Johann Adam Heusner

Johann Adam Heusner , called Roter Hannadam (born May 14, 1779 in Mümling-Grumbach , † November 5, 1814 in Darmstadt ) was a well-known Odenwald robber and thief. He was mostly armed with pistols and was the leader of larger undertakings. Outwardly he gave himself the appearance of a traveling box grocer; so he could mingle with the traders at markets, which was useful in preparation for raids. He had a good range of goods and good documents.

family

Johann Adam Heusner's parents were Tobias Heusner and Maria Catharina born. Grass man. The father lived as a shepherd, day laborer and basket maker without a permanent residence in the estate or the office of Breuberg . (For comparison: 20% of the members of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau gangs came from stable families, 45% had parents who were homeless themselves. 17% of the parents of gang members were traveling traders, 28% were described as beggars and tramps. The rest were mostly shepherds, only seasonal employment.) Johann Adam had three younger siblings:

• Stephan, also a robber and thief; he hanged himself in Heidelberg prison;
• a sister married to a wandering grocer;
• a brother who died of lung addiction in the Stockhaus .

In his youth Heusner stayed with his parents; as he got older he found work as a servant. At the age of 21, around 1800, his uncle and godfather Johann Adam Grasmann persuaded him to pursue a criminal career. In Laudenbach he began with petty thefts and was instructed in this by Grasmann. In between he visited his parents and met his wife there, who was passing through. A few days after their acquaintance, the two married in the Capuchin monastery in Wertheim. Heusner stayed with his family for about a year until Grasmann visited him again and both of them resumed their petty thefts, while Heusner's wife begged. The couple had a daughter together.

Poverty and petty crime

Heusner's family background, the lower class with no permanent residence, wandering caste shopkeepers, begging - all of this is typical of a robber biography of that time. Heusner's memory of an attempted break-in in Hornbach in the winter of 1805 is interesting, where “not much could be done”: “They went out at night to get something, whatever it might have been, even if it did would only have been food. ”This fits in with a familiar pattern according to which many gangs lived from hand to mouth. In his interrogation, Heusner said that he could not possibly remember every crime. This is especially true for unsuccessful aborted actions (33% of the Odenwälder and 10% of the Wetterau gang activities).

Serious crimes

The investigative authorities only found out about many of Heusner's crimes during the interrogation. Only a few crimes are selected below that show how the gang acted, preferred targets, and environmental reactions. The focus of activities was Baden and the Grand Duchy of Hesse .

Thefts and robberies

After 1805, Johann Adam Heusner made the acquaintance of various thieves and robbers, which changed his life. Heusner was particularly impressed by Balthasar Meinhard from the Schinderhannes gang because he stepped into houses one after the other at night with a ladder on his shoulder until he found worthwhile prey.

On the night of August 27-28, 1807, a group led by Heusner attacked the Jewish shopkeeper Zodik zu Grävenwiesbach . Together with his sons and guests who happened to be present, Zodik barricaded himself in his apartment. Heusner's people tried to storm the house; meanwhile, the villagers ran together and were shot at by the robbers. Firing around, the group pulled away without having achieved anything. In the night of September 1st to 2nd, 1807, a particularly brutal attack on the mill near Oberliederbach in the Höchst district, Hessen-Nassau, was carried out as compensation . While the miller's family was being mistreated, some bricklayers and carpenters stayed overnight on a construction site next door, but they were so intimidated that they did not offer any help.

Street robbery and murder

On November 10, 1803, Johann Adam Heusner and the shopkeeper, Johannchen, attacked the Rosenwirt and his brother, who were walking from Höhefeld to Wertheim. The two fought back violently; Heusner shot one of the brothers down, and although the injury was not fatal in itself, the victim died two days later because of poor medical care at the gangrene . Heusner confessed to this attack late. Krämer-Johannchen (Johannes Kinzinger), a former soldier, was "accepted into the crooks guild" by Heusner. He was temporarily friends with Heusner's sister and lived inconspicuously as a country grocer in the Wertheim and Miltenberg area, although he was wanted.

On the night of January 11th to 12th, 1807, Heusner entered the house of Mayor Geiger von Geislitz near Gelnhausen with his brother Stephan and three accomplices . The mayor's wife killed Heusner with an ax, the son was killed by an accomplice. The gang broke open a chest of money and set off to share the booty; the mayor survived.

On May 10, 1808 Johann Adam Heusner was a shopkeeper at the market in Herchenheim and joined a group with two gang members, alleged cattle dealers, who were still on their way home during the day. These pedestrians were suddenly attacked by gang members who had ambushed themselves near the village of Houseleek. A scuffle broke out. The victims shouted loudly for help, but no one moved in the village. With the money they stole, the muggers made their way back on the same road they had come from.

On August 7, 1808, a gang led by Heusner laid down with rifles in an ambush in the forest between Schriesheim and Altenbach . After waiting for hours, the victims came, the Jew Heyum Marx with his son and companion. They had visited the market in Beerfelden and were on their way home. The attacked tried to flee; one was knocked to the ground and robbed, the rest escaped to a group of churchgoers who, however, remained passive for fear of the robbers. Not so with some reapers who were working in the fields nearby. They chased Stephan Heusner and Johann Adam Grasmann, two members of the gang, into the next forest, even though they shot around.

On August 31, 1808, a group of Jews and Christians who was on their way back from the market to Gedern was attacked between Usenborn and Neuhof. The Jew Lekisch Oppenheimer was beaten down and mistreated, his daughter raped. The others fled, discarding their shopping carts. In addition to money, Heusner's gang also captured textiles this time: woolen cloth, flannel, calico, scarves and ribbons.

Heusner had received the advice that the drapers moving from Schotten to the Gelnhausen market were a worthwhile destination. Heusner's gang, including his brother Stephan, prepared an ambush on February 2, 1809 at the Ronneburg Forest. At nightfall, a glass merchant came with his car and a farmer from the neighboring village, who gave him the lead. One of the robbers hit his head with a lead-weighted stick. When it was found that the wagon was carrying nothing more than glassware, the robbers smashed everything and withdrew without prey.

On the evening of August 21, 1809, Heusner and his companions attacked two cloth makers, the Eisenhard brothers, on the Chaussee near Klein Rechtenbach . The victims were "terribly mistreated and robbed of their goods and their money." A gang member had marked the cart of the cloth makers in Wetzlar with chalk, so that the gang knew who the attack would be worthwhile for. After the attack, the cart was pulled a little way into the forest and only then was the boxes on it looted: cloth, silk ribbons, lace, calico, linen, velvet, wool ribbon and coffee and sugar were the booty this time, apart from the market revenue, 150 guilders. In addition to Heusner, the following people were involved in this great street robbery: Heinrich Festweber, Wilhelm Rhein, Martin Rupprecht, Ludwig Funk , Conrad Anschuh , Peter Görzel, Justus Holzapfel, Lumpen-Jost and Schwarzer Jung. This spectacular robbery brought in 2,332 guilders and ruined the victims' health and finances. Nevertheless, the individual robbers had "no more than three or four Carolins of it"; the fences made the profit.

Police investigation

On the night of March 8th to 9th, 1810, a break-in was carried out in the house of Johannes Maaser in Fränkisch-Crumbach . Son and brother of the injured party decided to “track down the thieves”. They stopped at the Gasthaus zur Krone in Rimbach , where Heuser and Grasmann were often to be found. When they told about the theft, they were shown to be quiet, the main culprit (Heusner) was just coming in through the door. He asked for a beer and took his pipe out of his pocket. It struck those present that Heusner had a pipe bowl studded with silver, which they believed to be stolen property. Heusner was reported, arrested together with his uncle and companion Grasmann and taken to Darmstadt's Stockhaus (today Rundeturm-Strasse) on March 13, 1810. The Round Tower, Darmstadt's oldest prison, was part of the medieval city fortifications. He had a windowless dungeon on the first floor, two cells above it, and seven other cells and the guard's apartment in the extension. The investigation into Johann Adam Heusner began on August 14, 1811. Heusner was put in solitary confinement. This then new method of isolation proved to be a very effective means of getting Heusner to cooperate.

Carl Friedrich Brill emphasized that Heusner and the other gang members had in no way extorted their confessions through "physical means of coercion". Instead, by “studying the character of the Inquisites and then establishing the same trustworthy treatment, the greatest possible care and moderate severity”, the inmates were moved, albeit slowly, to confess their deeds. On June 20, 1814, Johann Adam Heusner was sentenced to death by hanging, Johann Adam Grasmann, Martin Rupprecht, Jakob Erbeldinger and Georg Tascher to death by beheading. Heusner was the only one who accepted his punishment and asked for mercy to also be executed by the sword. That was also promised to him.

execution

On November 5, 1814, the public pronouncement of the verdict took place on the Darmstadt market square. The delinquents appeared in their death dresses and accompanied by their clergy in the bar. Heusner and Grasmann, who tried to strengthen each other, seemed calm. On the Galgenberg the executioner beheaded the five, Heusner as the last, in the presence of the military and many onlookers. It happened in less than seventeen minutes. The tea house in Wolfskehlschen Garten, Darmstadt-Bessungen, is located at this place of execution.

literature

• Carl Friedrich Brill: Actual news from the rabble in the Maingegenden, the Odenwald and the neighboring countries , part 1, Darmstadt 1814. ( online )
• Carl Friedrich Brill: Actual news from the rabble in the Maingegenden, the Odenwald and the neighboring countries , part 2, Darmstadt 1815. ( online )
• Carl Friedrich Brill: Brief news of the personal circumstances and the crimes of the robbers under investigation at the Grand Ducal Criminal Court and sentenced to death: Johann Adam Heusner, Johann Adam Grasmann, Johann Martin Rupprecht, Jakob Erbeldinger and Georg Tascher , Darmstadt 1814.
• Katrin Lange: "Many a Lord is Guilty, Indeed, For Many a Poor Man's Dishonest Deed": Gangs of Robbers in Early Modern Germany . In: Cyrille Fijnaut, Letizia Paoli (Ed.): Organized crime in Europe: concepts, patterns, and control policies in the European Union and beyond . Springer, 2004. ISBN 978-1-4020-2615-7 . Pp. 109-149. ( online )
• Ludwig Pfister : Record-based history of the robber gangs on the two banks of the Main, in the Spessart and in the Odenwald: contained excellent. also D. Story d. Robbery u. Assassination d. Merchant Jacob Rieder von Winterthur on d. Mountain road; along with e. Collection u. Interpretation of several words from d. Yenish or crook language. Heidelberg 1812. ( online )
• Ludwig Pfister: Addendum to the history of the robber gangs on both banks of the Main, in the Spessart and in the Odenwalde. Also contains the story of the further arrest, condemnation and execution of the murderers of the merchant Jacob Rieder von Winterthur. Heidelberg 1812. ( online )

Individual evidence

1. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 37 .
2. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 42 .
3. ^ Katrin Lange: Gangs of Robbers in Early Modern Germany . S. 118 .
4. ^ Katrin Lange: Gangs of Robbers in Early Modern Germany . S. 116 .
5. ↑ Ludwig Pfister: Addendum to the record-based history of the robber gangs . S. 148 .
6. ^ Katrin Lange: Gangs of Robbers in Early Modern Germany . S. 138-139 .
7. ↑ KPT Schwencken: Record-based reports from the crook and vagabond rabble, as well as from individual professional thieves, in the countries between the Rhine and the Elbe, together with a precise description of their person. From an Kurhessian criminal officer . Kassel 1822, p. 559 .
8. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 41 .
9. ^ Record-based news . tape 1 , p. 55 .
10. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 74 .
11. ↑ KPT Schwencken: Record-based reports from the crook and vagabond rabble, as well as from individual professional thieves, in the countries between the Rhine and the Elbe, together with a precise description of their person. From an Kurhessian criminal officer . S. 269 .
12. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 85 .
13. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 82 .
14. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 78 .
15. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 95 .
16. ↑ Friedrich Ludwig Adolf von Grolman: Record-based reports from the crook and vagabond rabble, as well as from individual professional thieves, in the countries between the Rhine and the Elbe, together with a detailed description of their person. From an Kurhessian criminal officer . Giessen 1813, p. 414 .
17. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 31 .
18. ↑ Round tower. In: Stadtlexikon Darmstadt. Retrieved January 12, 2019 . 
19. ^ Katrin Lange: Society and crime: robber gangs in the 18th and early 19th centuries . Peter Lang Verlag, 1994, ISBN 978-3-631-46494-6 , p. 218 .
20. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 1 , p. 3-4 .
21. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 2 , p. 478-479 .
22. ^ Carl Friedrich Brill: News in the form of files . tape 2 , p. 485 .
23. ↑ Place of execution. In: Stadtlexikon Darmstadt. Retrieved January 12, 2019 .