When did the Palmiry massacre begin and end?
The Palmiry massacre began on the 7th of December 1939 and ended in April 1940. Executions continued until the 2nd of May 1940 when SS-Standartenführer Josef Meisinger ordered a halt to photography.
Questions about Palmiry massacre
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who organized the executions at Palmiry during World War II?
Executions were carried out by members of the Ordnungspolizei and soldiers from the 1st SS Death's Head Cavalry Regiment under the supervision of Gestapo officers led by SS-Standartenführer Josef Meisinger. The AB-Aktion operation directed these killings as part of a wider extermination campaign against Polish elites.
How many people were executed in the Palmiry forest between 1939 and 1940?
Polish historians estimate that between 700 and 900 people were executed in Palmiry from December 1939 until April 1940. Postwar exhumations identified more than 576 victims, with another 480 names added later for a total of approximately 2204 buried there.
What specific dates mark major mass executions in Palmiry?
Major executions occurred on the 7th and the 8th of December 1939, the 14th of June 1940, and the 20th and the 21st of June 1940 when 358 inmates were murdered. The final recorded execution took place on the 2nd of May 1940 before operations ceased.
Who was arrested and killed during the AB-Aktion operation at Palmiry?
The AB-Aktion targeted Polish politicians, intellectuals, artists, and social activists including Karol Drewnowski, Janusz Kusociński, and Maciej Rataj. Victims also included clergy members such as Fr. Zygmunt Sajna who was murdered on the 17th of September 1940.