Conrad Anschuh

The robber Conrad Anschuh or Unschick († 1813 in Gießen ) was a member of the Wetterau gang . In his misdeeds, he alternated with various robbers.

origin

He came from Rodheim (Hungen) . His father Conrad Unschick still lived there in 1812 as a cattle herder and day laborer. His son was already called "Anschuh" in contemporary sources, which in his case is not a robber's name. The father owned "a house in debt."

Because of adultery and incest with his eldest daughter, the father was embarrassed in 1807. Conrad Anschuh attended school in Rodheim and was confirmed there. He broke off an apprenticeship as a carpenter at an early age, hired himself as a shepherd and ended up among the robbers.

Robber life

He became a member of the Wetterau gang , which, in varying composition and size, banded together for their attacks, break-ins, etc.

His “sleeper” was Catharina Margretha Neumann von Freienseen . She often stayed at the glassworks near Freienseen, but mostly in Munzenberg , where she was arrested in January 1811.

Criminal offenses

• In 1809 Anschuh tried together with Johann Justus Dietz , commonly known as Lumpen Jost from Asslar and other members of the Wetterau gang, to steal a brewing kettle in Ober-Widdersheim . His cronies Ludwig Funk from Sellnrod , commonly known as Selnröder Ludwig, Peter Görzel, commonly known as Heiden-Peter and Schoden-Heinrich, took part. Anschuh probably had local knowledge here. They wanted to steal a brew kettle, but failed because of a watchful dog and the thickness of the wall that they had to break through.
• Most spectacular was the great street robbery near Kleinrechtebach in June 1809, in which the victims of the eleven robbers involved, u. a. Conrad Anschuh and Ludwig Funk, were severely mistreated. The value of the booty was 2,500 guilders . It was shared in a thief's hostel near Munzenberg .
• In the summer of 1809, together with Heiden-Peter and Bruchschneider Hannes, he stole a kettle and pewter from Conrad Wachterhäuser in Hoch-Weisel .
• Conrad Anschuh and Johann Justus Dietz captured a washing kettle and twenty shirts during a break-in in Gambach .
• In the autumn of 1809 Conrad Anschuh and his cronies Ludwig Funk, Heiden-Peter, Bruchschneider Hannes, tin caster Hannes and "Heiden-Andreas (Gypsy Andreas Sendomor)" attempted a street robbery near Neustadt. It remained an attempt. The plan came from the "black boy."
• A slump in Stangenrod committed Anschuh with Johann Justus Dietz, the thicknesses Hann Görg, Joseph Kling from Wetzlar and the "Red Headed Nice" from near Siegen . Laundry worth 71 guilders was stolen there.
• A “qualified theft” of pewter vessels was undertaken by Anschuh u. a. with Ludwig Funk and Johann Justus Dietz "on the mill near Rockenberg ." The mill owner was Johannes Wolf.

Arrest, Judgment and End

At the end of November 1809, Anschuh and his companion were arrested by land dragons and taken to the Stockhaus in Giessen . Since nothing could be proven, he was expelled from the country in January 1810 and she had to return to her hometown.

Since he was incriminated as a robber and thief during the general investigation into Burg-Gemünden in the autumn, Grolman issued a signaling that Anschuh was arrested by the Laubach office in January 1811 from the family of his concubine in Freienseen. On January 19, 1811 he was admitted to Giessen. It was not until the end of 1811 that all of his crimes were revealed. There were a total of 52 crimes, which were recorded in nine volumes. "His confessions paved the way for the conviction and capture of many other criminals."

On March 24, 1813, Conrad Anschuh, then around 32 years old, were sentenced to death by the sword with Johann Justus Dietz, Ludwig Funk and their fellow robbers Johann Adam Frank, Johann Georg Gottschalk, the Heidenpeter and Johannes Borgener and in the same month in Executed pouring.

literature

• Carl Friedrich Brill: Actual news of the rabble in the Maingland, the Odenwald and the neighboring countries, especially with regard to the members of the same under investigation in Darmstadt , Part 1.
• Friedrich Ludwig Adolph Grolman : Actual history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them. In addition to personal description of many thieves and robbers scattered throughout the German dialect ; With a copper plaque, which shows the faithful portraits of 16 main criminals. Giessen 1813.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Friedrich Ludwig Adolph Grolman , history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them. In addition to personal description of many thieves and robbers scattered throughout the German dialect; With a copper plaque, which shows the faithful portraits of 16 main criminals. Giessen 1813, p. 302 ff.
2. ↑ Glashütte, district of Giessen. Historical local dictionary for Hessen. (As of January 22, 2014). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
3. ↑ Grolman, History of Acts, p. 332 and p. 365 f.
4. ↑ Carl Friedrich Brill, News from the robbery in the Maingegenden, the Odenwald and the neighboring countries, especially with regard to the members of the same under investigation in Darmstadt, Part 1, p. Page 95, No. 15. Grolman, History, P. 279.
5. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 294.
6. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 279.
7. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 320.
8. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 306.
9. ↑ Grolman, Description of the files, pp. 66, 563.