HEINZ KNORR (1932 – 1945)

Heinz Knorr, born on 4 March 1932 in Artlenburg, was the son of farmer Heinrich Knorr and his wife Frieda, née Rühmann. They married on 22 April 1927. Due to his mental disability and limited speech, Heinz was unable to attend the village school in Artlenburg. The farm was his home.

To protect the residents of Artlenburg from the war, all farms were evacuated on 21 April 1945. The Knorr family was housed for another four months, first in a barn, then in a horse stable in Vrestorf near Bardowick. The heavy bombing on the day before the evacuation overwhelmed Heinz, causing him to run away on the evening of 20 April 1945. His mother searched for him for days, filed a missing persons report and inquired about him at the Lüneburg sanatorium.

Two days after his disappearance, Heinz Knorr was picked up by police officers and taken directly to the Lüneburg mental hospital. Despite his young age of only 13, he was admitted by Dr Gustav Marx to House 21, an adult ward for men. His identity remained unknown, as he was only able to utter indistinct words apart from his first name. The doctors and nurses assumed that Heinz was a disoriented fugitive.

By 8 October 1945, Heinz’s condition had deteriorated so badly that he had to be transferred to an intensive care unit. He was emaciated and weak. Two days later, he suffered seizures. His medical records do not indicate any measures taken to improve or even stabilise his health.

Heinz Knorr died on 2 November 1945 in the Lüneburg sanatorium at the age of 13½. It is almost certain that he starved to death. The doctor Rudolf Redepenning recorded the cause of death as »abnormal organic epilepsy«.

On 6 November 1945, Heinz was buried anonymously and without his parents present in the institution’s cemetery, as the doctor Rudolf Redepenning only attempted to clarify Heinz’s identity after his death. The aim was to find relatives who would pay the care costs incurred. Initially, the criminal investigation department was commissioned to establish his identity. Then employees of the clinic were asked if anyone knew the young man. In fact, there was a gardener’s apprentice who recognised Heinz.

The Lüneburg criminal investigation department then visited Heinz’s parents and showed them a photo of the body. They recognised Heinz and a few days later received the bill for his stay in the sanatorium. However, they failed to inform the parents of the exact circumstances of his death and the location where he had been buried. Heinz’s sister Thea was not satisfied with this. Until her death in 2015, she tried to find out what had really happened to Heinz and where his grave was, but without success. It took another year to locate the grave, which had been covered over. In memory of Heinz Knorr, a historical and commemorative plaque was unveiled on 4 September 2016 in the presence of his relatives.

The Rühmannsche Hof at Stremel 7, where Heinz grew up, still exists. Heinz’s sister Thea sold it in 1978, and it has been rented out ever since.