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Richard Gohert * 1895

Flebbestraße 50 (Harburg, Wilstorf)

U-Haft Hamburg
ermordet am 18.11.1944

Richard Gohert, born on 6 Oct. 1895 in Hamburg, died on 18 Nov. 1944 of the effects of imprisonment

District of Wilstorf, Flebbestrasse 50

Richard Gohert’s mother was Wilhelmine Gohert, née Sietz, born on 12 Apr. 1872 in Ahrensburg, and his father was the streetcar conductor Emil Gohert, born on 15 Apr. 1866 in Vietgest, District of Güstrow. The parents got married in Hamburg on 1 Dec. 1893, and starting in 1902, they successively lived in Harburg at Reeseberg 50, at Jürgenstrasse 39 (in 1904), and at Mensingstrasse 32 (in 1911). On 5 Sept. 1894, daughter Olga was born, son Richard followed in 1895, then Hermann, born on 14 Sept. 1896 in Hamburg, and Else, born on 3 Mar. 1908 in Harburg. The father died already on 5 Mar. 1913.

After leaving school, Richard Gohert trained to become a machine fitter. He fought as a soldier in the First World War, was wounded and buried alive. After the war, he worked in his occupation at several companies in Harburg. He married Else Runde, born on 8 Sept. 1901 in Harburg. The marriage remained childless.

Since 1920, Richard Gohert was a member of the German Communist Party (Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands – KPD), and from 1925 to 1933, he belonged to the employees’ representative committee at Thörl’s Vereinigte Harburger Oelfabriken [a plant processing edible oils]. From 1935 onward, he worked at the Harburger Eisen- und Bronzewerke [Harburg iron and bronze works] on Seevestrasse (today Harburg-Freudenberger Company). His residential addresses were Karnapp 21/22 (in 1922), Bremer Strasse 2 (in 1930), then, in 1932, Helferichweg 6 in Marmstorf (which did not belong to Harburg at the time), and in 1937, again in Harburg, Dietrich-Eckart-Strasse 24 (today: Heinrich-Heine-Strasse), and from 1938 onward Dürerstrasse 50 (heute: Flebbestrasse). Next door at Dürerstrasse 48 lived Richard’s brother Hermann Gohert with his wife Erna and sons Karl-Heinz and Herbert from 1929 onward, as well as their mother, Wilhelmine Gohert, from 1936 onward.

After the wave of arrests in 1934, a new KPD subdistrict leadership, headed by Felix Plewa (see corresponding entry) took shape in Harburg. It maintained resistance cells in several companies, including the Harburger Eisen- und Bronzewerke. In addition to Wilhelm Stein, Richard Gohert also participated in that cell. Together with Wilhelm Stein and Karl Polkehn, Richard Gohert supported the resistance organization around Bästlein, Jacob, and Abshagen (see entry on Karl Kock) during the war. On behalf of the organization, his allotment garden neighbor, Berthold Bormann, maintained the connection to Harburg and helped build up the company cells. At Harburger Eisen- und Bronzewerke, they formed a new company cell, listened to foreign radio stations in the air-raid shelter, and prepared leaflets.

On 23 Oct. 1942, Richard Gohert and Wilhelm Stein were arrested and taken into Gestapo custody in Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel, Gohert subsequently, from 25 Mar 1943 onward, into pretrial detention at Holstenglacis. After the heavy air raids on Hamburg in July 1943, he and Wilhelm Stein were temporarily released and both worked again at Harburger Eisen- und Bronzewerke. On 9 Sept., Richard Gohert was imprisoned again. On 6 May 1944, the "People’s Court” ("Volksgerichtshof”) (Second Senate presided over by Dr. Löhmann) sentenced him to six years penitentiary during the trial against Heinrich Wadle, Wilhelm Stein, and et al. in Hamburg.

According to a letter dated 16 May 1944, Richard Gohert was supposed to be scheduled for transport to the Celle penitentiary together with Adolf Wendt, Heinrich Hartig, and Paul Dreibrodt. Apparently, however, he was already so ill that he was not fit for transport, thus staying in the Hamburg pretrial detention center. His wife demanded that he be transferred to a public hospital. This request was denied on 13 Sept. 1944 on the grounds that treatment would also be possible in a central hospital of a penal institution. Nevertheless, he was brought to Barmbek General Hospital on 1 Nov. 1944. On 18 Nov. 1944, he died there of bone tuberculosis which he had contracted during pretrial detention.

Translator: Erwin Fink

Kindly supported by the Hermann Reemtsma Stiftung, Hamburg.

© Hans-Joachim Meyer

Quellen: VVN-BdA Harburg (Hrsg.), Die anderen, S. 294ff.; Hochmuth/Meyer, Streiflichter, s. Personenverzeichnis; StaH, 242-1-II Gefängnisverwaltung II; StaH, 331-1-II Poilizeibehörde II; StaH, 332-8 Meldewesen A44; StaH, 351-11, AfW, Richard Gohert; StaH,, Adressbücher Harburg-Wilhelmsburg und Hamburg; Anklageschrift und Urteil Heinrich Wadle u. a., Privatbesitz; Heyl/Maronde-Heyl, Abschlussbericht; Totenliste VAN.