IZABELLA RUDNICKA

On 5 October 1949 in Warsaw an employee of the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland, Irena Skonieczna (MA), interviewed the person named below as a witness, without taking an oath. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Izabella Rudnicka, née Podkońska
Date and place of birth 28 November 1892, Kutno
Parents’ names Franciszek and Zofia, née Mizgalska
Father’s profession office worker
Citizenship and nationality Polish
Religion Roman Catholic
Education secondary
Profession nurse
Place of residence Warsaw, aleja 3 Maja 2, flat 116
Criminal record none

From the first day of the Uprising in Warsaw I was at home, at aleja 3 Maja 2. Before the Uprising our house had been occupied almost completely by the Germans. Just before the Uprising these Germans left Warsaw together with their families. An insurgent unit was stationed at our house until 3 August 1944; it was made up of young boys and was very poorly armed. On 3 August the Germans broke down the barricaded gate to our house, entered the courtyard and ordered everyone to leave the building. The men were detained under the viaduct, while we – the women – were ordered to proceed to the barrack near the bathing beach by the Wisła.

Next, all of us – both men and women – were ordered to walk over Poniatowskiego Bridge to Praga. We were stopped near the Waszyngtona roundabout, where the men were once again separated from the women. The women were told to disperse in Saska Kępa. The men were detained under the bridge in Praga and told that if even one of them ran away, the rest would be executed. There were 71 men standing there. On Saturday, 5 August, men aged over 55 – 19 in total – were released by the Germans. On 8 August the Germans let some of the remaining men free in Saska Kępa, while the rest were allegedly taken to Stalowa Street in order to dig trenches.

As regards the 11 insurrectionists who were executed after the people had left our house, there is not much I can say. On 3 August, when the Germans were evicting us from the building, I saw a group of young boys with white handkerchiefs hanging from their collars exit one of the staircases. Next I saw three of these young boys lying on the ground, with their arms spread, under the viaduct. The remaining boys and men who had been led out of our house were standing behind them in threes.

After 15 August I learned from boys who lived in our house that 11 of them had been executed. I do not know the location of this crime.

After the Uprising a commemorative plaque was installed under the viaduct in their honor. Today it has been removed, for reasons unknown to myself.

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