The news we were receiving was saying that the Germans were approaching.
Therefore, the citizens’ militia, some of whose members were representatives
of the Jewish society (e.g. Mr Herszbajn, a member of the Municipal
Council and a representative of the Bund), issued an appeal that called on the
population to remain calm and obedient in case of the entry of the German
troops. On the Saturday of 16 September at about 2 p.m. German soldiers
on two motorcycles rode into the town square. The Polish population panicked.
Everybody ran away, seeking shelter in buildings. In the meantime the
Germans walked around the square with their weapons ready to fire, entered
the town hall, and informed the militia that they were seizing the town. They
then left. The next day, German motorcycles often passed through Koło, one
at a time, and some German aircraft flew over the town too. Finally, in the
morning of Monday the 18 of September, more substantial German forces
took the town. Armoured cars parked densely one next to the other around
the square. The soldiers were accommodated in the town hall, theatre, and
school buildings. A flag with a swastika and a black flag with the SS emblem
were flying over the town hall. None of the civilians dared go out. The shops
were closed. The Jewish population waited anxiously in their homes to see
what would happen. The Germans placed machine guns at the entrances of
all the streets adjacent to the square. At night we would hear repeated gunshots.
The next morning (it was Tuesday) announcements in German and
Polish were put up in the town signed by the commander of the unit that
had seized Koło. The announcement reported the dissolution of the citizens’
militia and that from then on the Germans would administer the [4] town.
Everybody was immediately commanded to turn in all weapons, both firearms
and hand weapons. The announcement also revoked all civil rights of
the Jews. Another point stated that the Jews were forbidden to possess more
than 2,000 zlotys in cash. All the Jews had to immediately surrender their
food supplies under threat of death. There was a possibility that they would
be reimbursed.
The Jewish population was deeply depressed. Few people dared go out.
Things were happening rapidly. The Jewish population of Koło shall remember
the Tuesday, 19th September for many years as a day of horrible experiences
and ordeals. Around 9 a.m. the Germans began going into all Jewish
flats and dragging out the men who were inside. Brutally dragged out and with
bare heads, the men had to stand with their face to a wall. They were then
