On this day, 3 December 1947, in Skarżysko-Kamienna, the District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Radom, represented by Judge Wł. Pawziński interviewed the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the wording of Article 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the significance of the oath, the judge swore in the witness in accordance with Article [missing] Code of Criminal Procedure, whereupon the witness testified as follows:
Name and surname | Stanisław Sołtysiak |
Age | 42 |
Parents’ names | Walenty and Antonina |
Place of residence | Skarżysko-Kamienna, 17 Konarskiego Street |
Occupation | janitor at Universal Primary School No.1 |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Criminal record | none |
I was a janitor in a primary school in the city of Skarżysko-Kamienna at 17 Konarskiego Street.
In February 1940, the German military police took possession of the whole school building and turned it into a prison. A certain Pole, Robert Kamiński, from Poznań Voivodeship, brought gendarmes to this building. More than four hundred people were imprisoned: Poles, men and women, including priests and scouts. These unfortunate people were brought from the surrounding area of Skarżysko-Kamienna. During this time, the German gendarmerie transported groups of about forty people every day from the schoolhouse to the National Factory of Ammunition, in Skarżysko-Kamienna, for interrogation. The Polish prisoners were always brought back beaten and bloodied. I saw them with my own eyes. In the prison- schoolhouse, among those beaten I personally saw [were]: Edward Witman, Patkowski, Maciejewski, Gankiewicz, senior priest-monk, Korzeniowski, Garliński, and many other people, whose names I do not remember.
On 27 or 28 February 1940, the German gendarmerie gave the building back to be used as a school again after having taken away all the prisoners. On 5 or 12 June 1940, the German gendarmerie took possession of the schoolhouse again as a prison, and the Germans occupied this building till 29 June 1940 (Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul). In June of 1940, about 300 people, mostly Poles, were imprisoned in this building. In this “prison” building, interrogations and horrible beatings took place every day; the interrogation of one person and their moans continued for at least a quarter of an hour, in which I heard horrible moans and screams, but I did not see the beaten prisoners, as I had no access to the slaughterhouse of those victims.
On 29 June 1940, the Gestapo from Kielce took all the prisoners from the building; 120 people to Brzask to be executed, and then the Gestapo went [...] towards Radom and Kielce. I do not know what happened next between 1941 and 1945.
The report was read out.