LUDWIK GRABOWSKI

Warsaw, 6 June 1946. Deputy Prosecutor Zofia Rudziewicz interviewed the person named below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Ludwik Grabowski
Date of birth 12 June 1882
Names of parents Jan and Maria née Dembska
Place of residence Piastów near Warsaw
Occupation none, a trader until 1943
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Education home schooling

In 1942, I joined an enterprise by the name of Centrala Kosmetyczna Keller [Keller Cosmetic Center] as a silent partner. This was a Polish enterprise. A small factory of creams, cologne, and cosmetic powders was located at Królewska Street 31, a sales point was located at Zgoda Street 6. There we sold not only our own products, but mainly the products of other factories and […] haberdashery. We had all the permits required by the German authorities for running the factory and the sales point. Our clients often included German military men and even Gestapo men.

In mid-September 1943, Warsaw district officials came to the sales point in Zgoda Street, sealed off the premises, seized a number of employees, namely five, and sent them to labor camps. I was a witness thereof. The Germans took away all receipts and bills. Keller’s protests made no difference. On the same or perhaps on the following day the factory was sealed off as well. Keller addressed the district several times, but to no avail; he was told that the goods would be confiscated with the official prices paid for them, and that it was so because the enterprise was incapable of military industrial production. On 8 October 1943, German civilians from the district came and took away the entire inventory, during which they stole the more expensive powder compacts, perfume sprinklers, and perfumes for themselves, and they packed products of lesser value onto carts to evacuate them. I was present at that time, but the Germans ordered me to leave the store, since I was not the sole owner. Two weeks later the Germans took away the entire equipment, shelves, armchairs, desks, three typewriters, etc. In total we suffered losses in the amount of six hundred thousand zlotys. Together with Keller we went to the district, but we were told there that they would send us to a camp if we kept up our inquiries.

I heard that two other cosmetic companies from Warsaw were liquidated in the same way, on the basis of a district regulation.

On 7 March 1944, my daughter, Irena Grabowska, was arrested by the Gestapo in a flat on Wspólna Street, where she rented a room.

I don’t know what she was accused of. I received secret messages smuggled from Pawiak prison, from which I learned that my daughter was in a hospital and that they had no evidence against her. In April 1944, a transport of women, including my daughter, was taken away from Pawiak prison; I have not heard anything about her since.

I believe that Fischer is responsible for my financial ruin and the ruin of my morale, since at that time he was the governor of the district.