Śladów: massacre of prisoners and civilians on the Vistula

What the IPN study confirms

Tomasz Sudoł gives 18 September 1939 as the date of the murder at Śladów and identifies soldiers of an armoured unit that has not been more closely determined. The victims included prisoners. The author cites Szymon Datner's older toll while cautioning in a footnote that the figure of more than 300 killed may be overstated. [1]

An older reconstruction

In an article about places of remembrance in the Kampinos Forest, Tadeusz Swat describes a German attack from behind a screen of civilians and the later shooting of prisoners and residents. He also cites numbers from commemoration. He gives 20 September, however, a date different from the one adopted by Sudoł. We therefore do not treat this text as simple confirmation of every detail in the newer study. [2]

Why the case is marked limited

In the current set of sources, we did not obtain sufficient confirmation of popular accounts of additional methods of killing. The basic documented act remains the massacre of disarmed people. The use of civilians as cover is described in the literature, but requires further checking in personal and military documents. We do not add drowning, crushing or torture merely to fit the case to the catalogue's theme. [2] [1]

Commemorative toll and research toll

The number carved on a monument is a source for the history of commemoration; it is not always the final result of research. Identifying its provenance makes it possible to respect victims' memory without abandoning documentary scrutiny. At Śladów, the scope of certainty is part of the article, not a note hidden from readers. [2] [1]

Limits of the findings

This case is in the group with limited fit to the criterion of methods other than shooting. Differences concern the date and number; the proportions and details of other methods of killing have not been established. [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. Tomasz Sudoł. Zbrodnie Wehrmachtu na jeńcach polskich we wrześniu 1939 roku. Biuletyn IPN, 2011.

   opracowanie naukowe · s. 81, przypis 9 (PDF s. 4) · Dostęp: 2026-09-05.

   Use of this source: Data 18 IX i zastrzeżenie dotyczące bilansu opartego na jednym świadectwie.

2. Tadeusz Swat. Pamiątki Września 1939 r. w Puszczy Kampinoskiej. „Niepodległość i Pamięć”, 1999, 6/2 (15); Muzeum Historii Polski — BazHum.

   opracowanie naukowe · s. 187–188, hasło „Śladów” · Dostęp: 2026-09-05.

   Use of this source: Starszy opis, żywa osłona, inskrypcje oraz odmienna data.