Rudzki Most massacre
| Rudzki Most massacre | |
|---|---|
One of the mass executions at Rudzki Most | |
| Location | 53°34′19.3″N 17°52′42.5″E / 53.572028°N 17.878472°E Rudzki Most, near Tuchola, German-occupied Poland |
| Date | 24 October–11 November 1939 |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Deaths | At least 237 |
| Perpetrators | SS, Selbstschutz |
The Rudzki Most massacre was a series of mass executions carried out by the German occupiers between 24 October and 11 November 1939 in the Rudzki Most wilderness near Tuchola.
On 21 October 1939, a fire broke out at the farm of Hugo Fritz – a Volksdeutscher from Piastoszyn, appointed by the occupation authorities to the position of commissioner in the Raciąż district – destroying part of the farm buildings. That same night, the farmer suffered a fatal heart attack. Despite the lack of any evidence, the Germans accused local Poles of setting fire to the farm and causing Fritz's death. This incident served as a pretext for the mass arrest of people who were considered to be part of the so-called Polish leadership, as well as farmers from nearby villages. The prisoners were systematically shot in the Rudzki Most wilderness area near Tuchola. Mass executions took place there on 24 October, 27 October, 30 October, 2 November, 6 November (probably), and 10–11 November 1939. The perpetrators were the victims' neighbours – members of the paramilitary Selbstschutz commanded by SS officers.
After the war, six mass graves containing 237 bodies were found in Rudzki Most. However, according to some sources, the number of victims was higher and could have reached 250, 335, or even 560 people.