Chroberz | Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship

/ Aleksander B., born in 1934, as a child witnessed several shootings, including those of Jews. © Cristian Monterroso/ Yahad-In Unum. Headquarters of the SS during the War. © Cristian Monterroso/ Yahad-In Unum. Yahad’s team heading to the execution site with the local witness. © Cristian Monterroso/ Yahad-In Unum. Execution site of several people. It was located next to the school. Aleksander B; witnessed the shootings while being at school. © Cristian Monterroso/ Yahad-In Unum. Palace where Germans installed their headquarters. From here, the Jews were brought to the execution place. © Cristian Monterroso/ Yahad-In Unum

Execution of Jews in Chroberz

1 Killing site(s)

Kind of place before:
Distillery
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1939-1944
Number of victims:
At least 18

Witness interview

Aleksander B, born in 1934: “I saw Germans shooting the Jews near the Nida River. There was a meadow and a distillery next to it. So, the Jews were shot next to the distillery. […] Beforehand, the Jews had to dig a pit. I saw them digging. But, after the execution, there were local Poles who had to fill in the pit with soil. The Poles were requisitioned by the soltys. The Germans shot women, children, young, and elderly people. For them there was no difference. This happened during the entire occupation.” (Witness n°556, interviewed in Chroberz on April 4th, 2016).

Polish Archives

“1/ Date and place of execution: November 1943 in Chroberz

2/ Type of execution: shooting

3/ Data concerning the killed people:

Poles, Jews, foreigners: Jews

How many people were killed: 18 people

Where were the victims brought from: forest               

6/ Are the names of the perpetrators known: the head of the execution commando Mr. Stork, and others are unknown.”[Court Inquiries about executions and mass graves, n°460 (Miejscowosc: Chroberz, Gmina: Chrober, Powiat: Pinczow, Wojewodztwo: Kieleckie); RG-15.019M]

Historical note

Chroberz is located 54km south of Kielce. Little known about the prewar Jewish community from the sources. According to the local residents interviewed, several Jewish families lived there before the war. They were traders or artisans. There was no synagogue or Jewish cemetery in the village.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Chroberz was occupied by Germans in September, 1939. Little is known about the fate of the Chroberz Jews from the archives and other historical sources. As a result of the field research, Yahad-In Unum could confirm the execution mentioned in the Polish archives conducted in November 1943. During this execution at least 18 Jews were killed. According to the local witness this was not the only execution conducted by SS unit. Those Jews who stayed in hiding but were found by Germans, where first brought the former Palace, where a German headquarters were installed, and then brought to the execution site, located behind the distillery close to the Nida River. Besides the Jewish victims Poles and Roma were murdered by Germans as well.

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