Right here stands a memorial. It marks a tragic event in Quickborn’s history. This is the Gedenkstätte für Paul Warnecke.
The Gedenkstätte für Paul Warnecke commemorates a young man’s life. Paul Warnecke was a 19-year-old communist. Nazi forces shot him on March 5, 1933. He became the first victim of the Nazi regime in Quickborn.
In 1946, the local council decided to honor Paul Warnecke. They wanted to rename the site of his death “Paul-Warnecke-Platz.” However, this never happened.
Years later, the “Stele Paul Warnecke” working group intervened. They reached an agreement with the city. A stele was erected. It reminds people of Paul Warnecke’s fate. It tells of the tensions between National Socialists and their opponents. These tensions led to such deaths.
The Gedenkstätte für Paul Warnecke serves as a stark reminder. The Nazi party rose to power quickly. On January 30, 1933, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor. Using Article 48, basic rights were suspended.
The “Ordinance for the Protection of the German People” restricted freedom. This was on February 4, 1933. After the Reichstag fire, the “Reichstag Fire Ordinance” followed on February 28, 1933. It ordered the suppression of political opponents. They falsely claimed it was “to ward off communist acts of violence endangering the state”.
The Reichstag passed the “Enabling Act” on March 24, 1933. This law allowed the government to pass laws without the Reichstag. This ended the separation of powers. Hitler gained dictatorial power. Only the SPD opposed this act. KPD members were arrested or fled.
The Nazi party quickly took control. NS governors controlled state governments. Party members took charge of the police. All public life areas were controlled. This included the press, radio, and cultural institutions. Even non-political clubs had to be led by party members.
The German Reich became a centrally governed state. After Hindenburg’s death, Hitler took over his role. He became the “Führer and Reich Chancellor of the German People”.
In Quickborn, the SA publicly appeared in February 1930. Werner Ballauf was the SA leader. Social Democrats and Communists acted against right-wing extremist attacks.
The SPD had the “Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold”. It defended the republic against right-wing enemies. The KPD formed the “Combat League against Fascism”. They also had a “house protection squadron”. This was to prevent attacks on streets and homes.
Hermann Göring ordered police to act harshly. This was against alleged “communist acts of terror”. He said officers would be protected for using firearms. The “House and Factory Protection” became the auxiliary police in Quickborn. SA leader Werner Ballauf led it.
The Gedenkstätte für Paul Warnecke marks where tragedy struck. On the night of March 4, 1933, communist members gathered. They wanted to defend against National Socialist attacks. Paul Warnecke was among them.
Around 2:30 AM, a group left Johannes Schwank’s house. They were heading to Julius Stubbe’s place. A patrol observed the KPD chairman’s house. The communists fled when surprised. Shots were fired. Paul Warnecke was fatally hit.
Paul Warnecke was the youngest of eight children. He was training as a locksmith. He lived with his parents on Kieler Straße. Like his brothers, he supported the KPD.
After the shooting, Gustav Jeske showed no remorse. He bragged about killing a communist. SA and SS members did the same. Jeske claimed to be a good shot.
The Altona public prosecutor stopped proceedings on April 3, 1933. They sided with the National Socialists. They said they acted in self-defense. An amnesty protected them anyway.
After the war, the case was reviewed. Prosecutors called it murder for political reasons. They sought a death sentence. In 1946, the Itzehoe Regional Court sentenced Jeske to seven years for manslaughter.
Werner Ballauf also got a mild sentence. The denazification committee blamed him for Paul Warnecke’s death. However, his later hometown classified him as a “follower”.
The Gedenkstätte für Paul Warnecke stands here. It is a place of reflection. It reminds us of the dangers of extremism. It honors the memory of a young man. He stood up for his beliefs.