Memorial site for the euthanasia killing campaign (Beverstedt)
A memorial for the euthanasia killing campaign (Beverstedt) committed by Käthe Spreen has been set up at the entrance to the Beverstedt cemetery.
Memorial at the Beverstedter Friedhof
Martin Bensen, retired Mayor D., raised donations for a memorial. It was inaugurated on June 8, 2013 by him and the mayor of Beverstedt, Ulf Voigts, in the presence of Henrita Lindner, cousin Käthe Spreens, and other public figures.
“Käthe Spreen, the memory of the person Käthe Spreen was brought back. With God's help and through the tireless efforts of committed people, Käthe Spreen was brought back today - from the end of the world, brought back - from being forgotten, brought back - here in Beverstedt in the memory of the people who live here today, "
“Käthe Spreen deserves to have a worthy place in our memory. She was the first from Beverstedt to fall victim to the lust for murder of Nazi fanatics. Half a year later, our Jewish fellow citizens were to be sent east to be murdered. "
Life
Käthe Marie Spreen is a Beverstedter (born April 27, 1911 in Bremerhaven-Lehe, died May 28/29 or May 30, 1941 in Hadamar) who died in the Hadamar killing center as part of euthanasia campaigns . She grew up in Bremerhaven (Buchtstrasse 27) in the Geestemünde district . Her father was master saddler Georg Spreen, her mother Bernhardine Spreen. In December 1930 she was "approached by a man and went with him to the Geestemünder Bürgerpark. When the man approached her immorally, she resisted, after wandering around for a long time ... came back home with torn clothes without a hat. Has none Understanding that she shouldn't confide in every stranger. " On May 26, 1931, she was admitted to the Lüneburg sanctuary and nursing home. The doctor had diagnosed manic-depressive insanity. On July 19, 1931, Käthe Spreen was released as "bettered".
On September 1, 1931, her parents moved to Beverstedt with their two daughters Käthe and Elfriede, first on Meyerhofstrasse and shortly afterwards on Logestr. 13, which the Beverstedter then called "Spreen-Kasten" (= flat German star box).
On November 18, 1932, Käthe Spreen was again admitted to the Lüneburg institution. In September 1934 she was sterilized and released on October 22, 1934 as "bettered".
A third admission to the institution in Lüneburg took place on April 16, 1935 - this time "Police" is noted on the file. Another discharge is not documented. It is not known whether she saw her family again in Beverstedt.
Search for clues
The fate of the young woman has never let go of her 15 years younger cousin Henrita Lindner. From Bremerhaven she often visited them in Beverstedt. Käthe Spreen liked to play with the younger children and fooled around with them. But she often had headaches, so her parents warned: "Don't annoy Kathe, she has a headache, she is sick." The report from 1931 states: "She was only physically tender and anemic and mentally cautiously fearful, shy of people. Never had girlfriends, never took part in children's games,"
At the age of 7 to 8, Lindner asked for an answer as to why her cousin had suddenly disappeared from her life.
“The parents never talked about Kathe's death. "She was sick and died," they replied briefly. There was nothing more to be learned from other relatives, if they knew or suspected more. ... In April 1945 ... Käthes sister Elfriede geb. 1913 hope to tell me more about her sister. But that day [she was fatally injured by fragments from an aerial mine]. Also in the estate of Käthe's parents in 1976 there was not a single reference to the daughter, no papers, not even a photo. ... At the end of May [2010] I received information about my cousin's suffering from the Hadamar memorial. "
Traces in Hadamar
Henrita Lindner received a letter from the Hadamar Memorial. Now she found out that her cousin was admitted to the Lüneburg institution on a "unknown" date. On a date that was also unknown, she was taken to the Herborn institution (as an "intermediate institution" for the Hadamar killing institution). From there she came to Hadamar on May 28, 1941 with 79 other patients.
"As a rule, the patients on such a transport were sent to the gas chamber in the cellar of the institution and murdered on the day of their arrival."
But since another transport with 132 patients arrived on the same day, "and the daily killing capacity of the killing center was a maximum of 100 people", it is possible that Käthe Spreen was not murdered until May 29 or even May 30.
“The date of death officially announced at the time (June 10, 1941) and the cause of death (in this case pneumonia) were given incorrectly in order to deceive relatives and the authorities. Unfortunately, we also have to inform you that the relatives have been deceived about the ashes of the deceased. Several corpses were always cremated at the same time and the ashes of the murdered were collected into piles of ash. [An urn was then filled out of this when the relatives asked for it for a burial.] ... The murdered were treated with undignified even in death. "
Way to death
Käthe Spreen was brought from the institution in Lüneburg to one of the nine "intermediate institutions" in Herborn. The evacuation took place without prior notice and without specifying the destination, so that the relatives would not take their sick from the institution. Only after arriving at the killing center did the relatives receive a standardized message: "Arrived safely here". The relocation had become necessary "as a result of measures important to the war effort". Unfortunately, visits to the new institution are not possible for reasons "related to the defense of the Reich". The next letter contained the death notice and the largely standardized letter of condolence. The transport between the different institutions was carried out by GeKraT . In advance, the transport leaders drove with the list of names of those to be picked up and then the buses with the windows draped or painted black with the accompanying staff. In Hadamar the buses drove into a specially built garage in the backyard. The sick people were led through a lock passage into a large hall by the accompanying staff and taken down the hall to a doctor's room. An office clerk confirmed the identity and a doctor determined one of 61 false causes of death on the death certificate. In a photo room, three photos were taken of each person: an overall picture, a half-length portrait and a profile picture. They were also weighed.
literature
- Inga Hansen, Cruel death in the gas chamber, Nordsee-Zeitung, August 16, 2008
- Martin Bensen, handover of the Käthe Spreen memorial, manuscript for the inauguration of the memorial at the Beverstedter Friedhof on June 8, 2013 (available from Martin Bensen, 27616 Beverstedt)
- Jörg Renger, We are thinking of Käthe Spreen today, manuscript of the church council Jörg Renger for the inauguration of the memorial at the Beverstedter Friedhof on June 8, 2013 (available from Jörg Renger, 27616 Stubben)
- Luise Bär, murdered on the orders of the Nazis, memorial plaque commemorates the fate of Käthe Spreen from Beverstedt and the victims of euthanasia, Osterholzer Kreisblatt, June 22, 2013, online version
- Memorial in the cemetery, mayors unveil memorial plaque for Käthe Spreen, who was murdered by the Nazis, from Beverstedt, Nordsee-Zeitung, 25 June 2013
Web links
- In memory of the Beverstedt Jews, Bremervörder Anzeiger, February 24, 2012
- On the history of the Lüneburg Psychiatric Clinic
Individual evidence
- ↑ The placement of the board and the text was decided on April 23, 2013 by the Committee for Environment and Public Facilities of the municipality of Beverstedt. See also: "Memorial for euthanasia set up" in Beverstedter Rundschau, published by the municipality of Beverstedt and the Beverstedt trade association, autumn edition 2013, p. 19
- ↑ see literature, p. 3
- ^ Nazi euthanasia using the example of the children's department of the State Sanatorium and Nursing Home Lüneburg
- ↑ So it is in a "district medical report", written before May 1931, Bensen, see literature, p. 1
- ↑ On the commemorative plaque of the Beverstedter Friedhof is written "In memory of Käthe Spreen - In the euthanasia gas chamber of the 'sanatorium and nursing home' Hadamar, Käthe Spreen from Beverstedt was murdered at the end of May 1941 on the orders of the Nazi state - like the 70,000 victims in the Gas chambers throughout Germany. - Remembering should prevent new injustice - "
- ↑ Bensen, see literature, p. 2
- ↑ Bensen, see literature, p. 1
- ↑ after: Hans-Henning Scharsach, Die Ärzte der Nazis, Vienna 2000, ISBN 9783701504299 , p. 124, quoted in Bensen, see literature, p. 4
- ↑ All extermination institutions had special registry offices (in Hadamar: Mönchberg) in order to avoid problems with uninitiated authorities.
- ↑ after: Hans-Henning Scharsach, Die Ärzte der Nazis, Vienna 2000, ISBN 9783701504299 , p. 124, quoted in Bensen, see literature, p. 4