SABINA MIROWSKA

On 16 August 1947 in Kraków, acting judge, Associate Judge Franciszek Wesely, delegated to the Kraków District Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, acting upon written request of the first prosecutor of the Supreme National Tribunal, this dated 25 April 1947 (file no. NTN 719/47), and in accordance with the provisions of and procedure provided for under the Decree of 10 November 1945 (Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland No. 51, item 293) in connection with Article 255, 106, 107 and 115 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, interviewed the person named below as a witness, who testified as follows:


Name and surname Sabina Mirowska
Date and place of birth 30 January 1909 in Kraków
Parents’ names Szymon and Anna
Religious affiliation Jewish
Occupation office worker in the Voivodeship Jewish Committee in Kraków, Długa Street 38
Relationship to the parties none
Place of residence Kraków, Karmelicka Street 55
Criminal record none

When the ghetto in the Podgórze district of Kraków was liquidated, on 14 March 1943 I was transferred to the Zwangsarbeitslager [forced labor camp] in Płaszów, which was later transformed into a concentration camp, and I stayed there until 21 October 1944, on which day – following the liquidation of the Płaszów camp – I was deported to the Auschwitz- Birkenau camp. For the whole period of my stay in Płaszów I worked in the “Madritsch” company manufacturing army uniforms.

Some time in the summer of 1944, after the liquidation of the camp in Majdanek, a group of SS-Aufseherins [overseers] came to Płaszów, preceded by rumors that there were extremely cruel and sadistic women among them. As I learned later, these rumors were not unfounded. Luise Danz, whom I recognize beyond any doubt in the photographs presented to me and appended to the case files, was among those to come.

The above-named woman was an Aufseherin in the Płaszów camp and in the enamel factory in the Zabłocie district of Kraków. She wore an SS uniform, but I don’t remember whether she carried weapons. She was tall, handsome, and resembled senior overseer Elza Erich so much that many people thought they were sisters. Danz was friends with Schutzhaftlagerführer [head of the camp], SS-Obersturmführer Grimm. She often beat female prisoners with a leather whip for no reason.

One day in September 1944, it was announced during a roll call, which I heard myself, that a typist for the camp office was needed. Then, my friend, Adela Sterngast (currently in Switzerland; she took her husband’s name, which I do not recall), volunteered for the post. Luise Danz, who was particularly hostile towards her, although for no apparent reason, came at Adela and began to beat her mercilessly about the head with her hand and hurled abuse at her in front of all the prisoners. Of course, Sterngast wasn’t accepted for the job. As a result of this beating, she was befuddled and bruised for several days. This incident was described by Adela Sterngast in a letter to the Jewish Historical Commission in Kraków.

I didn’t witness any other instances of Luise Danz torturing prisoners. When I was transported to Auschwitz on 21 October 1944, I lost sight of Luise Danz.

At this point the report was concluded and read out.