those shtetls the Jews had a played a role, owned mills, sawmills and large
businesses. Only those who managed to flee or hide escaped death. In Mogilno,
Rozenowicz, a Jew aged 34, was shot in the town hall; in Strzelno, the Horn
brothers and the Przeborski family. Jews [named] Klenic and a number of old
well-established wealthy Jews [were] shot on the way. In Gniewkówiec,⁸⁰⁷ the
mill owners, the Hirsz brothers, were dragged out and killed. The same thing
happened to the Jews who remained in Kruszwica, Pakość, Barcin. In all the
shtetls, the beautiful synagogues (no synagogue in Congress Poland could
compare with them) were ruthlessly burnt, their ruins defiled, the precious
objects looted, and Jewish properties of [7] great value confiscated. Women and
children were driven through all the towns and shtetls in cattle trucks for
2 weeks without food (once a day, a bucket was put in the truck and they were
ordered, using that very word, srać.⁸⁰⁸ The order was given by Volksdeutsche.
It should be mentioned that from some of the towns, a few elderly men went
with them. Rabbi[?]⁸⁰⁹ Dr Simon also fled.
Some are in Warsaw, some in Piotrków, some died on the way. The expulsion
march went through various towns. The refugees and exiles from
Pomerania experienced the most terrible and tragic events on their wanderings.
In the small shtetls they found warm, brotherly Jewish hearts, and
sometimes also help from the Polish population. One thing must be mentioned:
the Polish population showed some compassion. The provincial Jews
took the refugees in warm-heartedly, shared everything with them, women
and children wept. [. . .] heart, without feeling, with cruel indifference, they
were received by their Warsaw brothers. Some help was afforded them by the
Joint, the YSA.
3 July 1941
ARG I 776 (Ring. I/819)
Description: duplicate, handwritten (BW*), pencil, Yiddish, 148×210 mm, minor
damage and fragments missing, 7 sheets, 7 pages. In the margins, the letter “A”
(ink).
807 Gniewkówiec (Inowrocław County).
808 (Polish) shit!
809 Writing unclear. The word looks like rab[b]iner (rabbi), in which case this is the Rabbi Dr Simon referred to earlier in the document, but it may also be “rovner,” meaning “from Równe,” town now in Ukraine).
