Klimovo | Bryansk

/ Building where the Jews were gathered before being murdered © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum At this place was Kommandantur. The previous wooden building was burnt down © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum Praskovya P., born in 1927 © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum Praskovya P., born in 1927 © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum Vera S., born in 1930 © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum Lavrentiy G. leads a research team to the shooting site, a peat-bog at that time © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum Yahad’s team taking the GPS of the killing site © David Merlin-Dufey - Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Klimovo

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Peat-bog
Memorials:
Yes
Period of occupation:
1941-1943
Number of victims:
300

Witness interview

Praskovya P. : "Most of the Jews were shot into the peat-bog; then, the villagers buried the bodies in lime pits. The Police came to our home requisition my father. There were about ten people conscripted for this task." (Eyewitness N° 107, interviewed in Klimovo, on October 29, 2010)

Soviet archives

"As soon as the men had been shot, all the women, children and the elderly were gathered in the police building. Once there, the white strips were sewn in front and on the back of their clothes which marked that they were Jews. The women were subjected to force labor. After, around February 1942, the Jews were gathered in a building and watched by constantly. In late February 1942, they were forced to undress till underwear and were taken outskirts of the town [illegible]. Nobody was allowed to come closer. They were shot in the pits dug in advance." [Deposition of Ivan B., native to Klimovo, born in 1911; RG-22.002M/7021-19/5]

Historical note

Klimovo is located 170 kilometers (106 miles) southwest of Briansk. The 1939 census recorded that the Jewish population was 224, or 4 percent of the total. German army attacked Klimovo on August 25, 1941. During that time a half of Jewish population fled on the East and men joined the army.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

On August 29, 1941 the first Aktion was carried out by Sonderkommando 7b. During this action 27 Jews accused of being Bolshevist agents were shot. In October, 1941, a ghetto was created and it was liquidated in March, 1942. During the liquidation about 280 Jews were executed by German security forces. They were shot in a peat quarry, about 1 km away from Klimovo. Afterwards isolated shootings took place till the German withdrawal in September, 1943.

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