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1 Killing site(s)
Witness N°1562P, born in 1951: "My parents were from Przyłęk, and I was born and raised here. My mother once shared a story from the war, something she witnessed in this forest. One day, she went there with a friend. At that time, there was no forest yet—only small, self-seeded trees. Suddenly, a truck arrived and stopped near a hollow that had already been dug. The back of the truck opened, and a group of people was thrown out. No one counted the victims, but we believe there were a few dozen—perhaps even hundreds. They were each shot in the head, their bodies covered, and then the perpetrators left. Later, people noticed the soil moving above the grave, suggesting that some of the victims might have still been alive, only wounded, not killed instantly. My mother told me that the people executed here were Jews. When I was in primary school, we used to come here with our class for All Saints’ Day. Our teachers, who were much older, also said that Jews were buried here. There’s another grave of a Jewish person deeper in the forest, near the forest lodge. To this day, I come here with my cousin to pray for them. After all, they were people—and I don’t believe our Catholic prayers would disturb them.” (Witness N°1562P, interviewed in Przyłęk, on July 27, 2024)
Przyłęk, Rzeszów Voivodeship, northwest of Kolbuszowa.
Labor camp. "Established in the summer of 1942, liquidated in the winter of 1943. It was located in a forest. The camp held Polish citizens of Jewish origin, averaging around 300 people. The prisoners worked in the forest for the “Fischer" company. During the camp’s liquidation, the Nazis deported the prisoners to an unknown location. " [AGK, ASG, sygn. 58, k. 82; Kolekcja “Z”, sygn. 924. GK, Zh III/31/35/68, o.pr., woj. Rzeszowskie, k. 20.]
Przyłęk is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Niwiska, within Kolbuszowa County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of southeastern Poland. It lies approximately 5 km (3 miles) north of Niwiska, 13 km (8 miles) west of Kolbuszowa, and 39 km (24 miles) northwest of the regional capital, Rzeszów.
Little is known about the prewar Jewish community in Przyłęk. According to a local witness interviewed by Yahad – In Unum, a few Jewish families lived in the village before the war. One Jewish man ran a shop, while two others lived near the main road—one of them, named Zryl, had a wife and four children. This family reportedly survived the war and later emigrated.
After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Nazis began constructing a vast military training complex in the Sandomierz Forest. One of its sections, known as Heeresgutsbezirk Truppenübungsplatz Süd – Dęba (also referred to as Dęba–Mielec), spanned the area between Kolbuszowa, Mielec, Baranów Sandomierski, and Grębów. Within this zone, an extensive network of forced labor camps was established to meet the German military’s high demand for labor.
Under a decree issued by Governor General Hans Frank on October 26, 1939—Verordnung über die Einführung der Arbeitspflicht für die jüdische Bevölkerung im Generalgouvernement (Regulation on the Introduction of Forced Labor for the Jewish Population in the General Government)—compulsory labor was imposed on all Jews between the ages of 14 and 60. This policy formed part of a broader strategy of economic exploitation and persecution. Jews were confined to closed labor camps (Judenarbeitslager), while Poles were sent to open camps (Arbeitslager). In the Rzeszów region alone, 22 Jewish labor camps were established.
The Przyłęk labor camp, established in the summer of 1942 and liquidated in the winter of 1943, operated as a satellite of the larger Lager Mielec complex. This network supplied labor to the Flugzeugwerk-Mielec arms factory and nearby military training areas. Located in the forest northwest of Kolbuszowa, the camp held approximately 300 Polish Jews, who were forced to work for the German company Fischer. According to archival records, when the camp was liquidated, the prisoners were deported to an unknown destination.
However, oral testimonies suggest additional traces of the camp’s history may be found in several Second World War-era graves located in the Szydłowiec Forest District, near the village of Przyłęk. Five graves situated in a forest depression—resembling an artillery position—are the subject of conflicting interpretations. One theory holds that the graves contain the remains of unknown soldiers, possibly German or Soviet. Local residents, however, assert that the graves hold the bodies of Jewish women who were prisoners at the Przyłęk labor camp. These women were allegedly forced to clear vegetation and roadsides along the Mielec–Kolbuszowa road to prevent partisan ambushes. After completing their work, they were executed by the Germans and buried at the site.
Witnesses interviewed by Yahad – In Unum, including one who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that the individuals buried there were Jewish victims. Given the camp’s liquidation timeline, the lack of documentation about the prisoners’ fate, and the consistency of oral testimonies, it is plausible that a number of Jews were killed and buried in these forest graves.
Today, foresters from Mielec, together with students from the Primary School in Przyłęk, have fenced off and maintain the burial sites as part of a local memorial initiative.
As for the fate of the few Jewish families ho lived in Przyłęk before the war, a Yahad – In Unum witness recalled that the Zryl family survived the war and later emigrated. The remaining families either fled or were killed, with some believed to have been shot near the forest lodge. However, no further information is available regarding this alleged shooting.
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