LANDSBERG (WARTHE)

The Landsberg State Institute is located approximately 150 km east of Berlin and was opened in 1888. From 1929 onwards, Landsberg was home to the central prosector for the Brandenburg state institutes. The prosector was headed by brain researcher Julius Hallervorden. In 1936, Hallervorden moved his research laboratory to the Potsdam State Institute.

From 1938 onwards, numerous transfers and admissions took place in Landsberg. Overcrowding and inadequate supplies led to the deaths of many patients.

From spring 1944 onwards, the situation continued to worsen. The establishment of an auxiliary hospital for the city of Berlin meant that there was less space available. As a result, 250 patients were transferred to the Hadamar killing centre.

Nevertheless, in September 1944, the decision was made to set up a »foreigners« collection point’ in Landsberg. The collection point was intended to take in forced labourers from Pomerania, Mecklenburg and Berlin. The extent to which foreign patients came to Landsberg has not yet been researched. However, it is known that two male forced labourers and one female forced labourer were transferred from there to Hadamar in the spring of 1944 and murdered.

On 31 January 1945, Landsberg was occupied by the Red Army. This means that the »foreigners« collection point’ can only have existed for a few months, if at all.