JADWIGA APOSTOŁ

The witness:


Name and surname Jadwiga Apostoł
Age 32
Parents’ names Wincenty and Magdalena, née Czubernat
Place of residence Szaflary, [Podhalański] Uniwersytet Ludowy
Occupation teacher
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the responsibilities arising from taking an oath, the witness testified as follows:

Kremer or Kramer, 50 years old, tall, stocky, probably identical to the individual mentioned in point 45 of the list, carried out an inspection as a superintendent at the Raisko camp in the summer of 1944 from 4.00 a.m. until 10.00 p.m. He brought us some punishment clothes, ordered us to put them on and line up for a roll call, and in the afternoon he led us to work. During the day there was an inspection, as a result of which Kramer told us to take everything, including clothes, toiletries, food packages from our families and straw mattresses. At 10.00 p.m. he lined us up for a roll call again and said to us: "You Polish rabble, do you think that I can’t deal with you? I have been working in penal camps for ten years now and I know the score". Throughout the day, Kramer would run furiously around the camp and beat any prisoners he encountered with a thick stick. Of the 400 women prisoners, there probably wasn’t anyone whom he hadn’t beat. We were not given anything to eat throughout the whole day.

In February 1943, there was a general roll call in the Birkenau camp. All the women prisoners, whether healthy or sick, were taken out of the camp. From morning to afternoon, they stood outside the camp. In the afternoon, all prisoners had to run to the camp in single file. Mandl stood at the gate and herded us with her stick. Likewise, the overseers, German women, who were standing along the camp road beat and insulted the prisoners. Overseer Hasse counted those running in and put every tenth person to one side. It seemed as though she was setting aside the sick or just anyone in a bandage. All of those set aside were transported to block 25 and murdered there. In the summer of the same year, an identical roll call took place under the command of Mandl, except this time if any of the prisoners couldn’t jump over the ditch dug along the road, they were put to one side and then murdered. I blame Mandl as the head of the camp for making these roll calls.

Once Mandl caught some prisoners in the Raisko camp boiling potatoes; she beat and kicked them to a pulp. I believe that Mandl is responsible for the entire extermination of prisoners.

Hildegarda Lächert herself did relatively little beating, but she often set her dog on the prisoners.

I do not recognize any more people from those named in the list.

I would like to take this opportunity to add: Regina N. was a block leader in block no. 17 in 1942 and 1943. Currently, she is imprisoned in Gliwice or Katowice. Stanisława Lampert – residing in Wadowice (Tax Office) – told me that Regina’s mother asked her to organize help in order to release her. Meanwhile, Regina as a block leader in block 17 in w Birkenau, where the hospital was located, used to take food from sick prisoners saying that it didn’t matter because they would die anyway.

The report was read out and signed.