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Gelsenkirchen honors Dr. Rudolf Bertram: A hero in the shadow of history
Gelsenkirchen honored Dr. Rudolf Bertram for his courageous work in the Nazi regime, where he helped Hungarian Jewish women.
Gelsenkirchen honors Dr. Rudolf Bertram: A hero in the shadow of history
On June 16, 2025, a memorial plaque for Dr. was placed at the old town cemetery in Gelsenkirchen. Rudolf Bertram inaugurated. Bertram, a dedicated surgeon who joined St. Josef Hospital as chief physician in 1937, has become known for his outstanding actions during the darkest chapters of German history. Growing up in Olpe in the Sauerland region, he was a devout Catholic. Together with his wife Dr. Margot Bertram had six children and became a central figure in medical care during World War II.
Particularly outstanding was Dr. Bertram on September 11, 1944, when an Allied air raid on the Gelsenberg Benzin AG hydrogenation plant injured and killed many people. At this point, 2,000 Hungarian Jewish women had been brought to Gelsenkirchen as forced laborers, 138 of whom died in the bombs. Despite the great dangers associated with his actions, Bertram organized medical care for the injured at St. Josef Hospital and supported neighboring hospitals.
A hero in difficult times
Dr. Bertram and his nursing staff also hid 17 forced laborers in the hospital to protect them from the Gestapo. At a time when the Nazi regime had to make forced labor the basis of its war economy, this action not only meant moral courage, but also a certain degree of danger to the lives of everyone involved. Bertram's modesty was reflected in his refusal to receive official honors for his actions, seeing them as a Christian duty.
His heroic actions did not go unnoticed. Bertram posthumously received the Righteous Among the Nations award from Israel's Yad Vashem memorial in 1979, and the city of Gelsenkirchen honored him in 1996 with a bronze plaque placed in front of the hospital. Last year, a memorial plaque was also unveiled at the Gelsenkirchen Walk of Fame.
A legacy of togetherness
Many of Bertram's relatives were present at the inauguration of the current memorial plaque. Ortrud Kathol-Bertram, his daughter, spoke about the committed doctor and humorous family man, while Judith Neuwald-Tasbach, daughter of one of the rescued women, explained the families' close connection to Dr. Bertram emphasized. These memories show how strong Bertram's influence continues to this day and how important it is to tell such stories to promote moral courage.
The time when Dr. Bertram's life was shaped by the brutal forced labor that happened to around 12 million people in National Socialist Germany. Society perceived this as a central part of the war economy, which is evident from the fact that forced labor became indispensable in various sectors, including agriculture and defense industries. The ultimately devastating conditions of these people are a dark legacy that must be remembered and preserved, as are the actions of people like Dr. Rudolf Bertram, who provided help despite all adversity and did not lose sight of humanity.
At a time when the lives of millions were destroyed by the Nazi regime, Dr. Bertram as a ray of hope. His story and that of the escaped forced laborers still give us reason to think about humanity and the courage of the individual.