ALEKSANDRA PRZEWÓSKA

Warsaw, 21 September 1949. Irena Skonieczna (MA), 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 Aleksandra Przewóska, née Borkowska
Date and place of birth 18 December 1887 in Warsaw
Parents’ names Adam and Amalia, née Russ
Father’s occupation architectural engineer
Citizenship and nationality Polish
Religion Roman Catholic
Education seven-class boarding school
Occupation old-age pensioner
Place of residence Warsaw, Marszałkowska Street 1, flat 125
Criminal record none

When the Uprising broke out, I was at home at Marszałkowska Street 1. On the first day, the Germans shot our caretaker in the street, near the gate, having first summoned him from the house. After some time, the caretaker managed to crawl back to the gate. He told residents gathered in the shelter that the Germans had shot at him for no reason whatsoever. On 4 August 1944, the Germans set fire to our house – without first warning us about their intentions. The house has eight storeys, and there were some 200 tenants inside at the time. The residents started running down to the gate leading into Marszałkowska Street. It turned out, however, that the gate was locked and could not be opened. Through a hole smashed in the wall, we passed into the other part of the house, which opened onto Polna Street 2, and from where we started walking out into the street. A German standing near the entrance immediately ordered us to proceed to the other side of the street and stand next to the fire brigade station. At that moment a firing-squad came out from Marszałkowska Street, their guns cocked, and moved in our direction. We were ready for death. A while later – I do not know why – the squad turned around and ran towards aleja Szucha. After some time, one of the residents of our house, a physician (I do not remember his surname), who had been talking with the German for some time, turned to us and said that it was in our best interest to evacuate the area as rapidly as possible. He said that we should arrange ourselves in fours and follow him. He led us through Unii Square and Klonowa Street in the direction of Belwederska Street. When our group – comprising more than 200 people – reached Belwederska Street and, specifically, was in the direct line of fire of the bunker in Dworkowa Street, the Germans in the bunker fired off a few salvoes in our direction, killing five people and wounding 14. Everyone fell to the ground, hoping to avoid death. A medical unit came out of the old people’s home at Belwederska Street 20, ordering everyone to fake being wounded. We were all transferred on stretchers to the old people’s home.

At this point the report was brought to a close and read out.