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Ingrid Hahn, 1939 (deren Kopf gestützt wird)
© Archiv Evangelische Stiftung Alsterdorf

Ingrid Hahn * 1933

Desenißstraße 54 (Hamburg-Nord, Barmbek-Süd)

HIER WOHNTE
INGRID HAHN
JG. 1933
EINGEWIESEN 1939
ALSTERDORFER ANSTALTEN
"VERLEGT" 7.8.1943
HEILANSTALT EICHBERG
ERMORDET 1.9.1943

Ingrid Hahn, born 10.8.1933 Hamburg, Alsterdorfer Anstalten 2.12.1939, transferred 7.8.1943 to Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Eichberg/Rheingau, murdered 1.9.1943 at Eichberg

Desenißstraße 54

Ingrid Hahn was born into a Barmbek family. Her mother Anni, née Mohr, was 21 years old when Ingrid was born. Anni was four years younger than Ingrid’s father Bruno Hahn. He worked as a driver, his two brothers Willi and Walter as carpenters and machinists, respectively, and their grandfather Hermann was also a carpenter. The maternal grandfather had died as a soldier in World War I, the grandmother was still alive when Ingrid was born. Ingrid was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

She was an 8-month child, her birth was easy, and her mother was able to breastfeed her. However, there were some abnormalities in her development, so at the age of nine months she was admitted to the children's hospital in Baustraße (today's Hinrichsenstraße), which belonged to the St. George Hospital. That these the first signs of her later illness were only recognized after some time. Two years passed after her return home until she was hospitalized again, this time in the Barmbek hospital, which was followed by another. Ingrid had learned to walk at the age of two and a half, but never learned to speak, only making squeaking sounds. The only "childhood disease" she had was measles.

The second half of 1939 brought the Hahn family another challenge besides the start of the war. On September 25, 1939, twin brothers B. and H. were born. Since it was assumed that Ingrid was endangering the infants by her uncontrolled behavior, she was separated from them. She had lived with her parents for six years and was now referred to the then Alsterdorfer Anstalten as a hospital patient with the diagnosis of "Erethischer Schwachsinn" (mental deficiency with increased irritability). Her father's health insurance paid for the costs.

On December 2, 1939, Ingrid Hahn was admitted to "Alsterdorf". When she was admitted, the deputy of the medical director, Gerhard Kreyenberg, who had a central role in the implementation of the hereditary health legislation in Hamburg, drew a "Sippentafel", a family tree of the family over three generations, for the race office. Except for Ingrid, no family member exhibited a disability. A hereditary strain as an explanation for Ingrid's suffering was therefore ruled out, and no other cause was found.

At home, Ingrid had been able to undress herself and drink her coffee in the morning. She had enjoyed eating and was sociable, knew her name and recognized people and objects. When she was admitted to "Alsterdorf" she had to be completely taken care of, did not speak, but screamed piercingly. She occupied herself with toys only for a short time, then chewed on them or threw them away. If she behaved too wildly, a "protective jacket", popularly called a "straitjacket", was put on her.

When an improvement or even a cure seemed impossible, the health insurance fund stopped its payments and the Hamburg social administration took its place. In a letter dated January 2, 1942, it recognized Ingrid Hahn's need for institutional care until April 30, 1944. Then, if necessary, a short report was to be sent with a statement regarding an extension. This did not happen.

In the first half of 1940, Ingrid Hahn was transferred several times between her ward and the infirmary. She suffered from flu-like infections and lung problems. In general, she could be managed well, the nurses' report said; she spoke individual syllables, knew her surroundings, and could be kept dry during the day. She also apparently ate independently and only needed help with dressing, undressing, and personal hygiene. Since she usually behaved aggressively toward her fellow patients, especially at night, she had to sleep alone at times.

The year 1941 ended with an intestinal infection and the suspicion of diphtheria, so that she spent the turn of the year in the infirmary. No sooner discharged than she contracted mumps. After two more diphtheria vaccinations, there were no further interruptions to her daily routine in 1942. It was described thus on May 14, 1942, and included in the reports to the payers: "[The] pat[ient] has always been very restless and noisy, but lately it has become even worse. She sleeps very little, screams and shrieks terribly loudly. If she is to be dressed, she throws herself on the floor and it is almost impossible to get her dressed. If she does not have a protective jacket on, she tears her stuff or undresses. Some time ago she was given paraldehyde to calm her down, but after that she had vomiting and her appetite decreased. Pat. gets 0.05 [mL] Luminal as needed." Luminal was an anti-epileptic drug that is still used today.

Ingrid's restlessness could apparently only be dampened by medication. In addition, she wore a protective jacket almost all the time, because otherwise she tore up everything. Presumably her "unruliness" was the reason why on August 7, 1943, she was assigned to the first transport of sick people to relieve the then Alsterdorf institutions after the major Allied raids in July/August 1943, which had also damaged the institution.

This transport went to the Rheingau, which was considered an air-safe area. It included a total of 128 children and men from "Alsterdorf" and 82 men from the former Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home. They were distributed to the institutions Kalmenhof/Idstein and Eichberg near Eltville am Rhein. The 28 Alsterdorf children, some of whom were transported lying on top of each other in their protective jackets, were sent to the Eichberg sanatorium.

The institution had served as a transit facility for the Hadamar killing center during Aktion T4 and had been given a "children's specialist department" ("Kinderfachabteilung") as part of the euthanasia program for children of the "Reichsausschuss für die Erfassung erb- und anlagebedingter schwerer Leiden" (Reich Committee for the Registration of Hereditary and Congenital Serious Sufferings). In a bureaucratically very complex procedure, "Aryan" infants and small children were transferred there, observed, judged by an expert committee as worthy of life or unworthy of life, and killed if necessary.

The transport arrived at its destination two days before Ingrid Hahn's tenth birthday. 20 of the Hamburg children were taken directly to the "children's specialist department” upon arrival, among them Ingrid, the rest to the women's ward. Ingrid was dressed only in a shirt and jacket, probably also in a protective jacket.

The first group was murdered soon after arrival, without having gone through the "Reichsausschuss" procedure, the remaining eight followed within the next two months after their transfer to the "Kinderfachabteilung", except for one fifteen-year-old.

Ingrid Hahn was murdered on September 1, 1943, and buried in the institution cemetery. She was ten years old.

Ingrid's former home in Desenißstraße had been destroyed by Allied air raids, and her parents found shelter in the district of Salzwedel, from where they immediately inquired about their daughter. Only then did they learn of Ingrid's transfer to what was then the Eichberg Sanatorium and, at the same time, of her death. They asked the management of the Alsterdorf institutions to provide Ingrid's papers and her private clothes. The papers were sent to the mother, what became of the clothing is not known. Her soap card remained in the file.

Translation by Beate Meyer
Stand: January 2022
© Hildegard Thevs

Quellen: Hamburger Adressbücher; Archiv der Ev. Stiftung Alsterdorf, V 032; Michael Wunder et. al.: Auf dieser schiefen Ebene gibt es kein Halten mehr, Hamburg, 2. Aufl. 1988.