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Monika Ziemer im Alter von zwei Jahren und vier Monaten in den "Alsterdorfer Anstalten" vor der Einweisung in die "Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Langenhorn"
© StaH

Monika Ziemer * 1939

Langenhorner Chaussee 560 (Hamburg-Nord, Langenhorn)

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

MONIKA ZIEMER
GEB. 12.10.1939
ERMORDET 19.5.1942

further stumbling stones in Langenhorner Chaussee 560:
Gerda Behrmann, Uwe Diekwisch, Peter Evers, Elke Gosch, 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, born on 12.10.1939 in Hamburg, killed on 19.5.1942 in the auxiliary hospital of the "Langenhorn Sanatorium and Nursing Home”

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

Monika Ziemer was born in Hamburg on October 12, 1939. She initially lived with her parents, Edith Emilie Frieda, née Grützmacher, and the ship's officer Oswald Ziemer, in Hamburg-Eilbek, Hasselbrookstraße 122.
Monika's history tells us that the pregnancy was without any complaints, but that the mother lost amniotic fluid eight days after an examination in the eighth month of pregnancy and Monika was born prematurely. She had bruises on her arms and legs but is said to have been otherwise unremarkable and was fed with pumped breast milk.
After a year, her parents were worried about Monika's development. It was not until Christmas 1940 that she is said to have laughed for the first time. Physician Dr. Sievers, Hammerlandstraße, treated her with medication.

On April 16, 1941, at the age of one and a half, Monika was examined at the Eppendorf University Children's Hospital. It was found that she could neither sit nor stand and had a "microcephalic [small] head”. She was discharged after a week: "Discharged after the very understanding mother was ruthlessly informed of the hopelessness of her condition. Rhinitis [inflammation of the nasal mucosa, M.L.] still unchanged. Main clinical diagnosis: Little [cerebral palsy, M.L.] Secondary diagnosis: Rhinitis”.

At the age of two years and four months, Monika was admitted to the "Langenhorn Sanatorium and Nursing Home” on February 3, 1942 with the diagnosis "cerebral palsy idiocy” by Dr. Knigge. In the report, he noted: "The parents agree to the child being treated.” After that, Monika only lived for six weeks. His report to Berlin to the "Reichsausschuss zur wissenschaftlichen Erfassung von erb- und anlagebedingten schweren Leiden” (Reich Committee for the Scientific Registration of Serious Hereditary and Congenital Diseases) was made on March 6, 1942.
Dr. Knigge's last minutes read:
"Temp. on 19th day around 40 ° rises on 26th day to 41.2°
23.IV.42. Transferred to M 5 because of scarlet fever.
19.V.42. Has got pharyngeal diphtheria in addition to scarlet fever.
Died in the pediatric infectious diseases ward in M 5.
Diagnosis: cerebral palsy. Idiocy. Dr. Knigge.”

Monika died on May 19, 1942 at 12:30 p.m. in the "Langenhorn Auxiliary Hospital” in House M 5. In the death certificate, Dr. Sönnichsen stated "Littl's disease, idiocy, scarlet fever, pharyngeal diphtheria”, "decubitus cachexia” (bedsores, severe loss of strength).

Monika Ziemer was presumably killed by Dr. Knigge in the "children's ward of the Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home” with Luminal injections, a barbiturate. In most death certificates, "bronchopneumonia” indicates this method of killing. This information is missing here. It can be assumed that in this case the symptom fever indicates the administration of Luminal. Whether the notation "transfer to M 5 due to scarlet fever” and "has also contracted pharyngitis in addition to scarlet fever” served to conceal this cannot be proven, but can be assumed.

Monika was 2 years, 7 months and 7 days old.

Seven days later, on May 26, 1942 at 3 p.m., Monika Ziemer was cremated and the funeral service took place between 5:25 and 7:15 p.m. "with candlesticks, plants, harmonium and organ music and string music” at the Ohlsdorf crematorium. On June 16, 1942, her urn was buried in the double grave at Ohlsdorf Cemetery, which her grandmother had chosen for herself and her husband, grave AD 28, No. 257/II. Her grandfather Paul Emil Grützmacher, who died a week before her, had been buried there three days before her death, on May 16, 1942. Her grave is no longer preserved.

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 of ten to eleven "mentally ill and deformed” children, which he considered justified by the order of the Reich Committee. He concealed the name of Monika Ziemer.

In a letter to the public prosecutor dated November 5, 1947, Monika's surname was also on a list of 16 names; Knigge claimed that he had not killed these children, although the parents had given their consent.
"Dear Mr. Public Prosecutor!
I would kindly ask you to check the medical files to see that a further 16 parents consented 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 they 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, 0013 Bd. 059 Sonderakte Bd. 39, Schirbaum u. a. Knigge, S. 32, 0017 Bd. 001, Bayer Dr. Wilhelm, u. a., S. 126 f.; StaH, 332-5 Standesämter, Sterbefallsammelakten, 64217 u. 422/1942 Monika Ziemer; StaH, 332-5 Standesämter, Sterberegister, 9933 u. 422/1942 Monika Ziemer; StaH, 352-5 Standesämter, Todesbescheinigungen, 1942 Sta 1b Nr. 422 Monika Ziemer; StaH, 352-8/7 Staatskrankenanstalt Langenhorn, Abl. 2000/01 Nr. 21 Akte 29440; Standesamt Hamburg 4a, Geburtsregister, Nr. 834/1939; Archiv Friedhof Ohlsdorf, Beerdigungsregister Feuerbestattungen, Nr. F 203 A, Grabbrief 162245/1942.