The inscription “Sag nicht, dass die Toten tot sind” on a memorial plaque in Augsburg is a stark reminder of the terrible events that took place in the Nazi era. This Gedenktafel an die Opfer des KZ-Dachau im Außenlager Haunstetten commemorates the victims of the Haunstetten subcamp of Dachau concentration camp, which existed in Augsburg between February 1943 and April 1944. This subcamp housed up to 2700 prisoners and was specifically set up by the Messerschmitt company to provide forced labor for their factories.
Prisoners in Haunstetten often worked for twelve hours daily, producing parts for the Messerschmitt Me 210 and its successor, the Messerschmitt Me 410 aircraft. They were forced to work even during Allied air raids, which caused several incidents of horrific casualties.
One such raid on April 13, 1944, destroyed the Haunstetten camp. The surviving prisoners were transferred to other subcamps in the area, such as Augsburg-Pfersee. The inscription on our plaque, “Say not that the dead are dead”, expresses a deep understanding of the enduring impact of the Holocaust. It reminds us that the victims are still with us in memory, and that their suffering must never be forgotten.