Stalag VII-A Moosburg
German Prisoner of War Camp
History

Prisoners celebrate their liberation. Copyright: Ange Goubin, no. 66720.

Courtesy of James Osman

LIMBURG
WICHTIGE NICHT-KIRCHLICHE EINRICHTUNGEN

 STALAG XII A LIMBURG (MIT ZUCHTHAUS FREIENDIEZ) Der Kriegsausbruch 1939 hatte auch die Einrichtung von Kriegsgefangenenlagern durch die Deutschen zur Folge. Über »Auffanglager« hinter der Front und »Durchgangslager« (»Dulags«) als Zwischenstationen kamen die Kriegsgefangenen ins Reichsgebiet, wo sie je nach Dienstgrad und Waffengattung in ein »Offlag« (Offizierslager), ein »Marlag« (Marinelager) oder z.B. in ein »Stalag Luft« (Lager für Angehörige der Luftwaffe) eingewiesen wurden. »Stalags« stand für »Stammlager«; hier wurden die einfachen Mannschaftsdienstgrade des Landheeres untergebracht. Die Lager waren in die militärische Hierarchie eingeordnet und unterstanden der Abteilung für Kriegsgefangenenwesen im Allgemeinen Wehrmachtsamt beim OKW. Über den Stalag-Kommandeuren stand das jeweilige Wehrkreiskommando, nach dessen lateinischer Nummerierung auch die Kennziffer des jeweiligen Lagers vergeben wurde. Das »Stalag« Limburg XII A bei Diez diente vom 28.8.1939 bis 29.1.1940 als »Dulag«, dann bis Kriegsende als »Stalag«, ausgelegt für ca. 43.000 gleichzeitig untergebrachte Kriegsgefangene, vor allem Belgier, Franzosen, Briten, Polen, Russen, US-Amerikaner und Italiener. Benachbart zum Stalag befand sich das reguläre Strafgefängnis Freiendiez, in das Kriegsgefangene bei Verstößen eingewiesen wurden. Auch Todesurteile wurden dort vollstreckt. Näheres zum Stalag Limburg und zum Gefängnis Freiendiez findet sich bei Marie-Louise Crone. 

Translation: 

Also the arrangement by Kriegsgefangenenlagern had ARRANGEMENTS IMPORTANT NOT-CHURCH LIMBURG STALAG XII A LIMBURG (WITH PENITENTIARY FREIENDIEZ) the outbreak of war 1939 through the German as a consequence.  Over »Auffanglager« behind the fronts and »run warehouses« (»Dulags«) as intermediate stops the war prisoners came into the empire zone where they became according to service degree and weapons species in a »Offlag« (officer warehouse), a »Marlag« (navy warehouse) or for example in a »Stalag air« (warehouse for member of the Air Force) on manner.  »Stalags« stood were accommodated for »tribe warehouse«; here that simple team service straight the country army.  The warehouses were incorporated and been subordinate into the military hierarchy the department for Kriegsgefangenenwesen in general armed forces velvet in the OKW.  Over the Stalag-commanders, the respective defense circle command stood after whose Latin Nummerierung also the index of the respective warehouse became forgive.  That »Stalag Limburg XII A in addressed informally served from the 28.8.1939 to 29.1.1940 as »Dulag«, then until end of the war as »Stalag«, displayed for ca.  43,000 simultaneously accommodated war prisoners, above all belgian, Frenchmen, Britons, Poland, Russians, US-American and Italian.  Adjoining to the Stalag the regular punishment prison Freiendiez, in which war prisoners became on manner in offences, was.  Also death judgments became executes there.  Nearer to the Stalag Limburg and to the prison Freiendiez is found in Marie-Louise Crone. 

Source:Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. Volume III. USGPO, Washington, 1946/pp.449-451

Petition of Bishop of Limburg to the Reich Minister of Justice Concerning Killing of Patients at the State Hospital for the Mentally Ill at Hadamar 13 August 1941

The Bishop of Limburg
Limburg/ Lahn
Aug 13, 1941

To the Reich Minister of Justice Berlin

[Various stamps and penciled remarks appear on original]

Regarding the report submitted on July 16 (Sub IV, pp 6-7) by the Chairman of the Fulda Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Dr. Bertram, I consider it my duty to present the following as a concrete illustration of destruction of so-called "useless life."

About 8 kilometers from Limburg, in the little town of Hadamar, on a hill overlooking the town, there is an institution which had formerly served various purposes and of late had been used as a nursing home; this institution was renovated and furnished as a place in which, by consensus of opinion, the above mentioned euthanasia has been systematically practiced for months-approximately since February 1941. The fact has become known beyond the administrative district of Wiesbaden, because death certificates from a Registry Hadamar-Moenchberg are sent to the home communities. (Moenchberg is the name of this institution because it was a Franciscan monastery prior to its secularization in 1803.)

Several times a week buses arrive in Hadamar with a considerable number of such victims. School children of the vicinity know this vehicle and say:" There comes the murder-box again." After the arrival of the vehicle, the citizens of Hadamar watch the smoke rise out of the chimney and are tortured with the ever-present thought, of the miserable victims, especially when repulsive odors annoy them, depending on the direction of the wind. The effect of the principles at work here are: Children call each other names and say," You're crazy ; you'll be sent to the baking oven in Hadamar." Those who do not want to marry, or find no opportunity, say," Marry, never! Bring children into the world so they can be put into the bottling machine!" You hear old folks say, "Don't send me to a. state hospital ! After the feeble-minded have been finished off, the next useless eaters whose turn will come are the old people."

All God-fearing men consider this destruction of helpless beings as crass injustice. And if anybody says that Germany cannot win the war, if there is yet a just God, these expressions are not the result of a lack of love of fatherland but of a deep concern for our people. The population cannot grasp that systematic actions are carried out which in accordance with Par. 211 of the German criminal code are punishable with death! High authority as a moral concept has suffered a severe shock as a result of these happenings. The official notice that N. N. had died of a contagious disease and that for that reason his body has to be burned, no longer finds credence, and such official notices which are no longer believed have further undermined the ethical value of the concept of authority.

Officials of the Secret State Police,. it is said, are trying to suppress discussion of the Hadamar occurrences by means of severe threats. In the interest of public peace, this may be well intended. But the knowledge and the conviction and the indignation of the population cannot be changed by it; the conviction will be increased with the bitter realization that discussion is prohibited with threats but that the actions themselves are not prosecuted under penal law.

Facta loquuntur.

I beg you most humbly, Herr Reich Minister, in the sense of the report of the Episcopate of July 16 of this year, to prevent further transgressions of the Fifth Commandment of God.

[Signed] Dr. Hilfrich

I am submitting copies of this letter to the Reich Minister of the Interior and the Reich Minister for Church Affairs. [initialled by the above]