Beheadings in the Third Reich

[Pete26]

Alois Weiss married 26 year old Katharina F. in 1939. She had an eight year old boy whom she brought into the marriage. Because Weiss himself was born out of wedlock, he bore no grudges against his wife.

This is the only reference I found about children of Alois Weiss.

Source: Berufswunsch Henker by Klaus Hillenbrand

[Pete26]

Execution notice of five Polish boys from Poznan who were sentenced to death for "preparation for treason" and beheaded at Munchner Platz Dresden on 24 August 1942. Three other Poles were beheaded the same day.




http://poznanskapiatka.archpoznan.pl/im ... wyroku.png

Severed heads, one after the other, fell into a collecting bucket. The terrifying wiew was watched by father Franz Bänsch OMI, standing to the side and holding in his hand raised high his Oblate cross which his law used to be worn tucked into his belt. It was the last will of convicts - to be able to see the cross at the time of death.

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

http://www.st-paulus-dresden.de/selige_baensch.htm

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Some interesting facts about Munchner Platz executions:

The last guillotine execution during the Third Reich era was on 8 February 1945.

The bodies of the executed prisoners were sent to anatomical institutes in Leipzig or Halle. Also, many were buried in several Dresden cemeteries.

Executions typically started at 6 o'clock in the evening.

If any women were among those to be executed, they were usually executed first.

[Pete26]

Andre Marcel Ricouard was sentenced to death and beheaded by guillotine at Vienna Landgericht on 30 August 1944 at the age of 32 for having taken a machinery leather drive belt from a bombed out building.

Er wurde Anfang Juni 1944 wegen „Plünderns“ festgenommen und am 25. Juli 1944 nach der „Verordnung gegen Volksschädlinge“ zum Tode verurteilt.

Translated:

He was in early June 1944 arrested for looting and on 25 July 1944 sentenced to death according to "People's Pest Regulation".

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Marcel_Ricouard

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Description of the execution:

Am 30. August 1944 wurde André Marcel Ricouard im Landesgericht
Wien hingerichtet. Der Hinrichtungsvorgang ist protokolliert:
„Der Scharfrichter meldet, dass das Richtgerät in Ordnung und er mit
seinen Gehilfen zur Vornahme der Hinrichtung bereit sei. Der Leiter der
Vollstreckungshandlung ordnet die Vorführung des Verurteilten zur Richt-
stätte an.
Um 18 Uhr 22 Minuten wird Ricouard André vorgeführt. Der Leiter
der Vollstreckungshandlung beauftragt den Scharfrichter das Urteil zu voll-
ziehen.
Um 18 Uhr 22 Minuten 50 Sekunden wird der Verurteilte dem Scharf-
richter übergeben.
Um 18 Uhr 22 Minuten 59 Sekunden meldet dieser den Vollzug des
Todesurteiles.
Das Verhalten des Scharfrichters und seiner Gehilfen war in keiner
Beziehung zu beanstanden.
Der Leichnam wurde in den bereitgestellten Sarg gelegt.

Translated:

On August 30, 1944 André Marcel Ricouard was in the National Court
Wien executed. The execution procedure is logged:

"The executioner announces that the execution device is in order and he with
his assistants is willing to carry out the execution. The head of
Enforcement action arranges for the presentation of the codemned to the execution
site.

At 1822 hours Ricouard André is brought in. The Head
the enforcement action instructs the executioner to carry out the sentence.

At 1822 hours and 50 seconds the condemned is turned over to the executioner.

At 1822 hours and 59 seconds announcement is made that the verdict has been enforced.

The behavior of the executioner and his assistants was not
objectionable.

The body was placed in the provided coffin.

In summary, it took just under one minute (59 seconds) to complete the execution from the time the condemned was brought in to the announcement that the verdict has been enforced. It took 9 seconds from the time the condemned was turned over to the executioner to the time the verdict announcement was made. It is obvious that these executions were carefully timed and someone's task was to record the exact time it took to perform the execution. This was being done apparently at all central execution sites. From Pankrac testimonies we know that if an execution lasted more than 15 seconds from the time the condemned was turned over to the executioner to the fall of the blade, the executioner was reminded that the pace is too slow. It is very likely that the executioner in case of Andre Marcel Ricouard was no other than the Pankrac executioner Alois Weiss, as he also executed people in Vienna during that time.


http://www.doew.at/cms/download/52kem/doew-kern.pdf


17 people were beheaded on 30 August 1944 at Vienna Regional court.(Source: Die Guillotinierten)


Raimund Beinstein, 39

Josef Blaschek, 51

Franz Bernert, 49

Nikolaus Elefteriades, 44

Augustin Grohser, 53

Iwan Gerzcak, 19

Johann Hass, 38

Rudolf Lendner, 42

Cyrill Mittermeier, 53

Dusan Mirkovic, 27

Bernhard Propper, 36

Rosa Rozinek, 40

Andre Marcel Ricouard, 32

Franz Time, 43

Josef Werndl, 53

Ferdinand Zorich, 44

Gustav Ziegler, 27



Josef Blaschek

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/bleic/def ... -Josef.png



Franz Bernert

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/248nk/def ... -Franz.png



Augustin Grohser

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/91457/def ... gustin.png



Gustav Ziegler

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/4miot/def ... Gustav.png

[Pete26]

Robert Kislinger

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/2ob5a/def ... Robert.png

Robert Kislinger was sentenced to death for "conspiracy to commit high treason" and was guillotined at Vienna Regional Court on 19 September 1944 at the age of 39. The executioner was Alois Weiss.

[Pete26]

Lothar Dirmhirn and his wife Hermine Dirmhirn were sentenced to death for conspiracy to commit high treason and they were both guillotined at Vienna Regional Court on 26 February 1943.

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/8f1v1/def ... Lothar.png

http://www.doew.at/cms/download/40g1o/19793_20_0001.pdf

[Pete26]

Richard Eibel was guillotined at Vienna Regional Court on 21 November 1944 at the age of 42.

http://www.doew.at/cms/images/30c2m/def ... ichard.png

[Pete26]

Karl-Heiz Schlör was sentenced to death per the People's Pest Regulation by the Sondergericht in Kiel for having taken a wallet containing 20 Reichmarks, a gold medallion and a silver ring worth about 30 Reichmarks from a bomb attack damaged building. He was beheaded by guillotine in Hamburg Holstenglacis prison on 11 June 1942 at the age of 23.

Source: Hinrichtungen in Hamburg und Altona (1933-1944) by Andreas Seeger and Fritz Treichel

[Pete26]

A good article about Central Execution sites in Poland.

http://www.montes.pl/montes/index.php?o ... temid=1722

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

It is of interest to note that after the sites were first created, the Hanover executioner Friedrich Hehr operated both Katowice and Wroclaw fallbeils. Later, executioner August Koster took over in Katowice. And starting in 1944, Koster started operating the Wroclaw fallbeil as well.
Gottlob Bordt operated the fallbeil in Poznan and Karl Henschke the fallbeils in Konigsberg and Gdansk (Danzig).

it is also mentioned in the article that the following individuals served as the executioner's assistants in Katowice:
Franz Falkenberg, Wilhelm Haughton, Lasota, Peter Szklarz, and Sliwinski.

[Pete26]

1933: 8

1934: 8

1935: 2

1936: 1

1937: 1

1938: 2

1939: 9

1940: 15

1941: 24

1942: 112

1943: 159

1944: 134

Total: 475 (450 men and 25 women)

Source: Hinrichtungen in Hamburg und Altona (1933-1944) by Andreas Seeger and Fritz Treichel

Note: In December 1944 the Hamburg guillotine was moved to Dreibergen-Butzow prison. Hamburg executioner Friedrich Hehr continued his grim work there, in addition to serving the Wofenbuttel execution site. On 1 April 1944 Alfred Roselieb replaced Friedrich Hehr as the Roter Ochse prison executioner in Halle (Saale).

[Pete26]

This is a sketch showing a Mannhardt style fallbeil blade and its dimensions, both in front and side views. Several of these blades were made by firm Prinz & Kremer for the Reinland-Pfalzische fallbeil. The cost for three blades was 2000 Marks in 1949.

If you look closely at the sketch, the width of the blade is given as 290 milimeters (mm), the overall length as 600 mm. The angle of the double bevel edge is not given, but it can easily be calculated as inverse tangent of (200/290), which gives 34.6 degrees.

It appears that the thickness of the blade is given as 18 mm, which would be 18/25.4 = 0.71 inches, or almost 3/4 of an inch thick.

From the dimensions of the notched countersunk holes it can be seen that the fallbeil mounting bolts are quite large - the matching profile round bolt heads are just under 45 mm on top, which is 1.8 inches in diameter. The bolt diameter is just under 24 mm, or almost an inch.

The horizontal spacing between mounting holes is 215 mm and vertical spacing is 170 mm.

The cutout for the blade retaining claw is 65 mm wide and 100 mm long with a semicircular bottom. The semicircular side cutouts made for ease of handling of the blade when installing and removing it, are 110 mm long and 30 mm deep at the deepest point.

From videos posted about the Stadelheim fallbeil we know that these types of blades alone weighed about 15 kg or 33 lbs. The sliding frame (sledge) to which the blade was attached weighed at least another 45 kg for a total weight of 60 kg, or 132 lbs.

Source: Lebenslanglich Todesstrafe by Friedrich Kuppersbusch and Oliver Becker

[Pete26]

The last beheading in the British occupied zone took place on 13 March 1948 around 9 AM in Dortmund. Helmut Schmeis, convicted of a double murderer, was beheaded by the Dortmund fallbeil. He killed a 40 year old woman and her 9 year old daughter. A total of 48 people were beheaded in Dortmund by the British after WWII.

Attached is a sketch of Dortmund execution complex. It consisted of an anteroom, an execution room with the guillotine, and an autopsy room (morgue). The anteroom was divided from the execution room with a black curtain. It is interesting to note that once the black curtain was opened, the condemned would see the side of the fallbeil, not the end of its bench as was the case in most other execution rooms. Apparently the fallbeil had to mounted sideways due to limited width of these rooms. Each room was about 3 X 5 meters in dimension. The sketch shows the dimensions of the fallbeil bench and even shows the location of the floor drain.

Source: Lebenslanglich Todesstrafe by Friedrich Kupperbusch and Oliver Becker



"Lübecker Hof" - Dortmund Central execution site

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8487/8209 ... 9e52_z.jpg

[Pete26]

Paul Kucz was sentenced to death for desertion and beheaded by guillotine in Dortmund prison on 21 July 1944 at 1755 hours at the age of 25, just one week before his 26th birthday. He was buried in a single grave in Dortmund Main Cemetery.



http://www.stolpersteine-gelsenkirchen. ... rtmund.jpg



A letter directing transfer of Paul Kucz to Dortmund prison

http://www.stolpersteine-gelsenkirchen. ... kusz_2.jpg

[Pete26]

Marcel Creusiaux, Belgian, age 43, beheaded on 18 October 1943

Francois Levens, Belgian, age 19, beheaded on 18 October 1943

Raoul Toutin, Belgian, age 22, beheaded on 18 October 1943

Marcel Vestichel, French, age 22, beheaded on 26 May 1944

Creusiaux, Marcel
Belgier, wurde am 7. September 1900 in Gosselies bei Charleroi geboren. Der Eisenbahner wohnte in Gosselies, avenue de la Station 6.
Als Widerstandskämpfer vermutlich 1942 bei „Nacht und Nebel“ verhaftet und zunächst im Gefängnis von Charleroi festgehalten, wurde Creusiaux heimlich nach Deutschland in das Untersuchungsgefängnis Bochum verschleppt.
Am 22. Mai 1943 kam Creusiaux mit einem großen Sammeltransport von 150 NN-Gefangenen aus Bochum in das Zuchthaus Hameln.
Drei Monate später, am 18. August, wurde Marcel Creusiaux mit zwei anderen Eisenbahnern aus Charleroi, Raoul Toutin und Francois Levens, in das Strafgefangenenlager Esterwegen, eines der KZ-artigen Moorlager der Justiz im Emsland, gebracht, um vom dort tagenden Berliner „Volksgerichtshof“ wegen Spionage zum Tode verurteilt zu werden.
Am 16. September 1943 wurde Creusiaux zusammen mit den Todeskandidaten Toutin und Levens in das Gefängnis Dortmund überstellt, in dem sich eine Hinrichtungsstätte befand.
Dort wurde Marcel Creusiaux am 18. Oktober 1943 mit dem Fallbeil getötet.

Levens, Francois
Belgier, wurde am 20. November 1923 in Macinelle bei Charleroi geboren. Der Eisenbahner wohnte in Montignies bei Charleroi, rue Francois Renoreu 83.
Als Widerstandskämpfer vermutlich 1942 bei „Nacht und Nebel“ verhaftet und zunächst in den Gefängnissen von Charleroi und St. Gilles festgehalten, wurde Francois Levens heimlich nach Deutschland in das Untersuchungsgefängnis Bochum verschleppt.
Am 22. Mai 1943 kam Levens mit einem großen Sammeltransport von 150 NN-Gefangenen aus Bochum in das Zuchthaus Hameln.
Drei Monate später, am 18. August, wurde Francois Levens mit zwei anderen Eisenbahnern aus Charleroi, Marcel Creusiaux und Raoul Toutin, in das Strafgefangenenlager Esterwegen, eines der KZ-artigen Moorlager der Justiz im Emsland, gebracht, um vom dort tagenden Berliner „Volksgerichtshof“ wegen Spionage und Sabotage zum Tode verurteilt zu werden.
Am 16. September 1943 wurde Francois Levens zusammen mit den Todeskandidaten Creusiaux und Toutin in das Gefängnis Dortmund überstellt, in dem sich eine Hinrichtungsstätte befand.
Dort wurde Francois Levens am 18. Oktober 1943 mit dem Fallbeil getötet.

Toutin, Raoul
Belgier, wurde am 23. November 1920 in Gilly bei Charleroi geboren. Der Eisenbahner wohnte in Gilly.
Als Widerstandskämpfer vermutlich 1942 bei „Nacht und Nebel“ verhaftet und zunächst in den Gefängnissen von Charleroi und St. Gilles festgehalten, wurde Raoul Toutin heimlich nach Deutschland in das Untersuchungsgefängnis Bochum verschleppt.
Am 22. Mai 1943 kam Toutin mit einem großen Sammeltransport von 150 NN-Gefangenen aus Bochum in das Zuchthaus Hameln.
Drei Monate später, am 18. August, wurde Raoul Toutin mit zwei anderen Eisenbahnern aus Charleroi, Marcel Creusiaux und Francois Levens, in das Strafgefangenenlager Esterwegen, eines der KZ-artigen Moorlager der Justiz im Emsland, gebracht, um vom dort tagenden Berliner „Volksgerichtshof“ wegen Feindbegünstigung zum Tode verurteilt zu werden.
Am 16. September 1943 wurde Raoul Toutin zusammen mit den Todeskandidaten Creusiaux und Levens in das Gefängnis Dortmund überstellt, in dem sich eine Hinrichtungsstätte befand.
Dort wurde Raoul Toutin am 18. Oktober 1943 mit dem Fallbeil getötet.

Verstichel, Marcel
Franzose, wurde am 8. Oktober 1921 in Huy geboren. Der Bäcker wohnte in Huy, rue Tonarge 3.
Als Widerstandskämpfer vermutlich 1942 bei „Nacht und Nebel“ verhaftet und zunächst im Gefängnis Namur festgehalten, wurde Marcel Verstichel heimlich nach Deutschland in das Untersuchungsgefängnis Bochum verschleppt.
Am 22. Mai 1943 kam Verstichel mit einem großen Sammeltransport von 150 NN-Gefangenen aus Bochum in das Zuchthaus Hameln.
Am 2. Februar 1944 wurde Marcel Verstichel in das Strafgefangenenlager Esterwegen, eines der KZ-artigen Moorlager der Justiz im Emsland, gebracht, um vom dort tagenden Sondergericht Essen wegen Sabotage zum Tode verurteilt zu werden.
Über die Strafanstalt Lingen wurde Verstichel in das Gefängnis Dortmund gebracht, in dem sich eine Hinrichtungsstätte befand.
Dort wurde Marcel Verstichel am 26. Mai 1944 mit dem Fallbeil getötet.

http://www.geschichte-hameln.de/gedenkb ... 20Dortmund

[Piotr1]

A good article about Central Execution sites in Poland.

http://www.montes.pl/montes/index.php?o ... temid=1722

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

It is of interest to note that after the sites were first created, the Hanover executioner Friedrich Hehr operated both Katowice and Wroclaw fallbeils. Later, executioner August Koster took over in Katowice. And starting in 1944, Koster started operating the Wroclaw fallbeil as well.
Gottlob Bordt operated the fallbeil in Poznan and Karl Henschke the fallbeils in Konigsberg and Gdansk (Danzig).

it is also mentioned in the article that the following individuals served as the executioner's assistants in Katowice:
Franz Falkenberg, Wilhelm Haughton, Lasota, Peter Szklarz, and Sliwinski.

There was never Zentrale Hinrichtungsstätte in Warsaw with special designed "scharfrichters"
The fallbeil was never used in Warsaw. Typical way of (mass) execution was shooting

[Pete26]

A good article about Central Execution sites in Poland.

http://www.montes.pl/montes/index.php?o ... temid=1722

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

It is of interest to note that after the sites were first created, the Hanover executioner Friedrich Hehr operated both Katowice and Wroclaw fallbeils. Later, executioner August Koster took over in Katowice. And starting in 1944, Koster started operating the Wroclaw fallbeil as well.
Gottlob Bordt operated the fallbeil in Poznan and Karl Henschke the fallbeils in Konigsberg and Gdansk (Danzig).

it is also mentioned in the article that the following individuals served as the executioner's assistants in Katowice:
Franz Falkenberg, Wilhelm Haughton, Lasota, Peter Szklarz, and Sliwinski.

There was never Zentrale Hinrichtungsstätte in Warsaw with special designed "scharfrichters"
The fallbeil was never used in Warsaw. Typical way of (mass) execution was shooting

I think the article mistakenly stated "Warsaw" instead of "Wroclaw".