Lecture on women in the Nazi camp in Flussbach: A forgotten chapter!

Lecture on women in the Nazi camp in Flussbach: A forgotten chapter!

In the coming week, the focus will be on an important chapter in German history that has been almost forgotten for a long time. On Friday, September 12th at 6 p.m., there will be a lecture in the community center at Kirchstraße 2 with Dr. Lena Haase, who illuminates the former women's penal camp in Flussbach. The informative event is organized by the local council under the leadership of local mayor Scheibe, VG mayor Marcus Heintel as well as the Emil Frank Institute Wittlich and the Hinzert KZ Memorial Support Association. There is great interest in this topic because many people have little knowledge of the tragic circumstances and fates of the women who were imprisoned in this camp.

From September 16, 1942, the Flussbach women's camp was a branch of the Wittlich men's penal and youth prison. Against the background of the Night and Fog Decree of December 7, 1942, the prisoners were primarily political opponents from Luxembourg and France. These women, known as “night and fog” prisoners, were often arrested without the knowledge of their relatives. Between 1942 and 1944, a total of around 1,885 women passed through the camp, which consisted of four large barracks and two smaller buildings and was surrounded by a wire fence.

The tragic story of the prisoners

The prisoners had to work under extreme conditions. They were employed, among others, at the “Appolonia” dry potato factory in Gillenfeld and at the “Romika” company in Gusterath. In addition, many women were sent to local farmers to do field work. There were two main groups within the camp structure: the French and Luxembourg women, who were considered political prisoners, and German women, who were there as criminal prisoners. The working conditions were harsh, and many women were later deported to concentration camps, especially to the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp. The deportation of the women began in late summer 1944, as the Allies approached the German borders. The last prisoners were released on September 29, 1944, and the camp itself was destroyed by American bombs on March 10, 1945.

The historian Dr. Lena Haase from the University of Trier has been studying the fates of these women for around ten years. Their commitment is rooted in the belief that it is important to tell the stories of those incarcerated and to counteract forgetting. She is also the chairwoman of the working group “Remembrance of the Greater Region” and is intensively committed to coming to terms with these dark chapters of history. Despite the serious historical background, today there is no plaque or monument commemorating the events in the Flussbach women's camp, which indicates the necessity of the event.

A call to remember

Like Dr. As Haase already noted, it is of great importance to preserve and make visible these forgotten stories. The lecture on September 12th is not only an information event, but also an appeal to keep the memory of the prisoners alive. Every story deserves to be told. According to wochenspiegellive.de, the knowledge about the women's camp in Flußbach is closely linked to the debate about the Nazi era, which is still of great relevance today.

The event is likely to attract great interest and is recommended to everyone who is committed to history and remembrance. Because like that Memory Atlas describes, the women's camp in Flussbach was not only a place of suffering, but also a symbol of resistance against oppression and persecution. Let's work together to ensure that these stories are not forgotten!