HENRYK WASSER

On 11 November 1947, Warsaw. Judge Halina Wereńko, a member of the District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Warsaw, interviewed the person named below as a witness, without administering an oath. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false statements and of the obligation to tell the truth, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Henryk Wasser
Parents’ names Leon and Estera, née Podlaska
Date of birth 13 June 1910, Suwałki
Religion Jewish
Place of residence Warsaw, Saska Kępa, Elsterska Street 3
Citizenship and nationality Polish, Jewish nationality
Education Warsaw School of Economics
Occupation r esearcher at the Jewish Historical Institute

During the existence of the Warsaw Ghetto, I resided there from 15 November 1940 to 24 April 1943. I was the secretary of a clandestine archive headed by Dr. Ringelblum. As such, I examined the relations in the ghetto and from 22 August 1942, that is from the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto, I was on its grounds at all times, collecting materials for the archive.

I did not personally know Józef Żyto vel Zito. In connection with my clandestine work, I was informed that in the period from 22 July to mid-August 1942 [fragment missing] I am certain that the German national Józef Zito vel Żyto appropriated a Jewish-owned mechanical company, which had a few dozen, up to a hundred employees.

Once the SS had revoked the business license, the workers were taken to Treblinka. I can say with all certainty that not a single business owner in the ghetto treated the Jewish population in a humanitarian way.

They all made fortunes exploiting people.

I can’t give my personal opinion on Zito’s activities.

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