JAN SEREK

In Raszówka, on 9 January 1948, at 11:20 AM, I, Władysław Fituch from the Investigative Department of the District Citizens’ Militia Headquarters in Kielce, acting pursuant to Article 20 of the provisions introducing the Code of Criminal Procedure, while observing the formalities listed in Articles 235–240, 258, and 259 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, with the participation of reporter Władysław Sieczka, whom I have instructed of the obligation to certify the compliance of the Protocol with the course of procedure by signing, heard the person named below as a witness. Having been advised about the significance of the oath, the right to refuse to testify for reasons mentioned in Article 104 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, [and about] the liability for making false declarations in accordance with Article 140 of the Penal Code, the witness was sworn and testified as follows:


Name and surname Jan Serek
Parents’ names Andrzej and Anna née Krulik
Date and place of birth 11 November 1889, in Raszówka, Mniów commune, Kielce district
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Occupation farmer
Place of residence Raszówka, Mniów commune, Kielce district
Relationship to the parties none

Regarding the present case, I have the following knowledge. On 26 May 1943, in the morning hours, the military police [and] Gestapo rounded up the following inhabitants of the village of Mniów: Antoni Drogosz, his brothers Jan and Władysław, Maria Drogosz – their mother, [and] Jan Błoński – the brother-in-law of the Drogosz siblings; Antoni Janiszewski, Józef Janiszewski, the brothers of Jan and Andrzej Janiszewski – Józef’s sons; Paweł Chyb; [and] Franciszek Brożyna from the village of Węgrzynów. From the village of Serbinów: Władysław Kaczmarczyk, Józef Kaczmarczyk, Stanisław Bartosiński and his brother Jan Bartosiński. From the village of Skoki: Józef Feliszka. From Miedzierza commune, Konecki district: Leksycki, Drożdowski, Krajewski, Adam Pacak and his wife Leokadia, Adam Mogielski and Janina Mogielska, and many other people.

All of those mentioned above were taken to the home of Marianna Dąbrowska in the village of Raszówka. [The Germans] closed the door and threw a few grenades inside, they began throwing incendiary bombs, and set fire to the house; they stood there until those inside burned.

All of those people were arrested because the military police and Gestapo from Kielce had arrived in the area in large numbers that day. They shot many [people] that day. Władysław Mogielski was shot near Mniów and buried in the Mniów cemetery. Józef Brożyna also avoided being burned, [but was] shot in Mniów. All the victims who were burned alive, and the executed Józef Brożyna, are buried in the place where they were burned. This place is surrounded by a fence and there is a cross there; the corpses are also there to this day.

As I have heard from others, [the victims] were accused of being members of a secret underground organization. The executions were carried out by the German military police [and] the Gestapo from Kielce. [It was said that] Stefan Wypych from Mniów, who was with the Germans at the time and has not been seen since, supposedly accused [them and reported them] to the Gestapo.

I conclude my testimony and signed it after it was read out to me.