ehem. Mädchenwohnheim

“Wobetha’s legacy,” a passerby murmured, “a place of refuge, you see.” The ehem. Mädchenwohnheim, also known as the Isenbergheim, stands here on Kornstraße, a quiet testament to a turbulent past. Founded in 1915 amidst the upheaval of World War I, the Isenbergheim initially served as a temporary haven for children aged two to fourteen. Its namesake, Wobetha Margarethe Isenberg, a woman of deep Christian faith and social commitment, championed the cause of “fallen” or “endangered” young girls. Her generosity extended to various charitable endeavors, including the establishment of this very home. The ehem. Mädchenwohnheim witnessed a shift in its purpose as the dark clouds of Nazism gathered over Germany. By 1933, the home transitioned into a long-term facility for young women, overseen by the Jugendbehörden (youth authorities). The involvement of fifteen girls’ leaders from the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls) and a psychiatrist reflects the increasing influence of the Nazi ideology on youth welfare. During World War II, the Isenbergheim provided care for children whose fathers were conscripted and mothers toiled in armaments factories. In 1941, as Bremen endured relentless bombing raids, the children were evacuated to safer locations through the Kinderlandverschickung program. The Verein für Innere Mission (Association for Inner Mission) took over the management and, by 1942, leased the Isenbergheim to house young women transferred from the Marthasheim, another girls’ home in the Neustadt district. For girls deemed “at risk” or “incorrigible” by the Nazi regime, life within these walls meant isolation and strict discipline. Non-conformity carried the threat of transfer to closed institutions, even concentration camps. The story of Ella Nürnberg serves as a stark reminder of the tragic consequences of defiance. Ella, a sixteen-year-old admitted to the Isenbergheim in 1944, made several attempts to escape. Her rebellious spirit led to her transfer to various closed institutions, culminating in her imprisonment at the Uckermark youth concentration camp in January 1945. From there, she was deported to Ravensbrück, Mauthausen, and finally Bergen-Belsen, where she perished before liberation. The fate of Ella Nürnberg is commemorated by a plaque installed at the ehem. Mädchenwohnheim, a poignant reminder of the injustice suffered within these walls. After the war, the Isenbergheim continued to operate as a girls’ home, evolving into an observation home and later a vocational training center. It finally closed its doors in 1978 amidst the “Heimkampagnen,” a period of activism and scrutiny surrounding institutionalized care. Today, the renovated building serves a different purpose, providing a home for elderly, alcohol-dependent men and women. Yet, the echoes of the past linger, reminding us of the complex and often tragic history of the ehem. Mädchenwohnheim.