Swetlana Harkawtschuk
* 1944

Swetlana Harkawtschuk, born on 23.1.1944 in Hamburg, died on 7.12.1944

Essener Straße 54 (formerly camp Tannenkoppel, Weg 4, also called "Tarpenbek = Forced labor camp of the armaments industry in Hamburg Langenhorn)

Swetlana Harkawtschuk was born in Hamburg on January 23, 1944. Her mother Antonia Harkawtschuk, born on August 1, 1923 in Michailowka, was single. Deported from her native Russia, she was first sent to Hamburg-Altona to the camp Hohenzollernring, Moortwiete 59 (today Hohenzollernring/corner of Daimlerstraße), "home of the fish industry", and had to perform forced labor for the fish industry. In the 5th month of her pregnancy, she was employed as a forced laborer at Norddeutsche Leichtmetall- und Kolbenwerke GmbH (Noleiko) from September 1, 1943. She was housed in the camp at Brahmsstraße 109 (today Griegstraße).

During this time, the nutritional conditions for the forced laborers were so bad that on November 11, 1943, a group of Russian forced laborers refused to eat a spoiled soup. Five of them were then executed four days later in Winsberg near Eidelstedt in front of Russian forced laborers who had to watch. In the same fall, another woman was taken from this camp by the Gestapo. She, too, is said to have been shot.

In this forced labor camp, Brahmstraße 109, Antonia Harkawtschuk gave birth to her daughter Svetlana at 10:30 a.m. on January 23, 1944. The birth was reported to the registry office by the camp leader Gertrud Mogge.

The mother and daughter were then transferred to Hamburg-Langenhorn on February 8, 1944. Antonia Harkawtschuk now had to perform forced labor for Hanseatische Kettenwerk GmbH (HAK). She was housed with her infant in the Tannenkoppel camp, Weg 4. Svetlana had to spend the short time of her life there. The nutritional and living conditions there were completely inadequate for her.

On September 29, 1944, Swetlana was admitted to the Langenhorn Hospital with the diagnosis "bronchopneumonia" (pneumonia). There she died after two months, on December 7, 1944 at 6:30 pm. In the hospital's obituary, the cause of death is listed as "bronchopneumonia and pulmonary bc" and Blumenthal as the signing physician.

Swetlana was 10 months and 7 days old.

Twelve days after her death, her burial took place on December 19, 1944 in the Ohlsdorf cemetery, grave location: Q 39, row 12, no. 26. Her grave is no longer preserved. At the end of 1959 it was levelled together with at least 146 graves of children of forced laborers on area Q 39.

Translation by Beate Meyer