Delyatyn (Deliatin, Deliatyn, Delatyn) | Ivano-Frankivsk

/ A rural scene in Delyatyn © Markel Redondo - Yahad-In Unum An old Jewish cemetery in Delyatyn © Markel Redondo - Yahad-In Unum Mykhaylo B., born in 1924, saw several columns of Jews in the forest. Sometimes, the Jews gathered in the central place in order to give gold or jewels. It was just before an Aktion © Markel Redondo – Yahad – In Unum Vasyl G., born in 1926, went into the forest to see what had happened. “A German officer ordered “Schiessen” and a shooter fired with a Mauser rifle at ten people standing on the plank.” © Markel Redondo -Yahad-In Unum Yahad’s team during the interview near the execution site © Markel Redondo - Yahad-In Unum Execution site © Markel Redondo -Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jew from Delyatyn

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Forest
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1941-1944
Number of victims:
Over 5,000

Witness interview

Vasyl G. recalled: “When I heard there was a mass shooting, I went to the forest. The Jews came on foot and in trucks. Jewish men dug a grave in the forest while the women waited and watched the scene. A German measured the shape of the grave and the Jews began to dig. The Germans were laughing and smoking.”
(Witness N°1847, interviewed in Delyatyn, on September 7, 2013).

German archives

“I remember that the rest of us – members of the Aussenposten of Tatariv – led an action against the Jews of Deliatyn and I was present. Our chief, V., was responsible for the action. I don’t know if other members of the Sipo were there. The Hiwis were Volksdeutsche, Poles and Ukrainians. We formed a unit of 20 or 30 men. We arrested all the Jews we could in the city. There were almost 200 Jews, all ages, male and female. The Jews were brought to the Jewish cemetery. Graves had already been dug. I don’t know if they were dug before or after the action. Our chief ordered the Jews to get undressed. They were naked.”
[B162-4996 Deposition of Walter L. on October 15, 1962].

Historical note

Delyatyn is located along the Prut River about 50km southwest from Ivano-Frankivsk. As part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire province of Galicia, the town was under Polish administration until September 1939.  The majority of Delyatyn Jews lived off trade, like wholesale grain trade, among others.  The religious communities were mostly Sadgora, Vizhnitsa Hasidim, and Zionist, popular among the youth. The town was occupied by German forces on July 01, 1941.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

According to the German archives, there were five aktions in Delyatyn, carried out by a German mobile squad and the Security police. During the first aktion, on October 16, 1941, the Security police shot 1,950 Jews. During the third aktion, around 200 Jews were killed in the cemetery. The fourth aktion took place during spring 1942, during which 3,000 Jews were shot.  The remaining 2,000 Jews were deported from Delyatyn to the Bełzec camp at the end of 1942. According to the archives, there was no ghetto in Delyatyn, although according to Vasyl G. (Witness n°1847) there was one in the center, surrounded with a fence.

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