Revenge is Sweet
Stories about the massacre were abundant, and conflicting accounts added to the confusion. Some sources reported that there were over 500 deliberate killings of prisoners of war, while others stated that between 30 and 50 guards were killed on that day. Moreover, numerous accounts recounted acts of revenge carried out by the newly liberated prisoners against the Nazi guards.
One former prisoner, Walenty Lenarczyk, vividly described the overwhelming desire for revenge that consumed the prisoners at the moment of their liberation. They seized some S.S. men and subjected them to brutal attacks, with the outcome obscured by the chaos. Lenarczyk reflected on the years of dehumanization they had endured under their captors and how the liberation felt like a long-awaited birthday.
