Who was Mr. Albrecht?

Discussions on every day life in the Weimar Republic, pre-anschluss Austria, Third Reich and the occupied territories. Hosted by Vikki.
User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#1

Post by Popp-Köhler » 22 May 2010, 07:04

What follows is a Berlin vignette from about 1942...my mother was about 10, or maybe 11. I just heard this for the first time today. I have been working on a family history and cataloging several bins of photos, some of which have been sealed for 50 years.

My grandmother was employed in Berlin at one point as a radio broadcaster. She spoke fluent Hungarian and Romanian, had a weekly radio program which was broadcast to Romania.

Part of the radio program advertised work opportunities for young men from Romania. These jobs were portrayed as great opportunities to learn valuable trades, but far from being taught valuable trades, the men who signed on were subjected to heavy physical labor and poor treatment which included frequent dousing with toxic powders to combat lice. Many of these young men arrived from Romania with tuberculosis present in their bodies and the hard labor often accelerated disease. It sounds like they were recruited for road building projects.

On more than one occasion, my grandmother, and ethnic German from Romania, was called to the bedside of a dying Romanian laborer. It eventually weighed so heavily on her conscience that during one of her weekly broadcasts, she deviated from the script and warned off would-be enlistees that the conditions and opportunities were not as officially presented.

She worked near Adolf Hitler Platz, and before she got home, the police (Gestapo?) showed up at her residence to take her into custody. Ironically, both my grandmother and my mother shared the same name, so at this point, my mother runs down a back hallway while her Russian housekeeper tells the men there is no way in hell they are taking my mother anywhere.

My mother ran down a back flight of stairs to the home of their very good neighbor, a Mr. Albrecht. Mr. Albrecht was a tall slender man with patrician manners and almost platinum blond hair. In his mid-thirties, he wore a grey gabardine suit-like uniform with grey leather riding boots. Mr. Albrecht was a close neighbor who worked in the Reich Chancellery, very high up the food chain, possibly as a secretary to AH.

When my mother ran to him and told him about the men their housekeeper was stonewalling, Mr. Albrecht took my mother by the hand, assured her everything would be alright, and presented himself to the Gestapo? officers.

My mother says Mr. Albrecht flashed an insignia or a badge of some sort that was on his lapel and the officers vanished as fast as they could, probably passing my grandmother on their way out.

My mother is 78 and had a stroke several years ago, so I try to cross check vignettes such as these. My mother, as I was taking her home from a doctor's appointment, mentioned that this Mr. Albrecht would often be picked up or dropped off in a beautiful Horch automobile. Now I am a car buff, but I had to Google "Horch". How my mother could recall that name I do not know, but it would be difficult to make all this up.

I would love to figure out what insignia Mr Albrecht flashed that caused the police to scatter. What is the significance of a grey gabardine uniform and grey boots? What did he do at the Reich Chancellery?

I was going to post this in "Uniforms", but I thought the story was interesting.

history1
Banned
Posts: 4095
Joined: 31 Oct 2005, 10:12
Location: Austria

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#2

Post by history1 » 22 May 2010, 13:03

Popp-Köhler wrote:[...]the men who signed on were subjected to heavy physical labor and poor treatment which included frequent dousing with toxic powders to combat lice.
Any source about this? People in Europe knew DDT just after the war, by delousing KL -risoners and refugees.
http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/a ... itoes.html
Popp-Köhler wrote: Many of these young men arrived from Romania with tuberculosis present in their bodies and the hard labor often accelerated disease. It sounds like they were recruited for road building projects.

Is this something what your mother told you or do you have documents to this speculation?
Popp-Köhler wrote:On more than one occasion, my grandmother, and ethnic German from Romania, was called to the bedside of a dying Romanian laborer.

Why? What has a radio speaker to do with labor workers? That I can´t imagine.
Popp-Köhler wrote:[...]
She worked near Adolf Hitler Platz, and before she got home, the police (Gestapo?) showed up at her residence to take her into custody. [...]

Remember that there was a normal police in TR, and not only the Gestapo.
Popp-Köhler wrote:[...] In his mid-thirties, he wore a grey gabardine suit-like uniform with grey leather riding boots. Mr. Albrecht was a close neighbor who worked in the Reich Chancellery, very high up the food chain, possibly as a secretary to AH.

Why do you assume that he was AH secretary?
Popp-Köhler wrote:[...]
My mother says Mr. Albrecht flashed an insignia or a badge of some sort that was on his lapel and the officers vanished as fast as they could, probably passing my grandmother on their way out.

Maybe Albrecht was from the Gestapo? That would explain why the police did leave the uncomfortable place immediately.


User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#3

Post by Popp-Köhler » 23 May 2010, 22:41

Thank you for your thoughts. You raise some interesting issues. In order:

I mention the de-lousing because I believe it was generally known that the powder used had a very distinct smell. I have heard mention of it from research on DP camps. I will look at your link.

My grandmother was vetted by the SS in 1938. I recently received the documents from The Hoover Institute. I am told she was recruited as a translator and radio announcer.

"What has a radio speaker to do with labor workers?"...I believe it is an accepted fact that radio was used to recruit workers.

"Remember that there was a normal police in TR, and not only the Gestapo." Yes, but why would they be monitoring Romanian language radio broadcasts?

"Why do you assume that he was AH secretary?" I am only trying to verify what I have been told. I doubt the coffee boy would get driven home in a Horch. Maybe Albrecht was simply a staff member, don't yet know. There is a deeper reason why I would like to find out.

"Maybe Albrecht was from the Gestapo?" Good point. Does the description of the uniform provide any clues? I am no expert in this area and would welcome any further thoughts. I suppose I could cross reference residential lists for that name and address.

User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#4

Post by Popp-Köhler » 26 May 2010, 05:49

history1 wrote: Is this something what your mother told you or do you have documents to this speculation?


The file from International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen arrived today. Within the documents is a written statement provided by my grandmother to the International Refugee Organization in Geneva.

Part of this statement follows. More clarity but also more confusion.
history1 wrote:Remember that there was a normal police in TR, and not only the Gestapo.


"1942, durch Übersetzung des Arbeitsvertrages betreff, den Einsatz von 10.000 rumän Lehrlingen, kam ich mit Problemen in Berührung, die mich verschiedens Ungerechtigkeiten entdecken liess. Ich eilte den betrogenen und schlecht behandelten rumänischen Lehrlingen zur Hilfe, sorgte für ihre Heimschaffung und verhinderte, dass nach dem 1. Transport von nur 600 Lehrlingen, weitere Transporte erfolgen. Daraufhin wurde ich von der Gestapo dreimal verhaftet und bis 1945 nicht mehr aus den Augen gelassen."

Arrested three times by the Gestapo, it would appear. Anybody know how one can track down a Gestapo rap sheet or were those records mostly destroyed as Berlin fell?

pavel michalek
Member
Posts: 971
Joined: 04 Mar 2008, 14:19

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#5

Post by pavel michalek » 26 May 2010, 15:25

Popp-Köhler wrote:My mother ran down a back flight of stairs to the home of their very good neighbor, a Mr. Albrecht. Mr. Albrecht was a tall slender man with patrician manners and almost platinum blond hair. In his mid-thirties, he wore a grey gabardine suit-like uniform with grey leather riding boots. Mr. Albrecht was a close neighbor who worked in the Reich Chancellery, very high up the food chain, possibly as a secretary to AH.
Wasn´t he Alwin-Broder Albrecht?

Image
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alwin-Broder_Albrecht

history1
Banned
Posts: 4095
Joined: 31 Oct 2005, 10:12
Location: Austria

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#6

Post by history1 » 26 May 2010, 18:20

Amazing Pavel, and as Brigadeführer (= General) as assumed a high ranking officer.

User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#7

Post by Popp-Köhler » 26 May 2010, 20:20

I will show this photo to my mother. It would be stunning to connect the dots after all these years. The amount of collective knowledge on this forum is amazing. I thank everyone for their interest in this mystery.

I asked if she knew any other details...just to paint a better picture, my mother suffered a stroke several years ago. She cannot balance a checkbook, but she can recall amazing details sometimes. (she was able to recall that her phone number on Momsennstrasee 77 was 31.87.12).

1. We do not have a first name to cross reference; children addressed adults by their last name.

2. Albrecht would have lived at Momsennstrasse 76 or 78. My mother lived at Momsennstrasse 77.

3. We are looking for a married man. Albrecht's wife's sister was married to a judge named Dr. Reschke, who was also a neighbor per my mother. A quick internet search leads me to the name of Gerta von Radinger, Albrecht's widow.

4. Albrecht was an equestrian. Not unusual for the times, but perhaps helpful to know.

5. I did some quick research and see this Mr. Albrecht was in the Kriegsmarine...would this explain the grey boots?

6. If this is correct Albrecht, it would explain why a Horch would pick him up and drop him off. And he would certainly outrank a low level Gestapo.

7. I notice Albrecht has a birthdate of 1903. My mother estimated her neigbor to be about 35 years old, that would only about four years' off.

Very intriguing...to be continued.

User avatar
Annelie
Member
Posts: 5053
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 03:45
Location: North America

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#8

Post by Annelie » 26 May 2010, 21:29


Momsennstrasee 77 was 31.87.12).
Interestingly enough my family also lived on Momsennstrasse during that time in Berlin.

User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#9

Post by Popp-Köhler » 26 May 2010, 22:45

Annelie wrote: Interestingly enough my family also lived on Momsennstrasse during that time in Berlin.
Small world, as the saying goes. My mother went to school around the corner on either Schulerstrasse or Bleibtreutrasse. I would love to see what the neighborhood looked like.

User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#10

Post by Popp-Köhler » 26 May 2010, 23:03

Going by the resident registration cards sent from ITS Arolsen, it would appear that my mother lived next to Mr. Albrecht prior to 1940. I have extrapolated four different Berlin residences for my mother, and according to the records I received, they were on Windscheidt Strasse 33 April 1, 1940 to Sept 1, 1944, "coming from Kurfurstendamm 178".

Prior to Kdamm, they lived on Sensburger Allee, possibly across the street from Georg Kolbe. That would leave Momsennstrasse.

Correspondence from the Reichsführer office date stamped May 19, 1939, showed that they were unable to verify residency at “67” Momsennstrasse based on an “anfrage” on June 15, 1938.

That is because the SS had the wrong address. To quote Homer Simpson: "D'oh!"

In any event that would make Alwin Broder Albrecht 36 years old in 1939, which matches my mother's description of a "mid-thirties" man. He would've just been transferred from the navy in June 1939, possibly explaining the grey uniform...?

Question--do the collar markings on Albrecht's photo denote his rank?

pavel michalek
Member
Posts: 971
Joined: 04 Mar 2008, 14:19

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#11

Post by pavel michalek » 27 May 2010, 14:38

Popp-Köhler wrote:In any event that would make Alwin Broder Albrecht 36 years old in 1939, which matches my mother's description of a "mid-thirties" man. He would've just been transferred from the navy in June 1939, possibly explaining the grey uniform...?

Question--do the collar markings on Albrecht's photo denote his rank?
He is NSKK-Brigadeführer (Brigadier General) in NSKK field gray (war time) service uniform as everyone of Adolf Hitler´s close staff had uniforms of Nazi Party organizations (like SS, SA or NSKK) in the same color during WW2.

User avatar
Heimatschuss
Member
Posts: 2597
Joined: 22 May 2006, 23:50
Location: Deutschland

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#12

Post by Heimatschuss » 01 Jun 2010, 10:52

Hello,

you should try the annual Berlin address books http://adressbuch.zlb.de/searchResultAd ... gId=383543 to find out more.

They have one section where people are listed by name and another one listing the residents of each house.

In 1938 Estalla Köhler was living in Mommsenstraße 67. A Dr. iur. Max Reschke had his residence at Mommsenstraße 68. On the other side of the block at Schlüterstraße 47 lived one Eric Albrecht whose profession is given as interpreter. It seems your mother fled through some backdoor and across the inner yard to Schlüterstraße 47. At least that's the only Mr. Albrecht I could locate in her vicinity in a quick search.


Best regards
Torsten

User avatar
Popp-Köhler
Member
Posts: 68
Joined: 29 Mar 2010, 19:30
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#13

Post by Popp-Köhler » 07 Jun 2010, 23:10

Torsten, thank you for the research effort. I am still learning my way around the link you mentioned. My German is not very good. Your theory sounds very probable.

The "iur." Reschke listing definitely is the right guy, I would say. Getting my mother to try to recall the story, my mother says she went out via the kitchen door, down the stairs, and then she cut horizontally through the courtyard toward Kdamm, toward some "special little back door" she knew would be open and let her access the street indirectly via the apartment lobby. My mother does not recall whether she headed toward Schlüterstrasse or toward Bleibtreustrasse, and then she said she went down the street to Reschke's house, where she knew she would find Albrecht...she thinks the Albrechts and the Reschkes lived in the same apartment.

In any event, my mother went into Reschke's apartment building to find Albrecht. She thinks they lived one flight above the street level (2nd floor American, 1st floor European).


Thank you.

User avatar
Peter H
Member
Posts: 28628
Joined: 30 Dec 2002, 14:18
Location: Australia

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#14

Post by Peter H » 16 Jun 2010, 13:39

An off topic query on one Albrecht Bohemme has been moved to the Axis Biographical Research section.

raycor1
New member
Posts: 1
Joined: 20 Apr 2014, 19:33

Re: Who was Mr. Albrecht?

#15

Post by raycor1 » 20 Apr 2014, 19:47

Its been a while since anyone has posted about this but just in case.

I think it was Alwin-Broder Albrecht who helped your grandmother. Her description matches him well. He was one of AH's adjutants and was married to Gerta Albrecht (later to be Von Radinger). He is believed to have died, possibly in action, possibly as suicide, on 1st May 1945 near the bunker.

The Judge Reschke you mention was married to one of Gerta's sister (sybille), and was a high court judge before the war, but worked in the legal section of the party during it. He was taken away by the Russians and was never heard from again. Sybille was my grandmother.

hope this helps.

Post Reply

Return to “Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic”