Błażek (Blazek) | Lublin Voivodeship

/ Edward K., born in 1932: « They were three or four men dressed in civilian clothes who came to our home and told to prepare the cart.”   © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum Jan S., born in 1929: “We were curious to know what would happen. The Jews were led by two Germans at the head and at the rear of the column. They were taken to “Doły” and killed there.”  © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum A local witness with a member of the Yahad’s team at the execution site.  © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum Execution site in Błażek where 12 Jews were shot according to the Polish archives.  © Cristian Monterroso  /Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Błażek

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Field
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1939-1944
Number of victims:
12

Witness interview

Edward K., born in 1932: «My father was requisitioned by civilian men to transport the Jews from the village to Batorz. They were three or four men dressed in civilian clothes who came to our home and told him to prepare the cart. They weren’t Germans, but I don’t know where they came from who they were. So, my father had no option but to obey. He went to pick up six Jewish men and took them to Bartoz. I don’t know what happened to them after.” (Witness n°750, interviewed in Błażek, on October 6, 2017)

Polish Archives

« In October 1942, in the early morning, a German unit composed of 10 people surrounded the village of Błażek. The Germans then passed through the village searching for Jews inside the houses. They arrested 12 people altogether: 3 adults and 9 children aged 4-12 years old. The arrestees were taken to the field, to the place called “Pits”, where they were shot with machine guns. […] They were all shot because they were Jews.” [Deposition of Szymon M., given to the IPN; S/87/07, p. 537]

Historical note

Błażek is a village located about 54 km south of Lublin. Very little is known from historical sources about the prewar Jewish community of Błażek. According to the witnesses, there were several Jewish families in the village. Some of them had their own shops.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Błażek was occupied in September 1939. According to the Polish archives, in October 1942, 12 Jews, including 3 adults and 9 children, were arrested, taken to the village’s schoolhouse where they had to wait approximately 3-4 hours. Then, they were brought to the place called “Doły” (“Pits”) located about 300m from the village where they were shot. Their bodies were buried by the locals requisitioned by the head of the town administration, murdered later. According to Yahad’s witnesses, another shooting occurred in which one Jew was killed. They also stated that some Jews were taken by the Germans to Batorz.

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