The Polish memorial in Menden – dedicated to the victims of forced labour under the National Socialist regime

Remembering the victims of forced labour under the National Socialist regime
 

The monument in the Lendringsen cemetery, which was erected by Polish displaced persons, was officially unveiled on 4 June 1947. It is one of many examples of the commemoration of those Poles who died by their fellow countrymen immediately after the war ended.[16] However, the structure in Menden stands out for two reasons. First, it not only commemorates the Polish forced labourers, but also those from other countries. Second, the German victims are also mentioned, albeit not by name, among the victims from other countries. This is rather unusual in light of the fact that the monument was built so soon after the end of the war.[17] The forced labourers to whom the monument is dedicated were all interned in the Biebertal penal colony in Lendringsen, according to the inscription:

“In memory of the victims of the Lendringsen concentration camp [Biebertal penal colony; author’s note], from the residents of the Polish ‘Nowy-Kraków’ and ‘Kościuszkowo’ housing complexes, in collaboration with representatives of the Allied nations, 1946”. (Fig. 2)

So far, any attempt to come to terms with this dark chapter in the Sauerland region has been rooted in individual initiatives, such as that of the regional historian Antonius Fricke or the authors of the latest research paper on “Schwalbe I” to date, Horst Hassel and Horst Klötzer. The Polish monument, which is now a listed cultural heritage structure, is currently the only one of its kind which pays tribute to the forced labour during construction of the “Schwalbe I” underground production facility and the prisoners who lost their lives.

Natalia Kubiak, March 2020

Literaturverzeichnis:

Hassel, Horst / Klötzer, Horst: Kein Düsenjägersprit aus „Schwalbe I“. Über 5.000 Zwangsarbeiter und Strafgefangene schufteten 1944/45 in der Untertageverlagerung im Steinbruch Emil 1 (Hönnetal) für den Endsieg, 3. ed., Balve 2012.

Karlsch, Rainer / Stokes, Raymond G. (eds.): „Faktor Öl”. Die Mineralölwirtschaft in Deutschland 1859–1974, München 2003.

Koch, Michael: Erinnerung an Sklavenarbeit im Hönnetal, in: Westfalenpost no. 209, article from 08/09/2009.

Kubiak, Natalia: Tales from the hills – the fate of Polish forced labourers at Porta Westfalica 1944/45, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/tales-hills-fate-polish-forced-labourers-porta-westfalica-194445, last accessed on 12/3/2020.

Osses, Dietmar: The Polish memorial in Dortmund’s main cemetery, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/polish-memorial-dortmunds-main-cemetery, last accessed on 1/3/2020.

Weiterführende Literatur:

Arzinger, Kai Olaf: Stollen im Fels und Öl fürs Reich. Das Geheimprojekt „Schwalbe I“, 2. ed., Mönnig 1998.

Kruszinski, Irina: Das Geheimprojekt „Schwalbe I“. Zum lokalen Arbeitseinsatz im Dritten Reich und den Erinnerungsprozessen in der Stadt Menden. Masterarbeit, Berlin 2014, in: https://www.menden.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Leben_in_Menden/Stadtarchiv/pdf/Bachelor-_und_Masterarbeit_Schwalbe_I.pdf, last accessed on 1/3/2020.