Józef Cyppek

Józef Cyppek (20 August 1895 – 3 November 1952)

Youth Józef Cyppek was born in Oppeln (German empire) in 1895. He was a locksmith by profession. Since the outbreak of the First World War he worked as a locksmith on the railroad. In 1915 he was appointed to the army, losing his leg during military service. He spent two years in hospitals. At the time he became a member of the Communist Party of Germany. He used a prosthetic leg.

He came to Szczecin in 1952. First, he lived at Wawrzyniak Street. Later he was resettled to the building in Wilsona 7 (today Niemierzyńska 7). He had a flat on the ground floor. Initially, for a few days he lived with a young blond, who he claimed was his son. Later the boy was not seen anymore.

Cyppek's origin was unclear even after his death. He spoke excellent German, while in prison records it was written that his citizenship and nationality were Polish.

Murder The crime took place on 11 September 1952.

Years later The apartment where Cyppek lived was unoccupied for a long time because nobody wanted to live there.

In popular culture In 2012, an amateur feature film was created based on the events there called Wilson 7, directed by Szczecin student Jakub Boronia.