Wasosz From 1436 Until World War II

The rural village of Wasosz, which is about 5km from Szczuczyn, received its warrant, permitting it to be founded, from Prince Polocek Wladislaw I in 1436. In the course of time, Wasosz became an important economic center of the region. Trade in cattle feed, lumber, hides, and honey intended for export to Lithuania was concentrated in Wasosz, which developed rapidly. There were among its residents many artisans, of various occupations, especially blacksmiths, metalworkers, and harnessmakers. In 1674 there were 300 houses in Wasosz, and the number of inhabitants was about 1800. Wasosz was seriously damaged by the war with Sweden in the 1650s; many houses were destroyed, and only about 150 families remained. The town did not return to its previous condition, and began to rebuild only in the 19th century.

Until the end of the 18th century, the Jewish population consisted of only a few families, and their number increased throughout the 19th century. Most of these were small traders and artisans. At the end of the 19th century, many of the latter were tailors and shoemakers. In 1892, of the 29 artisans in the place, 21 were Jews. Several of the wealthier Jews were farmers, and worked nearby fields.

Because of the small number of Jews and the lack of money, the community was unable to develop the usual public institutions. It can be assumed that, as usual in such small communities, only a ritual slaughterer was employed in Wasosz, and he would have been the authority for household kashrut. A Beit Midrash (study house) was built at the beginning of the 20th century.

During the First World War and the following years, some of the Jews left the village, and the Jewish population contracted. Just as in other towns and villages of Poland, the Jews of Wasosz suffered from antisemitic attacks during the 1930s. Wasosz was one of the places in which the anti-Jewish economic boycott was especially thorough. In 1934 there were anti-Jewish riots, in which Jews were attacked physically and their property looted. The Police arrested several rioters, and the court sentenced them to imprisonment of terms between two weeks and two months, but these sentences were reduced upon appeal. Tensions increased subsequently, and were especially strong on market and fair days.
 

During the Second World War

The Wehrmacht conquered Wasosz in the second week of the war. At the end of September 1939 Wasosz, together with the rest of the Szczuczyn area, was transferred to Soviet control, in accordance with the Ribbentrop-Molotov agreement of 23 August 1939.

Units of the German Army reenterred Wasosz on 22 June 1941, at which time there were in Wasosz between 400 and 600 Jews, locals and refugees from elsewhere. This echelon of the Wehrmacht then advanced further and left Wasosz; the Jews were not harmed at this point.

In the second week of the German occupation, after the combat troops had left the village, a Polish police force was established, consisting of local thugs. On 5 July 1941, these surrounded Wasosz, so that not a single Jew could escape from it. Gangs of Poles then went from house to house, and murdered the Jewish inhabitants brutally, inside their homes and in the streets. They raped women, sliced off their breasts, and smashed the skulls of children against walls. Not leaving even the dead in peace, the cut off fingers to obtain rings and removed teeth with gold inlays. The Polish neighbors of the murdered Jews diistributed the Jewish property among themselves. The corpses were buried in a mass grave which was dug in the farm fields adjecent to the village.

When Germans arrived in Wasosz after these events, they found in the village fifteen Jews alive, whom they left in Wasosz until 1 July 1942, under the supervision of the local German gendarmerie. On that date the fifteen were transferred to the Milbo estate, which was under the direct control of the Landesrat (German governor) of Grajewo. About 500 Jews of the area were employed there in various works. On 2 November 1942, these were all moved to the transit camp at Bogosza, and from there to the extermination camps at Treblinka and Oswiecim (Auschwitz). No trace of Jews remained in Wasosz.