JAN ŁATWIŃSKI, ZDZISŁAW MICHALIK

Crime scene investigation report

Warsaw, 14 February 1946, in the presence of witnesses Jan Łatwiński and Zdzisław Michalik, Investigating Judge Alicja Giermasz carried out an inspection of the basements under the burned Anca pharmacy at Marszałkowska Street 21 in Warsaw. The judge states as follows:

The basements extend over an area of 10.5 square meters along Marszałkowska Street and 13 square meters along Oleandrów Street. After descending over the rubble from street level to the basements, one could see that the basements were all covered with bricks and rubble. Looking at the remains of the side walls, from the direction of Marszałkowska Street, one can see that there were three basements located here next to each other; each 3.5 meters wide and 5 meters long. The first of them abutted another basement, 8 meters long, which extended along Oleandrów Street. Running parallel to the latter was a basement corridor and a separate basement that went to the courtyard. Based on the explanations given by Łatwiński and Michalik, which were consistent with their testimonies of 27 November 1945 and 14 February 1946, it was found that there were dead bodies under the basement window giving onto Oleandrów Street (the spot marked 1 on the plan) which no longer exists; that burned human remains could be seen lying in the corner basement under the window giving onto Oleandrów Street (the spot marked 2 on the plan) which no longer exists; that dead bodies were seen lying and burning in the same corner basement under the window giving onto Marszałkowska Street (the spot marked 3 on the plan) and that there were dead bodies in the basement that went along Marszałkowska Street (the spot marked 4 on the plan). According to the witnesses, the bodies mentioned above were found 2.5 meters below the present level of the basements, now covered in rubble.

There are no bodies to be seen now on top of the rubble. In the basement, whose window aperture is marked 5 on the plan, on the side other of the stairwell, opposite the basements of the Anca pharmacy, there was a heap of burning bodies. It is now impossible to determine whether there are still any dead bodies in this basement. Because the basement ceilings are preserved and its stairways have collapsed, it is very difficult to go inside the basement.

At that the crime scene investigation report was concluded.