Długa 7: killing the wounded and setting the hospital on fire

The hospital after the insurgents withdrew

After the fall of the Old Town's defence, the most seriously wounded remained in the hospitals. Helena Kłosowicz, nurse ‘Monika’, put the number of patients in the building at Długa 7 at about 430. They included men, women and children. Her figure describes the state of the institution before the massacre; it must not automatically be converted into a number of victims. She gave her testimony under oath on 18 April 1946. [1]

What the nurse saw

Kłosowicz testified that an SS man poured petrol over a wounded man known as ‘Bobik’ and set him on fire. She also saw the killing of patients lying down and the killing of Janina Różalska beside her wounded husband. The testimony distinguishes the burning of a living person from the later burning of corpses. That distinction is fundamental to describing the method of the crime. [1]

Attempts at rescue

The Warsaw Rising Museum documents the actions of Barbara Piotrowska and Janina Gruszczyńska: the nurses voluntarily remained in the Old Town and carried wounded people out of burning buildings at Kilińskiego and Długa Streets. Their effort shows that people in need of immediate help were still present in hospitals occupied by Germans. The success of individual rescue actions did not mean that the remaining patients were safe. [2]

How to read the documentation

The strongest evidence for the described method is the record of a person present among the wounded. The victim's biographical entry on the museum website contains its transcription, but Helena Kłosowicz, not Janina Różalska, gave the testimony. We state this explicitly so that readers can locate the document and distinguish the witness from the murdered person. [1]

Limits of the findings

The witness's number of people present is not a death toll. We do not assign one method of death to all victims or determine the nationality of every person in auxiliary units. [1] [2]

Sources and notes

Footnote markers identify the basis for specific findings. Bibliographic records remain in their original language; the notes indicate how each source is used.

The bibliographic record and source-use note are retained in Polish to preserve the original scholarly citation.

1. Helena Kłosowicz. Zeznanie Heleny Kłosowicz z 18 IV 1946 r., przytoczone w biogramie Janiny Różalskiej. Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego.

   zeznanie świadka · Informacje dodatkowe; nr 74, sygn. 1100/z/VI, k. 1474 · Dostęp: 2026-09-05.

   Use of this source: Stan szpitala, podpalenie Bobika, mordowanie rannych i personelu.

2. redakcja MPW. Barbara Piotrowska — Powstańcze Biogramy. Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego.

   opracowanie instytucjonalne · Szlak bojowy · Dostęp: 2026-09-05.

   Use of this source: Ratowanie pacjentów przy Kilińskiego 1–3 i Długiej 7.