Arthur Illgen
Arthur Illgen (born May 22, 1905 in Berlin ; † May 11, 1943 in the Plötzensee prison , Berlin) was a German worker and a victim of Nazi war justice.
Life and activity
Illgen was the son of a writer. After attending elementary school, he completed an apprenticeship as a painter, which he could not finish for financial reasons. He then worked as an unskilled worker, house painter and painter. In 1932 Illgen joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD).
Since 1939 Illgen was in the service of AEG in Berlin, where he trained himself as a technical draftsman.
After the National Socialists came to power , Illgen acted against the Nazi dictatorship, remaining true to his old convictions. So one night, together with his work colleagues at AEG Werner Steinbrink and Joachim Franke, he painted the slogan "Resign Hitler" in large red letters on the outside wall of the cable and accumulator factory of AEG in Berlin-Oberschöneweide.
During the Second World War Illgen belonged to the communist resistance group against the Nazi rule around the typesetter Hans-Georg Vötter . As a member of the group, he distributed illegal pamphlets directed against the National Socialist dictatorship; In addition, he recruited work colleagues, such as Adolf Bittner , to work in the resistance.
Illgen was arrested on May 22, 1942. Together with Vötter, his wife Charlotte, Adolf Bittner as well as Werner Schaumann and Hilde Jadamowitz , Illgen was indicted before the 2nd Senate of the People's Court. In the judgment of February 5, 1943, all six were found guilty. Illgen and the other three men were sentenced to death and the women were sentenced to prison terms.
Illgen was executed with the guillotine on May 11, 1943 together with Adolf Bittner in the Berlin-Plötzensee prison.
Today a street named after Illgen in Schulzendorf in Brandenburg and a memorial stone in Wilhelminenhofstrasse 76/77 in Berlin-Oberschöneweide commemorate him. Illgen's name is also on a memorial plaque that was unveiled on the day of the victims of fascism in 1947, which can be seen on the 1st floor of the former Kreuzberg town hall at 4 Yorckstraße.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Illgen, Arthur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German workers and victims of the Nazi war justice system |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 22, 1905 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berlin |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 11, 1943 |
| Place of death | Berlin |