The post-war criminal case file of Jewish policeman Samuel Frish is a fount of knowledge about the fate of the ghetto in Bochnia. Its analysis gives an interesting lesson on the methods of „scientific work” of the Center for Holocaust Research affiliated under the banner of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The effects of these achievements can be found in the book „Ahead is the Night. The fate of Jews in selected districts of occupied Poland” edited by Jan Grabowski and Barbara Engelking. It is a pity that what can be read there has nothing to do with the truth - writes Piotr Gontarczyk in „Sieci”.

What was supposed to happen in Bochnia according to the authors of the book „Ahead is the Night…”?

The authors reached for the OD-mann Samuel Frish’s criminal case file, referring to its number in a footnote (IPN Kr 502/725), although neither Frish himself, who he was, nor any information concerning the activities of the OD (the so-called Jewish police organized by the Germans) in Bochnia were included in the book.

Referring to these files, Dagmara Swałtek-Niewińska, a PhD student at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, wrote:

„The groups looking for hidden Jews [in Bochnia] consisted of several people, usually a German policeman, several Polish policemen and often a person employed to pry open the doors. The latter function was performed by Karol Gross. [….] during the last action he opened 30-40 bunkers by order of the Germans (volume II, pp. 563-564).

And what did really happen? Here, we will let Dr. Gontarczyk present his opinion:

On 27 February 1947, the District Court in Cracow issued a sentence in the case of Samuel Frish. He was found guilty of most of the acts he was accused of. Describing the circumstances of his crimes, the court mentioned that in the autumn of 1943, 250 Jews remained in the ghetto, including 46 OD members. In addition, many Jews were hiding in bunkers and other places. The Germans got to know about it and ordered the Jewish police to find the hiding places and bring the occupiers.

The court wrote: „Following these orders, the accused Samuel Frish, in cooperation with five other members of the police, went to the house where the Schanzer bunker was located. After extended explorations involving even removing the floor, the above mentioned bunker was finally found. The father and brothers of witness Ari Schanzer were taken from the bunker.

The accused also appeared in another „action”: „As far as the bunker in the Weinfeld house is concerned, Samuel Frish, together with other members of the Jewish police, was accused of being present when the bunker was discovered, as well as when the Jews in the bunker were captured. About 45 Jews were hidden in this bunker. The accused Samuel Frish took an active part in this action and even went as far as pushing and kicking Sabine Holländer, who was walking in the back.”

As the historian emphasizes, in the light of the aforementioned acts, it is clear that the Polish police (the Polish police only by name; it was fully subordinated to the Germans and compulsorily organised by them) was used by the Germans to guard the ghetto from the outside, and not to search for and open bunkers inside it. This was usually done by the Jewish, not the Polish police. This was also the case during the liquidation of the ghetto in Bochnia.

I have read this book and I have found dozens of similar „interpretations” in it, so I rule out a mistake. We are dealing with an unjustified attribution of acts described in this article committed by Jews OD members to Poles. If this is not a scientific fraud, what is it then?

— inquires Piotr Gontarczyk.

And it is hard not to agree with him. He talked about other manipulations enclosed in this book in a recent interview for „Sieci”. He intends to point out the next ones in the book he is preparing. As a result of these actions, at least hundreds of Jewish Holocaust victims murdered with the help of the Jewish police and Jewish confidents are today attributed to Poles

• he emphasises.

Tłum. K.J.