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1 Execution site(s)
Edward K., born in 1932: «My father was requisitioned by civilian men to transport the Jews from the village to Batorz. They were three or four men dressed in civilian clothes who came to our home and told him to prepare the cart. They weren’t Germans, but I don’t know where they came from who they were. So, my father had no option but to obey. He went to pick up six Jewish men and took them to Bartoz. I don’t know what happened to them after.” (Witness n°750, interviewed in Błażek, on October 6, 2017)
« In October 1942, in the early morning, a German unit composed of 10 people surrounded the village of Błażek. The Germans then passed through the village searching for Jews inside the houses. They arrested 12 people altogether: 3 adults and 9 children aged 4-12 years old. The arrestees were taken to the field, to the place called “Pits”, where they were shot with machine guns. […] They were all shot because they were Jews.” [Deposition of Szymon M., given to the IPN; S/87/07, p. 537]
Błażek is a village located about 54 km south of Lublin. Very little is known from historical sources about the prewar Jewish community of Błażek. According to the witnesses, there were several Jewish families in the village. Some of them had their own shops.
Błażek was occupied in September 1939. According to the Polish archives, in October 1942, 12 Jews, including 3 adults and 9 children, were arrested, taken to the village’s schoolhouse where they had to wait approximately 3-4 hours. Then, they were brought to the place called “Doły” (“Pits”) located about 300m from the village where they were shot. Their bodies were buried by the locals requisitioned by the head of the town administration, murdered later. According to Yahad’s witnesses, another shooting occurred in which one Jew was killed. They also stated that some Jews were taken by the Germans to Batorz.
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Read Yahad-In Unum’s report of the research trip in this area