35 studies / 54 · Pre-war Lwów Voivodeship — near Drohobych
Urycz: Polish prisoners of war burned in a barn
22 September 1939 · Burning people alive and killings during pacifications
Polish soldiers taken prisoner were placed in a barn that was to serve as overnight shelter. The building was set on fire, and people getting out were fired on. The crime at Urycz is documented in research and IPN investigative materials. The number of victims remains described as at least 73, with a higher estimate reaching one hundred. [1] [2] [3]
Editorial account based on the sources listed below. Sources checked: 5 September 2026.
- Victims and toll
- At least 73 Polish prisoners of war; the literature also gives an estimate of about 100.
- Perpetrators
- German Wehrmacht guards; the exact unit is not established in the cited reconstruction.
- Documented methods
- locking prisoners in a barn · setting a building with people inside on fire · shooting at those escaping
A halt that became a crime scene
An IPN historical supplement describes a column of prisoners from the 4th Podhale Rifles Regiment reaching Urycz on 22 September 1939. Germans burned the captured soldiers in a barn, while those trying to leave the burning building were fired on with machine guns. The victims were people already in captivity. [1]
Survivors' accounts
Marek Kozubal, presenting research and planned searches, cites the accounts of Antoni Dobija and Jan Marek. According to the reconstruction described, the prisoners were told that they would spend the night in the barn. The author also writes of an as-yet unidentified German unit and of the action being commanded by a German sergeant remembered by Dobija. [2]
The investigation and the range of the toll
An official IPN report contains a note on obtaining materials concerning the murder of 73 Polish soldiers at Urycz for investigation S 17/05/Zn. It confirms the existence of proceedings and the subject of the inquiry, not a substitute for a full final decision. The newspaper article compares the minimum of 73 with Szymon Datner's older estimate of about 100. [3] [2]
Responsibility without expanding allegations
The reconstruction mentions possible participation by unidentified Ukrainian auxiliaries. We do not turn that into a certain finding about a particular formation or the responsibility of all inhabitants. The direct responsibility of the described German guards remains the central subject of this dossier. Further findings would require access to the complete investigative files. [2]
Limits of the findings
The full files of S 17/05/Zn and the originals of Dobija's and Marek's accounts were not read; the places where they are cited are identified. The number of victims and the identity of the unit are not finally resolved. [1] [2] [3]
Sources and notes
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zespół dodatku historycznego. Dodatek historyczny IPN do „Dziennika Polskiego”, 10 IX 2019. IPN Kraków / Dziennik Polski.
Use of this source: Data, jeńcy, spalenie stodoły i ostrzał uciekających.
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Marek Kozubal. Polscy żołnierze spaleni w stodole. Rzeczpospolita.
Use of this source: Relacje ocalałych przytoczone przez autora, stan badań i różne szacunki.
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Instytut Pamięci Narodowej. Informacja o działalności IPN — część II, aneks. Instytut Pamięci Narodowej.
Use of this source: Materiały do śledztwa o zamordowaniu 73 polskich żołnierzy.
How we assess sources
The evidence base consists primarily of Polish scholarly publications, investigative findings, archives, museums and documented witness accounts. Reliability is assessed through the document’s provenance, scholarly method and the ability to check the finding. Statements by perpetrators and family accounts of perpetrators require especially critical comparison with other material. Two pages from the same institution may repeat one finding; they are not automatically treated as independent confirmation.
Full methodology