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Records were made at the time of the arrest and trial of Jedwabne Poles. Here are extracts from some of them.
(a) A primary school caretaker (aged 30):
(After arrest, January 8) 'I took an active part in driving the Jews to the barn. I didn't see who lit the fire, I only know that we Polish drove nearly one and a half thousand Jews, and that they were burned.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'Yes, under the orders of the mayor and the German police I took an active part in guarding the Jewish population who had been driven to the market. My task was just to make sure that none of them got away.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'I was at the market for around 2 hours, because I was forced by the Germans to guard the Jews. When the Germans drove the Jews to the barn, I ran off home. During the interrogation I was forced to tell on other people, because I was beaten.'
(b) A farmer (aged 48):
(After arrest, January 11) 'The school caretaker came to me by order of the town mayor and said I was to go and drive Jews to the market square, so I went. After we'd driven them there, the police, together with the Poles, started terrible beatings. The Germans told the Jews to pick up the monument of Lenin and to walk with it into town, singing. I wasn't there then, because I got an order from the town mayor to fetch clover. When I got back, the barn with the Jews inside it was already burning. About a thousand Jews had been chased into that barn.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'Yes, under the orders of the town mayor Karolak and the Gestapo, I drove two Jewish people to the market square. A lot of Jews were already there. I went straight home and I didn't see what happened after that.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'The mayor told me to collect Jews, but I didn't want to. When I went out in the street, one of the Gestapo told me to take 2 Jews, but I let them go when the Gestapo man went into the bakery. The Jews were being driven by the Gestapo, who were beating them.'
(c) A farmer (aged 21):
(After arrest, January 11) 'I didn't take part in the murdering of Jews. Together with the Germans we took the Jews to the market square. The Germans told me to watch that the Jews did not run away. I sat there with this stick for around 15 minutes, but I couldn't watch how they were murdering them any longer. I went home and on the way I threw away the stick.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'While I was standing in my own courtyard a German came up and took me with him to the market to guard the Jews, who'd been driven to the market. As soon as the German walked away, I ran off. I only stayed in the market for a short time, maybe 10-15 minutes, because I was terrified by what was happening. I don't remember anything about any civilians taking part in murdering Jews. When I got home I hid in the hay. I don't know what happened to the Jews.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'I didn't take any Jews to the market square. In my statement I talked about how they forced me, but that was because I was badly beaten. I wasn't in the market at all and I don't know what went on there.'
(d) A shoemender (aged 51):
(After arrest, January 11) 'I didn't take part in the murdering of Jews, I took part only in guarding the market, where there were over fifteen hundred people who'd been driven there by the Polish community. My task was to watch that not one Jew got away, which I did. I got this order from mayor Karolak and a German. While I was on guard I didn't see anyone beating Jews.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'Police came to my home with mayor Karolak and told me to go to the market and guard the Jews. Because I didn't want to go and tried to run away, the German hit me over the head with his gun. He also struck me in the face with his hand and knocked a tooth out. I stood there for around 2 hours. As soon as the German moved away from me I ran away home.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'On that day I was working near the church and I didn't take any part. I said what I did during the interrogation, because I was beaten. I was afraid of further beating. I didn't see any of the other men accused. I was beaten up very badly.'
(e) A farmer (aged 52):
(After arrest, January 11) 'Two Jedwabne officials told me to go to the market so I didn't refuse. When I got there they said I was give up my barn for the burning of the Jews. When I said I didn't want my barn burned, they told me to help them drive the Jews to Sleszynski's barn instead. The Jews were rounded up in fours and we Polish guarded them on both sides so they couldn't not run away. When we got to the barn, they told all the Jews to go inside; we had to make sure that all the Jews went in. They set fire to the barn and the Jews were burned. Then I went home.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'I wasn't present at the round-up of Jews, neither did I take part in leading them to the barn. I was asked to provide my barn for the burning, but I didn't agree. Being scared of the Gestapo, I ran away into the rye fields and stayed there until evening. I didn't see any of the other men accused.'
(f) A farmer (aged 37):
(After arrest, January 10) 'The mayor, Karolak, came to my house at noon, with a German policeman who kicked me. They took me to the market square and ordered me and some 16- or 17-year old boys to guard the Jews. I was there until 3pm and then I went back home, as my wife had fallen ill. I didn't leave the house again that day.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'I was made to guard the Jews collected in the market place. I also saw that Karolak and the magistrate selected about a dozen Jews and ordered them to do strange physical exercises. I don't know what happened next, as I went back home.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'Police came to my house and ordered me to go with them. When I refused, they beat me and forced me to go. I only stayed for 15 minutes. I escaped and came back home, because my wife, when she saw that the Germans were beating me, fell ill. I was beaten very badly during the investigation proceedings and gave the names of other people because I was in pain.'
(g) A locksmith (aged 40):
(After arrest, January 10) 'The German mayor, Karolak, and an assistant policeman came to my house. They ordered me to go to guard the Jews whom they were driving into the market. I didn't know what was going on. Under orders, I fetched some kerosene.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'I was made to guard the Jews collected at the Jedwabne market. I gave some kerosene from the storehouse to the policeman and two other local men, I didn't know what they needed the kerosene for. After some time I went back home. I saw the fire belching out of that barn.'
(Before the court, May 16) 'People said that my kerosene had been used to burn the barn.'
(h) A carpenter (aged 38):
(After arrest, January 10) 'Three or four days before the raid I was made to do some carpentry work at the police station. Several cars came with Gestapo men and they organised a raid on the Jews, who were hurried to the market square. The police sent me home for breakfast. When I came back an hour later a policeman ordered me to go to the market to guard the Jews and prevent them from running away. I did this from noon till 4pm and then went back to the police station. They didn't want me to work, they told me to go and drive the Jews to the barn. I did so, and I was there until the moment the barn full of Jews was set on fire.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) Threatened by German police and Gestapo men, I was made to guard the Jews collected at Jedwabne market. I didn't take part in driving the Jews to the barn.
(Before the court, May 16) 'I didn't take part in driving the Jews to the barn. Under interrogation I gave the names of other accused men because I was beaten. I wasn't at the market square at all. I was working as a carpenter at the police station all day.'
(I) A casual worker (aged 31):
(After arrest, January 9) 'I was taken off mowing the hay, and together with Karolak the mayor I collected a Jew from the mill. On the way to the market square I let him go.'
(Before the public prosecutor, January 15) 'On the critical day, while I was mowing the hay, the mayor came and told me to go with him to the town. I didn't want to go with him, but he told me that if I didn't I would be shot. So I went. Later on I saved eight Jews'.
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