Heinz Birnbaum

Heinz Birnbaum (born September 22, 1920 in Berlin ; † March 4, 1943 in the Plötzensee prison , Berlin) was a German worker and resistance fighter against National Socialism. He was executed in 1943 as a victim of the Nazi war justice system.

Life and activity

“Heinz Birnbaum's father was a worker, his mother a housewife. From 1926 to 1930 he attended elementary school, then until 1934 the Andreas Realgymnasium. In October 1934 he started his apprenticeship as a lathe operator at Butzke & Co., which he finished in October 1937. In the years up to 1941 he worked in various companies in Berlin, most recently in the Schubert mechanical workshops in Reinickendorf.
1930-1935 member of the Zionist youth movement, where he met Herbert Baum , who won him over as a member of the Communist Youth Association of Germany in 1934 . In the Southeast sub-district of the KJVD, Heinz Birnbaum worked excellently among the youth. Together with Irene Walther, he created an illegal KJVD cell in the Butzke & Co. company. Until his arrest, as a young communist, he did hard, reliable political work in the ranks of the anti-fascist resistance group led by Herbert Baum. His commitment was exemplary. "

execution

“The conviction and execution of these young people, they were between 20 and 23 years old, were communicated to the population on a bright red poster. Their names were provided with the legally required additional first names Sara and Israel. "

" Notice

sentenced to death by the People's Court on December 10, 1942 for preparation for high treason and treasonous favoring the enemy

Heinz Israel Rotholz , 21 years old,

Heinz Israel Birnbaum, 22 years old,

Lothar Israel Salinger , 23 years old,

Helmuth Israel Neumann , 21 years old,

Siegbert Israel Rotholz 23 years old,

Hella Sara Hirsch , 21 years old,

Hanni Sara Mayer , 23 years old,

Marianna Sara Joachim , 21 years old and

Hildegard Sara Loewy , 20 years old,

all from Berlin were executed today.

Berlin, March 4, 1943

The senior Reich attorney at the People's Court "

with the subtext

"Announcement of the execution of the death sentences on Heinz Rotholz and his companions"

Memorial stones

The Berlin memorial stone in the Lustgarten

Today two memorial stones in Berlin dedicated to the Baum group also remember Heinz Birnbaum by name.

1. Memorial plaque in Berlin at the Weissensee Jewish Cemetery (entrance: Markus-Reich-Platz)
2. This memorial stone, designed by the sculptor Jürgen Raue, was erected in 1981 on behalf of the magistrate of East Berlin without any further information about the resistance action in the Lustgarten

literature

• Christiane Hoss, Martin Schönfeld: memorial plaques in Berlin. Places of remembrance of those persecuted by National Socialism, 1991–2001 (= series of publications by the Active Museum Fascism and Resistance in Berlin eV, Vol. 9, ZDB -ID 2215929-0 ). Active Museum Association, Berlin 2002, p. 131.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Page 134 at Margot Pikarski: Youth in Berlin's resistance. Herbert Baum and comrade in arms. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1978.
2. ↑ The Berlin group Baum and the Jewish Resistance ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Page 9 
3. ↑ Photo at Margot Pikarski: Youth in Berlin's resistance. Herbert Baum and comrade in arms. Military publishing house of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin 1978.
4. ^ Resistance group around Herbert Baum, "Memorial plaque in Berlin at the Jewish cemetery in Weißensee (entrance: Markus-Reich-Platz)"
5. ^ Resistance group around Herbert Baum. "This memorial stone designed by the sculptor Jürgen Raue was erected in 1981 on behalf of the magistrate of Berlin (East) without any further information about the resistance action in the Lustgarten"