JAN IGIELSKI

Warsaw, 21 June 1946. Deputy prosecutor Zofia Rudziewicz interviewed the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for giving false testimony, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Jan Igielski
Date of birth 12 January 1915
Names of parents Wojciech, Ludwika
Place of residence Warsaw, Karolkowa Street 49
Place of birth Stróże near Nowy Sącz
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Occupation priest in a religious order
Relationship to the parties none
Criminal record none

When the uprising broke out there were 33 brothers in the Redemptorist order in Warsaw. Our monastery was located at Karolkowa Street 49. Before the uprising, one priest and one clerical student had left Warsaw and I myself happened to have left the city at that time as well.

On 6 August, the Germans murdered everybody from our monastery, and only those who were out of town survived. I was not an eyewitness to this murder, but after I returned to Warsaw in January 1945, I proceeded to collect evidence of this crime perpetrated against the monks. To that end, I interviewed the residents of Wola who had witnessed the events. On the strength of the information gathered, I have contrived to establish the following facts.

During the uprising, the Wola civilians living in the neighbourhood sought refuge in the basement of our house. On the night from 5 to 6 August 1944, there were a couple hundred people in the basement. Around 2 a.m., the Germans burst into the house and, threatening to kill anybody who disobeyed, ordered all the civilians out. The monks were also forced out into the street, and then the people were divided into groups: monks formed one group, followed by men, and women at the end. Three priests were allowed to remain in the house; one was ill; the other two were to watch the church.

Then, those removed from the house were rushed towards St. Adalbert’s Church where they were segregated again: all the women and a group of men were let into the church or the adjacent houses, while the priests and the remaining men were divided into groups. The Gestapo now took command of the detainees. The Gestapo men executed the monks and laymen, one group at a time, making sure that one group would see how another was executed. One officer did the shooting; he came up to one victim after another.

He aimed at the neck, and then he shot again at the staggering victim if there was any possibility he was still alive.

The group witnessing the execution had to carry the victims to a pile, where the corpses were being burnt.

After a couple of groups were executed, a German soldier arrived with some documents and said that the executions were to stop.

The Germans ceased executing the remaining detainees, they were just burning corpses now. At 4 p.m., speaking from the pulpit of St. Adalbert’s Church, a soldier announced that the German authorities had ordered the executions to be put on hold.

One eyewitness to this murder was Zdzisław Wiechawicz (resident at Długa Street 12, Skierniewice), employed at the Mechanical Joinery in Warsaw, at Towarowa Street 1 or 3.

The three priest who were allowed to stay in the house were subsequently murdered by the Germans.