STANISŁAW FOTEK

On 7 January 1946 in Radom, Investigating Judge Kazimierz Borys of the II District of the Regional Court in Radom with its seat in Radom interviewed the person mentioned hereunder 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 Stanisław Fotek
Age 32 years old
Parents’ names Jan and Stanisława
Place of residence Firlej, commune of Wielogóra
Occupation tanner
Religion Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Relationship to the parties none

Throughout the German occupation I was employed at a tannery in Radom. I worked daily until 4.00 p.m. While going there, or sometimes when returning, I would see trucks and taxis transporting prisoners in the direction of Firlej and turning towards the sands. Later, I would hear the sound of shots coming from the direction where the vehicles had gone. The shootings were held at various times of the day, sometimes in the afternoons and evenings.

The first mass execution took place on 4 April 1940. At the time, I was returning home from work. When I got to Firlej, the Germans didn’t let me pass to my house. Sentries had been set up near the houses. They made sure that no one exited the buildings. While standing in the road and waiting to be allowed to walk home, I heard the sound of gunshots coming from the direction of the sands. The execution had started before I had left Radom, and lasted for an hour and a half more after I got back. I was not an eyewitness to the execution. I only saw people being unloaded from trucks and led towards the sands.

In the autumn of 1943, the residents of Wincentów and Firlej whose houses were located near the sands were expelled. The execution site was full of guard posts. Later, fire could be seen at a few points around the sands, and you could also smell the stench of roasted rotting flesh. You could not directly observe what was going on, for each location was screened with mats. During this period, many covered trucks drove up to the sands with an unknown cargo, however as they drove by you could smell decaying human flesh. In all probability, the Germans were also burning the bodies of people who had been murdered in other townships, too. The incinerations continued until the spring of 1944.

I don’t know whether the shootings were carried on during these incinerations. However, the executions were continued thereafter, being conducted right until the entry of the Red Army. The last execution took place just before the arrival of the Russians. There was only one victim.

The report was read out.