Teresa Pajek
Class 7
Public Elementary School in Mirzec
Iłża district
Mirzec, 18 November 1946
Memories of German crimes
When I look back, the blood cools in my veins at the memory of the terrible German crime that took place in my home village of Zbijów (Mirzec commune). It was in November 1944. Late at night, the Germans arrived in the village, surrounded the farm of Pączek, a Zbijów resident, and several of them went inside. Pączek was known as a partisan who fought for his homeland and opposed the occupiers. Fortunately, the Nazis did not find him at home. The Germans announced they would be back and ordered the owner to be home at that time, otherwise they would kill the whole family. On their second visit, they found neither the partisan, nor his wife and children; there was only the old grandmother. Under the threat of death, the frightened woman gave the whereabouts of her daughter-in-law and children. There were five people in the house where the partisan’s wife was staying. At the sight of the barbarians, Mrs. Pączek managed to escape, but the rest of the household experienced the terrible final moments of life. They were all led to the fence, and amid great weeping and screaming, they were shot. The most horrible moment was when the Germans abused the little, innocent baby in the cradle. A sad moan ended the last quiver of life. A girl, Pączeks’ daughter, was captured on the road. The Germans grabbed her by the legs, smashed her head against the fence and threw her, half dead, into a hole dug by the local farmers. Two more people were killed in the partisan’s house. In total, seven people were horribly killed. The bodies were thrown into two pits. The commotion in the village was great; there was sadness and tears in the eyes of every inhabitant. It is difficult to describe how it felt at the time. I felt a sickness in my heart that I still feel today, and in my mind I curse the Germans and ask God to avenge the harm done by the cruel enemy to the vulnerable Polish population.