Paul Sunday

Paul Sonntag (born February 10, 1890 in Leipzig , † April 20, 1945 in the Brandenburg-Görden prison ) was a German printer and a victim of the Nazi war justice system.

Life and activity

Sunday learned the printing trade. After participating in the First World War , in which he was deployed on the Western Front and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class , he returned to his profession. Until 1923, Sonntag was politically organized in the SPD, in 1931 he joined the KPD.

After the National Socialists came to power , Sunday 1933 was taken into protective custody for several weeks. The Hamburg Higher Regional Court sentenced him to two years in prison for preparing for high treason. After his release, he worked as a vacuum cleaner representative . In 1937 he came to Frankfurt. Another arrest that took place there went smoothly: The proceedings were discontinued so that he could leave the Frankfurt police prison. He then found a job at the Bauer foundry in Bockenheim .

In July 1942, Sonntag was taken into protective custody again. This measure was justified with the accusation that he had been listening to foreign radio stations since 1940 and that he had discussed the news spread by them with his work colleagues Paul Janke and Josef Funk. In addition, the group had political talks with the Jewish couple Kahn. Furthermore, the three members of the Wehrmacht announced that Germany would probably lose the war and that this would be the opportunity for a change.

In 1944, Sonntag was transferred to the Potsdam prison. Together with Janke and Funk, he was indicted before the People's Court on charges of having committed preparation for high treason and degradation of military strength before the 2nd Senate of the People's Court chaired by Koehler. In the judgment of February 21, 1945, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. The execution was carried out on April 20, 1945 in the Brandenburg-Görden prison.

Sonntag was married to Gertrud Köhler and had a son (* 1939).

Today a stumbling block in front of Sunday's former house in Robert-Mayer-Strasse 48 in Frankfurt reminds of his fate.

Web links

• Paul Sonntag on the website of the city of Frankfurt