loaded onto a truck and taken to the penal camp in Działdowo. In all probability,
they were murdered. That event gave rise to the first great panic.
It must have had a strong impact on the Jewish community in Płock, since
their nerves were already hardened by the consistently harsh treatment on the
part of the Germans. (Only that winter a boy had been buried in a pile of
snow, was revived after lying there for half an hour, and died of consumption
soon afterwards.)
At the beginning of February 1941, the Gestapo raided a house at Niecała
Street 2. [4] One of them, a drunkard, fell down the stairs and was badly
bruised, for which the thugs held all the residents of the house responsible, as
well as some people who just happened to be passing by. They took all the men
away immediately, and in the morning (the raid had taken place in the evening)
they came for the women, children and passers-by. Not one of the victims ever
returned. The Jewish community in Płock felt like it was sitting on a volcano.
Around 20 February, shortly before the expulsion, the police arrested
30 men for no reason whatsoever. They were sentenced to death and executed.¹⁶⁵⁴
This took place in Imielnica (a suburb),¹⁶⁵⁵ in the presence of the 10 members
of the Judenrat. The judgement, which was read out to the accused in
the presence of the 10 parneysim,¹⁶⁵⁶ gave the reason as ‘definite’ information
which the German authorities had received about an attack on the Gestapo
which the Jewish population was allegedly preparing. A special German
court had held the whole Jewish community responsible for that transgression
and had decided to shoot the first 30 Jews who came to hand. One of the
as the old age home. A chairman of the board was Moses Altberg, a director — Hersh Silberberg.
1654 On 25 February 1941, between Imielnica and Podolszyce, 4 km from Płock, the Gestapo shot 25 Jewish men. Here are their names: Alter Bogacz, Abram Bursztyn (32 years old), Israel Bursztyn (25 years old), Froim Fajka, Abram Flaks (55 years old), his son Pinchas Flaks (23 years old), Goldberg, Graubart, Hirszowicz, Marek Kredyt (27 years old), Moyshe Kusztejn, Ayzik Papierczyk, Hersh Płocker (38 years old), Yakov Porzeczka (38 years old), David Przechadzki, his son Moyshe Przechadzki, Shmul Rotblat, Izak Ryfenklotz, Moyshe Sadzawka (55 years old), Aron Szmid, Moniek Szwarc (30 years old), Hersh Ryven Zylberberg (three names not known).The bodies were buried in a common grave at the site of crime. Sperling, the Gestapo head in Płock, and Schultz, the Gestapo commandant, took part in the execution. See Żydzi w rejencji, p. 157.
1655 Now within the boundaries of Płock.
1656 (Hebrew) elected representatives of the Jewish community.
