Ley de Equidad Tarifaria y Reconocimiento de Generación Local

corridor I was called back to the conference room, where there were a number of youths,

amongst them also an elderly chairman of the so-called shooting commission. He accused

me of being a gang leader in possession of a short wave wireless set. When I refuted all

this, he said that religious work with short-wave wireless sets was a very bad stain on my

character. I realised that my fate was sealed.

Then I remembered that my ecclesiastical superiors had given me a letter of recommendation to my Bishop in Polesie. I produced this and they were surprised. Meanwhile the local clergyman entered the conference room and said: "I have no authority over him, transfer him to Gnesen to the deacon, Zablcki, who was at the head of the civil council of Gnesen." I then had to leave the conference room and return to the waiting room. Wiedemeyer was no longer there, and I knew what had happened to him. I suspected at all events that he had been shot in the meantime, because the same fate was to be allotted to me. Shortly afterwards the local clergyman called for me and explained that be had assumed full responsibility for me, and that I must spend the night at the presbytery and would be handed over to my superiors in Gnesen on the following day (Friday Sept. 8, 1939), which actually took place. For my own safety as a priest I was accompanied by another priest who happened to be staying in Powitz, and the local chairman of the civil council. We reached Gnesen despite many reproaches and insults levelled at me on the way. The civil council decided, for my own safety, to put me in the "Hospital of the Grey Sisters," and I stayed there until 11.30 a.m. on Monday September 11, 1939, when the German army marched in and I was freed by a German captain.

I would point out that on the journey from Powitz to Gnesen, accusations were continually made that I had a short wave set in the stove or stoves in my home, and because of this I had an investigation made by the chairman of the Civil Committee as to the lack of foundation for these accusations.

Thereupon he said to me: "Let me tell you that Mr. Wiedemeyer is no longer alive." He asked me not to say anything. On Thursday, Sept. 14, 1939, the new graves in the cemetery in Powitz were opened by civilians, who had been sent by the town of Gnesen, and the bodies of Derwanz as well as of Wiedemeyer were found. Wiedemeyer's body was particularly mutilated and showed, in particular, bloody wounds on the throat. Both men were murdered by the Polish military.

In addition to these two men, six more people from the neighbourhood of Gnesen were bestially murdered near their homes by armed civilians. Amongst them were Kropf, and his son-in-law Brettschneider. One of the victims had had his stomach cut open and his head crushed. In Gnesen these deeds were talked of with disgust, even amongst the Poles.

In my opinion these civilians were armed by the authorities. This took place during my absence from Gnesen.

Concerning the state of the dead, the grave-digger of the Protestant cemetery was able to give information, but I cannot remember his name at the moment. The expulsion order was handed to me on September 1, 1939, by the district administrator, and I left Gnesen on September 3, 1939.

Dictated, approved and signed. August Rauhut

The witness took the oath Concluded:

(signed) H u r t i g (signed) P i t s c h Source: WR II

91. Even a deformed minority German was not spared

The witness Ewald T o n n , business man and inn-keeper of Rogasen in the district of Obornik, deposed the following on oath:

About 4½ miles from Gnesen our deformed comrade Puder stepped out of the marching column because he was completely exhausted. He was immediately beaten on the chest with rifle butts and was left behind. Since I wanted to look after him, I wound my way to the rear of the column and saw him lying on a waggon in the agonies of death. He died shortly afterwards.

Source: WR II

92. Driven forward with bleeding feet

On oath, the 70-year-old witness Emil L a n g e , farmer in Slonsk, deposed the following:

. . . The march (1) was very difficult for me, a man of seventy years; my feet were covered with blood, the nails had to be torn off my toes, and it was only with the

(1) The march referred to was from Ciechocinek via Nieschawa to Wloclawek.

help of my son and one of my neighbours that I was able to last out the march. We were urged to inhuman efforts, particularly by the knowledge that we would be murdered if we fell behind. On the way my son was struck heavily in the back by the rifle butt of a Polish soldier. The power of the blow was lessened by a bag which he was carrying on his back.

Source: WR II

93. 80-year-old minority German brutally beaten by Polish police

The witness, Szczepan S i e d l e c k i , grocer in Michelin, deposed the following on oath:

On the first Wednesday in September of this year, I saw about 150 minority Germans who, being marched off by Polish policemen, passed my shop window in the direction of Kutno. An old minority German of about 80 years of age could go no farther, and was struck with rifle butts by policemen, so that he broke down completely and was left lying in the street. Some civilians standing near by were told by two Polish policemen to finish him off, and I saw two men, strangers to me, go through the old man's pockets, after which they struck him with a stone and kicked him with their feet . . .

Source: Sd. Is Bromberg 814/39

94. Polish officer murderously shoots captured minority Germans

The witness, Kurt S e e h a g e l , barber in Rogasen, at the time of writing resident at