MICHAŁ DENKIEWICZ

On 15 October 1947 in Chełm, the Municipal Court in Chełm, with Judge Stefan Azarewicz presiding and with the participation of a reporter, Maria Tuszewska, heard the person named below as a witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the significance of the oath, the witness was sworn and testified as follows:


Name and surname Michał Denkiewicz
Age 54 years old
Parents’ names Stanisław and Anna
Place of residence Chełm, Lubelska Street 123
Occupation shopkeeper
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

I was arrested by the Gestapo in Chełm, namely by a Gestapo man Szutz, a railway worker [?] from Chełm, in April 1942. I was sent to the Lublin Castle, from where – in a group of prisoners from the Lublin region, numbering 130 people – on 22 July 1942 I was deported to Auschwitz, where I stayed until July 1944. After our group, called the “red” group, arrived at Auschwitz, we were greeted by commandant Hans Aumeier, who said that we would stay there forever. Next we were sent to Max Grabner, who interrogated us; we were beaten and tortured. On Aumeier’s orders, the prisoner who attempted escape but was caught was punished in the following way: he was beaten by Aumeier himself, then by Grabner, then by all the block leaders and heads of other departments, and when he was reduced to a pulp, they hanged him in front of the camp kitchen. Aumeier did this to several other prisoners and said that it awaited all of us. Kremer was the chief doctor of Auschwitz, and he administered lethal injections, took part in the gassing and carried out various experiments. I remember Hans Schumacher as a deputy head of the food storeroom; he cruelly harassed and tortured the prisoners when distributing food.

Aumeier was always displeased that the number of corpses brought to the gate after the day’s toil was so small. Moreover, he tormented us a great deal at work. Apart from the persons mentioned above I don’t remember any more names, but if I could see their faces, I am sure that I would recognize many of them.

The report was read out.

I would like to add that Tadeusz Szczuka was in Auschwitz with me and he might be able to testify, he resides at Zamoyskiego Street.

The report was read out.