Wetterauer and Vogelsberger gang

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The Wetterau and Vogelsberger gangs were robber gangs that wreaked havoc in the Wetterau and Vogelsberg at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century .

Name, origin and origin

The composition and size of the gangs often changed. Both gangs had close personal ties. Most of its members came from Upper Hesse .

The name was not given because they "steal exclusively in Vogelsberg or Wetterau, but because they have their main hiding spots and their closest characteristics in these areas."

They mostly ran an outpatient trade and were themselves children of "musicians, traders, tramps, dismissed soldiers or basket makers", but also often "children of free love and not in possession of a legitimate father." Many members of the Wetterauer and Vogelsberger gang (approx . 40%) belonged to the traveling people , also in the Schinderhannes gang . "In other gangs it (the proportion) was even significantly higher." Jenisch spokesmen from Gießen came from outpatient traders of the 19th century.

Occasionally there were also bricklayers or carpenters among them who “did their work on an outpatient basis in Vogelsberg and developed their own language - the Vogelsberg Wall Language - which definitely has Yenish characteristics.” This language has still partly developed to this day. preserved in dialect. Johannes Lehn was a carpenter, Johannes Höhl and Johann Heinrich Brandau a bricklayer, all three members of the Vogelsberger gang. Ludwig Funk from the Wetterauer gang was also a bricklayer. Martin Knaus was a carpenter and mill doctor, built and repaired "coffee, Feeg and potato mills."

Some of the gang members were related to each other. The "Beyschläferin" of Johann Heinrich Becker (Vogelsberger gang) was Christine Dietz from Asslar , the sister of Johann Justus Dietz , who belonged to the Wetterauer gang. Jacob Heinrich Vielmetter had 25 crook families among his closest relatives.

Contemporary depictions of the 19th century largely exclude the question of the causes of the robber disorder. Now you can see them u. a. as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars. It was "the anti-social elements brought in by impoverishment and homelessness, which, individually or in gangs, after the collapse of any social order, can frighten entire sections of the population." Another essential factor was the small states , the nationwide and coordinated actions against them Gangs made much more difficult. In 1801, for example, a congress of most of the Hessian small states and their neighbors took place in Wetzlar in order to pass resolutions on how to effectively combat the robber gangs.

The gangs

The distinction between the Vogelsberger and Wetterauer gang dates back to 1813, when both groups had already been broken up.

Grolman divided their members into two main groups:

  • the “real crooks, Yenish or Romanesque people” and the group of
  • "Proprietor (Bayser)" the robber and "taker (archer)" of the stolen property.

Contemporaries criticized this as not making sense, as the members of the individual groups often switched roles.

Vogelsberg gang

  • Bernhard Bauer from Volkartshain .
  • Johannes Heinrich Becker, called "Weiskopf" from Eckartsborn .
  • Johann Heinrich Brandau, Engelröder Dick, born in Buchenau , was married to the eldest daughter Jakob Heinrich Vielmetter, Marie Elisabeth.
  • Johann Heinrich Dönges, called Katten-Heinrich from Eichelhain .
  • Heinrich Euler, "Hildebrands-Heinrich" from Freiensteinau
  • Johann Adam Frank
  • Hermann Glaser, the Tall One from Miesen, Grand Duchy of Berg .
  • Johannes Höhl, commonly known as Lieschens Hannes, was born in Ober-Seemen .
  • Ludwig Hofmann from Fuld.
  • Johannes Hoos from Reptich , Werra-Departement , Kingdom of Westphalia . In 1811 he was admitted to the Giessen Stockhaus with his lover Angelica Krämer, who had previously been in a relationship with Ludwig Funk.
  • Martin Knaus , called the Mühlarzt, from Düdelsheim , who is also counted as a member of the Wetterau gang.
  • Johann Benedict Kopf, "vulgo Scheege = or scheeler Hannes" from Herbstein .
  • Johann Heinrich Kurz von Stockhausen .
  • Johann Leonhard Lang from Rixfeld , called Hann-Lehnert.
  • Johannes Lehn I., Franz's son from Breungeshain . The father Franz Lehn came from "Würzburg". He also lived with a daughter of Jakob Heinrich Vielmetter.
  • Ludwig Möbus from Bobenhausen .
  • Johannes Müller from Birklar , the "Birklarer Schneider," also known as the "Trench cutter".
  • Balser Pfeiffer was the brother of
  • Johann Georg Pfeiffer, commonly known as Weisbrods-Hann_Görg, was supposedly born in Maar . His father had u. a. fought as a soldier from Hessen-Kassel in North America.
  • Johannes Reitz from Harbach , called the "Haarbacher Hannes"
  • Johann Heinrich Ritter, commonly known as Feldscheersjung, Hennerle, little Heinrich or Heinrich with the violin, from Landenhausen , later a member of the Wetterau gang.
  • Johannes Stahl, called Kalkhannes, from Tann (Rhön) .
  • Friedrich Adam Thomas, the "long Friedrich," from Sturzhausen, Saxony-Gotha. According to Grolman, he was the "most complete rascal of the Vogelsberg gang."
  • Andreas Thron, commonly known as Neunfingers Andres, was born in Ilbeshausen
  • Johann Heinrich Volk, called Bick, from Storndorf .
  • Johann Georg Wehrs vulgo Speckhardt from Wenholthausen .

Wetterauer gang

The Wetterauer gang was also called "the plates". The “Platten” means “rascal” or “rascally, belonging to or closely related to rascals.” This gang included:

  • Conrad Anschuh . His real name was Conrad Unschick and he came from Rodheim .
  • Johannes Borgener , the "Polengängers Hannes", from Romsthal and his brother
  • Michael Borgener , the "Polengängers Michel", from Flörsbach . This also belonged to the Vogelsberg gang.
  • Johann Justus Dietz, commonly known as Lumpen Jost, from Asslar
  • Johann Adam Frank * called the "tall or older Feldscheersjung, Hann-Adam or Schwubger" from Schlitzenhausen , stepbrother of Johann Heinrich Ritter. This also belonged to the Vogelsberg gang.
  • Ludwig Funk from Sellnrod, commonly known as "Selnröder Ludwig."
  • Peter Görzel , commonly known as Heiden-Peter and Schoden-Heinrich, allegedly from Großenenglis . He is said to have come from Berlin and lived in Kransberg .
  • Johann Georg Gottschalk , also called the Black Boy or Veltens Heinrich, from Ilbenstadt .
  • Johann Savior
  • Heinrich Keller, actually Heinrich Baum von Ruppertsburg .
  • Johann Heinrich Oberländer, born in Wippershausen . He was also connected to a former “sleeper” of Ludwig Funk, namely Dorothea Strack, who came from a family of robbers.
  • Johann Valentin Christian Oberländer , also known as “Schwarzer Christel” or “Spoonhannes” from Urbach , was a former “Luckner soldier”. What is probably meant is that he served under Nikolaus Graf Luckner .
  • Johann Heinrich Ritter vulgo "the youngest Feldscheersjung, Hennerle or Heinrich with the violin" from Landenhausen , also a member of the Vogelsberger gang,
  • Johann Adam Steininger, commonly known as "Überrheiner Hanadam", from Lohnweiler , who was previously a member of the Schinderhannes gang and spoke Alsatian dialect.
  • Conrad Vielmetter was the brother of Jakob Heinrich Vielmetter. Together with his son Ludwig, he was also part of the gang.
  • Jakob Heinrich Vielmetter or old Jacob Heinrich from Obernhain , who was probably the actual leader of the Wetterau gang. He was the head of an extensive family of robbers.
  • Johannes Vielmetter, his son.
  • Johann Heinrich Vogt , "the Schoden-Heinrich" from Gilserberg
  • Henrich Wolf

Other members were:

  • Cornelius Kehr or Köhr, commonly known as "Netl" or "Nöll", from Obersteinbach , "belonged to the Wetterau gang of crooks."
  • Johann Adam Kühn, commonly known as "Grabfelder Han-Adam" or "Grünbeck's Han-Adam", "mostly moves around as a pig dealer and otherwise belongs to the Wetterau gang."

Relationships with other gangs

There were also many relationships with other gangs. Peter Görzel, commonly known as Scheeler Peter or Scheeler Heidenpeter, was originally a member of the Brabant gang, as were the brothers Claus and Georg Harting and Appelinarius Lüzler, called Bernhard, who committed crimes with Heidenpeter. This included thefts in Appenrod and Kirchberg (Lahn) .

Johann Adam Steininger, the "Überrheiner Wilhelm," also had connections to the gang of Mentel Polas and to the Dutch gang around Adrian Boßbeck, commonly known as "Schifferchen." The Odenwald robbers Veit Krämer, father and son, and Johann Adam were also with Steininger Heussner in connection.

Johannes Borgener, commonly known as Pohlengänger Hannes, attempted an attack in the Büdinger Forest in April 1811 with the Odenwälder Holzlips . Jakob Heinrich Vielmetter committed a total of five thefts with his son Johannes and the Hölzerlips in 1807 and 1809 in the Wetterau.

Criminal offenses

Most of the crimes were burglary and theft, but relatively few in churches, etc. a. the death penalty may have had a deterrent effect on this crime.

Even spectacular actions like the raid near Kleinrechtebach in 1811 did not bring much financial benefit. While the robbers looted goods worth 2,000 guilders , but their stolen from Münzenberg only paid 143 guilders.

Punish

In 1810 several criminals were arrested in Burg-Gemünden and their crimes were investigated. Among them was Johann Henrich Deutscher, commonly known as "Hessenländer-Heinrich", who confessed to nine crimes there but revoked it in 1811. A year later, Johann Georg Gottschalk was caught in Burg-Gemünden and delivered to Giessen.

In 1811 Johann Justus Dietz was caught at Bellersheim and delivered to the Stockhaus in Giessen . Peter Görzel, the Heathen Peter, was arrested in the Hanau area in 1811 under the name Georg Schiefer. On September 22, 1806, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment in Eisen in Marburg and sent to Ziegenhain, where he broke out again on December 31, 1806.

17 members of the Wetterau gang were imprisoned in Giessen, not counting their concubines . They were charged with 265 crimes. Both gangs committed a total of 13 murders, 80 robberies, 245 break-ins and 241 simple thefts.

Jacob Heinrich Vielmetter was involved in most of the crimes, namely 60. He died at the age of 65 on February 25, 1812 in the Stockhaus. Johann Valentin Oberländer, at least 54 years old, was charged with 54 crimes. At the age of 31, Conrad Anschuh had already committed 52 crimes and even the 18-year-old Johann Heinrich Ritter had already committed 32 crimes.

In 1812, when the trials began in Gießen, Johann Heinrich Volk was already sitting in the former Marienschloss monastery in Rockenberg , which had been converted into a prison in 1811.

Jonas Hoos from the Vogelsberger gang was beheaded on July 14, 1812. The 41-year-old Martin Knaus died in custody in February 1813. Hermann Glaser was handed over to the Dillenburg prefecture on December 15th . Johannes Höhl was sentenced to five years, Michael Borgener to twenty years in prison.

Johannes Müller from Birklar ("Grabenschneider"), father of seven children, was executed in Marburg in January 1812 . The robber Gilbert Eller also came from Birklar, who, along with Georg Weidemann, Liberius Pollmann, Leyser Pollack, Conrad Wiese and Abraham Moses Levi, was sentenced to death in Marburg on December 5, 1812 and passed through Marburg together with Wiese and Abraham on February 1, 1813 the sword was executed.

Krämer Mathes and Veit Kämer were executed on July 31, 1812 together with the Hölzerlips in Heidelberg .

On March 24, 1813, Johann Justus Dietz, Ludwig Funk and their fellow robbers from the Wetterau gang, Johann Adam Frank, Johann Georg Gottschalk, Conrad Anschuh, the Heidenpeter and Johannes Borgener, were sentenced to death by the sword and executed in Giessen.

In March 1813 the following were not arrested: the brothers Claus and Georg Harting, Heinrich Baum or also called Keller. The Haarbacher Hannes had also escaped.

After 1815 the robbery in Upper Hesse came to a quick end.

literature

  • Hermann Bettenhäuser, robber and crook gangs in Hesse. A contribution to the attempt at a historical criminology of Hesse. In: Journal of the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies. Vol. 75/76. 1964/65, pp. 275-348.
  • Friedrich Ludwig Adolph Grolman, Actual history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them. In addition to personal description of many thieves and robbers scattered throughout the German dialect; With a copper plaque, which shows the faithful portraits of 16 main criminals. Giessen 1813.
  • Hans-Günter Lerch, Manic in Giessen. The secret language of a social fringe group, its history and its sociological background. Diss., Giessen 1976. ISBN 3-87038-048-9 .
  • Ludwig Pfister, Record-based history of the robber gangs on the two banks of the Main, in the Spessart and in the Oldenwalde together with a collection and interpretation of several words from the Yenish or crooks language. Heidelberg 1812.
  • CPT Schwencken, reports in the form of files from the crooks and vagabonds, as well as from individual professional thieves in the countries between the Rhine and the Elbe, with a detailed description of their person. From a Kurhessischen Criminal = officials, Cassel 1822.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Roemheld, From the world of rascals 100 years ago. In: Heimat im Bild, No. 33/34 1927, pp. 32 and 35.
  2. ↑ Udo Fleck: Thieves - Robbers - Murderers. Study on the collective delinquency of Rhenish robber gangs at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries , Diss. Trier 2003, p. 193.
  3. ↑ Andrew Rocco Merlino D'Arcangelis, The persecution of the sociolinguistic group of the Yenish (also known as German land drivers) in the Nazi state 1934–1944. Diss. Hamburg 2004, pp. 205ff with reference to Lerch, Das Manische, pp. 33–36.
  4. ↑ Hans-Günter Lerch, The Manic in Giessen. The secret language of a social fringe group, its history and its sociological background. Diss. Gießen 1976, p. 37 f.
  5. ↑ Kurt Kehr, Secret Language in Dialect. Köddingen and Neuroth today, pp. 73–80. in: Klaus Siewert (ed.), Rotwelsch dialects. Symposium Münster. = Special Language Research I. Wiesbaden 1996.
  6. ↑ Discussion of Grolman's Actual History. In: Heidelberger Jahrbücher 1813. Second half Julius to December, Heidelberg 1813, pp. 721–732, p. 727.
  7. ↑ Winfried Wackerfuß, Odenwälder Robber Gangs. In: Hessian homeland. From nature and history. The local supplement of the Central Hessian daily newspapers Gießener Allgemeine - Alsfelder Allgemeine, No. 24, 1967, pp. 93–85, p. 93
  8. ↑ Eugen Sandmann, The Wetzlar Congress Against Thieves and Robbers, 1801. In: Nassovia 9, 1908, p. 34 f.
  9. ^ Friedrich Ludwig Adolph Grolman, history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them. In addition to personal description of many thieves and robbers scattered throughout the German dialect; With a copper plaque, which shows the faithful portraits of 16 main criminals. Giessen 1813.
  10. ↑ Grolmann, Acten-like history, p. 1 ff.
  11. ↑ Heidelberger Jahrbücher 1813, p. 722.
  12. ^ Grolman, Actenweise, p. 102.
  13. ^ Friedrich Ludwig Adolph Grolman , history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them. In addition to personal description of many thieves and robbers scattered throughout the German dialect; With a copper plaque, which shows the faithful portraits of 16 main criminals. Giessen 1813. pp. 1-203.
  14. ^ Andrew D'Arcangelis, The Persecution of the Sociolinguistic Group, p. 209.
  15. ↑ Grolman, Actual History, p. 352.
  16. ↑ Grolman, Actenweise, p. 265.
  17. ^ Hermann Bettenhäuser, robber and crook gangs in Hesse. A contribution to the attempt at a historical criminology of Hesse. In: Journal of the Association for Hessian History and Regional Studies. Vol. 75/76. 1964/65, pp. 275-348, p. 338.
  18. ↑ CPT Schwencken, records of the crooks = and vagabonds = rabble, as well as of individual professional thieves, in the countries between the Rhine and the Elbe, together with a precise description of their person. From a Kurhessischer Criminal = officials, Cassel 1822, p. 265.
  19. ↑ Schwencken, Nachrichten von dem Gauner = und Vagabunden = Gesindel, p. 301.
  20. ↑ Heidelberger Jahrbücher 1813, p. 726.
  21. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 357.
  22. ↑ Heidelberger Jahrbücher 1813, p. 726.
  23. ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 407.
  24. ↑ Ludwig Pfister, Record-based history of the robber gangs on the two banks of the Main. P. 109.
  25. ^ Katrin Lange, Society and Crime. Gangs of robbers in the 18th and 19th centuries. = European University Theses, Series III. History and its auxiliary sciences. Vol. 584. Ffm 194, p. 152 f.
  26. ↑ Udo Fleck, Thieves - Robbers - Murderers, p. 210.
  27. ↑ Heidelberger Jahrbücher, p. 727.
  28. ↑ Pfister, Record-based history of the robber gangs on both banks of the Main, in the Spessart and in the Odenwalde. Heidelberg 1812, p. 556.
  29. Jump up ↑ Grolman, Acting History, p. 350.
  30. ↑ Hans-Günter Lerch, Das Manische in Gießen, p. 37 f.
  31. ↑ Heidelberger Jahrbücher 1813, p. 725.
  32. ^ Friedrich Ludwig Adolf von Grolman: Actual history of the Vogelsberg and Wetterau robber gangs and several criminals associated with them , Georg Friedrich Heyer, Gießen 1813, p. 461.
  33. ↑ Grolman, Description of the files, pp. 66, 563.
  34. ↑ Grolman, History of the Acts, p. 472 ff.