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Ernst Friedrich Wetzstein * 1883

Dennerstraße 15 (Hamburg-Nord, Barmbek-Nord)

HIER WOHNTE
ERNST FRIEDRICH
WETZSTEIN
JG. 1883
KZ FUHLSBÜTTEL
ERMORDET 31.10.1933

Ernst Friedrich August Wetzstein, born on 2 Dec. 1883, committed suicide on 31 Oct. 1933 in the Fuhlsbüttel police prison.

Dennerstrasse 15

Ernst Wetzstein was born in Hamburg as the son of the worker Christian Carl Heinrich and his wife Marietta Dorothea, née Wrage. The family was Lutheran and lived in Eimsbüttel. Ernst Wetzstein had a brother, Heinrich, who was two years older.

During the First World War, Ernst Wetzstein served at the front, sustaining serious injuries. As a result, he was 50 percent war-damaged and had trouble finding a job. After the war, he began an apprenticeship as a potter.

On 31 Dec. 1920, Ernst Wetzstein married 21-year-old Helene Anna Auguste Hardt from Strippow near Coeslin. The witnesses to the marriage were his brother Heinrich and his mother Marietta. By this time, his father had already passed away. After the wedding, Helene moved in with Ernst to Löwenstrasse 33, house no. 10, where Marietta Wetzstein lived as well. Ernst Wetzstein’s war injury meant that he had to have an ulcer removed and that he became an early retiree.

On 15 Aug.1933, Ernst Wetzstein was arrested by the police on suspicion of sexual offenses against girls and imprisoned in the Fuhlsbüttel police prison. At that time, the Wetzstein couple lived at Dennerstrasse 15 and had no children together.

Based on the allegations, Ernst Wetzstein was put in solitary confinement. The prison administration was asked several times whether this type of detention could not be revoked, but it did not happen. Before the start of his trial, Ernst Wetzstein was to agree to his castration. The criminal proceedings against him were opened on 14 Oct. 1933 and the trial was scheduled to begin on 1 November. However, by this time Ernst Wetzstein was already dead. He is said to have hanged himself in his cell, as Chief Inspector Körner wrote in his report:

"Mr. President of the Department of Corrections.
Ernst Friedrich August Wetzstein, born on 2 Dec. 1883 in Hamburg, married, who has been in custody since 16 Aug. 1933 for Grand Criminal Chamber [grosse Strafkammer] VII 336/33 (public prosecutor’s office VII b 4306/33) on suspicion of sexual offenses against small girls, was found dead this morning at 7:05 a.m. in his cell no. 210, hanging from a piece of bed sheet on the mullion and transom of the cell window. The station officer, Police Sergeant Plüschau, immediately cut Wetzstein down and tried to resuscitate him together with the medical auxiliary called in at once, but they were unsuccessful. Wetzstein was to have a trial date on 1 Nov. 1933. The motive for his deed is not known. He never seemed suspicious to the station officials. He was calm and quiet and did not pay attention to anyone, being in solitary confinement.

The district physician, Dr. Spaethe, who appeared at 9 o’clock, determined ‘suicide by hanging.’ The wife and the authorities in charge have been notified; the body will be transferred to the harbor hospital (mortuary) in the course of the day.”

The doctor called in did not detect any signs of mistreatment.

Since there was never a trial and therefore also no judgment, it was impossible to determine whether the allegations leveled against Ernst Wetzstein were based on the truth. The artist Gunter Demnig nevertheless decided to lay a stone.


Translator: Erwin Fink
Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

Stand: May 2019
© Carmen Smiatacz

Quellen: StaHH 242-1 II, Gefängnisverwaltung II, Abl. 12, 683 – Wetzstein; StaHH 332-5, Personenstandsunterlagen, 1008 und 288/1933; StaHH 332-5, Personenstandsunterlagen, 1762 und 288/1933; StaHH 332-5, Personenstandsunterlagen, 8982 und 4579/1883; Diercks: Gedenkbuch "KOLA-FU", S. 43.