Beheadings in the Third Reich

[fredric]

On that date, Mr. Wesolek and his wife Frieda probably faced Scharfricter Rottger, newly appointed to his post.
Otherwise it might have been Englehardt. Isn't it amazing we have only written information, no photographs?
Such hideous murder of people who saw the truth about Hitler must be engraved in our hearts.

[Pete26]

Another Pankrac execution notice.jpg

Six people guillotined in Pankrac prison on 29 June 1944 in one minute intervals by executioner Alois Weiss. The execution notice is in both German and Czech languages. Notice how the names of the executed, spelled correctly in the Czech text, are Germanized in the German text. These people were executed for the crime of providing shelter and aid to Reich's enemies.

[fredric]

Pete, this is an opportunity to thank you so much you have contributed to
our Forum. Thanks!
My best for your future.
c

[Matthieu52]

Document of Walter Schmidt's Execution
15. Juni 1926, Reichenhain – 27. März 1942
Walter Schmidt lost his head under the fallbeil at the age of 15 years plus 9 months. Were there any other formal executions of which the executed were younger than this boy?

https://www.gedenkstaette-ploetzensee.d ... idt-walter

[fredric]

Thank you for a document which authentically records an early execution at Plotzensee.
i give my best to all contributors to this Forum. i am due my wife's condition, I am unable
to devote the time to this subject. Please keep alive the history of these dark years.
Could such times return. I pray they never do.
Thank you and all for your inputs.

[Pete26]

https://www.tyden.cz/rubriky/zahranici/ ... 89086.html

(Note: the article is in the Czech language but you can use google translate for English translation).

[Pete26]

Pankrac prison memorial tablet.jpg

English translation of text:

"In Pankrac prison were executed victims of German Nazism and Czechoslovak Communism. Based on sentences by Nazi courts, 920 men and 155 women were executed by guillotine in the years 1943-1945. Based on sentences by Czechoslovak courts, 176 men and one woman (attorney Milada Horakova, 1950) were executed by hanging in the years 1949-1960. Among the executed are also members of the prison guard group - Cenek Petelik (1950) and Jan Horacek (1951).

We honor their memory."

[TEOL_PR]

Hello y'all: I don't comment much, but enjoy our exchanges. Today I am able to contribute some information and not obtaining information. A happy day for me.

I had the honor of interviewing the last living member of the famous Jehovah Witnesses Family, Kusserow. Unfortunately, Mr. Paul-Gerhard Kusserow went to the eternal rest last year. His brother Wolfgang was beheaded on March 28, 1942 in Berlin because he refused the mandatory military service based on his faith. He was first in Berlin Alt-Moabit Interrogation Prison (Untersuchungsgefängnis Berlin), from where he was then transferred to Plötzensee for 68 days. His older brother was executed by firing squad years earlier for the same reason. However, because Hitler considered too humane the execution by firing squad for those who refuse to serve in the military, he himself signed the beheading execution order. Wolfgang was 20 years old.

My current dilemma is, were the beheading executions only done in Plötzensee? I am still researching his imprisonment.

I hope my humble contribution could help others.

Greetings from Germany

[fredric]

With shock and sorrow I read of your family's sad history.
To start, my best wishes from the U.S. from a German family who
was fortunate to escape. I would give you all I know.
No, Herr aka "you'all" (I don't talk that way!!!) But my wife, Polish and
me 2nd generation Deutch. You have some sensitive information, mein herr.
I know the "Plotz". Write. Private is fine.
Best,
Carter

[TEOL_PR]

Dear Carter: thanks for commenting. I am working on an Oral History Project based on WWII since 2007. I interviewed 20 witnesses. Mr. Kusserow was one of my last interviews in 2017. Wilhelm and Wolfgang were two of his older brothers. The information I shared was already published by his brother, Hans-Werner, who published two books about this family ordeal during the Nazi Era.

I am currently in contact with the Berlin Archives, trying to obtain some docs to clarify some conflicting information I have.

By the way, I lived 11 yrs in Nashville and kept our peculiar and friendly "y'all" greetings. lol

[Ponury]

My current dilemma is, were the beheading executions only done in Plötzensee? I am still researching his imprisonment.

I hope my humble contribution could help others.

Greetings from Germany

In Königsberg also. One of our Polish intelligence aces was killed there.

In June 1942 he was taken to the "Neubau" prison in Königsberg and placed in the death cell. On December 14, 1942, he was guilled [18].

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Kasztelan

[fredric]

Hello y'all: I don't comment much, but enjoy our exchanges. Today I am able to contribute some information and not obtaining information. A happy day for me.

I had the honor of interviewing the last living member of the famous Jehovah Witnesses Family, Kusserow. Unfortunately, Mr. Paul-Gerhard Kusserow went to the eternal rest last year. His brother Wolfgang was beheaded on March 28, 1942 in Berlin because he refused the mandatory military service based on his faith. He was first in Berlin Alt-Moabit Interrogation Prison (Untersuchungsgefängnis Berlin), from where he was then transferred to Plötzensee for 68 days. His older brother was executed by firing squad years earlier for the same reason. However, because Hitler considered too humane the execution by firing squad for those who refuse to serve in the military, he himself signed the beheading execution order. Wolfgang was 20 years old.

My current dilemma is, were the beheading executions only done in Plötzensee? I am still researching his imprisonment.

I hope my humble contribution could help others.

Greetings from Germany

Beheading by fallbeil became the desiginated standard method in 1936, a technology that would became a hallmark of Nazi history more were built and installed. prisons.

Plotzensee was one of the 12 central execution prisons.
Records claim that 32 people was the record number of beheadings on the Plotz machine in one session.
20 or more fallbeille were in use by the end of the War.
So beheadings were not "only done" at Plotzensee.
Heads fell throughout the Reich, estimated at 16000...more than during the French Revolution.

FYI Plotzensee received its classic Mannhardt (1854) fallbeil from Breslau in1936.
Scharfricters reported that the machine that was installed firmly to the floor of the execution was "solidly built" and worked well.
Some parts of it may be on display today at Brandenburg-Gorden, but not at the Plotz.
Designated"Central Execution Sites" locations kept expanding to serve the Reich
.
But we know fallbeille were in operaton: at Plotzensee, Stadelheim, Breslau, Dresden, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Halle, Koln, Hamburg, Kattowitz, Posen,Sttugart, Weimer, Konigsburg, Wolfenbuettel and Wein. The idea was to have functioning fabeille at many sites thus
reducing transportation issues.

The last record I have for th the Plotzensee machine being to behead 4-5 people in 1945 just as the Russians began
their seizure of Berlin. The Russians found the machine badly demaged but documented, disassembled and put it into storage
for possible use as in Exhibit at The Great Patriotic Museum in Keiv. It never got there because a machine in better condition was found and still can be seen at the Museum.

[TEOL_PR]

Fredic, this information is priceless. Where did you get it from? Do you know if this information is also available in German? Thanks for shedding some light about this terrible death penalty.

Am I still wondering what they did with the bodies of the executed prisoners? Where they burned? Tossed in a Mass grave? or given to the families for a proper burial?

Greetings from Germany

[fredric]

The bodies of executed prisoners were offered to the families in some locations (e.g. Munchen --read about the Scholl children, etc) but as the War progressed, the practice often was discontinued. Bodies not claimed by families were typically offered and given to medical schools as a learning tool. Bodies not claimed were then cremated. Some were buried in a mass grave. As a result, German doctors produced some the finest anatomical textbooks and some are still in use. Dissected were preserved. Today a huge effort still is being made to identify the remains or to bury the specimens with respect.

[TEOL_PR]

Once again, thanks for the information. Since all the family members are dead, it is hard to found out where his brother was buried. On the source of information I have, there is no mention of his burial site. Since they were Jehovah Witnesses, I am sure his parents buried him at home, but need to have information to confirm this theory.

I will try to get my hands on that suggested book.