznań, Szymański. Apart from me and "Tadeusz," the following Polish barbers worked in the shop: Edward Kryszkiewicz, his employee "Jerzy,"Marian Brzeziński (who currently works in Sopot), Stefan Szczeplik, about 40 years old . I do not know current fate of the latter. Until the Uprising he had a barber’s shop at Wspólna Street 15. There was also Ledwański – he died on 8 September 1944 at aleja Szucha, a manicurist whose name and surname I do not know, and the wife of "Tadeusz," who worked as a cashier in the improvised shop.

We spent the nights in the shop, the premises of which we were forbidden to leave, and at first we had our meals delivered to the shop. At the time my family was in the basements at aleja Szucha 25.

I do not know the surnames of the Germans who used to come to our shop. I would like to emphasize that I do not speak German. I know, however, that during the Uprising the administrative matters of the Gestapo at aleja Szucha were in the care of an officer called Kolbe, about 40–50 years old, bald, with glasses.

Volksdeutsch Johann Kentzler, whom I knew very well, was also at aleja Szucha at the time. He was about 40 years old and came from Kukawka, Doleck municipality, Skierniewice county. As far as I know, he was arrested by our authorities. In 1947 I was interviewed in his case in Słupsk near Ustka.

I do not know what happened to Kentzler.

At aleja Szucha , I noticed another Volksdeutsch whom I knew, Schwarz; he wore an SA uniform. He was older than me, about 50 years old, and before the war he had a timber yard at Czerniakowska Street. I cannot tell what happened to Schwarz.

For about the first two weeks of the Uprising I had access to a window looking out to aleja Szucha. At that time I saw two groups of civilians, who were segregated according to sex. These crowds were led in the direction of Bagatela Street.

From the very beginning, a strong stench, characteristic of burning bodies, pervaded the entire area of aleja Szucha. It lasted approximately until the middle of September 1944.

On about 7 August, Szymański ordered me, Kryszkiewicz, Marian, "Tadeusz" and one more person – I do not remember whom – to go and fetch mattresses with him. We entered the premises of the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces. I cannot describe this place in detail. We went to the attic of the house, where the mattresses were stored. At one point Szymański said to me, “Come here, bloatyface (he used to call me so), and see how the priests are getting plugged.” I looked out of the attic window and saw the following scene: within the walls of a demolished building, in a niche of sorts, there were two or three wooden boards, and a naked man was lying on them. A German soldier who was standing nearby shot twice at the lying body. The body of the executed man was seized by a few people in clothes and thrown into a furnace.

I watched the scene just for a moment, so I cannot describe it in greater detail. Szymański forbade us to talk about it.

I have an impression that such executions took place approximately until the beginning of September, at least until then I could smell the stink of burning bodies of the executed people.

I have nothing more to add.

At this point, the report was concluded and read out.