War Crimes in Ivye

This testimony was sent to the World Jewish Congress as part of a search to locate witnesses to war crimes committed in the Lida area, so that the perpetrators could be brought to trial in Germany. The records of this search are now preserved at theJacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati OH in File C210, boxes 3, 4 & 5. Translation by Irene Newhouse

On page 45 of file 5, begins a long letter, dated 14 Sept 1964 from the prosecutor in Mainz, to whom the case against Windisch & Werner was referred in 1964, because this court had jurisdiction due to the current residences of the co-defendants, asking for the World Jewish Congress' help regarding a number of points which need further clarification to obtain a guilty verdict. On page 72, he refers to war crimes in Ivye:

"On 12 May 1942, 2482 Jews from Ivye were shot into two mass graves, ca 25-30 m long, 5m wide & 2 m deep about 4km from Lida in the village or estate Stoniewicze. The selection preceding was directed by the accused Windisch (party uniform, short stature, titles repeated). The accused Werner (tall stature, Economic Director) was present at least during part of the selection. As in other places, some of the Jews were saved as needed workers, some "hostages" were sent to the other side & the majority sent straight ahead to the execution site. The accused Windisch was also present during the executions & supervised covering the graves with chloride & soil. Was the purpose of this Aktion hidden by an announcement the Jews would be moved to Lida? Or was it (mis)directed against Jews with improper papers?"

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