Ostrog District Extraordinary State Commission for Investigating the Crimes of and Damages Caused by the German-Fascist Invaders during the Occupation; Ostrog

Collection

Holding institution (official language):: Державний архів Рівненської області

Postal address:: 26-a Stepan Bandera Str., Rivne, 33014 (building 1); 8 Kavkazka St. Rivne, 33013 (building 2), Ukraine

Title:: Ostrog District Extraordinary State Commission for Investigating the Crimes of and Damages Caused by the German-Fascist Invaders during the Occupation; Ostrog

Title (official language):: Острожская районная чрезвычайная государственная комиссия по установлению и расследованию злодеяний и убытков, нанесенных немецко-фашистскими захватчиками во время оккупации, г. Острог; Острозька районна надзвичайна державна комісія зі встановлення та розслідування злодіянь і збитків, заподіяних німецько-фашистськими загарбниками під час окупації, м. Острог

Creator/accumulator:: Ostrog District Extraordinary State Commission for Investigating the Crimes of and Damages Caused by the German-Fascist Invaders during the Occupation

Scope and content:: Included are lists of Jewish residents of cities and towns of the Rovno region who suffered harm during the German occupation, and data on the amount of damages suffered by them; testimony of eyewitnesses to mass shootings of the Jewish population; geographic coordinates of burial sites; and inspection certificates of disinterred graves and bodies. There is also information on the material damage wrought upon the synagogues of the city of Ostrog and the town of Targovits, a list of stolen property, etc.

Administrative/biographical history:: Regional and district commissions for investigating the crimes of the German-fascist invaders were formed in January 1944 after the Rovno region was liberated from German forces. The commissions included representatives of the public prosecutor’s office and investigative bodies, medical experts, representatives of public organisations (mainly Orthodox Church clergy), and Soviet and party workers. The commissions were mainly involved in fact-finding regarding criminal actions of the occupiers in the territory of a given district; establishing the amount of material damage caused to enterprises, institutions, organisations, and civilians; and also compiling lists of those shot or forcibly removed, and of war criminals. The commissions’ materials served as the basis for the opening of criminal cases by prosecutors’ offices.

Subject terms:: Mass murder; Occupation (military); Plunder; Synagogues; Testimony; War crimes