JERZY ZDRODOWSKI

Warsaw, 17 May 1949. Mgr. Norbert Szuman, member of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, interviewed 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 Jerzy Zdrodowski
Date and place of birth 27 April 1902, Warsaw
Parents’ names Kalikst and Antonina n ée Krzemińska
Father’s occupation farmer
State affiliation and nationality Polish
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Education secondary school
Occupation clerk
Place of residence Warsaw, Opaczewska Street 34 C
Criminal record none

From the outset of the Warsaw Uprising I was in command of one of the insurgent units in Marymont. From 12 September on, I was in the Fire Brigade House on Marymoncka Street, corner of Potocka Street. With Marymont captured by the Germans, Bieniewicka Street divided the insurgent positions from those of the enemy. During the day on 14 September and during the night of 14 to 15 September, there was fighting in this area. In the afternoon of 15 September, the insurgents managed to recapture the following houses: Gdańska Street 4 and 4a and two or three houses on Bieniewicka Street adjacent to the house on Gdańska Street, known as the “Pekin.” Soon after I received reports of a number of murdered civilians discovered within the premises of the “Pekin.” Out of the window of the Fire Brigade House I could see a dead body lying in the courtyard of the house on Bieniewiecka Street. The Żoliborz command soon set up a commission to examine the crime scene. It was made up of a dozen people, including two doctors, a representative of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Government Delegation for Poland. As far as I can remember, Stanisław Tołwiński, the current mayor of Warsaw, was also appointed a member. Soon after, I went there in person and found three or four dead bodies lying on the floor at Gdańska Street 4a. In the basement I saw a greater number of murdered people, but I cannot give an exact number now. But there were certainly more than 10 dead bodies. As I was told, in the depths of the basement were the dead bodies of several children who had had their heads smashed against the wall.

There were about eighteen murdered people, including women, lying in the courtyard of the neighboring house (I cannot remember the house number) on Bieniewicka Street. The bodies could be seen from the windows of the Fire Brigade House.

From what happened later I can remember that on 30 September, one soldier from a group of insurgents who had been taken captive was shot by an SS-man. The soldier – alias “Praktykant” (Apprentice) – had served under “ Żubr” (Bison).

At that the report was concluded and read out.