Hannover-Ahlem

Gedenktafeln und Mahnmal für die Ermordeten des Gestapo-Gefängnisses in Hannover-Ahlem u.a. in polnischer Sprache

From September 1941 the school building was used as an assembly point for neighbouring Jews, who were concentrated there before being transported to various ghettoes in the east and to extermination camps, including those in Auschwitz and Treblinka. After "the solution of the Jewish issue" the school premises were taken over by Gestapo and turned it into a facility which was to control several dozen thousand of forced labourers. In September 1943 a temporary prisons for foreign forced labourers was created here - it was intended for labourers whose "offences" involved "sabotage" or too low work efficiency (below the daily norm or leaving the work post without permission etc.). The punished ones were partly transferred to work education camps (Arbeitserziehungslager) and labour camps or they were sentenced to death. Until November 1944 death sentences issued by the so called special courts at police stations (Sonderstrafgerichte) had to be confirmed by the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt). Later on, however, Gestapo was granted authorisation to sentence the accused and to execute death sentence in its own prisons and in camps without Berlin's approval.

The place of execution was a wooden hut located in the vicinity of the roll-call square, partly covered by high bushes. From the beginning of the Gestapo prison's existence the hut was used as a storehouse for wood, then for keeping the prisoners' stuff. The windows were boarded up and a joiner employed by Gestapo built gallows there. Two more gallows were made on commission by a local joinery company.

The last death sentence was executed in Ahlem Gestapo camp on Maundy Thursday of 29th of March 1945. On the 1st or 2nd of April the wooden hut was burned together with all the documents of Hannover Gestapo. Hanging the condemned was replaced with more effective methods: 56 prisoners from Ahlem and 99 people evacuated from the work education camp in Lahde were shot dead on the 6th of April 1945 at the Seelhorst cemetery.

Today the place of execution is commemorated by stone plaques that are arranged to resemble the outline of foundations of the execution site. One of two shorter sides of the outline is comprised of a plate with an inscription in Polish, Russian, Italian, Hebrew, English, German and Dutch.

The Polish inscription reads: „W tym miejscu stała do 8-ego kwietnia 1945 przybudówka żydowskiej szkoły ogrodniczej. Tutaj w latach 1944–1945 zamordowani zostali włoscy, polscy i radzieccy robotnicy przymusowi”.

An incomplete list of names of Poles (or victims with Polish-sounding names) executed in Ahlem prison, together with the date and place of birth and the date of execution (original spelling of surnames, first names and birth places preserved):

KRYSTAK FRANZ * 03.06.1906 Witow, † 05.02.1945, 02:00

ZYCHOWICZ BOLESLAW * 09.10.1900, † 17.02.1945, 11:00

TURGONSKA ANNA * 10.02.1926 Percha, † 03.03.1945, 08:50

BESPALOWA HELENA * 12.02.1924 Krukow, † 12.03.1945, 06:15

MICHALSKA MARIA * 22.11.1921 Posen, † 16.03.1945, 08:10

BISKUPSKI WLADYSLAW * 02.06.1919 Zechowka, † 16.03.1945, 11:50

PAWLIK PAUL * 25.03.1925 Poltawa, † 22.03.1945, 06:50

SZENJAWSKI OTTO * 01.07.1914, † 17.02.1945, 11:05

STANISZEWSKI LUCJAN * 08.01.1921 Posen, † 16.03.1945, 12:10

CHRZANOWSKI JOSEF * 22.10.1926, † 26.03.1945, 14:25

WOJDYLA THOMAS * 13.12.1909, † 26.03.1945, 14:30

KASPERKIEWICZ SIEGMUND * 06.08.1919, † 26.03.1945, 14:30