Viktoriaschule (Danzig)

Victoria School

Plaque with Princess Victoria

The Victoria School is a school building in the Polish city ​​of Gdańsk. It became known as a temporary camp for several thousand Poles in the first weeks of World War II . Today it is used for teaching purposes at the University of Gdansk .

history

The building of the secondary school for girls was built in the years 1881-1883 in the style of the "Danzig Neo-Renaissance ". At the opening in December 1883, the wife of the heir to the throne was present and the building was given her name: Victoria, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria . Her head is adorned as a relief with a medallion above the main entrance. In 1905 the city bought the neighboring Hotel Drei Mohren for expansion purposes. The city girls' school was expanded into a reform high school that prepared for the Abitur.

Second World War

From September 1 to 15, 1939, the school served as a transit camp for interned Poles. Until September 7, it was also the headquarters of all civil prisoners' camps for the annexed Danzig Free State and the Polish corridor under the direction of SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Pauly .

With the German invasion of Poland , mass arrests began in the Free City of Danzig. About 1,500 people were arrested on the first day of the war, and about 1,000 were sent to the Victoria School. The victims of the arrests were mostly Poles, who were actively involved in the life of the small state, including teachers, doctors, priests and members of Polish organizations in Gdansk. In addition to the Polonia associations , these were above all the Polish Post and the Port of Danzig. The Danzig National Socialists had drawn up the lists of “undesirable Polish elements” since 1936.

The SS guard Eimann was responsible for the guard . On the evening of September 1st, Herbert Kammer obtained the release of all women and a group of Danzig Jews. In the days that followed, more Poles were brought in from the Free State and the corridor. In the latter there were arrests as part of the Tannenberg company . Most recently, on the 14th, 1400 people came from Gdynia ( Gdynia ) .

From September 7th to 15th, the prisoners were evacuated to Neufahrwasser, but also to other camps. The camp in the Victoria School was disbanded on September 15th.

On September 2, 1958, a memorial plaque was placed on the school building.

Prominent prisoners

• Marian Górecki , priest, shot in 1940, beatification in 1999
• Bronisław Komorowski , priest, shot in 1940, beatification in 1999
• Alfons Muzalewski
• Anton Lendzion , member of the Danzig People's Day , shot in 1940
• Franciszek Rogaczewski , priest, shot in 1940, beatification in 1999
• Władysław Szymanski , priest, shot in 1940.

Other internment camps

• Neufahrwasser civil prison camp in Gdansk
• Prison shooting range in Gdansk
• Stutthof civil prisoner camp, later SS special camp and concentration camp
• Grenzdorf civil prisoner camp in Grenzdorf B , later border village branch of the Stutthof concentration camp

literature

• Danzig and its buildings. 1908

Web links

Commons : Viktoriaschule_ (Danzig)  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Elżbieta Grot: VICTORIA SCHOOL near Gedanopedia (Polish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Karin Orth : The system of the National Socialist concentration camps. 2002, p. 138
2. ↑ Kammer was the head of the immigration office of the Danzig police. Kamer at Gedanopedia is a typo.

Coordinates: 54 ° 20 ′ 48.6 ″  N , 18 ° 38 ′ 49.6 ″  E