Warsaw, 14 March 1946. Investigating Judge Halina Wereńko, delegated to the Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, interviewed the person specified below as a witness. Having advised the witness of the criminal liability for making false declarations, and of the significance of the oath, the judge swore her in, after which the witness testified as follows:
| Forename and surname | Zofia Wierzbicka, née Hoppe |
| Date of birth | 1 May 1915 in Żyrardów |
| Names of parents | Leon and Felicja, née Jasieka |
| Occupation | kindergarten teacher |
| Education | a seminar for kindergarten teachers |
| Place of residence | Piastów, Reja Street 36, flat no. 10 |
| Religious affiliation | Roman-Catholic |
| Criminal record | none |
My brother, Jan Hoppe (born on 25 July 1913), a welder-engineer by profession, in 1943 worked at the Miłobędzki factory at Polna Street 12/14 in Warsaw. A testimony concerning my brother, his arrest and execution has already been given by my stepfather, Teofil Markowski.
I would like to add that I knew that my brother was a member of an underground organization whose aim was to fight the Germans. I do not know what political party his organization was connected with. I do not know when he became involved in it. But I do know that when he was an engineer in the Miłobędzki factory, and was in charge of his department, he performed acts of sabotage against the Germans. The factory worked for the railways, so it was all about not completing orders in time.
As for the arrest, according to what I heard from employees in the factory, my brother and his five colleagues were arrested accidentally during a round-up. At that time, on Oleandrów Street, they even arrested people who were paying their bills at the power station. I think that my brother and three of his friends were executed as hostages. I was told by the engineer, Gajewski, who was released even though he had been arrested together with my brother, that during the interrogation the Germans only asked about a ring with an eagle on it, which one of the arrested people and the foremen’s brother had lost in the car. I think it was on 15 July 1943 that my brother was called out of his cell in Pawiak prison and after that no more was heard of him.
I was on Krochmalna Street at the Police station after 16 July; when I tried to leave a parcel, I saw the letter T next to my brother’s surname, and the parcel was not accepted. The letter T was written in red pencil. At that time, on 15 and 16 July 1943, an execution of Poles was carried out. There was a notice put up informing it had happened, which announced that it was in retaliation for grenades thrown at an SS column on Aleje Ujazdowskie, and that a number of hostages from Pawiak prison had been executed. It had the signature of Leist. There was no information regarding the number of hostages executed. I did not learn where the execution had taken place. A notification was delivered to my brother’s flat in Saska Kępa at Dąbrowiecka Street 28 informing that he had died on 16 July 1943. The notification was sent by the Polizeipresidant. Out of the two people who were released from among those who had been arrested with my brother, I only know engineer Gajewski (I do not know his address), who has volunteered to give testimony.
I submit two dailies to be filed: Kronika Polski i Świata published on 25 June 1939 and Nowy Kurier Warszawski from 28 October 1944. These dailies are not related to the present case, but they can be used by the Commission.
The witness interview report was read out.