NFC zu H-K-03

FAMILY AND »CHILDREN’S WARD«

Everyday life with a child or young person with a disability was shaped by the special circumstances. As »caregiving children,« siblings took on tasks that were not appropriate for children. The families received little support from outside sources; there was no assistance available. They experienced exclusion, injustice, and violence. The situation worsened during the war. Fathers were often at the front, leaving mothers to fend for themselves.

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Ingeborg Wahle sitzt in einem ausladenden Kinderwagen mit großen Speichenrädern und geschwungenem Lenker. Sie streckt die rechte Hand aus dem Wagen und blickt Richtung Kamera. Im Hintergrund ist Wiese, eine Mauer und ein dahinterliegendes mehrstöckiges Gebäude sichtbar.

Ingeborg Wahle in a pram, around 1940.

Private property of Renate Beier.

Ingeborg Wahle came from Göttingen. She was the second child of Elfriede, née Fendt, and Willi Wahle. Her sister Renate was born two years after her. Ingeborg had a difficult start in life and her development was delayed. She came to Lüneburg. After her father visited her one last time because he was going to war, she was murdered the next day.

Interview

»Suddenly they were at the door and took Ingeborg away. They just grabbed her and my mother just screamed.«

Interview with Renate Beier, 12 October 2018.

ArEGL.

HEINZ SCHÄFER (1937 – 1942)

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Zwei Jungen stehen in einem Garten. Der Ältere trägt den Jüngeren. Der Ältere blickt freundlich zu seinem Bruder. Dieser guckt in die Kamera.

Rolf with his brother Heinz Schäfer in his arms. His brother Friedrich is not in the picture because he is taking the photo, around summer 1941.

Private property of Rolf Schäfer.

Friedrich, Rolf and Heinz Schäfer shared a children’s room in their parents‘ house in Bovenden near Göttingen. In the afternoons, his older siblings took Heinz everywhere with them or pushed him around in a little cart. »He was always there,« his brothers and cousin report. There was a garden where the children often spent time. There was also a garden shed where they sometimes ate cake. Heinz was pushed back and forth in a little cart in the garden so that he could get some fresh air.

Interview

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Die Familie steht auf einem Feld mit Büschen im Hintergrund. In einer Karre mit hohem Griff sitzt Heinz Schäfer mit einem runden Hut. Neben ihm sitzen zwei Mädchen in hellen Kleidern. Daneben stehen zwei Jungen in kurzen Hosen mit Pollunder. Hinter dem Wagen stehen ein großer mittelalter Mann, eine ältere Frau in Blusenkleid und eine jüngere Frau mit dunklem Rock und gemusterter Jacke.

The Schäfer family in the summer of 1941, Heinz Schäfer is sitting in the car.

Private property of the Schäfer family.

Heinz could understand everything and was also independent to a certain extent. Nevertheless, on 15 August 1941, one day before Heinz’s fourth birthday, his father had to report to the Göttingen health authority. The father told the family that Heinz would be cured at the home. The family associated his stay in the »children’s ward« with the hope that he would learn to walk and become healthy. He was admitted on 3 November 1941.

Helga trägt ein kariertes Kleid mit großem weißem Kragen. Sie steht etwas unsicher und wird an beiden Armen von Ilse gehalten. Ilse steht hinter ihr und trägt eine helle, gerüschte Bluse. Helmut hält auch einen Arm von Helga fest. Er ist etwas größer als sie und trägt einen kurzen Hosenanzug. Alle blicken zur Kamera.

Helga Volkmer with her brother Helmut and kindergarten teacher Ilse, circa 1935.

Private property of Marlene Volkmer.

Helga Volkmer’s parents had to work hard on the farm to manage their own farm and pay the rent. Her mother relied on her siblings, the neighbour’s children and occasionally a nursery school teacher to look after Helga. She was pushed around the farm in a pram and watched the other children playing. Sometimes she sat on a stool.

Interview

Parents were often left in the dark; only a few had any idea what went on in a »children‘s ward.« Only in exceptional cases did they accept death as inevitable. Most were actually rather skeptical or even hostile toward admission to a »children‘s ward,« but expected that compulsory treatment would at least lead to an improvement.

Der Vordruck wurde mit der Schreibmaschine ausgefüllt. Das Papier ist gelocht. Oben links befindet sich eine Anmerkung. Sie ist mit blauer Tinte geschrieben. Unten steht etwas mit Bleistift geschrieben. Beide Anmerkungen sind nur teilweise lesbar.

Report by Herbert Wiepel, May 4, 1942.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 428.

Herbert Wiepel’s parents were an exception. They were among the few who indicated to Dr. Willi Baumert that they agreed to their son’s »redemption« in the Lüneburg »children’s ward.« Herbert was reported by the midwife a few days after his birth. Five months later, the »Reich Committee« ordered his admission. On October 7, 1942, Herbert was admitted to the »children’s ward.« Ten days later, he was murdered.

»Brought to the institution today by his parents. The parents brought their two older healthy children with them. House 25 II. The father said that if the child could not be helped, it would be best if he did not live long.«

Entry in Herbert Wiepel’s medical records.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 428.

From 1944 onwards, many parents refused to send their children to the »special children’s wards.« As a result, Sections 14, 15, 40, and 55 of the Police Administration Act of June 1, 1931, were interpreted broadly, and children were forcibly admitted to institutions and nursing homes even against their parents‘ will. An appeal against the order could be lodged with the District President of Hanover within two weeks. However, this was ineffective, because the following applied:

»The implementation of my order is not suspended by the appeal, as immediate execution is required for overriding reasons of public interest.«

Police order to Fritz Wehde dated August 26, 1944.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 418.

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Vor einem Haus ist ein großer Kinderwagen. Fritz Wehde schaut mit interessiertem Blick zur Kamera. Tante Wilma steht hinter dem Wagen und hat eine Hand bei Fritz. Sie trägt eine kurzärmelige Bluse mit Rock. Sie blickt in die Kamera.

Fritz Wehde in a pram with his aunt Wilma, around 1940.

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Fritz sitzt als Baby auf einer hellen Decke auf einer Wiese. Er wird im Sitzen gehalten. Seine Großmutter hält ihn. Er guckt erstaunt zum linken Bildrand. Dort ist eine Hand im Bild. Die Hand hält einen Teddybären Richtung Fritz. Die Großmutter trägt ein Kopftuch, ein Arbeitshemd und eine Schürze. Fritz trägt einen hellen Pulli und einen Strampelanzug.

Fritz with his grandmother and teddy bear, circa 1941.

Private property of Uta Wehde.

The Wehdes were workers and social democrats. Even after the Nazis seized power, they remained opposed to them. Fritz Wehde lived with his family until August 1944. He was lovingly cared for. There are photos showing him with his grandmother and his aunt Wilma. His cousin Helga gave him her teddy bear. Because his parents refused to have him committed, he was forcibly committed by police order.

Interview

Visits were possible until 1944. Relatives recall that it was very noisy in the ward. In summer, there was a blanket so that people could sit on the grass when the weather was nice. In winter, the rooms were unheated. Families also complained that the children quickly became emaciated and sickly. Some parents tried to place their children in other institutions, often without success. Children who received visitors were less likely to be murdered.

In January 1944, Berta Köhler visited her 15-year-old sons Herbert and Willi. She found them naked in bed in a freezing room. The children had to stay in bed from the afternoon onwards and even ate their dinner there. As a nanny, she realized that something was wrong. She wrote letters of complaint and threatened to involve the Reich Health Leader Leonardo Conti. After that, she was no longer granted travel permission and was not allowed to visit her sons.

Der Brief ist auf liniertem Schulpapier geschrieben. Das Papier ist vergilbt. Die Handschrift ist sehr gleichmäßig und ordentlich. Der Brief ist eineinhalb Seiten lang. Die Antwort wurde auf der der zweiten Briefseite mit schwarzem Füller ebenfalls handschriftlich verfasst. Die Schrift ist deutlich schlechter lesbar und auf den freien Platz unter dem Brief auf das Papier geschrieben.

Letter to the Lüneburg Institution, January 7, 1944. (Front and back) with reply, January 11, 1944.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 290.

Die Besucherkarte ist eine rote Karteikarte mit einem gedruckten Formular und Tabelle für die Eintragungen. Die Eintragungen sind handschriftlich vorgenommen.

Incomplete visitor card belonging to Ingeborg Wahle.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 443.

Compared to other children, Ingeborg Wahle received frequent visits. When Willi Wahle was stationed at a barracks in Lüneburg, he took every opportunity to see his daughter. Ingeborg’s mother was also able to visit Lüneburg often because her grandfather, who was a conductor, received free tickets. Many of these visits were recorded in pencil in her medical records. When Willi was called to the front and free travel was no longer permitted due to the war, Ingeborg was murdered in February 1945.

Interview

Inge Roxin was from Lüneburg. That meant her older sister Ruth could visit her several times a week. This photo was taken during one of those visits. It must have been taken by a nurse and later given to them as a souvenir.

Es ist ein schwarz-weißes Foto. Es ist verwackelt. Ruth sitzt und hat Inge auf dem Schoß. Inge scheint sich zur Seite zu bewegen oder zur Seite zu rutschen. Ruth guckt zur Kamera. Beide sitzen auf einer Decke auf einer Wiese.

Ruth with her sister Inge Roxin, »Children’s Ward,« Lüneburg, 1943.

Private collection Sigrid Roxin | Käthe Wandel.

Families who were unable to visit were no less concerned. They wrote to their children and teenagers, even if they could not read. The medical records are filled with letters and postcards from parents and grandparents to their children. Packages containing food and clothing were also sent.

Es ist ein gelbliches grobes Papier. Die Postkarte ist mit gleichmäßiger Handschrift geschrieben. Die Postkarte ist gelocht.

Postcard from Ella Schäfer to her son Heinz dated November 13, 1941.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83 No. 373.

Heinz Schäfer’s mother found it very difficult to be separated from her child. She missed him terribly and wrote him and his carers a postcard shortly after he was admitted. The family hoped that he would learn to walk and get well in Lüneburg.

Interview

The father had spared no effort to organize a child-friendly postcard during his service at the front. When the New Year’s greetings for his son Lars Sundmäker arrived at the Lüneburg institution, he was already dead. Lars had been murdered on January 3, 1945.

Field postcard from Carl Sundmäker (No. 57948) to his son Lars Sundmäker dated December 28, 1944, front and back.

NLA Hanover Hann. 155 Lüneburg Acc. 56/83. No. 405.