Wasilij Romanenko
* 1944

Wasilij Romanenko, born on 16.5.1944 in Hamburg, died on 3.6.1944

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

Wasilij Romanenko was born in Hamburg on May 16, 1944. His parents, Maria Romanenko, born on September 1, 1919 in Saboroje/Saro Konstantinowka, and Ivan Romanenko, born on April 13, 1914 in Zare-Konstantinow, were Roman Catholics. Deported from their homeland Poland/Ukraine, Ivan Romanenko came to the "Russian camp" Rohrweg 13 on December 11, 1942 and had to do forced labor for the H. C. Stülcken Sohn shipyard, machine factory and boiler forge, later he came to Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg to the Wettern camp.

Maria Romanenko, registered as a "farm laborer," was initially employed as a forced laborer in Hamburg-Barmbek for Tretorn Gummi- und Asbestwerke AG. She was housed in the Alter Teichweg 13/27 camp and was pregnant during this time.

On the day her child was born, Maria Romanenko was admitted to the Finkenau Women's Clinic in Hamburg-Uhlenhorst. Nine days after giving birth, on May 25, 1944, she returned to the Alter Teichweg camp with her son Wasilij. Two days later, she was transferred to Hamburg-Langenhorn for forced labor for Hanseatische Kettenwerk GmbH (HAK). She was housed with her son in the "Ostarbeiterlager" Tannenkoppel, Weg No. 4. Wasilij had to spend the short time of his life there. The nutritional and living conditions were completely inadequate for him.

On June 3, 1944, Wasilij died in the Eppendorf University Hospital at 7:15 pm. In the hospital's obituary, the cause of death is listed as "circulatory weakness premature birth" "dyspepsia" (indigestion) "Prolong. Ikterus" (prolonged neonatal jaundice) and Hasselkuss as the signing physician. Vasily's father is not listed on the birth and death certificates.

Vasily was 2 weeks and 4 days old.

Nine days after his death his burial took place on June 12, 1944 in the Ohlsdorf cemetery, grave location: Q 39, row 4, no. 15. His 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.

Maria Romanenko was transferred to the camp at Veddeler Damm 111 on September 9, 1944, to work for the H. C. Stülcken shipyard, machine factory and boiler shop. On November 23, 1944, she was sent to the Finkenau Women's Hospital for treatment. In the hospital list, under the heading of illness, "Interruptio" (interruption of pregnancy) is entered. After six days she was released back to the Veddeler Damm camp.

On March 13, 1945, she was transferred to the "Ostarbeiterlager" Westerweg 40 of the Stülcken shipyard, where her husband was also housed.

Addition:
Eleonore Hasselkuss, a doctor, born on March 6, 1913 in Bochum/Westphalia, was a member of the National Socialist People's Welfare Organization (NSV) and of the German Women's Work, but otherwise not of any party or Nazi organization. In February 1939, she began working as a volunteer at the Eppendorf University Hospital and then continued to work there as a research assistant. She received no categorization from the Denazification Commission in May 1950 and was thus considered not incriminated. (Source: StaH 221-11 Denazification File, Ed 3833)

Translation by Beate Meyer