▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁village ▁of ▁Prz ysz ow ice ▁in ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁January ▁ 2 6 ▁to ▁January ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁S ources ▁vary ▁on ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁vict ims , ▁which ▁range ▁from ▁ 5 4 ▁to ▁over ▁ 6 0 ▁– ▁and ▁possibly ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 6 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁Institute ▁of ▁National ▁Rem emb rance , ▁a ▁Polish ▁organization ▁that ▁carried ▁out ▁research ▁into ▁these ▁events , ▁has ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁Prz ysz ow ice ▁mass acre ▁was ▁a ▁crime ▁against ▁human ity . ▁ ▁History ▁After ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁January ▁off ensive ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁Red ▁Army ▁broke ▁through ▁from ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁V ist ula ▁River ▁well ▁into ▁German - h eld ▁territory ▁in ▁occupied ▁Poland . ▁By ▁late ▁January , ▁the ▁scattered ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁We hr macht ▁were ▁with dra wn ▁to ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁O der ▁River , ▁which ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁pre - war ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Reich . ▁However , ▁several ▁German ▁units ▁were ▁ordered ▁to ▁prepare ▁tact ical ▁counter - att acks , ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia , ▁on ▁the ▁Polish - G erman ▁border land . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 3 , ▁Soviet ▁forces ▁seized ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁G le iw itz ▁( G li w ice ), ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁industrial ▁cent res ▁of ▁the ▁area .