1 Execution site(s)
Maria D. reminisces: "On August 14-15, an Aktion in the ghetto war carried out. At this moment I was keeping an eye on a lunch on the stove, when a son of that woman told me to run away as the action was about to be prepared. I jumped into the cart which passed by. People inside told me nothing because they understood that I wanted to flee and let me go with them till the forest, situated near the Analivka village. Once in the forest, I went in the direction of the houses as in the field I saw a group of children playing in police who was killing Jews. I stayed sitting in the field during all day.” (Witness N°174, a Jewish survivor, met in Borshchiv on August 10, 2005)
"During these "Aktions", fascist German invaders shot and buried alive about 5,000 Soviet civilians: men, women and children. Before the shooting, all these people were forced to undress. Later, the wearable things - clothes and shoes - were sent to Chortkiv." [ Act of Soviet extraordinary commission, drawn up in 1944; RG-22.002M/7021-75/87]
Borshchiv is located 98 kilometers (61 miles) southeast of Ternopil. According to some sources, on the eve of the war there were about 3,000 Jews living in the town. It was occupied by Hungarian army on July 07, 1941, which managed the town till August, 1941.
The anti Jewish operations were carried out by Security Police from Chortkiv, local criminal police, Gendarmerie and Ukrainian auxiliary police. The Jewish council and police were created. The first action during which ill and old Jews were executed took place on November 14, 1941. In the winter of 1941– 1942, a wave of deportation of young Jews to different labor camps took place. In the beginning of April, an open ghetto was established and remained opened till December, 1942, as it was turned on closed one. In late September, 1942, a second Aktion took place. As a result, 800 Jews were sent to Belzec camp and about 100 shot on the spot. In the spring- summer 1943, during different actions about 400 Jews were sent to Ivanovka camp, in Lviv, and over 2,300 Jews were shot in the Jewish cemetery. 360 remaining Jews were executed on August 14, 1943.
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