The remains of more than 100 psychiatric patients murdered by the Nazis during World War II have been found in a mass grave in Poland.
The grisly discovery was made in fields near the small town of Chojnice, in an area called Death Valley by archaeologists due to the large number of wartime executions of civilians in the area.
According to investigators, the newly discovered victims came from a nearby psychiatric hospital and were shot to death by German officers in late October 1939.
Describing the discovery as “unique” and “one of a kind”, senior archaeologist Dawid Kobialka told MailOnline: “This is the first archaeological discovery of a mass grave of mentally disabled people murdered by the Nazis in 1939 as part of the T-4”. Action.
‘We know that they were murdered only in their pajamas, only buttons were found in the grave, no other personal items, apart from shell casings and bullets.
‘So far we have been able to excavate half of the grave. According to historical data, 218 people were executed over a few days and their bodies were hidden in a mass grave.’
The grisly discovery was made in fields near the small town of Chojnice in an area called Death Valley by archaeologists.
“We know that they were murdered only in their pajamas, only buttons were found in the grave, no other personal items besides shell casings and bullets,” said the lead archaeologist.
Here, Nazi death squads execute Polish civilians in October 1939.
The first disabled adults killed en masse were Poles executed by the SS.
And he adds: “In 1939, mentally disabled people were murdered in several places in Pomerania. Almost all of these places were destroyed in the second half of 1944.
‘When the Germans exhumed the graves and corpses, among others, they burned mentally ill people.
‘At the moment, the only known tomb that has survived is this one. It is something unique, one of a kind and of exceptional importance to the city and the region.’
Started in October 1939, Aktion T-4 was Adolf Hitler’s solution to treating those considered “incurably ill.”
The mass murder campaign, euphemistically called “involuntary euthanasia”, began in Nazi Germany but was quickly introduced into Nazi-occupied Poland following Hitler’s invasion of the country in September 1939.
The first disabled adults killed en masse were Poles who were executed by the SS.
Nazi death squads are seen shooting Polish civilians in October 1939.
Describing the discovery as “unique” and “one of a kind”, senior archaeologist Dawid Kobialka told MailOnline: “This is the first archaeological discovery of a mass grave of mentally disabled people murdered by the Nazis in 1939.”
Forensic archaeologists study the remains
The remains of more than 100 psychiatric patients murdered by the Nazis during World War II
The head of the Main Commission for the prosecution of crimes against the Polish nation, Deputy Prosecutor General Andrzej Pozorski, said: “In some of the skulls we found bullet entry and exit holes due to the firearms used.
“We cannot yet say exactly how many remains have been discovered because work is still ongoing and the process of extracting human remains has not yet been completed.
“The evidence shows that at the end of October 1939 they were brought here, shot, the bodies were buried and the area was razed so that no one would discover this criminal activity.”
Dr Karol Nawrocki of the Institute of National Remembrance, which investigates Nazi and Soviet-era crimes in Poland, added: “This terrible crime and today’s discovery are also proof that here in Pomerania, in the Chojnice region, but also throughout Poland, there are still Remains of people waiting to be found and commemorated, to return to the national consciousness.
‘This finding is also proof that despite the pages of books full of facts, despite the actions of the IPN Prosecutor’s Office, we continue to talk about a crime that has not yet been repaired.
“The Institute of National Remembrance recognizes that Poland still has the right to receive reparations from the German state.”