Imagine blue-painted windows. They barely let light into cramped cages. This is Ehemaliges Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld. It stands as a stark reminder of Frankfurt’s past. Today, we will delve into its chilling history. We will explore its transformation from a place of suffering to a center for critical reflection.
Ehemaliges Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld’s story begins much earlier than its time as a police prison. In 1492, a house was erected here. It isolated victims of the Black Death. This marked a shift in how European cities dealt with plagues. Instead of banishing the sick beyond the walls, they were confined within.
In 1679, the pest house was rebuilt. It became an orphanage, pauper, and workhouse. A private foundation ran it. They exploited the labor of orphans and paupers. The city also used it as a jail. “Beggar reeves” or the police, seized jobless people. They forced them to work here.
Plans for a large prison at Klapperfeld arose in the 19th century. But Frankfurt’s annexation by Prussia in 1866 delayed these plans. Frankfurt sided with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. Despite declaring itself neutral, Prussia saw Frankfurt as an enemy. Martial law was imposed.
Finally, in 1886, the Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld was erected. It stood twenty years after Frankfurt became Prussian. The old police headquarters were too small. The new prison addressed this need.
By 1914, the police headquarters moved. They went to a larger building at Hohenzollernplatz. The prison at Klapperfeld, however, remained in use.
During World War I, custody laws intensified. A 1916 law allowed “Preventive Detention.” This was used to suppress demonstrations and strikes. It continued through the Weimar Republic. Separatists, Spartacists, and communists were persecuted.
When the Nazi party rose to power in 1933, Ehemaliges Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld became a tool of oppression. A 1937 law allowed police to arrest anyone who didn’t fit Nazi ideology. They were deported to concentration camps.
The November pogroms of 1938 saw Jewish shops and synagogues destroyed. Many Jews were arrested and deported. The Klapperfeld also served as a place of imprisonment. The top floor became a “Jewish section” under Gestapo control. Conditions were especially miserable here. Detainees were held in cages. Light was scarce. Windows were painted blue.
Between 1942 and 1945, conditions worsened dramatically. The prison was overcrowded. Prisoners from other towns were brought here before deportation. A prison doctor in 1944 described the situation as unbearable. Cells were overflowing. Buckets used as toilets reeked. Vermin spread everywhere.
American troops liberated Frankfurt in 1945. They used the Klapperfeld to detain Nazis and criminals. By April, there were 460 prisoners. Most were political detainees.
After the war, Klapperfeld was used as a juvenile detention center. Runaways aged 14 to 18 were held here. The Youth Welfare Office claimed detention was brief. Records prove otherwise.
From the 1980s, Ehemaliges Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld became a deportation center. Migrants were detained for long periods. They faced poverty, persecution, or death upon expulsion.
In 1985, protests over the death of Günter Sare led to mass arrests. Detainees dismantled benches and broke a hole in the wall. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas.
In 1993, demonstrators protesting a Nazi attack in Solingen were maltreated. Detainees reported beatings, degrading examinations, and ridicule.
The last extensive arrests occurred in 2001. Demonstrators prevented a Nazi march. The Klapperfeld prison closed in 2001. It stood for over 115 years.
In 2009, the initiative “Faites votre jeu!” occupied the building. They transformed it into a memorial. Today, Ehemaliges Polizeigefängnis Klapperfeld hosts exhibitions. It is a space for critical discussion and artistic expression. It ensures we never forget the lessons of the past. It reminds us to stand against injustice.