Heinz Rotholz

Heinz Rotholz (born May 28, 1921 in Berlin-Schöneberg ; † March 4, 1943 in 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

“His father was a sales representative. From 1927 to 1938, Heinz Rotholz attended elementary and middle school. In September 1938 he started his apprenticeship as a mechanic, which he had to interrupt at the end of 1939 because his father was preparing to emigrate to Palestine. But all attempts to emigrate failed, and so Heinz Rotholz met the difficult fate of being assigned to work in the "Jewish department" of the Elmo factory of Siemens-Schuckert AG in Berlin-Spandau. Here he made the acquaintance of Herbert Baum in 1941 , who won him as a comrade in arms. He took part in the illegal Marxist-Leninist training courses of the anti-fascist resistance group led by Herbert Baum and tried, as far as the conditions permitted, to help organize sabotage activities in the Jewish forced labor department. Arrested from work, he remained a staunch anti-fascist until his death despite terrible special interrogations and torture. "

arrest

Members of the Baum group carried out an arson attack on the National Socialist propaganda exhibition " The Soviet Paradise " in Berlin on May 17, 1942 . After the attack, the group was uncovered by the Gestapo .

judgment

These members of the Baum group were convicted of not being involved in this attack on the following grounds:

“On December 10, 1942, the trial of 12 more members of the Baum group took place before the Second Senate of the People's Court (Heinz Rotholz, Werner Birnbaum, Hella Hirsch, Alice Hirsch, Edith Fraenkel, Hanni Meyer, Marianne Joachim, Lothar Salinger, Helmuth Neumann, Hildegard Loewy, Siegbert Rotholz, Sara Rotholz ). Prosecutor Wittmann demanded the death penalty for these members of the Baum group, who were not involved in the attack themselves, because they were guilty of “preparing for high treason and favoring the enemy”. The court under the chairman and vice-president of the People's Court Dr. Crohne and the assessor, District Judge Preussner , agreed with the prosecutor's request. 9 members were sentenced to death. In the grounds of the judgment it was pointed out that the defendants were Jews and as such had every reason to keep quiet and not, as in 1914/18, to stab the dagger in Germany's back. "

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 commemorate Heinz Rotholz 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 148 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. ^ Siegbert and Lotte Rotholz - members of the resistance group Baum Bildungsserver Berlin Brandenburg
3. ↑ ^{a b} 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 
4. ↑ 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.
5. ^ Resistance group around Herbert Baum, "Memorial plaque in Berlin at the Jewish cemetery in Weißensee (entrance: Markus-Reich-Platz)"
6. ^ 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"