On 22 September 1947 in Sieradz, the Municipal Court in Sieradz, Criminal Section, with Judge T. Obertyński presiding and with the participation of court reporter M. Pawlik, heard the person named below as an unsworn 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, the witness testified as follows:
| Name and surname | Józef Krzywański |
| Age | 45 |
| Parents’ names | Franciszek and Marianna |
| Place of residence | Sieradz, POW Street 6 |
| Occupation | lawyer |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| I | stayed in Auschwitz from 15 August 1940 until 17 September 1944, when I was transported |
| as a | prisoner to other concentration camps. From the list of former members of the armed |
crew of the former Auschwitz concentration camp I knew the following by name: Hans Aumeier, the Lagerführer [camp leader] of Auschwitz, Max Grabner, the head of the Political Department, and Arthur Liebehenschel, who for several months was the commandant of the Auschwitz camp, specifically from autumn 1943 until May 1944.
I often saw the above-mentioned in the camp.
Aumeier as the Lagerführer directly managed the administration in the camp. He was in the camp almost every day, and without any doubt he must have known about all the ailments and deficiencies that prevailed in the camp among the prisoners – in particular, the lack of sanitation, inadequate nutrition of prisoners, lack of medical care, and the fact that under his supervision, with his knowledge and consent, the prisoners were rampantly terrorized. On several occasions I saw him beat and kick prisoners for minor misdemeanors, or other SS men in his presence beat and even torture the prisoners. I don’t remember the dates or the names of either the prisoners or the SS men.
Max Grabner, as the head of the political office, investigated crimes allegedly committed in the camp by some prisoners, as a result of which many prisoners were shot. Among other things, a group of 12 prisoners from the surveyors’ kommando were hanged, and then a larger group from the Bekleidungskammerkommando [clothing storeroom].
However, as far as Liebehenschel is concerned, I would like to emphasize that as soon as he assumed his position as camp commander, relations began to improve. I heard that he banned the beating of prisoners.
I don’t know any specifics regarding the criminal activities of the above-mentioned other than what I have testified above.
The report was read out and thus concluded.