KAZIMIERZ GĄGAŁA

On 20 September 1947 in Jelenia Góra, Investigating Judge of the District Court in Jelenia Góra with its seat in Jelenia Góra, T. Szewczyk, with the participation of court reporter and legal apprentice M. Ronba, heard the person named below as a witness, without taking an oath. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations pursuant to Articles 107–115 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Kazimierz Gągała
Age 30
Parents’ names Michał and Aniela
Occupation clerk
Place of residence Jelenia Góra, 3 Maja Street 5
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

I stayed in the Auschwitz camp from 14 June 1940 until 28 October 1944. I know the following war criminals from my stay in the camp and I can say the following about them:

1) Hans Aumeier – he was the camp commandant immediately after Höß. He was ruthless and cruel towards the prisoners. When he was passing through the camp, whenever he didn’t like a prisoner’s face, he went up to that prisoner and gave him a thrashing. According to a story told by the camp orderlies, who cleared away the corpses after the executions, the aforementioned person often carried out the executions in person, which wasn’t included in his duties. It can be stated that he continued the harsh regime towards the prisoners that had been initiated by Höß.

2) I don’t know Max Grabner personally, but I heard from my fellow prisoners that he introduced a system of spies in the camp, and this constituted a pretext for arresting prisoners, often condemning them to death. In his conduct, he toed the line drawn by Höß.

3) Arthur Liebehenschel – during his time and on his orders, the regime led by Höß began to be eliminated in Auschwitz. He closed the dark cell in the camp prison. He pardoned prisoners who had been sentenced to death by Aumeier, myself included. Having learned from the prisoners about the existence of spies who were reporting to the Political Department, he put them onto a transport and sent them to the quarries in Gross-Rosen, which cleared the atmosphere. He was gentle and approachable for all the prisoners. He issued an order that the prisoners, when going off to work in working columns, would not have to doff their hats to the camp authorities during the winter. Under Liebehenschel, there were no public executions in the camp.

This is my testimony which I read and signed.