EMILIA MICHALSKA

On 5 January 1948 in Łódź. Investigating judge S. Krzyżanowska interviewed the person specified below as an unsworn witness. Having been advised of the criminal liability for making false declarations, the witness testified as follows:


Name and surname Emilia Michalska
Age 64 years old
Names of parents Antoni and Jadwiga née O’Byrn
Place of residence Łódź, Piotrkowska Street 85
Occupation works inspector
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Criminal record none
Relationship with the parties none

During the Warsaw Uprising I was in the house at Wawelska Street 60, located in the quadrangle of Wawelska Street, Pługa Street, Mianowskiego Street, and Uniwersytecka Street. A group of insurgents fighting against the Germans was located in that house, hence it was an object of German attacks. It was under fire from artillery guns, tanks, incendiary projectiles. Since the German actions were conducted from a certain distance, and our insurgents were almost unarmed, only one soldier was killed from the German side, who was buried in our yard; there were many killed and wounded from the Polish side.

On 11 August 1944, in the morning hours, the group of insurgents went to Śródmieście through the sewers, and the civilian population put out a white flag (from a bed sheet) on the house as a sign of surrender only in the afternoon, around 4.00 p.m. - as had been agreed with the insurgent command. Very quickly, having removed the barricades, the Vlasovtsy burst onto the property. Initially, they didn’t allow us to leave the basements, but they threw small grenades, so called “pukawki”, into the basements. After some time, we were told to leave the basements. We all went onto the street. I noticed that they did not allow a few elderly, completely infirm people to go outside. I also know that a few wounded remained in the basements.

I noticed on the street a group of German officers standing on the ruins of the neighboring house. They were in ceremonial clothes, some of them even had white gloves. These officers were looking through binoculars and taking photos of our group. Before the eyes of these officers we were subjected to a brutal inspection, we were tugged at by the clothes, underwear, the soldiers were searching all over the body, groping the stomach, under the breasts, between the legs etc. I heard from someone that one of the Vlasovtsy raped a 15-year-old girl at the moment of the inspection. During the inspection we were beaten with rifle butts, tugged, and pushed or kicked. Afterwards, we were told to form a row and they started to choose men from among us. They were led in the direction of Raszyńska Street. Shots were resounding everywhere. I didn’t see this, but it was said that the men were executed by the School of Political Sciences. We were told to walk in the direction of Narutowicza Square several times, later we were turned back. At a certain moment, I saw how some Vlasovtsy was pushing Stanisław Czosnowski in front of him, kicking him and forcing him to walk before him. Czosnowski was severely wounded and it was visible that he was bandaged. When at a certain moment he fell on the ground, the Vlasovsty shot him at the back of the head. I also saw how another of the residents, Józef Gaczyński was being brutally beaten.

I know that from among the wounded who had been lying in our house, one young boy survived, the son of a university librarian, Mr Lewak. I heard that the Vlasovtsy shot all the others, among them Jan Łępicki.

I know from my nephew, Jerzy Michalski, who was stopped by the Germans to collecting corpses from the nearby streets, that he had had to place the corpses of the dead in our house, which the Germans then set on fire. When he completed that job, the Germans handed him over to the Vlasovtsy. He was to be executed by them, they had already ordered him to stand by the wall. He survived by a miracle, because he came across a Russian, born the same as he in Simferopol. The Russian was so happy to meet his countryman that he did not shoot him.

Read out.