2 Killing site(s)
Kazimierz P., born in 1922: "Sometime after the massacre of a group of Jews at the beginning of the war, the Bürgermeister, a Volksdeutsch, gathered the remaining Jews of Krasnosielc and warned them that they would face a similar fate if they did not leave the town. He announced that carts would be provided for them the following day. Krasnosielc, he declared, was to be free of Jews, but if they left voluntarily, no harm would come to them. Some Jews fled to Maków or Ostrołęka, while others crossed the Soviet border." (Testimony N°YIU633P, interviewed in Krasnosielc, on October 15, 2016)
Krasnosielc, located approximately 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Warsaw along the Orzyc River, has a recorded history dating back to 1386. By the late 18th century, it had grown into a significant settlement in Mazovia. In 1776, the population included 250 Jews, representing a steadily growing community. By 1781, the Jewish residents received permission to build a synagogue and establish a cemetery, laying the foundation for organized Jewish communal life in the area.
In 1842, the Jewish community gained independence with the establishment of a self-governing kahal, separating from the religious community in Przasnysz. This change was especially beneficial for Jews from surrounding villages, such as Łazy and Sławki, who found Krasnosielc more accessible. Jewish residents primarily lived on Wodna, Zduńska, and Nadrzeczna streets, areas where their settlement was legally restricted. By 1827, Jews accounted for 61.6% of the population, with 604 Jewish residents out of a total of 981.
Throughout the 19th century, Jewish artisans and merchants played a vital role in the town’s economy. Initially prominent in the textile industry, they also established various businesses, including tanneries. One notable tannery was operated by Motl Frajman in the 1880s. The construction of a new brick synagogue in 1883, replacing an earlier wooden structure, symbolized the community’s growth and stability.
Krasnosielc was also the birthplace of Benjamin Warner, the father of Harry and Sam Warner, two of the founders of the iconic Warner Bros. film studio. Harry and Sam Warner were born in Krasnosielc in the late 19th century.
On the eve of the war, the Jewish population in Krasnosielc had reached approximately 2,000. In addition to Poles and Jews, there was also a small German community in the town. Jewish and Christian children attended school together, with two Jewish teachers, Ryk and Grynbera, contributing to the town’s education system.
Krasnosielc was occupied by German forces on September 4, 1939, following a brief battle during which retreating Polish soldiers destroyed a bridge over the Orzyc River. German engineers repaired the bridge overnight, and on September 5, soldiers from the SS-Panzer Division "Kempf" conducted a roundup targeting Jewish men. This roundup culminated in a massacre that resulted in the deaths of approximately 50 Jews.
According to some accounts, the killings began near the river dikes, where Jewish men were forced to dig a pit while working to repair the destroyed bridge by moving earth onto it. Witnesses reported that 2–3 elderly Jews were shot by the riverbank, while another 1–2 were thrown into a swamp and crushed with logs. A Yahad witness claimed that most of the victims were killed near the river after being forced to dig a pit, with their bodies buried on the spot, where they remain today.
Other sources suggest that the massacre culminated at and near the synagogue. After a day of forced labor, the remaining Jewish men were driven into the synagogue, where they were mocked and forced to pray before being murdered. Blood stains were visible on the synagogue walls. The victims’ bodies were reportedly buried in the synagogue courtyard.
The massacre was carried out by an SS-Sturmmann and a Secret Field Police officer, with participation from Wehrmacht soldiers and SS-Verfügungstruppe. The atrocity briefly drew attention from German military authorities, resulting in a court-martial in September 1939. The SS-Sturmmann was sentenced to three years, and the Secret Field Police officer received a nine-year sentence. However, both were released under Hitler’s general amnesty for crimes committed during the Polish campaign.
Some time after the massacre—according to some sources, in the spring of 1940—the remaining Jews of Krasnosielc were relocated to Ostrołęka and the ghetto of Maków Mazowiecki, along with Jews from surrounding villages such as Różan. A number of Jews managed to cross the Soviet border. This relocation marked the complete destruction of Krasnosielc’s Jewish community.
On June 5, 1996, a commemorative plaque was unveiled behind the former synagogue in Krasnosielc. The plaque lists the names of 31 identified Jewish victims of the massacre on September 5, 1939. The unveiling ceremony, initiated by David Shachar, the son of one of the victims, was attended by numerous guests, including 25 Jews with roots in Krasnosielc.
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