Choroszcza hospital patients massacre commemorated

On August 26, 2026, ceremonies were held at the Monument to the Victims of Fascism in the Fasty colony to mark the 85th anniversary of the massacre of patients from the Dr. St. Deresz Psychiatric Hospital in Choroszcza. The victims were murdered by German occupiers in late August 1941.

During the commemoration, wreaths and candles were laid by hospital director Andrzej Szewczuk, staff, patients, Choroszcza Deputy Mayor Grzegorz Gabrian, officials from the Dobrzyniewo Commune, and representatives from the Białystok branch of the Institute of National Remembrance. A family member of one of the deceased also attended the event.

The 1941 tragedy involved the liquidation of the entire facility and its home care system. According to former hospital director Tadeusz Borowski, at least 464 people died in Fasty, though the actual number of victims may be higher, as approximately 700 patients were under medical care at the time.