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Helga Liebschner * 1939

Langenhorner Chaussee 560 (Hamburg-Nord, Langenhorn)

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

HELGA LIEBSCHNER
GEB. 18.4.1939
ERMORDET 22.10.1942

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, Theo Lorenzen, Jutta Müller, Ingrid Neuhaus, Traudel Passburg, Edda Purwin, Angela Quast, Erwin Sänger, Hermann Scheel, Gottfried Simon, Monika Ziemer

Helga Liebschner, born on 18.4.1939 in Hamburg, killed on 22.10.1942 in the "children's ward of the Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home” (Kinderfachabteilung)

Asklepios-Klinik Nord-Ochsenzoll,
Henny-Schütz-Allee, memorial house 25, entrance Langenhorner Chaussee 560

Helga Wilma Ella Liebschner was born in Hamburg on April 18, 1939. She was the daughter of Alma Amalie Johanna, née Lau, and the laborer Richard Walter Liebschner. The pregnancy was normal, but eight days before the birth, her mother had a serious fall on a flight of stairs. Helga was breastfed by her mother for a long time. She initially grew up with her parents in Hamburg-Ottensen, Holstentwiete 6, House 2, 1st floor, together with a sister.

It was noticeable that her development was delayed. Helga was not able to sit until she was nine months old. On August 11, 1941, she was admitted to the Altona Children's Hospital, Treskow-Allee, for an eight-day examination. At over two years old, Helga's development was very retarded; she did not speak or walk. She was treated for eczema and her mother was instructed not to give her milk and eggs.

On December 2, 1941, Helga's father was killed as a soldier on the Eastern Front. Alma Liebscher was now urged by the youth welfare department to place Helga in an institution for observation, as the child was a burden at home with the frequent air raids. One day the welfare officer came and said she was taking the child to an institution, but she didn't tell the mother which one.

Helga was three years old when she was admitted to the Langenhorn sanatorium on May 20, 1942 with a certificate from Dr. Stuhlmann, Altona Health Department, and a diagnosis of "geist. (mental) Weakness” and was admitted to the ‘Langenhorn Sanatorium and Nursing Home’. She was not yet able to speak and had only recently begun to walk a little unsteadily. Dr. Friedrich Knigge recorded on admission: "The mother has no objection to promising treatment”. He described Helga as a very nervous, irritable child: "[...] she can't play, she just throws building blocks around. [...] Her need to lean on her sister is very great, she always tries to get close to her sister so that she can sit on her lap. She pushes other children away”.

The hospitalization was reported to the "Reich Committee for the Scientific Registration of Serious Hereditary and Congenital Conditions” in Berlin just three days after admission. As can be seen from a letter dated June 1942, the "authorization to treat the child” had already been issued by the Reich Committee in a letter dated 15 November 1941. On July 31, 1942, it was also reported to Berlin by Stadt-Oberinspektor Freese.

When Dr. Knigge's last protocols were written, Helga's killing had already been decided and initiated:
"17.IX.42. Has not made the slightest progress so far. Remains mute and apathetic.
19.X.42. Fell ill with the symptoms of severe bronchitis.
22.X.42. Exitus letalis [fatal outcome] under the symptoms of bronchopneumonia [pneumonia].
Diagnosis: organic brain process. Idiocy. Dr. Knigge”

Helga Liebschner was killed in the "children's ward of the Langenhorn sanatorium and nursing home”. She died at 8:30 a.m. on October 22, 1942 in House M 10, Women's Ward II.

In the death certificate, Friedrich Knigge gave the cause of death as "organic brain process, idiocy, bronchopneumonia”. Knigge killed with Luminal injections, a sleeping pill. Fever and pneumonia were the result; the children suffered a slow and agonizing death. In most death certificates, as in Helga's case, the words "bronchopneumonia” refer to this killing.

On the same day, two hours after Helga's death, her mother received a telegram saying: "Daughter Helga unfortunately deceased, please send birth certificate and parental marriage certificate to Langenhorn institution”.

Helga was 3 years 6 months and 4 days old.

On October 26, 1942, Helga Liebscher was transferred from house M 10 at 1:00 p.m. by the funeral director Behn to the Ottenser cemetery, where her funeral took place one day later, on October 27, 1942, at 3:00 p.m.

On November 27, 1942, the Reich Committee informed Knigge that it would only cover half of the care costs from September 20, 1942. The funeral costs were borne by the mother.


After the war, on January 18, 1946, in the criminal case against him and others for murder and euthanasia in the "children's ward” of the Langenhorn hospital, Friedrich Knigge gave the following justification in a hearing before the examining magistrate at the Hamburg District Court regarding the Helga Liebschner case: "During the observation period, I had become convinced that there was an incurable brain disease, and after 5 months I was able to confirm the diagnosis of idiocy here as well. I reported to the Reich Committee for authorization for euthanasia treatment. After receiving the approving reply, I gave the child a Luminal injection on October 19, 1942, from which it died on October 22. The mother, whose husband had been killed in action, complained a lot about the difficulties she was having with the idiotic child at home. She agreed to the 'treatment' because she had experienced that the two healthy children were neglected in their care and attention by the sick, mentally weak child.”

As a witness in court on February 5, 1948, Helga's mother stated: "The doctor only asked me whether my family had any mental illnesses. He did not ask me about the child's medical history. Finally, he told me that he wanted to do something with the child and asked me if I agreed. He said nothing to me about the fact that the child's treatment could result in death.”

Translation: Beate Meyer
Stand: November 2024
© Margot Löhr

Quellen: StaH, 213-12 Staatsanwaltschaft, 0013 Bd. 060 Sonderakte Bd. 40, Schirbaum, Gottfried u. a., Akte 29840, 0017 Bd. 001 Bayer u. a. Knigge, S. 71, S. 146 f., S. 175 f.; 332-5 Standesämter, Sterbefallsammelakten, 64214 u. 887/1942 Helga Liebschner; StaH, 332-5 Standesämter, Sterberegister, 9934 u. 887/1942 Helga Liebschner; StaH, StaH, 352-5 Standesämter, Todesbescheinigungen, 1942 Sta 1b Nr. 887 Helga Liebschner; StaH, 352-8/7 Staatskrankenanstalt Langenhorn, Abl. 2000/01 64 UA 7; Standesamt Hamburg 7, Geburtsregister, Nr. 515/1939 Helga Liebschner.