Deep within Hamburg’s history lies the Plattenhaus Poppenbüttel Memorial. It stands as a stark reminder of a dark chapter. This seemingly ordinary building holds extraordinary stories.
The Plattenhaus was not always a memorial. During the second half of World War II, many Plattenhäuser were quickly built near Poppenbüttel station. These served as emergency shelters. They housed Hamburg families bombed out of their homes.
But there’s a hidden, painful truth. Forced laborers built these homes. Italian military internees and concentration camp prisoners toiled here. These prisoners came from the Neuengamme concentration camp’s women’s subcamp in Sasel.
Imagine their suffering. They were hungry and weak. They had to level the ground. They laid tracks and hauled building materials. Much of the concrete for these prefabricated houses was made at the Neuengamme concentration camp’s brick factory.
The Sasel subcamp of Neuengamme existed from September 1944 to April 1945. Around 500 female prisoners were housed near the Mellingburger lock. Most were Jewish women. Some were Sinti. They had been selected for forced labor at Auschwitz-Birkenau. They arrived in Sasel via the Dessauer Ufer subcamp.
These women were leased as workers to companies. Möller and Wayss & Freytag used them to construct the Plattenhäuser. The women also cleared rubble. They worked at Heiligengeistfeld, Sternschanze, and Rübenkamp station. SS guards escorted them on the S-Bahn.
On April 7, 1945, the SS evacuated the Sasel subcamp. The women were transported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Many died there because of the horrific conditions.
Today the Alstereinkaufszentrum shopping center and residential complexes stand on the former Plattenhaus settlement site. But one Plattenhaus remains. Since 1985, it has been a museum and memorial.
Inside you can see a typical emergency apartment from 1944. Original furniture recreates the cramped living conditions of those bombed out. City officials gave these apartments to employees in essential war-related jobs.
In 2008, the permanent exhibition opened at the Poppenbüttel memorial. It tells the story of all the Neuengamme concentration camp’s women’s subcamps in Hamburg. It describes the prisoners’ living and working conditions and their biographies. It also addresses the prosecution of the perpetrators after 1945. The exhibition also explores Jewish life in Hamburg. It also shows the persecution of women under National Socialism.
A memorial stone stands at the site of the former camp. It is located at Feldblumenweg, corner of Petunienweg. It commemorates the Sasel subcamp. Students from the Oberalster Gymnasium initiated the memorial. In 1980 and 1981, they researched the camp’s history for a school project. They published their findings in a booklet.
Since September 1, 1989, a sculpture by Franz Vollert has stood in front of the memorial. It recalls the prisoners’ fate and the horrors of World War II. The wooden sculpture symbolizes a peace tree.
The Plattenhaus Poppenbüttel Memorial serves as a place of remembrance. It ensures we never forget the suffering endured within these walls. It stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit. It is a call for peace and understanding.