Did you know that this seemingly ordinary spot at Spaldingstrasse was once a place of immense suffering? Here, at the Concentration Camp, Spaldingstrasse Unit Plaque, we remember a dark chapter in Hamburg’s history. This plaque marks the location of a former subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp.
The Concentration Camp, Spaldingstrasse Unit, also known as the Hamburg-Hammerbrook satellite camp, was established in November 1944. The SS used a former tobacco warehouse to house around 2,000 male prisoners. These prisoners came from various countries. They were Russian, Polish, French, Belgian, Danish, Czech and German.
Imagine this area in 1944. The building behind us, the Georgsburg, was only partially damaged by Allied bombs. It became a prison for thousands. The prisoners lived in catastrophic conditions. They endured heavy labor and faced constant danger.
They were forced to clear rubble and repair railway lines after Allied bombing raids. Some even had to defuse unexploded bombs. The work was strenuous. The conditions were deadly. At least 800 prisoners died here before April 1945. Their bodies were taken to Neuengamme or Ohlsdorf Cemetery.
The daily routine was brutal. Prisoners woke at four in the morning. They had a small breakfast and endured long roll calls. Then, they were sent to work sites for 12-hour shifts. Diseases spread quickly due to terrible sanitary conditions. Exhaustion and abuse were rampant.
This Concentration Camp, Spaldingstrasse Unit, was evacuated in mid-April 1945. The prisoners were transported to the Sandbostel reception camp. Many died during and after this evacuation. British troops liberated the camp on April 29, 1945.
Efforts to install a memorial plaque began in the 1980s. The building’s owner initially opposed it. But thanks to the persistence of a Hamburg resident and the Friends of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, two plaques were installed in 2009.
Even then, the story wasn’t simple. The plaques were briefly removed after complaints. But after protests, they were returned to the front of the building. Today, you see the Concentration Camp, Spaldingstrasse Unit Plaque. It stands as a reminder of the suffering that occurred here.
The building now houses a hotel and hostel chain. Since 2012, there has been a small exhibition in the hostel foyer. It commemorates the history of this subcamp. It ensures that we never forget the victims of the Concentration Camp, Spaldingstrasse Unit. This plaque and exhibition serve as a constant reminder of the atrocities committed here. They urge us to learn from the past.