RYSZARD KROSNOWSKI

Regarding: [Fritz] Buntrock

On 5 August 1947 in Warsaw, Ryszard Krosnowski reported to the office of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, and responding to the appeal of the Main Commission published next to the photographs of members of the former SS staff of the Auschwitz concentration camp which are displayed publicly in the display case on Aleje Jerozolimskie, testified as follows:

Concerning himself:


Name and surname Ryszard Krosnowski
Date and place of birth 12 February 1923, Warsaw
Occupation revenue officer at the Warsaw Tax Office
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Place of residence Warsaw, [...]

Concerning this case, Krosnowski was at the Auschwitz camp between April 1943 and September 1944. There, he came across, among others, SS-Unterscharführer Buntrock, whom he has recognized today in the photograph signed with this name. Buntrock’s description: tall, well-built, rather athletic posture, dark-haired, full face, German nationality. At Auschwitz, he was commonly called “Bulldog”. Krosnowski had met him already in 1943 at Auschwitz (Birkenau) as a Rottenführer. Subsequently, Buntrock was promoted to the rank of Unterscharführer and assumed the duties of Rapportführer [report leader] at the gypsy camp toward the end of 1944. Previously, until April 1943, he was Blockführer in section D at Birkenau.

Buntrock’s activities took a particularly hard toll on the prisoners, himself being an individual distinguished by sadism and ruthlessness. Very often, he tortured prisoners, ordering the so-called sport. I often saw him beat prisoners before they went out to labor, as well as on their way back and after they returned. Information concerning Buntrock may be also provided by Aleksander Miziewicz from the editorial board of the “Wieczór” newspaper in Warsaw.

The above deposition was heard by:

Norbert Szuman, member of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland.