Podgaje massacre

The Podgaje massacre refers to the mass murder of Polish People's Army soldiers, who were captured in January 1945 by the Waffen SS. It took place on January 31, 1945 in the town of Podgaje. Dutch soldiers of the Kampfgruppe Elster (of 48 SS Panzergrenadier Regiment General Seyffardt as a part of 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)) killed 32 soldiers of 4th Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division.

Podgaje memorial

Polish soldiers were captured during heavy fighting, in which First Polish Army tried to break through German defensive fortifications, known as the Pomeranian Wall. The hands of the 32 prisoners of war were tied with barbed wire, then all Poles were forced into a barn, which was set on fire. All burned alive.

The investigation into the massacre of Podgaje was carried out by Koszalin office of the Regional Commission for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes. In 1974, the investigation was terminated, to be reopened by Szczecin Office of Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes Against the Polish Nation, part of the Institute of National Remembrance.

The Podgaje massacre is commemorated on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw, with the inscription "PODGAJE 31 I 1945".

Sources
  • Apoloniusz Zawilski: Polskie fronty. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Volumen, 1996, page 463. ISBN 83-86857-23-4.
  • Polski czyn zbrojny w II wojnie światowej. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1988, s. 531. ISBN 83-11-07038-5


gollark: > “No! ElGr cells are a scientific miracle!” cries biologist Jack Ponta, jiggling a beaker full of purplish goop as he waves his arms in exasperation. “These cells have been a breakthrough; not only in testing cures for cancer, but also in understanding how cancer develops and functions! All these years later, these cells keep chugging along, outliving all the others! Who knows, with these cells, we might even one day unlock a path to immortality! Are you going to let bureaucracy get in the way of SCIENCE?”
gollark: > “We thought my poor grandmother’s remains had been buried in accordance with her wishes,” growls Elizabeth’s direct descendant, Catherine Gratwick. “Can’t you let her rest in peace? This is her body that you’re messing with. You can’t just irradiate and poison her; you must ask me first! How would you like it if your family’s remains were exhumed and mutilated? You must never use cells from deceased people without the explicit pre-mortem consent of the patient or their relatives. As for granny - I insist that all remaining samples of her be buried, and that you financially compensate her family for the pain and grief you have caused!”
gollark: > Two generations ago, scientists took a biopsy of a tumor from a cancer patient named Elizabeth Gratwick, who died soon after. Without her knowledge or consent, these cells were preserved in the laboratory and proved to be exceptionally stable in replication. As stable cancer cell lines are highly useful for medical research, “ElGr cells” have been sent to and used by scientists all over the world. However, objections are now being raised by Elizabeth’s descendants.
gollark: Now I need to answer a question!
gollark: And top 1% for crime.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.