District Court in Kielce Sąd Okręgowy w Kielcach (Sygn. SOK)

Contains selected records of criminal trials conducting at the District Court in Kielce, Poland during the years 1945-1969. These trials pertain to crimes committed against Jews and Poles by Germans and their collaborators during the German occupation.Trials were based on the Decree of August 31, 1944 (“Sierpniówka”), issued by the Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego (PKWN), concerning the punishment of German criminals their collaborators guilty of murders and persecution of civilians and prisoners of war, and the punishment of traitors to the Polish Nation. "Sierpniówka" was one of the world's first legislation on liability for war crimes committed during World War II. This decree also applied to soldiers of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) whom the Communist propaganda in the 40’s and 50’s attempted to portray as German collaborators. Copyright Holder: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej-Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu