In Rembertów, Warsaw, the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has completed the third stage of its search operations. Located within military unit JW. 4226, this site housed a NKVD prisoner-of-war camp in 1944-45, preceded by a German forced labor camp for Poles (a branch of Stalag 333). Last year, during April and May, over thirty individuals’ remains were discovered in single and mass graves.
Uncovering the Past: The Context
This year’s IPN efforts aimed to locate burial sites of prisoners who succumbed to the harsh conditions of the camp and those murdered during the liberation action on the night of May 20-21, 1945, by an Armia Krajowa (AK) unit under Edward Wasilewski (“Wichura”) and Edmund Świderski (“Wicher”).
Methodology and Discoveries
Operations focused on two locations beyond the camp’s historical boundaries, identified through witness testimonies and historical aerial photographs. During April 15-26, a skeleton and scattered bones belonging to multiple individuals were unearthed. These human remains will undergo further anthropological analysis, aided by volunteers from the 18th Territorial Defense Brigade.
Moving Forward: Honoring the Fallen
As the investigation continues, it serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities of war and the importance of preserving historical memory. Efforts to identify and commemorate the victims of Rembertów’s tragic past remain ongoing.