BRONISŁAWA ULAS

On 18 August 1947 in Katowice, District Investigating Judge W. Mędlewski, with the participation of reporter Stefan Krawczyk, interviewed the person specified below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Bronisława Ulas
Age 30
Parents’ names Antoni and Jadwiga, née Hajduk
Place of residence Nowa Wieś, Poniatowskiego Street 14
Occupation unemployed
Criminal record none, allegedly
Relationship to the parties none

I was interned at the Majdanek camp between 18 January and April 1944. I knew suspect Macha, who was an overseer, by her name. Prisoners called her “Mutti”. She used vulgar expressions but she was kind-hearted. I did not hear of instances in which she tortured prisoners.

I was assigned to work at the barrack where the overseers lived. I cleaned, among others, the room which belonged to suspect Macha. On her orders, I filled a case with bread, bacon, butter, etc., which she then gave to Polish prisoners. In a conversation she had with me, she said that these poor things had to be fed because they were hungry. I know that the suspect sent letters from Polish female prisoners, circumventing the camp censorship. She did this unselfishly. She offered to send my letter too. I know that the suspect also sent two parcels with clothing to Regina Olszewska, who lives near Warsaw. I cannot say anything negative about her.

Suspect Lächert, who was an overseer, was dreaded at the camp because she beat not only women but also men. I once saw her beat a worker to the point that he bled because he had given a piece of dry bread to a female prisoner. She beat the woman and locked her up in the so-called bunker.

On another occasion, I saw as she almost beat unconscious a young prisoner because she had accidentally dropped a few pieces of wood on the floor as she was passing by Lächert’s room. The suspect also beat me with a whip because I had given some bread to a prisoner.

As regards suspect Orlowski, who started her service at the camp in summer 1943, I knew her by name. She was overseer at the laundry. The suspect tortured prisoners severely, beating them for no reason. I witnessed as she beat and kicked a young prisoner in her room because she had stoked the furnace in an improper way. When I came to the prisoner’s defense, I was also severely beaten. On another occasion, in fall 1943, I saw the suspect, together with another overseer, beat a Russian prisoner unconscious because she had taken worn male underpants from the laundry.