Gertrud Krebs was born in Celle. Her mother was Mathilde Krebs, a farm worker, and her father was Heinrich Beckmann from Pinnau. Because she was developmentally delayed, Gertrud was held back by the foster mother at the children’s home where she lived and did not start school. In the spring of 1942, Gertrud developed a skin rash and was sent to the children’s hospital in Lüneburg for treatment. There, the mandatory reporting requirement was followed, so that on 20 August 1942, her admission to the »Children’s ward« was requested and she was transferred to the »Children’s ward« in Lüneburg on 2 December 1942.
Upon her admission, she stood out for her good behaviour. Since she caused no trouble and behaved unobtrusively over the following four weeks, Willi Baumert suggested that she attend school. On 12 January 1943, Gertrud was discharged to the Eben-Ezer facility in Lemgo so that she could attend the special school there. However, at Eben-Ezer she was deemed unfit for school, so a year later, on 27 January 1944, she returned to the »Children’s ward« in Lüneburg. Upon her arrival, Willi Baumert noted:
»Not fit for school. – No other difficulties.«
This was the last entry Baumert made in her medical records. A marginal note by Max Bräuner is noteworthy: »No visitors, no inquiries (Nov 44)«, written in the margin of the medical records. Gertrud was therefore able to be murdered largely unnoticed.
After this marginal note, only entries by nurse Wilhelmine Wolf followed from 2 December 1944 until her death. The documented complete decline and slow, miserable death were obviously written in one go after Gertrud was already dead.
Gertrud Krebs died with almost certainty on 23 February 1945 as a result of an overdose of Luminal. The official cause of death was »tuberculosis«. The decision to murder Gertrud may be related to a letter from the youth welfare office dated 21 November 1944, which was answered on 2 December. After her murder, the youth welfare office’s inquiry was no longer relevant.
