FELIKS KOTWICA

In Bliżyn on this day, 27 November 1948, at 2:00 PM, I, Officer Kwiecień from the Citizens’ Militia station in Bliżyn, acting in accordance with the instructions of Citizen Deputy Prosecutor the Fourth Regional Prosecutor’s Office of the District Court in Radom, this dated on 25 August 1948, L. 825/48/2 issued on the basis of Article 20 of the provisions introducing the Code of Criminal Procedure, with the participation of reporter Stefan Baran from the Citizens’ Militia station in Bliżyn, whom I informed about his obligation to attest by his own signature to the conformity of the Protocol with the actual course of the procedure, interviewed the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the significance of the oath, the right to refuse to testify for reasons specified in Article 104 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and of the criminal liability for making false declarations in accordance with Article 140 of the Penal Code, the witness was sworn and testified as follows:


Name and surname Feliks Kotwica
Parents’ names Stanisław and Weronika
Age 49
Place of residence Brześć, Bliżyn commune
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Occupation laborer
Place of residence Brześć, Bliżyn commune, Kielce district
Relationship to the parties none

I am aware of the following facts regarding this matter. From the beginning of the German occupation I was at home, that is, in the village of Brześć, Bliżyn commune, and I know the following facts regarding the execution of Poles that took place in the village of Brzask, commune of Bliżyn. In the afternoon of 29 June 1940, the day of the feast of Peter and Paul, suddenly I heard a series of shots coming from the village of Brzask. After a while, cowherds came running, who said that in this village the Germans had shot some Polish people; and they also added that seven trucks were coming, bringing about 700 or 800 people, who were subsequently shot dead on the site, that is, in the village of Brzask, Bliżyn commune. The dead bodies were then buried in five mass pits, which were then camouflaged. Then, after a few days, I came to the crime scene where I saw the scattered parts of brain and body and puddles of blood. During the firing you could hear loud and terrible moans, speaking Polish words such as Jesus, Mary, etc.

The report was concluded and read out.