"Secret Plans" surreptitiously drawn in notebook

The witness Willi Bombitzki, of Grätz, 10 Weinberg Strasse, deposed the following on oath:

[...] Polish infantry then came by and asked us who we were, and on being told that we were minority Germans, shouted that we were spies. They then ran to the officer leading them, who came to us and ordered us to be stood with our face to the wall and said that we would all be shot. On this occasion the officer punched Hirth, a minority German, of Opalenitza, several times in the face, because he did not turn round quickly enough. At the officer's instructions, a new escort was commanded to take us to Iwno, where a policeman appeared from the direction of Gnesen and told us that we were free and could go home. He advised us not to go back in one column but to break up into small groups, because we should then not so easily be molested by the mob. We broke up into smaller groups and went by side roads in the direction of Posen.

After remaining in a ditch with two other minority Germans for about two hours, we were caught by an N.C.O. and two privates of the 57th Posen machine gun company and taken to the village of Iwno. On being arrested by the three Polish soldiers we had to lie on the ground with outstretched hands whilst the N.C.O. continually trod on our heads with his boots, saying: "Kiss Polish ground, you German swine." The three soldiers then led us through the village, where the N.C.O. ordered the civilians to beat us because we were spies. The civilians obeyed the order to its fullest extent. In Iwno itself further small groups of minority Germans with whom we had formerly been, came together again; they had also been caught by Polish infantry. In all we were now about 25 men. We were led across a meadow to a thicket, where we were ordered to kneel. The soldiers then took all our valuables away from us. On the German-born Oskar Rothe, of Konkolewo, the soldiers found a German passport, and he was then immediately killed by a pistol shot of a Polish infantryman.

We were then led back to a farmyard, where we again found about 20 minority Germans. In the farmyard the infantrymen reported to an officer that four of us had signalled with a shirt to German airmen. I did not see anything like this happen and think it quite out of the question. At the officer's command the minority Germans concerned were led behind a wall and there shot by infantrymen with their rifles. I could not see this myself, but I heard from the shots that they could not have come from pistols.

Then an officer of a Polish tank division appeared and ordered the civilians present to see if they knew any of us. The civilians named one of us, and an N.C.O. asserted that this man had secret plans in his notebook. In this connection I must state that when we were in the meadow formerly mentioned, I had seen the N.C.O. himself, thinking he was unobserved, make a drawing in the man's notebook. In the farmyard the lieutenant himself killed this minority German by a shot in the neck from behind. Then the civilians called out Wilhelm Busch of Neutomischel. He was asked by the lieutenant if the accusation of the civilians that he had printed a German newspaper was true. Busch could not answer because he did not speak Polish, and had really not understood the question. The lieutenant immediately picked up a long rubber truncheon and struck Busch with great force in the face. He did this about eight times. To the lieutenant's question, which was repeated in German, Busch answered in the affirmative. The lieutenant declared that he had thus acted against the Polish state. He was put with his face to the wall, and then the lieutenant personally killed him by shooting him three times in the back of the neck and the head.

My name was then called out by the Grätz boy scouts. The lieutenant ordered the scouts to pick me out; but this did not take place because, at that moment, three more minority Germans were brought in by infantrymen. I owe my life to this interruption. A civilian stepped up to the lieutenant and declared that one of the minority Germans who had just been brought in had held secret meetings. Without any questioning whatever, this man, whom I did not know by name but who came from Iwno itself, or from that neighbourhood, was shot personally by the lieutenant with his pistol. The rest of us had to line up in a row, apparently because the lieutenant, on account of an order which he had just received, had no more time to occupy himself with us. We had to get, one at a time, into a lorry, and, whilst doing so, each one of us received from the lieutenant a heavy blow with his rubber truncheon. The lorry then took us to Gnesen...

[...]

Report of the experience of Paul Wiesner, estate manager, of Wollstein

Posadowo, Oct. 4, 1939.

Investigation Department
for breaches of International Law
with the Supreme Command of the German Forces.

Present:
Hurtig, Judge-Advocate,
Pitsch, Military Inspector of Justice.

On being called upon, Paul Wiesner, an estate manager in charge of the estates in Posadowo, appeared and stated on interrogation and after explanation of the sacredness of the oath:

Re. person: My name is Paul Wiesner, born on November 14, 1874, at Marsfelde, in the district of Neutomischel, estate manager, resident at 1 Bismarck Strasse, Wollstein, at the moment residing at Posadowo.

Re. matter: On August 31, 1939, I was arrested by the police at the railway station at Opalenica, whilst on my journey to Wollstein. I presume that my arrest took place because I was frequently in Germany, particularly in Schwiebus, and it was believed that I was working for an intelligence organisation against Poland. After a thorough search of my person and examination of my bags, I was taken to the police station. First of all they explained that if nothing was found against me I should be discharged, and they even tried to stammer some words of excuse. The investigation produced nothing suspicious against me. In the meantime the police sergeant nevertheless telephoned to the police at Wollstein, and I overheard this conversation: In answer to the question of the Opalenica policeman as to whether they had anything against me, I heard from the earpiece of the telephone the voice of the police captain of Wollstein, who shouted, "Arrest him and lock him up." Thereupon I was locked up in a cell and soon afterwards they brought in Dr. Krause, a veterinary surgeon of Opalenica, whom I had visited for a few minutes from the railway station.

In this cell I stayed two nights and one day, and, with Dr. Krause, was then taken to Buk under police escort. There I was led to a room in which about 100 minority Germans were already interned. After about four hours we were put into waggons, including two rack waggons, 12 men in each; escorted by two policemen and two soldiers with fixed bayonets, we were driven through the night to Posen, which we reached on [161] Sunday, September 3, 1939, at about 6.30 a.m. We were led through the town, and the Polish inhabitants threw stones, bricks and dirt at us; their outburst of rage went so far that they jumped onto our waggon and struck us with cudgels until we bled. We were sheltered in an elementary school, where we stayed for two days and two nights, without food, and sleeping on the floor. On Monday, September 4, 1939, we marched from Posen through the towns of Schwersenz and Kostschyn. In the latter the mob again beat some comrades till they bled, and five of the women in our group were stripped to their underclothes. The howling Bolshevist inhabitants of Kostschyn enriched themselves with these women's clothes.

Our group had to go beyond the town, where we were to await further instructions. After about two hours a police sergeant from Gnesen came and, turning to me, since I spoke Polish best, explained that we were all released and should break up into troops of 5 to 10 men. I remained with the last group of about 20 men. After they had broken up over a front of about half a mile, some soldiers of a bicycle company who were stationed on the Iwno estate came and commenced to fire with their rifles and machine guns at the surrounding fields over which our group of 100 to 120 people had spread. At first we lay still, because we thought that we should not be hit on account of the high shooting. As, however, they aimed right into the middle of the turnip field in which we were lying, we sprang up and raised our hands. The soldiers now drove us together and led us, first of all 30 of us, to a brickfield. There we found Greisel, the superintendent of Neutomischel, lying with a broken foot. From the brickfield we were transported to the Iwno farmyard where we were ordered by a Polish officer to go into the ditch by the road, and to lie on the embankment, with our faces to the ground and our hands stretched out in front of us. After our carrying out these instructions, I expected fire would be opened on us by the Polish soldiers, since there were about 200 of them on the road with rifles in their hands.

Whilst I was thinking about this I received from a Polish woman standing next to me a blow with a large stone on the left side of the head, so that I lost consciousness for a moment. When I recovered consciousness I found myself lying in a pool of blood. I could still see my comrades being plundered by the soldiers; money as well as watches were taken away from them. We were then ordered to stand up and were led, in twos, to a neighbouring wood, where we were all to be shot. Our escort consisted of about 40 soldiers, armed with rifles and led by a young Polish officer. On the way to the wood, which was about a mile away, it suddenly occurred to me that I had in my pocket-book some letters – although only copies –, one being an acknowledgement from the "starosta" of that time, for my work on the Posen district council, as well as from the district commissar who had himself identified [seconded] this letter of acknowledgement in detail. I therefore took out my pocket book, extracted the two letters of recommendation, and put them in an envelope in order to give them to the Polish officer when the opportunity occurred. At that moment a Polish ensign who was marching next to me sprang at me and snatched away the envelope, since he apparently thought that I wanted to conceal something. To this I remarked that I had no objection since it had been my intention to give both papers to the Polish officer.

On the way till we reached the wood the ensign read the papers through, and, when we arrived there, handed them to the lieutenant. Both then went behind an alder bush and conferred together. After a short time I was called over and asked by the Polish officer how I had come by these references – was I a Pole; to save the situation, I answered in the affirmative. He then asked further if I understood what measures he now proposed taking with my comrades. From his whole behaviour, particularly on account of the spades which were lying ready, I concluded that we were to be shot. I therefore answered: "These men are just as innocent as I, and if they are to be shot, then please shoot me too." This seemed to make him waver, and, particularly, because I had refused his accusation that we were rebels, I believed I had gradually turned the situation in our favour. At this moment, however, the ensign returned from a search of our comrades who had to submit to this, kneeling down. He brought with him four membership cards of the German Youth Movement, which he had found on four comrades, and we were thereupon led back to the farmyard. The four comrades on whom the membership cards had been found were led at the rear of our group. Just before reaching the farmyard they were stood with their faces to the wall of the park, and all four men were shot down by one salvo, at three or four paces, by about twenty soldiers. We were then led on to the farmyard. On arriving there, a commander of the bicycle corps appeared on a motor cycle, with a lieutenant wearing the regiment number "58." This regiment was stationed in Posen and billeted in the barracks of the former 6th Grenadier Regiment.

Just previously, the young lieutenant had sent me to the field kitchen, which was in the yard, and had my other comrades led over to the wall of the yard. When the First-lieutenant arrived he said to his lieutenant in an arrogant tone, so loud that I could hear it: "Well, how many more of the Hitler swine have you finished off?" The lieutenant replied: "Four are already lying behind the wall, and the others are at your disposal." Pointing to me, he explained further that I was to be excluded, and showed him my two letters of recommendation. Then the First-lieutenant had me called to him and asked me what rank I had held in the World War. When I answered truthfully that I had been an acting sergeant, he said it was in order and I was stood aside. Then he turned to the 300 to 400 Polish soldiers who were standing in confusion in the yard, and called out in an arrogant manner: "Well, do you want to see any more of this German Hitler pork?" Thereupon all the soldiers answered in chorus: "Yes, shoot all the swine!" Then the First-lieutenant called two soldiers over to him and had the editor Busch, of Neutomischel, brought out. In answer to the question as to what his profession was, he showed his identification paper without answering, since he did not understand Polish. The First-lieutenant, who was armed with hand grenades, a Browning and a horse whip, shouted: "What, you German swine, you are an editor and have incited the people, and in 20 years have not even learnt Polish!" And he hit Busch, with all his strength, about 15 times on the head, so that the blood streamed from his eyes, mouth, nose and ears. He then had two soldiers put him with his face against the yard wall, drew his Browning, and fired at him. I saw Busch, shot in the back of the head, plunge to the ground. Even then he again shot him twice in the head to finish him off. Arrogantly he turned again to his soldiers and shouted: "Do you want any more of this Hitler pork?" In one voice they shouted: "Put them all against the wall!" The First-lieutenant then drew two more comrades out of the group at random and personally shot them in the same way. He let a farm driver select a fourth man, this was the unhappy settler Pohlmann, from Skalowo, near Kostschin, whom he also shot personally.

After this murdering of four German comrades he made a speech to the soldiers to the effect that these four would be enough, that they were not Bolshevists but Polish soldiers, and should honour their chief war-lord, Marshall Rydz-Smigly, for whom he asked for three cheers, which the soldiers gave in a bawling voice, finishing up with the Polish national anthem.

At the officer's order, our other comrades, who had up to now been standing by and looking on, put the four dead into a grave which had already been dug, and shovelled them over. After this we were put onto a lorry. Whilst getting in, the lieutenant dealt each of us a heavy blow with his horse whip. After driving to Gnesen we were given up to the Polish police. After staying for two days in a school we marched on foot, with a police escort, in the direction of Warsaw. Our destination was supposed to be a place between Warsaw and Brest-Litowsk. We did 25 to 30 miles daily and in 10 days covered about 250 miles without any food from the Polish organisation. That which we obtained to eat we procured ourselves. We spent the nights partly in barns and partly in the open, even when it was raining, and fed mainly on swedes [turnips]. Our escort consisted of two active policemen and six Polish reservists who had been drafted as auxiliary police. Suffering insults and maltreatment, we at last reached Ilow on September 16 and 17, 1939. This town lies north-east of Kutno–Warsaw. On September 17, 1939, after we had lain a whole day in a barn during a severe air raid, our escort left us. The aeroplanes not only dropped bombs but also fired with machine guns. From 10 p.m. on September 17, 1939, we were without any escort. On September 18, 1939, after I had entreated my comrades to remain lying in the barn during the night, we broke out. From the artillery fire in the direction of Ilow, which had set in the previous evening, I concluded that the German troops were now not far away. I was not deceived in my supposition for, on September 18, 1939, after we had marched westwards in single file for about 20 minutes, we met the first German soldiers of an artillery regiment. Our martyrdom was at an end.

As further witnesses I name:

Jesske, an estate owner, of Paczkowo near Kostschin,
further, his son and his son-in-law,

who, in a bad state, were brought to the Iwno farmyard when we were already there.

With him, ie. in Jesske's farmyard, there was also a military Polish unit, and he will be able to tell much of interest about their conduct.

Dictated, approved and signed

The witness took the following oath: I swear by Almighty God that I have spoken the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

Lodz, October 23, 1939

Supreme Command of the Forces.

Investigation Dept.
for Breaches of International Law
with the Supreme Command of the Forces.

Present:
Judge Advocate Zirner,
in charge of the investigation.
Inspector of Justice with the Landwehr, Grope,
as recording officer.

In the case at Lodz, investigated in accordance with International Law, the undermentioned witness appeared on summons.

He was told the object of the investigation and instructed as to the sacredness of the oath, and the criminal penalty for breaking it.

Then he was examined.

Re. person: Petrak, Wilhelm Karl, 30 years old, Protestant, minority German, married, one child, master dyer, resident at flat No. 22, 17 Katno Strasse, Lodz, platoon commander in the former Polish army.

Re. matter: On Sunday, September 3, 1939, I was called to the ranks at Lodz. As Lodz was evacuated by the military in the night of the 5th to the 6th, I, with my unit of troops of the remaining detachment of the 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment, marched out of Lodz in a northerly direction. On Wednesday the 6th, just before 1 p.m., we reached the wood north of Wola Bledowa west of Glowno.

Although we were regular soldiers we were not uniformed, and outwardly could not be distinguished from civilians. As we were camped on the edge of the wood, some civilians brought in two minority Germans to us, who were supposed to be teachers. The civilians maintained that they were spies and that the blond one of the two teachers had had with him a map with drawings on it.

While we were still encamped, a lieutenant of the reserve carried out an examination. The blond one of the two knelt on a truck. His hands were bound behind his back with a chain, which was also knotted round his throat. I watched the examination from a distance of, at most, 50 yards, although I could not understand the individual words. Two soldiers, who were standing on the lorry behind the two teachers, then struck them with rifle butts and a sledge-hammer, apparently at the instructions of the examining officer. They both cried loudly with pain. When we then moved on, both teachers remained on the truck. The blond teacher had to remain kneeling the whole time; he was not in a state to do so and leaned against the side of the truck, which was about a foot high. He had broken down completely and he hung his head in front of him. The other teacher, who had black hair, lay bound on the truck. During a halt at about 5 p.m. I had a close look at both of them at a distance of 2 to 3 yards. Although the two of them were already beaten up, the two soldiers were still hitting them. Both teachers were terribly mutilated. The blond teacher's head was completely covered with blood, the nose completely swollen and pressed to one side, so that I assumed that the bridge was broken. The left side of his chin was covered with blood and the skin was split open; the lower jaw bone was apparently broken. The left side of his chest was smeared all over with blood. He was practically unconscious, and when the soldier hit him with a sledge-hammer he only moaned. The other teacher was also completely beaten up. After this I did not see the teachers again. Soldiers of my platoon later told me that the two were to have been shot. Since, however, they could neither walk nor stand, they were dragged to the edge of a wood and were there bayoneted. They were supposed to have been hurriedly buried by civilians, and their grave is on the road beyond Bromberg [Bronislawowo].

The teachers were definitely not spies. They had apparently taken flight. The soldiers said that they had admitted everything, but they definitely only did this because they were so terribly beaten, for at first they had said quite frankly that they were German teachers. The lieutenant who had conducted the examination had no authority to do this, he should have had the two teachers taken to the regimental command, which was at the most about three quarters of a mile away.

I remember still another case. At the end of September, I believe it was the 23rd, we found the bodies of six German soldiers on a field path between Chelm and Rejowiec. They were vilely mutilated. The mouth of each soldier was crammed full of tobacco so that his teeth were deranged [far apart]; the tobacco had apparently been pressed in with a piece of wood so that we had difficulty in getting it out. Rifle bullets, with the cases, had been stuffed into each nostril. The bodies had been completely plundered, and I could find no mark of identification. We then buried the bodies.

I assume that the soldiers, who had apparently been wounded, were murdered by the civilians. I cannot think that a Polish soldier could have committed such atrocities.

The witness Gerd von Delhaes-Günther, of Kreuzfelde, in the District of Schrimm, deposed on oath as follows:

My name is Gerd von Delhaes-Günther, born on February 28, 1907, at Bromberg. I am a farmer in Kreuzfelde, in the district of Schrimm, am married and have two children. I was a Polish subject, of German race [ethnicity], and by religion Protestant.

On Monday, September 4, 1939, a group of 20 minority Germans from the neighbourhood of Schmiegel and Czempin were driven over the Warthe bridge to Schrimm, and were put into the prison, where the military left them. The acting mayor set them free, whereupon the Germans, in small groups, wanted to go back over the Warthe bridge. Thirteen of them were again arrested by the last Polish blasting squad, led by lieutenant Bejnerowicz, and, presumably, by the N.C.O. Krol and lieutenant Szakowski, of the pioneers (Regiment unknown). Bejnerowicz demanded of the acting mayor Dambrowski the arrest of the remaining Germans. Dambrowski said that he refused this, since he maintained that they were innocent. As far as I know, the files to which I have had access also came from him. Without even knowing their names, Bejnerowicz then had the Germans shot. As far as I have heard, Bejnerowicz let the Polish mob manhandle the Germans, as could be seen when the bodies were later found. I did not see the bodies myself, but I was told that they were mutilated; nine of the 13 were found [identified], and they all belonged to Czempin. The names are:

1. Hermann Raabe, Piechanris,
2. Herbert Raabe, Piechanris,
3. Father Steinke, Peterkowalz,
4. Son Steinke, Peterkowalz,
5. Paul Steinke, Peterkowalz,
6. Manthei, Piechanris,
7. Wilhelm Nier, Peterkowalz,
8. Kint, Peterkowalz,
9. Adam, Peterkowalz.

Report of the experience of Richard Glaesemann, farmer and cattle merchant, of Schwersenz.

Posen, Nov. 18, 1939.

Present:
Junior Judge Bömmels,
as Judge.
Court Official Miehe,
as recording official at the office.

In the prosecution against Luczak for illegal detention, Richard Glaesemann, farmer, appeared on summons and stated:

Re. person: My name is Richard Glaesemann, 51 years old, a farmer and cattle merchant in Schwersenz, s. V.

Re. matter: At about 8.30 a.m. on September 4, 1939, there appeared before my house in Schwersenz a Polish N.C.O., accompanied by Valentin Luczak, a mechanic of Schwersenz, whom I knew. I saw Luczac pointing out my house, and visibly making statements about me to the N.C.O., who demanded a horse from me, saying at the same time that I was suspected of spying, and that he must arrest me. As I was standing before the house, to be led away, I saw Luczak and the carpenter Walczak, of Schwersenz, remonstrating with the N.C.O., and pointing at me. The N.C.O. then led me off, just as I was, I was not allowed to take anything with me. The N.C.O. took me to Liefke's timber yard in Schwersenz, and led me to a Polish officer who covered me with a loaded revolver, whilst the N.C.O. emptied my pockets. The officer said to me: "As a matter of fact we should not concern ourselves much about you, but should shoot you at once!" But I was not told why I was arrested, and was forbidden to ask any questions. The officer did not even give me permission to receive a drop of water, although it was very hot.

My horse, which had been at the same time led away from my yard, was to be used to draw a load of oats. The officer said to the N.C.O.: "Let him ride, and if you meet a group of internees on the way, throw him off."

Just before reaching Osthausen, we met a column of arrested minority Germans who were taking a rest at the roadside. The N.C.O. handed me over to the sergeant of the escort of this column, and gave him the things which had been taken off me. In the column I met Paul Wiesner, an estate manager, from Wollstein, whom I knew, and who told me of the column's experiences up to that moment. The column, which had been under way since August 31, 1939, consisted of 121 minority Germans from Wollstein and Neutomischel, including four women. Wiesner also told me that they were taken in carts to Posen, and on the way had been maltreated and insulted by Polish civilians. In the district of Jerzyc they were put in a hall where it was disclosed that they would all be shot.

The sergeant then led the column round Kostschin. Wiesner told me that it was lucky for us that we were taking the route along the railway, and not through the town, because he had heard that in Kostschin groups of minority Germans had already been badly maltreated. But after we had passed Kostschin, before we reached the main road, and were near the estate of Stromniany, about 100 people, men and women, came running after us. The women broke into the column and tore off the cloaks, stockings and shoes from the four women who were with us. At the same time they beat them, and it was horrible to see. We did not dare to interfere; otherwise we should have been beaten to death. We were also held back by the escort.

For several days the women had to walk barefoot; two of them, however, were able to buy themselves shoes and stockings in Witkowo, but, until September 17, 1939, the other two marched barefoot with the column. One of these women was nearly 70 years old. She had such injuries under her toes, exposing the raw flesh, that she had to be left behind about three days before our release in the village of Zechlin, between Kutno and Lowitsch. Whether the woman got home I do not know. She told me that she had been arrested from the sick-room of her husband who had been confined to bed for the last few [four] years.

After the people of Kostschin had given up maltreating us, we came to the forked roads where the streets from Wreschen and Gnesen diverge. There we had to wait while the leader of the escort drove to Gnesen to obtain further instructions. After about 2 hours, another sergeant came from Gnesen, and said that from now on we were free, and should spread out over the field in small groups, in order not to be held up again. He also gave us back our things.

We divided up into individual groups. With me was the accountant Hintz, of the Savings Bank of Neutomischel. We went into a small wood on the south of the road, and wanted first to wait until the large number of marching columns had decreased. We may have sat for about two hours on the border [at the edge] of the wood, when we were seen by a machine-gun company and surrounded. During the rest we had torn up the entries, in the German language, in our business note-books, so that these would cause us no further difficulties if we were again arrested. The soldiers took each of these bits of paper with them and wanted to shoot us on the spot, because they took us for spies. But I explained to them in Polish that we had already been arrested, and then let free again. The officer of the company then had us led away to the Iwno farm to have the matter investigated.

Before reaching the farm we met two waggons. The two farm hands sprang off and beat the two of us terribly on the head with the butt end of their whips. We put up our hands to protect ourselves, and on my right hand I caught such a blow that it was swollen for weeks, and to this day I cannot move my index finger. The two soldiers who were supposed to guard us did not restrain the farm-hands, but laughed at us scornfully, and did not lead us off to the farm until the servants were tired of hitting us.

In the farm-yard there were about 50 minority Germans from our column, including four women and my acquaintance Wiesner. Most of them were splashed with blood. In Wiesner's head there was a hole as big as a two-shilling piece, from a stone thrown at him. He told us that his group had struggled through north of the village of Glinka. Near this village they were shot at by a machine-gun unit from a range of about ¾ of a mile, so that they had sought cover in a turnip field for about an hour, until the soldiers advanced and captured them anew. During this shooting, so Wiesner told me, a clergyman was shot. I recently saw the announcement of his death in the newspaper, but I have forgotten his name. According to Wiesner, this group, whilst on the Iwno farm, was also terribly maltreated, being pelted with stones and beaten with clubs, without any intervention on the part of the escort. This was the reason for the terrible head injuries of some of them.

After confirming to the officer that we had belonged to his group, our pockets were again searched. Thereby a soldier took my gold watch and chain, and various small things.

Whilst the search was still going on, an officer had four people of the group summarily shot. The soldiers said that these people had given signals to German airmen, who had then dropped bombs. I personally had seen nothing of airmen. One of those who were shot wore the badge of the Young German Party.

During the interrogation which followed, the same officer asked me if I also belonged to the Young German Party, and whether I spoke Polish. In my opinion, the fact that I, as a business man, can speak good Polish, saved my life. During this interrogation the officer had two men shot; they both belonged to the Young German Party, and one of them wore their badge.

The officer wanted to release me, as well as Hinz, who also spoke Polish. Another officer, however, drove up on a motor cycle, and, when he saw the group of minority Germans, he said with a horrible scornful laugh: "You have enough bandits there!"

He sprang into the column, and asked each one individually whether he could speak Polish. Those who could not answer in Polish were then terribly beaten with a whip, the thongs of which were threaded with wire. Particularly a 72-year-old editor from Neutomischel was terribly beaten; he was hit so often in the face that it was completely covered, one might say black, with blood. From these blows the man should, in my opinion, have died. The officer then turned him round, kicked him aside, and then shot him down with his revolver.

He then had us lined up in two rows against the wooden fence, opposite the soldiers with rifles. He asked the soldiers if he had done well, and they shouted: "Yes, sir, well done!"

Then a farm-hand came and told the officer that a certain man named Wartermann from Kostschin (a group of minority Germans from there had been brought to the farm) had continually held secret meetings in his house. Wartermann, a man of about 60, was called out. He denied that he had held such meetings. But the officer said that it was proved by the statements of the farm-hand, and that such a fellow as he (Wartermann) had earned no more than a bullet. After he had led him a few paces aside, he shot him with his revolver.

Then he called out to the people in the yard: "You civilians, would you like one of these internees here? Come over and pick one out, and he will be shot!" None of the people came forward. He also called out to the wife of the estate manager, as she was going by: "If you see one here who has done anything against you, or whom you want to have shot, pick him out and I will have him shot for you." The woman replied that he had done well to shoot the band [gang], they should really all be shot. The officer then said that he would do us the 'favour' of giving us a motor car ride to Gnesen. He had a farm lorry driven up, the tailboard was let down, and the officer demanded that we should get in with one jump. Thereby he struck each of us on the head with his horse whip. As I was getting in I held up my left hand, which was not wounded, and received such a blow that the little finger is still bruised and the nail black.

[...]

During the whole of the journey to Gnesen, which took two hours, we had to remain kneeling in the lorry and bend our heads. For all those who were injured it was terribly painful, but if anyone raised his head, the escort dealt out blows with rifle butts. When the lorry stopped on the way in a village, the escort did not restrain the Polish population from insulting us and hitting us with sticks.

In Gnesen we were accommodated in a school, not in the empty class-rooms but in the corridor, on forms [benches] on which we slept a little because we were shockingly tired.

On this day we received just as little food as on the following day, on which we were brought to Witkowo, again being continually spat upon, beaten with clubs and stoned, without any intervention on the part of the escort. The soldiers had only scornful laughter for us. Our request for permission to buy something with the money we had been allowed to keep was refused, on the way as well as in Witkowo, which we reached at about 3.40 p.m. There we had to stand for 1½ hours in the market place before we were put in the synagogue. Here also no one troubled himself, either about our food or our wounds.

During the following days we were then marched on foot through Slupca, Konin, Kolo and Kutno, to a place near Lowitsch. We were given no food at all, and lived solely on carrots and swedes [turnips] which we fetched from the fields. We did not even receive enough water. The insulting shouts and the maltreatment by the inhabitants did not cease even to the last day; the fugitives from the evacuated areas were particularly spiteful.

On September 16, we arrived at a German settlement, the name of which I have forgotten. Here also the men had been arrested and taken off [away]. The inhabitants spoke only German. Here, for the first time, we received warm food from the people. On September 17, the Polish troops, who were close by, were heavily fired on, and were bombed by aeroplanes. The Polish military retreated, and our escort suddenly disappeared. Until the morning we stayed in the barn, where we were sheltered, and then set off in the direction of the German lines.

At 10 a.m. on September 18, we met the first German soldiers. Most of us were so exhausted that we could hardly go any further.

Of the fate of the people from Wollstein and Neutomischel who had not come up [171] to the Iwno farm-yard, I only heard from another group which had tried to struggle through from Kostschin in a north westerly direction. About the middle of September the bodies of nine murdered of this German group were found between Jankowo and Karlskrone; later on the bodies of three more were found.

I can confirm these statements on oath.

Report of the experiences of Otto Kaliske, master-baker of Rakwitz.

Kaliske, master-baker, on Oct. 4, 1939, deposed on oath as follows:

On Sept. 1, 1939, at about 9.30 a.m., I was arrested and taken to the police-station by about 20 armed men belonging to the "Narodowce" (National Party) and the "strzelce" (semi-military riflemen). I was told I was to be interned and was at first locked in a prison cell. Later on, 13 other men were put into my cell; in the end, the prison was so full that we had to be led into the prison yard. From Rakwitz we were about 40 men and 2 women; among us there was an invalid with both legs missing and a second with only one leg, as well as a 15-year-old girl and an 18-month-old child. About 40 others from the German village of Tarnowo joined us so that altogether our group consisted of about 80 persons. At about 3 p.m. we were transported away on rack-waggons in the direction of Posen. Some of the men were barefooted and jacketless just as they had been found in the field. An escort of 5 men was detailed to accompany us. The first halt was made in the market place at Grätz, where we were abused and ill-treated. During one of the next halts, at Stenschewo, we were severely beaten with cudgels. When we stopped again on the outskirts of the village, the ill-treatment we were subjected to was particularly bad. Herr Neumann of Rakwitz who sat on the waggon next to me received such a violent blow on the head with a waggon stanchion that he died 10 minutes later. We were nearly all bleeding freely.

At Fabianowo, just outside Posen, our leader called a halt at a field outpost at about 11 p.m., the man in charge being told that we were rebels. After receiving further ill-treatment during the halt, the Polish soldiers fired blindly at our six waggons, as we were starting off, and Druse of Tarnowo sustained a bullet wound in the abdomen; he screamed in agony for about half an hour and then died. Otto Werner was also wounded in the abdomen which caused his death the following day. Otto Werner's son received 2 bullets in the leg; Eppler, a teacher, one in the thigh and genitals; Fischer, a farmer, one that went right through the hip. Hoffmann, of Rakwitz, got a bayonet thrust in the thigh. At Posen we were conveyed to the barracks of the old 6th Grenadier Regiment. Later, we continued with the dead bodies and the injured on the waggons through the main streets of Posen until at last we stopped in the suburb of Glowno where we were led into a hall. Here the wounded were bandaged by a nurse and then conveyed to a Posen hospital. The bodies of the two dead men were left behind at Glowno on the waggon in the street. After the Posen internees had joined us, among whom were several leading personages of Posen, we were all marched off in a group of 150 to 200 men in the direction of Schwersenz. Every time we came to, or marched through, a village of any size, we again suffered maltreatment at the hands of the inhabitants, whereby some of us were wounded on each occasion and had to drag ourselves along with difficulty. I believe it was at Babiak that we had to hand over all our money, our watches and other valuables to the Polish troops, and we were then escorted to a farm outworks near Klodawa. When we were starting off from there, two women and three men were unable to continue, and remained lying; among them were Herr von Treskow, aged 65 and a Fräulein Bochnik. Two young men remained behind with them to protect them. We had not gone very far when we heard firing behind us. After our release we were informed that all seven of them had been shot.

In a village outside Babiak, the Schmolke family, consisting of the father, a one-legged invalid, his wife, their 15-year-old daughter and their 18-months-old child as well as another one-legged invalid named Jentsch, had to be left behind. From the latter we heard also that they had been shot there. Their bodies are still being looked for, and our pastor Schulz has gone there today with some detectives to help in the search.

From Kostschin on, we proceeded on our march in an altogether haphazard fashion, and we noticed that we were getting nearer and nearer to the front or rather that the front was coming nearer and nearer to us. On Sept. 17, 1939, at Zechlin we were set free by German infantry and brought via Kutno and Lodsch to Sieradz from where we were sent back home by rail.

Report made by Ulrich Schiefelbein, of Rakwitz, concerning the [death] march to Kutno

On Sept. 1, 1939, at Rakwitz, nearly all the Germans were fetched out of their houses by heavily armed Polish hooligans, for internment. The transport proceeded in the afternoon of the same day, and we first reached the city of Grätz where we were received by the Polish mob with a volley of stones, after which knives came into play. On reaching the market, we were subjected to storms of abuse and were beaten with beer bottles and other objects. We were delivered over to the mob who spat in our faces, without receiving any protection whatever from our escort. After the mob had vented their fury on us, we proceeded on our way to Ptaszkowo where we met with the same ill-treatment as at Grätz. They could have taken us through the towns and villages direct to Posen without a halt, but they did not do so. They purposely made us stop at every fair-sized place in order to surrender us to the mercy of the expectant and furious mob. Our way then led to Steszew where the first death occurred. Konrad Neumann, minority German of Rakwitz, was beaten with a stave until he showed no further signs of life. Gustav Hoffmann, a minority German of Rakwitz, received deep cuts and stabs in the leg. The other Germans were so badly hurt with stones and blows that with few exceptions they all needed first-aid treatment when they got to Posen.

The march of terror continued. We got within a short distance of Posen, and in the night were subjected to fire from a Polish military patrol. Our escort had already called their attention to us. After those of us on the first waggon had been dreadfully maltreated by blows with rifle butts and had begun to groan and cry, pleading that an end be made to this maltreatment, as one of us had already been killed at Steszow, the commander of the patrol asked where he was. He was told that he was on the last waggon. He and a few soldiers then went to the last waggon, had a look at the dead man and then said: "What, you have only one dead, and such an overfed pig at that!" The Polish soldiers then received the order from their commander to fire at us. The results were: one dead, named Gustav Druse, of Tarnow, and four injured. These are: Otto Werner, who later died of his wounds, his son, Epler, a teacher, and a certain Kernchen, all of Tarnow. Friedrich Moers, a German, had 3 ribs broken from blows with rifle butts.

The same night, at 4 o'clock in the morning, we landed in a barracks yard in Posen. There we were driven all round the town on show by two grammar school [high school] pupils armed with carbines, in order to have us further subjected to the usual beatings and abuse. We pulled up at a hall in the northern part of the town into which we were driven by two ruffians under a rain of blows and kicks. There, for the first time, we were allowed to sit on chairs, our hurts were attended to by a pitying nurse and we were allowed to do some shopping in the town under the protection of the police. In the afternoon we were joined by the Posen internees among whom were some notable persons such as doctors, solicitors and directors. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, we were led to sports grounds where we were obliged to sing the Polish National Anthem and suffer the ridicule of the young people of the town, after which we had to do military drill which did not stop until we were unable for sheer exhaustion to continue. In the evening of that day, we were taken, on foot of course (as was always the case from then on), 6 miles further to Schwersenz....

After a wearying day's march we arrived towards evening at a place beyond Konin. We did not enter the town itself because at the time of our arrival the place was being subjected to heavy bombing. When this was over we begged our escort to bring us some food from the town; the money for this purpose was accepted but we never saw the food, money or the escort again. From then on nobody bothered at all about providing us with food: We were left to starve and it depended only upon the kindness of passers-by as to whether they would sell us anything. From that time on, we always slept out in the open and this naturally resulted in several of our fellow sufferers being taken ill.... We were later informed by one of our own people who escaped from the transport that from time to time about five men were picked out who were obliged to dig their own graves in a field, with their own hands, and were then shot. Those who had become weak were simply kicked aside and then shot. We found many of these lying in the highway ditch.

I should like to take this opportunity of adding something I had forgotten. When, at Steszow, the wounded minority German Otto Werner, of Tarnow, begged for water, one of the escort, Maraszek, a milker of Rakwitz, replied: "Give him hogwash [liquid manure] to drink!" Herr von Treskow of Owinsk, when he asked permission to relieve himself, was seized by the beard, dragged out of the ranks and kicked into the ditch. This gentleman is over 70 years old; nobody worried any further about him. In the meantime we had arrived within a short distance of Kutno and were informed by fugitives that the front was situated near Kutno, that we were bottled up and that the region behind us had been evacuated by the Polish military. We therefore decided to march back and, suffering terrible privations, finally arrived at a farm where we spent 3 days digging up potatoes in exchange for food which consisted of boiled potatoes in milk. After these 3 days had passed, we wandered back again to Slesic, where we found ourselves under the protection of the German military who transported us together with the other German fugitives to Wreschen, where we of German descent were separated from the others and sent to our native land, which we reached in the evening of Sept. 18, 1939.

The report was drawn up by the German internee, Ulrich Schiefelbein of Rakwitz, conscientiously and to the best of his knowledge. The proof of the veracity of his statements is corroborated by the following whose signatures appear below.

The Polish Atrocities
Against the German Minority in Poland.
Edited and published by order of the Foreign Office
and based upon documentary evidence.
Compiled by Hans Schadewaldt.