Stare Miasto | Subcarpathian Voivodeship

/ Former place of the Jewish prayer house in Stare Miasto. © Piotr Malec/Yahad-In Unum Stefania M., born in 1930, saw from the road requisitioned Poles digging a pit and then a German killing Jews. © Piotr Malec/Yahad-In Unum Wladyslaw P. saw the execution of around 30 Jews. There were men, women and children among the victims. © Piotr Malec/Yahad-In Unum Jan M., born in 1923, worked as a Junak in the camp of Stalowa Wola. © Piotr Malec/Yahad-In Unum Yahad’s team during an interview at the execution site. © Piotr Malec/ Yahad-In Unum Wladyslaw P. pointing out the place of the execution of about 30 Jews.  © Piotr Malec/Yahad-In Unum

Executions of Jews in Stare Miasto

1 Execution site(s)

Kind of place before:
Field
Memorials:
No
Period of occupation:
1939-1944
Number of victims:
30

Witness interview

Wladyslaw P., born in 1930, recalls: “When Germans wanted to deport some Jews, they organized themselves to deport at least 5 or 6 of them. But, there also was one German who didn’t hesitate to use his gun on one Jew only. When a superior called this man, he went directly to their house and killed them without anyone being even aware of that.” (Witness n°929, interviewed in Stare Miasto on November, 12th 2018)

Polish Archives

“Stare Miasto, gm. Lezajak, 15/07/1942

The SS, the Gestapo and the gendarmes rounded up Jews. 16 people were arrested and killed.  The victims were buried on the execution place in a mass grave. “[Source: AGK, Ankieta GK, woj. Rzeszowskie, “Egzekucje” Stare Miasto, pow. Lezajsk; AGK, Ankieta OK Rzeszow, “Egzekucje” Stare Miasto, pow. Lezakask; AGK, ASG, sygn. 35, k. 339; AGK, zespol GK, sygn. 412, k. 38.]

Historical note

Stare Miasto is located 51km north-east of Rzeszow. Little is known from historical sources about the Jewish community in Stare Miasto, as there were not many Jews living there. However, according to Jan M., a local resident interviewed by Yahad, there were several families. The local Jews had their prayer house. The Jewish cemetery was located only in Lezajsk, located 6km away, where actually a bigger Jewish community lived. For instance in 1921, 1,575 Jews lived in the town comprising 31% of the total population. In the late 18th century Lezajsk became an important Hasidic center of Poland. The majority of Stare Maisto and Lezajsk Jews lived off trade. They owned shops or were craftsmen. The Jews and the non-Jews went to the same school.

Holocaust by bullets in figures

Stare Misato was occupied by Germans in September, 1939. Shortly after, the majority of the Jews from Lezajsk, including some from Stare Misato, were displaced into the Soviet occupied territories. Yahad’s witness confirmed it as he saw the column marching towards the San River.  There was no ghetto in Stare Miasto, but there was one in Lezajsk, created in 1941.  During 1942 the Jews from Stare Miasto were displaced to Lezajsk ghetto, with the exception for 16 Jews who were shot in the village. According to local eyewitnesses they were shot in a pit dug by requisitioned Poles in the middle of the field. The execution was conducted by one German, who fired with a pistol. All the Jews, men, two women and two children among them, were lined up at the edge of the pit all together and shot one by one. Today, there is no memorial at that place. Those Jews who were displaced in Lezajsk ghetto were sent in September 1942 to Tranogrod, and then eventually to Belzec, where they were murdered. 

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