Type of place

Information about the crime

On the Jewish cemetery in Narew the remains of a young Jewish man called Majer rest in a single grave.

The account of Zofia Sz. from 1973: “I don’t remember the exact date but soon after the Narew ghetto  was liquidated Majer, the son of Rufka, was shot. He was hiding in a pigsty. Two military policemen learned about his hideout and went there immediately. […] When I found out that this Jew had been killed, I went to the place where he was shot and saw his body lying on the yard owned by a Jew called Alpern. I think that his body was buried on the Jewish cemetery. He was buried by some residents of Narew but I can’t recall which ones. Majer was a young man, about 20-22 years old.” (S 33/15/Zn)

The killing of Majer was witnessed by Jan J. (his testimony dates from 1974): “I remember exactly that it was after all the Jews from Narew had been expelled. On the other side of the road there were buildings owned by a Jewish family called Alpern. Alpern’s property was fenced. At some point I noticed two military policemen from the police station in Narew and a third man, the son of a Jew called Rufka, standing on the Alpern’s property. I can’t remember his name. It was a young man about 20 years old. I saw the military policemen leading the son of Rufka to one of the outbuildings on the property. One of the policemen pulled out his pistol and aimed at the Jew but didn’t shoot. Then the other policeman took his pistol from him and shot the son of Rufka, killing him on the spot. I don’t know who buried the body of the murdered man.” (S 33/15/Zn)

A burial of one body on the Jewish cemetery has been confirmed by the survey of the Chief Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Poland

GKBZHwP Survey (IPN Bu 2448/27). There is no information about the date of the event.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE GRAVE BASED ON NON INVASIVE RESEARCH

On the 27th of August 2014, a site location on the Jewish cemetery in Narew (GPS: N52°53.775’E023°31.465′) was carried out. It took a place without a witness thus there was no exact indication of the grave location.

The LIDAR survey is not helpful due to lack of an approximate indication.

No GPR surveys were not conducted at this location.

The aerial photography query for this area wasn’t ordered.

Contact and cooperation

We are still looking for information on the identity of the victims and the location of Jewish graves in Narew. If you know something more, write to us at the following address: fundacjazapomniane@gmail.com.

Bibliography

File no. DS 356/71, The Regional Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Białystok: Report of the hearing of the witness – Zofia, 22 May 1973 (p. 2 – 7).

File no. DS 356/71, The Regional Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Białystok: Report of the hearing of the witness – Aleksandra, 23 May 1973 (p. 10 – 13).

File no. DS 356/71, The Regional Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Białystok: Report of the hearing of the witness – Julian, 1 June 1973 (p. 26 – 28).

File no. DS 356/71, The Regional Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Białystok:
Report of the hearing of the witness – Jan, 22 February 1974 (p. 43 – 45); Photo – View of the place where the Jew Majer was shot in Narew, the place is indicated by Jan and the head of Narew. (p. 58); Pictures – a view of a road at which a Jew Pilec and his son were shot in 1942 or 1943 and an arrow indicated the place where Pilca and his wife were shot (p. 62).

The Institute of National Remembrance, File no. S 33/15/Zn, Decision to discontinue the investigation of 16/07/2015 regarding German war crimes in the Hajnówka district.

File no. IPN BU 2448/25, group: Questionnaires of the Chief Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Poland, Jewish war graves in the hajnowski district, “Questionnaires of the Chief Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Poland and the Regional Commission for the Examination of German Crimes in Warsaw, collected in the years 1968 – 1972, Questionnaires regarding the Białystok province – I, Hajnówka district, Narewka Mała, Narew.

Sr. Sgt. A. Panfiluk, Plan of the place of the murder of two Jews on the road Narew – Klejniki during the German occupation [no date].

Sr. Sgt. A. Panfiluk, Plan of the place of execution by the Germans of the Jew Majer in Narew, poviat Hajnówka [no date].