STANISŁAWA OSWALD

Warsaw, 2 April 1946. Judge Stanisław Rybiński, delegated to the Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, interviewed the person specified below as a witness. Having advised the witness of the criminal liability for making false declarations and of the gravity of the oath, the judge swore in the witness, who then testified as follows:


Name and surname Stanisława Oswald née Brach
Names of parents Franciszek and Józefa née Gołąb
Date of birth 9 May 1902
Occupation housewife
Education middle
Place of residence Warsaw, Targowa Street 22, flat 22
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none

In 1944, I lived where I live today, but then my husband, Walerian, and my son, Jerzy Oswald, born on 20 April 1924, lived with me.

He was our only son. He graduated from secondary school attending clandestine classes and then continued his education at the secret university, at the faculty of law.

I don’t know if in addition to this he belonged to a secret organization directed against the German occupiers.

At the secret university, my son attended the sociology lectures of Prof. Władysław Okiński. On 5 October 1944, in the afternoon, a lecture by Prof. Okiński was supposed to take place.

My son, leaving before 8:00 in the morning to go work, because he worked in the office of the train brake factory on Płocka Street, told me that he would go to the lecture directly from the office. However, he still had not returned by 7:00 p.m. The next day I made efforts to learn what happened to him from his secondary school friends, but they were unable to give me any information. Then, suspecting that the Germans may have imprisoned him in the Pawiak, on the third day, that is on 7 January 1944, I took a food package to the Patronat on Krochmalna Street with a request to pass it to my son. Since the package was accepted, I was convinced that my son really was in the Pawiak. On 11 January, Tuesday, I again brought a package with clothes for my son. This package was also accepted. However, I did not receive any message from my son.

Being completely disoriented, I didn’t know where to go and in what way to start my endeavors to have my son released. However, after another week, I learned from a notice published by the Germans – the same as the one the judge is presenting to me (presented) – that my son had been executed together with Prof. Okiński and other friends from the tutorials. They were all arrested by the Gestapo during Prof. Okiński’s lecture in Żoliborz, in Czaki’s flat.

Arrested and executed together with my son and Prof. Okiński were Reverend Kania, Werner, Burala, Garszyński, and Laskowski. I didn’t know any of them. I only learned about them having read the names on the notice. I met the mother of the executed Werner.

I didn’t receive any information about my son from the German authorities, although I applied through the Red Cross for a return of his bag and the things he had with him. I received no reply.

On 9 May 1945, my husband died of pulmonary tuberculosis. I didn’t remarry.

I haven’t found out where the public execution in which my son was killed took place.

A week after my son was killed a notice was published announcing the execution of Mr. Czaki, in whose flat Prof. Okiński’s lecture had been held.

The report was read out.