48 studies / 54 · Warta – Bojanowo – vicinity of Leszno
Warta–Bojanowo: 81 Polish Patients Taken Away to Die
removal on 16 June 1941 · Killing patients, camp violence and experiments
In June 1941, German perpetrators took another group of patients away from the hospital in Warta. The official destination, Bojanowo, suggested transfer to another institution. In reality all were murdered. This transport must be distinguished from the larger operation carried out in April of the preceding year, rather than automatically transferring its figures and details to the victims of 1941. [1]
Editorial account based on the sources listed below. Sources checked: 5 September 2026.
- Victims and toll
- 81 Poles: 48 men and 33 women.
- Perpetrators
- German functionaries organizing the deportation and murder of patients as part of the apparatus for destroying ill people in the Wartheland.
- Documented methods
- removal under the pretext of transfer to another institution · killing with gas · concealment of bodies in a forest
Another operation against the hospital
A 2022 IPN historical notice distinguishes two operations. In April 1940, 499 patients of different nationalities were killed. On 16 June 1941, however, 81 Poles were taken away, including 48 men and 33 women. Everyone in that second group was murdered. The number 499 is not the total of the transport described in this article. [1]
Bojanowo as a stage of deportation
Daniel Rubiś explains that the 81 patients were taken from Warta to Bojanowo, then gassed and buried in forests near Leszno. The appearance of transferring patients masked the purpose of the transport. In the sources, 16 June is the date of removal; by itself, it does not establish the hour or exact day each person was killed. [2]
Limits of reconstruction
More detailed accounts of vehicles, the preparation of patients and the finishing off of survivors in a popular IPN text concern the April 1940 operation. We do not transfer them to June 1941 without separate testimony. The documented core of the second event remains clear: a Polish group of patients, forced deportation and the death of the entire transport. [1]
Both studies used come from the IPN. Agreement on the number 81 and the route is useful, but does not mean two independent archival inquiries were conducted here. Further reconstruction should cover personnel records and the fate of every patient, rather than adding sensational details to a short source. [1] [2]
Limits of the findings
16 June is the date of removal, not a separately confirmed date of every killing. Details of the April 1940 operation are not transferred to another group. An unverified nominal composition of the executing unit is not given. [1] [2]
Sources and notes
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opracowanie instytucjonalne. 82. rocznica największej zbrodni na terytorium ziemi sieradzkiej. IPN.
Use of this source: 81 polskich pacjentów, rozbicie według płci, data wywózki i śmierć grupy.
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Daniel Rubiś. Poligon doświadczalny Holokaustu. IPN / Przystanek Historia.
Use of this source: Bojanowo jako etap, gazowanie i pochowanie ofiar w rejonie Leszna.
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