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Elke Gosch * 1940

Langenhorner Chaussee 560 (Hamburg-Nord, Langenhorn)

ERMORDET IN DER
"KINDERFACHABTEILUNG"
DER
HEIL- UND PFLEGEANSTALT
LANGENHORN

ELKE GOSCH
GEB. 3.6.1940
ERMORDET 17.1.1942

further stumbling stones in Langenhorner Chaussee 560:
Gerda Behrmann, Uwe Diekwisch, Peter Evers, Claus Grimm, Werner Hammerich, Marianne Harms, Hillene Hellmers, Helga Heuer, Waltraud Imbach, Inge Kersebaum, Hella Körper, Dieter Kullak, Helga Liebschner, Theo Lorenzen, Jutta Müller, Ingrid Neuhaus, Traudel Passburg, Edda Purwin, Angela Quast, Erwin Sänger, Hermann Scheel, Gottfried Simon, Monika Ziemer

Elke Gosch, born on 3.7.1940 in Ahrensburg, killed on 17.1.1942 in the "children's ward of the Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home” (Kinderfachabteilung)

Asklepios Clinic North Ochsenzoll, Henny-Schütz-Allee, memorial house 25, entrance Langenhorner Chaussee 560

Elke Gosch was born in Ahrensburg on July 3, 1940. It was a difficult breech birth, Elke could hardly eat for the first 14 days and her mother did not breastfeed her. She initially lived with her parents Else Gertrud Marie, née Bruhn, and Rector Emil Gosch in Bad Oldesloe, in Hindenburgstraße, together with two siblings.

After six months, Elke had contracted pneumonia, was dangerously emaciated and was treated by a Dr. Kock. At the age of one, she was admitted to the Eppendorf University Children's Hospital for two weeks on June 13, 1941. She had remained weak and had not developed further. Elke could not yet speak or sit, was quiet and showed no sympathy. She could hold her head. When she was discharged, she was diagnosed with the "classic picture of mongoloid idiocy” (Down syndrome).

On November 27, 1941, Elke was admitted to the St. Georg General Hospital, Baustraße department, for observation. She was able to fixate and grasp, but was unable to play for any length of time. Otherwise, the diagnosis was confirmed. After considering transferring her to Alsterdorf, it was decided otherwise: "Mental support cannot be achieved as it is not possible to hold the child's attention for any length of time. Food intake without particular difficulties. As the parents wanted the child to be placed in a closed institution, transfer to Langenhorn.”

At the age of one and a half, Elke von St. Georg, Baustraße ward, was admitted to the "Langenhorn Sanatorium and Nursing Home” on December 27, 1941 with a certificate from the Stormarn District Health Office and a diagnosis of "Mongolide Idiocy”. In the admission record, Dr. Friedrich Knigge wrote: "The parents agree to any promising treatment.” After that, Elke only lived for three weeks.

Friedrich Knigge's last records read:
"13.I.42.: Has fever and strongly increased pulse
16.I.42. Di findings in nose and throat positive [...] Child transferred to M 15 b on the Di ward [diphtheria ward]
17.I.42. Exitus [death]. Diagnosis: Mongoloid idiocy. Dr. Knigge”.

Elke Gosch was presumably killed by Knigge in the "children's ward of the Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home” with a syringe and an overdose of Luminal, a sleeping pill. She died at 1:15 a.m. on January 17, 1942 in House M 15b.

In the protocol and the death notice, Knigge gave "Mongoloid idiocy, diphteritis” and "myocarditis” (inflammation of the heart muscle) as the cause of death. The indication "bronchopneumonia” as the cause of death is missing here. It can be assumed that the symptom of fever indicates the administration of the injection. Whether the transfer to the diphtheria ward served as a cover-up cannot be proven, but can be assumed.

Elke was 1 year, 7 months and 14 days old. The place of her burial is not known.

After the war, Friedrich Knigge commented on the accusations of murder and euthanasia in the "children's ward” of Langenhorn Hospital. In a letter dated June 13, 1945 to the criminal investigation department via Prof. Rudolf Degkwitz, senior official of the Hamburg health authorities, he only admitted to euthanasia in ten to eleven "mentally ill and deformed” children, which he considered to be justified by the order of the "Reich Committee for the Scientific Registration of Serious Hereditary and Congenital Suffering”. He did not mention Elke Gosch's name.
In a letter to the public prosecutor dated November 5, 1947, Elke's surname was also on a list of 16 children whom he had allegedly not killed, but whose parents had given their consent:
"Dear Mr. Public Prosecutor!
I would kindly ask you to check the medical files to see that another 16 parents agreed to the 'treatment' and thus gave me the order for euthanasia:
1. Zapf 2. Ziemer 3. Cordes 4. Lorenzen 5. Boehm 6. Diekwisch 7. Gosch 8. Schulz 9. Knudsen 10. Nonnsen 11. Fokuhl 12. Meyer 13. Meibohm 14. Oje 15. Würflinger 16. Groß.
In all these cases the order was not carried out, in some cases to the obvious disappointment of the parents. The great willingness of the parents must have reinforced the impression for me and my department at the health authority that we were not only acting in the true interests of the child socially, but also legally.”

Translation: Beate Meyer
Stand: November 2024
© Margot Löhr

Quellen: StaH, 213-12 Staatsanwaltschaft, 0017 Bd. 001, Bayer Dr. Wilhelm, u. a., S. 126 f.; StaH, 332-5 Standesämter, Sterbefallsammelakten, 64217 u. 423/1942 Elke Gosch; StaH, 332-5 Standesämter, Sterberegister, 9933 u. 423/1942 Elke Gosch; StaH, 352-5 Standesämter, Todesbescheinigungen, 1942 Sta 1b Nr. 423 Elke Gosch; StaH, 352-8/7 Staatskrankenanstalt Langenhorn, Abl. 2000/01 Nr. 33 Akte 29296; Standesamt Ahrensburg, Krs. Storman, Geburtsregister, Nr. 73/1940 Elke Gosch.