Plötzensee Prison
Encyclopedia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n institution built in Berlin between 1869 and 1879 near the lake Plötzensee, but in the neighbouring borough of Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
, on Hüttigpfad off Saatwinkler Damm. During Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's time in power from 1933 to 1945, more than 2,500 people were executed at Plötzensee Prison. Among them were members of the Red Orchestra (Rote Kapelle), members of the Kreisau Circle
Kreisau Circle
The Kreisau Circle was the name the Nazi Gestapo gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime...
(those accused of the plot against Hitler's life
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
on 20 July 1944 at the Wolfsschanze
Wolfsschanze
Wolf's Lair is the standard English name for Wolfsschanze, Adolf Hitler's first World War II Eastern Front military headquarters, one of several Führerhauptquartier or FHQs located in various parts of Europe...
), Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n resistance fighters, and various others deemed by the Volksgerichtshof ("People's Court") to be enemies of the state.
History
Before Hitler's time, during ImperialGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
eras (1890–1932) there were just 36 executions carried out in Plötzensee, all for murder and all by the beheading with an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
.
During the Nazi regime, a total of 2,891 people were executed in Plötzensee. About half of those executed were Germans, most of whom were sentenced to death for acts of resistance against the Nazi regime. 677 executed prisoners were from Czechoslovakia which Germany occupied in 1938-39. 253 death sentences were carried out against Poles, and 245 against French citizens. These people included both the members of resistance organizations and people who were deported to Germany for forced labour.
Today a memorial stands at Plötzensee Prison to commemorate those executed by the Nazis. It was dedicated on 14 September 1952. All that remains now is the execution shed, a small brick building with two rooms, where the victims were either hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
or beheaded. Onto this has been built a memorial wall "To the Victims of Hitler's Dictatorship of the Years 1933–1945" (photo at right).
About 2,000 meters away, the Roman Catholic Church erected its memorial for the victims, the commemorative church of Maria Regina Martyrum
Maria Regina Martyrum
Maria Regina Martyrum is the Roman Catholic memorial church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin in Berlin, borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, in the locality of Charlottenburg-Nord. The church was built on behalf of the German Catholics to honour the Martyrs of Freedom of Belief and...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and until 1987, Plötzensee Prison was used to house youthful offenders between the ages of 14 and 20. After the youth prison was moved to a newly built facility nearby (Jugendstrafanstalt Berlin on Friedrich-Olbricht-Damm), Plötzensee Prison became a men's prison with capacity for 577 prisoners.
Notable executions at Plötzensee
- Abdulla AlişAbdulla AlisAlişev Ğabdullacan Ğäbdelbari ulı , best known as Abdulla Aliş was a Soviet Tatar poet, playwright, writer and resistance fighter. He wrote mostly novels for children, the most notable writings being: Dulqınnar , Ant , Minem abí Alişev Ğabdullacan Ğäbdelbari ulı , best known as Abdulla Aliş was a...
- Marianne Baum
- Cato Bontjes van BeekCato Bontjes van BeekCato Bontjes van Beek was a German member of the resistance against the Nazi regime.- Early years :...
- Liane BerkowitzLiane BerkowitzLiane Berkowitz was a German involved in the German resistance movement during World War II.Berkowitz was born to concertmaster and conductor Victor Wassiljew and his wife, a singing teacher. The family had emigrated in 1923 from the Soviet Union to Berlin...
- Robert BernardisRobert BernardisRobert Bernardis was an Austrian resistance fighter involved in the attempt to kill German dictator Adolf Hitler in the July 20 Plot in 1944....
- Heinz Birnbaum
- Eugen BolzEugen BolzEugen Anton Bolz was a German politician and a member of the resistance to the Nazi régime.- Life :Born in Rottenburg am Neckar, Eugen Bolz was his parents' twelfth child. His father, Joseph Bolz, was a salesman. His mother was Maria Theresia Bolz . Bolz studied law in Tübingen and there became a...
- Eva-Maria BuchEva-Maria BuchEva-Maria Buch was a resistance fighter against the Nazi régime in Germany associated with the Red Orchestra resistance group.- Life :...
- Musa CälilMusa CälilMusa Cälil was a Soviet Tatar poet and resistance fighter. He is the only poet of the Soviet Union who was simultaneously awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union award for his resistance fighting, and the Lenin Prize for authoring The Moabit Notebooks; both the awards were awarded to him...
- Hans CoppiHans CoppiHans Coppi was a German Red Orchestra resistance fighter against the Third Reich.- Life before World War II :...
- Hilde CoppiHilde CoppiHilde Coppi was a German resistance fighter against the Third Reich. Together with her husband Hans Coppi, she belonged to the Red Orchestra .- Life :...
- Alfred DelpAlfred DelpAlfred Delp was a German Jesuit priest who was executed for his resistance to the Nazi régime in Germany.- Early life and education :...
- Benita von FalkenhaynBenita von FalkenhaynBenita von Falkenhayn, maiden name von Zolikofer-Altenklingen was a Swiss-born German baroness who was a spy for Poland....
- Erich FellgiebelErich FellgiebelFritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.-Military career:...
- Eberhard FinckhEberhard FinckhColonel Eberhard Finckh was a German army officer who was a colonel on the general staff of the German army, a long time opponent of nazism and a member of the German resistance to Adolf Hitler’s regime....
- Jakob Gapp
- Julius Fučík
- Carl Friedrich GoerdelerCarl Friedrich GoerdelerCarl Friedrich Goerdeler was a monarchist conservative German politician, executive, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime...
- Hans Bernd von HaeftenHans Bernd von HaeftenHans-Bernd August Gustav von Haeften was a German jurist and member of the German Resistance against Adolf Hitler....
- Albrecht von HagenAlbrecht von HagenAlbrecht von Hagen was a German jurist and a resistance fighter in the time of the Third Reich.- Life :Hagen was born in Langen, Pomerania , on the manor of the original East Brandenburg-Pomeranian noble family in which he was rooted...
- Otto and Elise HampelOtto and Elise HampelOtto and Elise Hampel were a working-class couple who created a simple method of protest while living in Berlin during the early years of World War II. They composed postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public places around the city. They were eventually caught, tried, and...
, the inspiration for Hans FalladaHans FalladaHans Fallada , born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen in Greifswald, Germany, was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include Little Man, What Now? and Every Man Dies Alone...
's 1947 protest novel, Every Man Dies AloneEvery Man Dies AloneEvery Man Dies Alone or Alone in Berlin is a 1947 novel by German author Hans Fallada. It is based on the true story of a working class husband and wife, Otto and Elise Hampel, who committed acts of civil disobedience in Berlin during World War II before being caught, tried by infamous Nazi judge... - Georg HansenGeorg HansenColonel Georg Alexander Hansen was a German army officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.-Early life:...
- Arvid HarnackArvid HarnackArvid Harnack was a German jurist, economist, and resistance fighter in Nazi Germany.- Early years :...
- Mildred HarnackMildred HarnackMildred Fish-Harnack was an American-German literary historian, translator, and resistance fighter in Nazi Germany.- Life in the United States:...
- Paul von HasePaul von HaseKarl Paul Immanuel von Hase was a German career soldier and figured among the members of the resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi régime.-Biography:Hase was born in Hanover...
- Ulrich von HassellUlrich von HassellUlrich von Hassell was a German diplomat during World War II. A member of the German Resistance against German dictator Adolf Hitler, Hassell was executed in the aftermath of the failed July 20 plot.- Family :...
- Egbert HayessenEgbert HayessenEgbert Hayessen was a German resistance fighter in the struggle against Adolf Hitler, and a major in the army....
- Wolf-Heinrich Graf von HelldorfWolf-Heinrich Graf von HelldorfWolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorf was a leading figure in the Nazi regime.-Early life:Helldorf was born in Merseburg, a landowner's son, Helldorf served as a lieutenant from 1915 in the First World War, and from 1918 was a member of the Prussian state assembly.-Berlin chief of police:Already by...
- Albert HenselAlbert HenselAlbert Hensel . He along with numerous other German resistance fighters were executed by the Nazis. Hensel was a member of the Communist Party of Germany. He was born in Dresden where he and fellow communist members began their work against the Nazi regime...
- Liselotte HerrmannLiselotte HerrmannLiselotte Herrmann was a German Communist resistance fighter during the Third Reich.- Early years :...
- Erich HoepnerErich HoepnerErich Hoepner was a German general in World War II. A successful panzer leader, Hoepner was executed after the failed 20 July Plot in 1944.- Life :Hoepner was born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg...
- Caesar von HofackerCaesar von HofackerCaesar von Hofacker was a German Lieutenant Colonel and member of the 20 July plot against Adolf Hitler....
- Helmuth HübenerHelmuth HübenerHelmuth Guddat Kunkel Hübener was the youngest opponent of the Third Reich to be sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof and executed.-Life:...
(youngest victim, only 17 years old) - Hilde Jadamowitz
- Friedrich Gustav JaegerFriedrich Gustav JaegerFriedrich Gustav Jaeger was a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany and a member of the July 20 Plot.-Life:...
- Heinz Joachim
- Marianne Joachim
- Otto KiepOtto KiepOtto Carl Kiep was the Chief of the Reich Press Office . He became involved with the resistance against the Nazis and was executed in 1944.-Life:...
- Johanna KirchnerJohanna KirchnerJohanna "Hanna" Kirchner was a German opponent of the Nazi régime.Johanna Stunz came from a social-democratic family from Frankfurt, Hesse-Nassau. Her grandfather was one of Frankfurt's first social-democratic aldermen...
- Hans Georg KlamrothHans Georg KlamrothJohannes "Hans" Georg Klamroth was, by his knowledge of the plans through distant relatives and his son-in-law Lieutenant-Colonel Bernhard Klamroth, involved in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler....
- Friedrich KlausingFriedrich KlausingFriedrich Karl Klausing was a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany, and one of the July 20 Plotters.-Biography:Friedrich Klausing was born in Munich, Germany...
- Sala Kochmann
- Theodor KorseltTheodor KorseltErnst Julius Theodor Korselt was a German jurist, genealogist, and "homeland researcher"...
- Alfred KranzfelderAlfred KranzfelderLieutenant Commander Alfred Kranzfelder was a German naval officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime....
- Karlrobert KreitenKarlrobert KreitenKarlrobert Kreiten was a German pianist, though holding Dutch citizenship his entire life due to his Dutch father....
- Adam KuckhoffAdam KuckhoffAdam Kuckhoff was a German writer, journalist, and resistance fighter in the Third Reich....
- Julius LeberJulius LeberJulius Leber was a German politician of the SPD and a member of the German Resistance against the Nazi régime.-Early life:...
- Wilhelm LeuschnerWilhelm LeuschnerWilhelm Leuschner was a social-democratic politician who opposed the Third Reich....
- Hans Otfried von LinstowHans Otfried von LinstowHans Otfried von Linstow, was a German Colonel. He took part in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Early life:Born in Berlin, von Linstow joined the German military, Reichswehr, after the First World War....
- Hilde Loewy
- Hans-Georg Mannaberg
- Gerd Meyer
- Hanni Meyer
- Herbert MichaelisHerbert MichaelisDr. Herbert Michaelis was a German lawyer and Communist and a member of the German Resistance during the Third Reich.- Biography :...
- Helmuth James Graf von MoltkeHelmuth James Graf von MoltkeHelmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
- Renate von NatzmerRenate von NatzmerRenate von Natzmer was a German noblewoman who worked for the army during the Weimar Republic and Third Reich. She also worked for Polish intelligence. In the early 30s, she met Polish agent major Jerzy Sosnowski and she became, like her friend Benita von Falkenhayn, his lover. They were arrested...
- Arthur NebeArthur NebeSS-Gruppenführer Arthur Nebe was a member of the NSDAP party with card number 574,307. In July 1931, he joined the SS and his membership number was 280,152. His early career included the Berlin position of Police Commissioner in the 1920s...
- Helmut Neumann
- Vera Obolensky
- Paul Ozgorkow
- Erwin PlanckErwin PlanckErwin Planck was a German politician, and a resistance fighter in the Third Reich.Born in Berlin, Erwin Planck was theoretical physicist Max Planck's and his first wife's fourth child. After his Abitur in 1911, Planck went into the military and pursued a career as an officer...
- Johannes PopitzJohannes PopitzJohannes Popitz was a Prussian finance minister and a member of the German Resistance against Nazi Germany.- Life :...
- Adolf ReichweinAdolf ReichweinAdolf Reichwein was a German educator, economist, and cultural policymaker for the SPD. He was also a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany.-Biography:...
- Heinz Rotholz
- Siegbert Rotholz
- Lothar Salinger
- Rudolf von SchelihaRudolf von SchelihaRudolf von Scheliha was a German diplomat executed by the Nazis during World War II.Scheliha was born in Zessel, Oels, Silesia , as the son of a Prussian squire. He served as an army officer in World War I, studied law and joined the German Foreign Service in 1922...
- Fritz-Dietlof von der SchulenburgFritz-Dietlof von der SchulenburgFritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg-Tressow was a German government official and a member of the German Resistance in the July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler.-Personal development:...
- Harro Schulze-BoysenHarro Schulze-BoysenHeinz Harro Max Wilhelm Georg Schulze-Boysen was a German officer, commentator, and German Resistance fighter against German dictator Adolf Hitler's Nazi régime.- Early life :...
- Libertas Schulze-BoysenLibertas Schulze-BoysenLibertas Schulze-Boysen, born Libertas Viktoria Haas-Heye was a German opponent of the Nazis who belonged to the Red Orchestra resistance group during the Third Reich.- Early years :Schulze-Boysen spent her childhood at her grandfather's estate Philip, Prince of Eulenburg and Hertefeld...
- Elisabeth SchumacherElisabeth SchumacherElisabeth Schumacher, née Hohenemser, was an artist and resistance fighter in the Third Reich. She belonged to the Red Orchestra resistance group.- Life :...
- Kurt SchumacherKurt Schumacher (sculptor)Kurt Schumacher was a sculptor and Communist member of the German Resistance against National Socialism. He was married to the painter and graphic designer, Elisabeth Schumacher and was in the Red Orchestra.- Biography :...
- Ulrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von SchwanenfeldUlrich Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von SchwanenfeldUlrich-Wilhelm Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld was a German landowner, officer, and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.- Biography :...
- Robert StammRobert StammRobert Stamm was a German politician, a Communist member of the Reichstag from Bremen, and a victim of the Nazi régime....
- Berthold Schenk Graf von StauffenbergBerthold Schenk Graf von StauffenbergBerthold Alfred Maria Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg was a German aristocrat, lawyer and conspirator in the 20 July plot of 1944, along with his brother, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, an army colonel...
- Werner Steinbrinck
- Helmuth StieffHelmuth StieffHelmuth Stieff was a German general and a member of the OKH during World War II. He took part in attempts by the German resistance to assassinate Hitler, on July 7 and on July 20, 1944....
- Carl-Heinrich von StülpnagelCarl-Heinrich von StülpnagelCarl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, was a German general and a member of the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Early life:...
- Maria TerwielMaria TerwielMaria Terwiel was a German resistance fighter in the Third Reich. She belonged to the Red Orchestra resistance group.- Life :...
- Elisabeth von ThaddenElisabeth von ThaddenElisabeth Adelheid Hildegard von Thadden was a German educator who founded a private school that now bears her name, and an outspoken critic of the Nazi régime...
- Fritz ThieleFritz ThieleGeneral Fritz Thiele was a member of the German resistance who served as the communications chief of the German Army during World War II.Thiele was born in Berlin and joined the Imperial Army in 1914...
- Adam von Trott zu SolzAdam von Trott zu SolzAdam von Trott zu Solz was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative opposition to the Nazi regime, and who played a central part in the 20 July Plot...
- Peter Yorck von WartenburgPeter Yorck von WartenburgPeter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg was a German jurist and a member of the German Resistance against Nazism.-Biography:...
- Erwin von WitzlebenErwin von WitzlebenJob-Wilhelm Georg Erdmann Erwin von Witzleben was a German army officer and in the Second World War an Army commander and a conspirator in the July 20 Plot.-Early years:...
Sources
- Brigitte Oleschinski: Gedenkstätte Plötzensee. Berlin: Gedenkstätte Dt. Widerstand, 1997 (3. Auflage), ISBN 3926082054
- Cox, John M., Circles of Resistance: Jewish, Leftist, and Youth Dissidence in Nazi Germany, Peter Lang, 2009. ISBN 9781433105579