1 Killing site(s)
Jerzy B, born 1928: "I lived in Siedlce, and one day, a column of Jews from Łosice was being driven through by the Germans. The column was surrounded on both sides by guards. It stopped near us, and a wagon passed by me. On it sat a Jewish woman holding a small child. She was crying out for water because the child was clearly thirsty. The guards—Ukrainians and Latvians—didn’t let anyone approach. They threatened to shoot anyone who tried. I felt so sorry for her that I ran home. My family owned a shop, so I grabbed a bottle of lemonade. I thought carefully about what else to bring since I knew Jews followed different dietary customs, and I decided on a tin of candies. I managed to give the lemonade and candies to the woman. The guards didn’t shoot me. She tried to hand me a small bundle, saying, ’You’ll be rich,’ but I refused. I told her I wasn’t helping for profit—I just wanted to help her child. As I walked away, I wondered…" (Testimony N°YIU483P, interviewed in Sokołów Podlaski, on July 29, 2015)
Siedlce, located 90 km (56 miles) east of Warsaw, has a long history of Jewish settlement dating back to the mid-16th century. Initially, Jews in Siedlce worked as innkeepers and later expanded into crafts and commerce. By the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Jewish community had established significant institutions, including a school in 1794, an expanded cemetery in 1798, and two hospitals—a small one in the 18th century and a larger facility in 1890.
Religious life in Siedlce was vibrant, guided by prominent rabbis such as R. Meir in the 18th century and Israel Meisels, who served between 1858 and 1867. A Torah and Talmud study group was formed in 1839, and during World War I, a Jewish high school was established. The community also contributed to cultural life, publishing Yiddish periodicals like Shedletser Vokhnblat and Dos Shedletser Lebn.
Political activity in Siedlce began around 1900. Initially, the Bund competed with the Polish Socialist Party, but Zionism gradually gained popularity. However, the community faced significant challenges. In 1906, a pogrom orchestrated by the tsarist Okhrana resulted in the deaths of at least 26 Jews, though unofficial accounts suggest the death toll exceeded 100. During the Polish-Soviet War in 1920, Siedlce was briefly occupied by the Red Army. After Polish forces from Silesia and Greater Poland regained control in May 1920, antisemitic incidents erupted, injuring 38 people. On July 27, 1920, drunken soldiers from the Greater Poland troops looted Jewish shops.
The Jewish population of Siedlce experienced steady growth over the years. In 1839, there were 3,727 Jews, constituting 71.5% of the total population. By 1878, this number had risen to 8,156 (64%), and in 1921, it reached 14,685 (47.9%). On the eve of the war, the Jewish population was approximately 17,000, making up about 50% of the city’s total population.
In September 1939, Siedlce endured heavy German bombing over several days, resulting in the destruction of 80% of Jewish homes and the deaths of 600 civilians, the majority of whom were Jewish. German forces entered the town on September 11, 1939. On September 15, over 1,000 Jewish and Christian men were rounded up and transported to Węgrów prison and the Ostrołęka labor camp. Along the way, 56 men were killed. Those who reached the camp suffered beatings, starvation, and humiliation. On September 29, Siedlce was briefly occupied by the Soviets, but the Germans retook the town on October 9, 1939. By then, up to 2,000 Jews had fled eastward with the retreating Red Army.
Shortly afterward, the Germans established a gendarmerie post in a school building on Florian Street and quickly implemented anti-Jewish measures. Jewish property was looted, and Jews were forced to pay heavy contributions. In November 1939, a Jewish council and police force were formed, and on December 24, 1939, the synagogue was burned down. Despite these dire conditions, Jewish refugees from Kosów Lacki, Łosice, Mordy, Sokołów Podlaski, and Węgrów found refuge in Siedlce.
In early 1940, Jewish men aged 16 to 60 were registered for forced labor. Between the spring and winter of 1940, about 1,500 Jews were forced to drain the Liwiec River. Others worked in German railway dormitories and other locations under brutal conditions, with those unable to continue being executed on the spot. Six labor camps operated near Siedlce during the German occupation, where over 40,000 Jewish prisoners were subjected to grueling labor, starvation, and abuse, with many perishing.
The Labor Camps:
Army Food Storehouse No. 6 (Camp I): Held about 100 prisoners at a time and forced 5,000 Jews to load wagons. It was liquidated in October 1942, with survivors sent to the "small ghetto."
Reckmann Construction Camp (Camp II): Held 500 prisoners and forced 15,000 Jews to construct railways until its liquidation in March 1943, when remaining prisoners were executed.
Gravel Pit Camp (Camp III): Averaged 300 prisoners working in quarries. On May 14, 1943, 300 Jews were burned alive or shot at the Jewish cemetery during the camp’s liquidation.
Wolfer and Göbel Camp (Camp IV): Housed 2,000 prisoners and forced 20,000 Jews into road and railway construction until October 1942, when survivors were sent to the "small ghetto."
Bauzug Camp (Camp V): Located at the railway station, held 100 Jews who worked on repairs.
German Construction Inspectorate Camp (Camp VI): Held 60 prisoners who unloaded materials. It was liquidated on May 14, 1943.
Additional Jewish labor crews worked at the Agriculture Syndicate, Gesi Borek glassworks, and the army airport.
The Ghetto in Siedlce: On August 2, 1941, a ghetto was established, housing 13,000 Jews in an area meant for 4,000. In November 1941, Jews from nearby villages were forcibly relocated to the ghetto, worsening overcrowding. Harsh conditions led to a typhus outbreak in the winter of 1941/42. Leaving without a permit was punishable by death, with 10 Jews executed in January 1942. In May 1942, Roma and Sinti were confined to the ghetto, marked with armbands bearing a "Z."
The Liquidation of the Ghetto: On August 22, 1942, the liquidation of the Siedlce ghetto began. German SS, Sonderdienst, Polish Blue Police, and Ukrainian auxiliaries surrounded the ghetto. Jews were herded into a square near the Jewish cemetery, forced to sit under the sun for over 30 hours. Gestapo officers shot anyone who stood up. On August 23, 1942, approximately 17,000 Jews, including 8,000 from Mordy and Łosice ghettos, were deported to Treblinka. Up to 100 Jewish hospital patients and staff were murdered in Siedlce on August 24.
During the liquidation, over 2,000 Jews were killed, including those shot during the roundup, the transfer to the railway station, or caught hiding. Victims were buried in a mass grave at the Jewish cemetery, which was dug by Jews and covered by requisitioned Poles. Some victims were still alive as they were buried.
Killings and Final Liquidations: After the ghetto’s liquidation, executions continued. Around August 1942, 30 Jewish women and 100 other Jews were shot and buried at the Jewish cemetery. In September 1942, 70 Jews caught hiding in Siedlce were killed by gendarmes. In 1943, over 150 Jews were murdered, including 14 at the Jewish cemetery, with other killings occurring in March and October.
The "Triangle Ghetto": Following the ghetto’s liquidation, a smaller "triangle" ghetto was created, initially housing 600 laborers. By November 1942, it held 3,000–4,500 Jews and Roma, many lured by false promises of safety. On November 28, 1942, the ghetto was liquidated. Inmates were deported to Treblinka, and 600 deemed unfit to travel were killed.
While some Poles looted Jewish property despite the risk of retaliation, others were executed for helping Jews.
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