[In book you mention brothers: Adam, second brother to whom you were not close. Stephen, third brother, had son involved in black market and thus was dangerous. Accurate? You give Marian's name and age.]

Jan Karski: "First, I don't remember what I wrote. I didn't have any brother by the name of Adam. I did have a brother by the name of Stephen. Did I know about one of my brothers that he was involved in black market? I don't deny that I wrote it, but probably it was cooked up. What I did remember, I correctly reported about my sister, married just before the war. Her husband was arrested in the first wave when the Germans won the war. Some underground organizations emerged immediately, but they had no experience, no money etc. They were smashed very quickly. He was one of the first victims. He was very badly treated, tortured etc., and my sister learned about it. Then he was shot. Returning from Russia, I was afraid to go to my brother, because I learned he was in function. I went to her. She was in shock. I can spend one night with her, no more. She was afraid.”

"But she did contact my brother, describing the situation about me, and she told me: 'Marian says don't be afraid, go directly to him'-- or something, I don't remember. He emphasized that if I am arrested, bad point is that I am an officer who was supposed to register. Good point is that I escaped from the Soviets, so 'if something happens, at least I will be able to say you are anti-Bolshevik.'"

"My brother, of course he didn't know the regular policemen, but he had many friends among the officers. When the Soviets incorporated the eastern part of Poland, information did reach my brother that some police officers were in hiding in the German-incorporated western territories, most importantly in Poznan. Now his point was that for them to go into hiding was stupid. One the other hand, either they should come illegally to the General Government and then choose to be in hiding or to report to the Germans, or reveal themselves to the Germans, declaring that they want to be sent to the General Government and enter into positions like my brother, in order to execute formal agreement between president of Warsaw, Stefan Starzynski, and the German high command, that firemen, railroad, police will continue their function. You know, now you got me, because perhaps I was in Poznan. I don't remember."

[Regarding visiting Lodz, the place of his birth, during his return to Poland after his escape]

Jan Karski: "No. I had no family in Lodz. Yes, I had a family in Lodz-- family of my parents. I don't remember. Keep in mind, at the beginning-- 1939, 1940-- those captured red-handed by the Gestapo were treated badly, killed etc. But as far as general situation was concerned, particularly for instance, the Jews, there was no mass terror. Situation would become worse in time, obviously. But if my brother asked the Germans to give an Ausweis (ID card) to this young man, whatever name I was using, without difficulty."

Jan Karski interviewed by E. Thomas Wood - click here to read more