Mass Grave Database - Based On Early Testemonies

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Where vicitims are from, last know location	Białystok
Town/county where mass grave is located	Białystok
Mass Grave Location	Burned in the houses and the Synagogue buried in The Jewish Cemetery
Date of Murder	In the morning of 27 June 1941
Numer of Victims	around 6000
Names of Victims Mentioned
Full Testimony	In the morning of 27 June 1941 a special German military unit designated to destroy the Jewish district and execute some of the Jews surrounded the area between the following streets: Alejowa, Piękna, Wersalska, Legionów, Bożnicza, Suzarska, where there were also Polish homes, for instance a Polish orphanage at Legionów. Jews living with Poles were herded into the synagogue. The Germans were setting Jewish houses on fire using special incendiary ammunition and were ordering the Jews driven out of their houses to put out the fire and take their belongings. Then, they were shooting at the people who were putting out the fire. A large number of people were shot and the Germans ordered to throw their bodies into the burning buildings Parents were forced to throw in the bodies of their children and children to throw the bodies of their parents into the flames. Survivors were taken to the synagogue. Mr Koleśnik witnessed the following: a family of four - a pregnant woman, her husband and their little child - was driven out of their flat. The woman was begging the German soldier to let her husband go. He told her to kneel down holding the baby in her arms and when she did that, he shot the baby shattering its head, then he shot her husband. Another witness told Mr Koleśnik about the events in the synagogue - a 60-year-old weaver, who himself was in the synagogue. People were crowded in the synagogue. They were crowded in so tightly that there was no room in the vestibule. The Germans threw in explosives. When the flames were raging inside, many people chose to die by hanging themselves on their own trousers' braces or belts. Kapustin saved his life by escaping through a side gate opened by the caretaker's Polish wife. During the fire, new groups of Jews were herded there and were ordered to throw others into the flames. Those trying to escape from the burning building or jumping out of the windows were shot on the spot. The fire in the Jewish district lasted 24 hours. Around 6 thousand people died a torturous death.
Testimony Number	301/546
page in longer testimony	page 2
Date of Testimony	Sosnowicw July 10th, 1945
Name of Witness	Zalman Koleśnik
Current Country	Poland