Kielce Pogrom 70th Anniversary

However, the boy unexpectedly returned on 3rd July. In the evening of that same day, he father went to the Militia office, accusing Jews as having kept little Henryk in the basement of a house at ul. Planty 7/9. Among the occupants of that building were the offices of the Jewish Committee and the Kibbutz - the building had no basement.

On the morning of 4th July 1946, Henryk and his father went to the Militia office where the boy made a statement. He testified that he had escaped with the help of a Jewish boy. A group of Militia personnel headed of towards ul. Planty in order the clarify the situation. However, along the way, the MO officers were putting around word that they were going to look for murdered children who had died over the preceding weeks. Kielce residents joined this strange march along the way. At around 10am, following the placements of units of the Internal Security Corps and the Militia, the pogrom began.

Upon entering the house on ul. Planty. they demanded that the Jews hand over their weapons (Jews legally carried a few guns for their own safety) and then began ransacking the premises. Jews were thrown from second floor windows and others inside were shot at and were then dragged outside. In front of the building, civilians then began killing Jews using planks and stones. By noon, several hundred workers had arrived from the "Ludwik" steel mill. Other uniformed personnel arrived with the aim of calming the mob, but instead many joined it. These excesses were accompanied by cries of "meting out justice". It took until 3:00pm to disperse the crowd.

The result of this anti-Jewish incident was the death of at least 39 Jews and 3 Poles. Among the victims were two pregnant women. They died as the result of wounds inflicted by blows from a bayonet. They had been hit with crowbars, sticks and stones. The 35 injured Jews were taken to hospital in Łódż. For their own safety, survivors of the pogrom were also taken to Łódż.

Following these bloody incidents, several dozen people were arrested, among them members of the Militia and the Public Security Corps, as well as representatives of the local authority. Of these, twelve were summarily tried on 9th July 1946, nine of them sentenced to death. The sentences were carried out on 12th July 1946. Three received lengthy prison sentences. During eight trials which took place to the beginning of 1947, 26 others were sentenced to short terms of imprisonment. 

A common funeral for the victims took place on 8th July 1946 at the Kielce Jewish cemetery. It took the form of a demonstration with the participation of representatives of state authorities and representatives of all Jewish Committees operating in Poland at the time. The 2nd Division Infantry of the Polish Army formed a guard of honour. The pogrom caused a wave of panic through Jewish communities in Poland, as well as an increase in emigration - both legal and illegal.

Over the decades, different hypotheses have been formulated as to the cause of the pogrom. In the 1940's, attempts were made to prove that members of the Home Army (AK), National Armed Forces (NSZ) and Freedom and Independence (WIN) were responsible for the murders. Others claimed that the Jews, themselves, were responsible - Zionists who were trying pressure Polish authorities and world public opinion for the right to legal emigration (by showing that there was antisemitism in Poland).

In general, statements were put forward that it was based on the antisemitic mood and psychology of the mob. Particularly suspect were local members of the Militia (MO), the Security Authority (UB) and the NKVD. Despite two investigations undertaken after 1989, no definitive solutions was reached. Henryk Błaszczyk, the boy supposedly kidnapped, died in March 1998. To this day, many important questions have gone unanswered.

More information can be found on the Virtual Shtetl website.