ANIELA LASOKA

On 22 February 1947 in Katowice, Associate Judge W. Medlewski heard the person named below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Aniela Lasoka
Age 24
Parents’ names Paweł and Franciszka
Place of residence Katowice, Kościuszki [?] Street 33, flat 8
Occupation clerk
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

From October 1942 until the liberation, I was in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The accused was the Lagerführerin [camp leader] of the women’s camp. She personally carried out the selection of women prisoners destined to be killed either by gassing or by shooting, and she did so more or less twice a week. The accused used to abuse the women prisoners. Many times I saw her shoot sick and infirm prisoners. During the roll calls in the winter season, the accused checked whether the prisoners were wearing two sweaters, two head scarfs, etc. If she found something like this, she ordered the prisoner to undress and kept her for several hours outside. I saw the accused walk through the ranks of the prisoners during the roll calls and shoot them as soon as she spotted a prisoner moving. The accused would come to the block and throw away the prisoners’ provisions, claiming that they should have eaten them immediately after receiving them. I saw her kick and stomp on a pregnant woman – I saw this many times. The accused terrorized the camp during my stay there.

Margot Drechsel was the Rapportführerin [report leader], who likewise used to abuse the women prisoners. I saw Drechsel beat or perhaps she also shot the prisoners (I don’t really remember anymore). She also participated in the selections. From November 1944 Drechsel served as Lagerführerin for a month.

In the event of a trial against the accused, I would like to testify in person to the court.