GRAZ

From 1940 onwards, the Graz mental hospital »Am Feldhof« served as a transit facility for »planned economic transfers« to Hartheim. In 1941 or 1942, a »Children’s ward« was set up there. The directors of the institution, Oskar Begusch and Ernst Sorger (from 1944), were responsible for cooperation with the »Reich Committee«. Among those responsible for implementation were the head of the »Children’s ward«, Hans Machan, and the physician Peter Korp. They were assisted by Gabriele Eder and Josephine Hermann.

The »Am Feldhof Children’s ward« was not a separate ward. The children and adolescents were housed together with the adults in the women’s and men’s wards. A striking number of children and adolescents died in Ward C2, for which Hans Machan was responsible. They were murdered by overdoses of medication. Autopsies and brain removals were performed, initially on site and, from June 1943, at the Pathological Institute of the University of Graz.

The »Am Feldhof Children’s ward« existed until 1945. The criminal investigations conducted immediately after the end of the war were discontinued after the director of the institution, Ernst Sorger, committed suicide. In addition, the medical records had been »cleaned up« and incriminating documents destroyed. After the war, Korp and Hermann pursued careers at the Graz mental hospital.

From January 1938 to December 1945, at least 267 children and adolescents died in the »Am Feldhof Children’s ward«. It is impossible to determine how many of them were murdered.