Ciepielów massacre
| Ciepielów massacre | |
|---|---|
Polish POWs murdered by the Wehrmacht | |
| Location | Dąbrowa near Ciepielów, Poland 51°13′21″N 21°35′45″E / 51.22250°N 21.59583°E |
| Date | September 9, 1939 |
| Incident type | Mass murder |
| Perpetrators | German Army (Wehrmacht) 29th Motorized Infantry Division |
| Victims | Approximately 300 Polish prisoners of war from the Polish Upper Silesian 74th Infantry Regiment |
| Documentation | Photos and memoirs of anonymous German soldier |
| Memorials | Commemoration event in Cieielów on anniversary Recorded on Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw |
The Ciepielów massacre [t͡ɕɛˈpjɛluf] that took place on 8 September 1939 was one of the largest and most documented war crimes of the Wehrmacht during its invasion of Poland. On that day, the forest near Ciepielów was the site of a mass murder of Polish prisoners of war from the Polish Upper Silesian 74th Infantry Regiment. The massacre was carried out by soldiers from the German Army's 15th Motorized Infantry Regiment, 29th Motorized Infantry Division, under the command of Colonel Walter Wessel.
This event has been described as the "most infamous" war crime committed by Germans during their invasion of Poland. The number of dead has commonly been estimated at 300, although more recent research suggests a revised number of "over 250" instead.