Bästlein-Jacob-Abshagen Group
Encyclopedia
The Bästlein-Jacob-Abshagen Group was a German resistance
group that developed around the core members Bernhard Bästlein
, Franz Jacob
and Robert Abshagen
. It fought the National Socialist (Nazi) regime from 1940 till the end of the war in 1945. It consisted of about 300 members in over 30 groups in Hamburg
factories, making it the biggest regional Nazi resistance group in the history of Hamburg.
. They immediately set about building a Resistance organization after secret meetings with the remnants of various Resistance groups of the Communist Party of Germany
and other small groups. The plan was to help promote the overthrow of the Nazi regime and end the war by concentrating on large Hamburg companies. Through extensive contacts, they were able to build a conspiratorial network in over 30 firms, primarily in the Hamburg shipyards. Their declared goals were to mobilize the workers, support the foreign forced laborers
and the Soviet prisoners of war and to sabotage
the weapons production. The group consisted of Communist Party members, some Social Democrats
, independents and foreign forced laborers. The group promoted a socialist Germany allied with the Soviet Union
, using leaflets that were, as a rule, distributed internally. Through Wilhelm Guddorf
, they had contacts outisde Hamburg, with the Rote Kapelle in Berlin
and Leo Drabent and Hermann Böse
in Bremen
.
In October 1942, the activities of the group were discovered by the Gestapo
and more than 100 of their then roughly 200 members were arrested. Franz Jacob went underground
in Berlin and with Anton Saefkow
, established a new network of cells.
After heavy air raids on Hamburg
in July and August 1943, the city was in shambles. 900,000 Hamburg residents had no more roof over their heads and water, gas and electricity were no longer guaranteed, much less food. The jails were in no better shape, so the decision was made to furlough
2,000 prisoners for two months, including about 50 Resistance fighters. Many of the furloughed prisoners immediately sought to resume their political work, underground. After a few months, most of them were arrested again. From May 1944, there were a number of trials known as the "Hamburg Communist Trials", in which numerous were given a death sentence
and were hanged. In total, 70 members of the group were murdered between 1942 and 1945. Nevertheless, the group was able to sustain its activity till the final days of the war and Hamburg was surrendered to the Allies
without a fight.
Other key group members were Walter Bohne, Gustav Bruhn, Hans Hornberger, Oskar Reincke, Kurt Schill and Heinz Priess.
. Included in that number were urns from Bernhard Bästlein, Franz Jacob and Heinz Priess. Other urns were later added for Robert Abshagen and other members of the group.
During the postwar years, the shop committee of Blohm & Voss had a commemorative plaque
made, honoring the 11 murdered shipyard workers, which included eight members of the Bästlein-Jacob-Abshagen Group. In 1964, the postal service of the German Democratic Republic
released a series of postage stamps on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the execution of Saefkow, Jacob and Bästlein. There had already been a memorial series on athletes, which had honored Walter Bohne. During the 1980s, Hamburg's Office of Memorials, as part of its program, Stätten der Verfolgung und des Widerstandes ("Persecution and Resistance Sites"), unveiled a memorial plaque at the Thalia Theater
in Hamburg, which had been one of the bases of the group.
Berlin has streets named for both Bernhard Bästlein and Franz Jacob and there have been Stolpersteine
placed at former homes of Bästlein, Jacob and Abshagen.
German Resistance
The German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
group that developed around the core members Bernhard Bästlein
Bernhard Bästlein
Bernhard Bästlein was a German Communist and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime. He was imprisoned very shortly after the Nazis seized power in 1933 and was imprisoned almost without interruption until his execution in 1944, by the Nazis...
, Franz Jacob
Franz Jacob (Resistance fighter)
Franz Jacob was a German Resistance fighter against the National Socialists and a Communist politician.- Early years :...
and Robert Abshagen
Robert Abshagen
Robert Abshagen was a German Resistance fighter against National Socialism and a Communist.- Biography :Abshagen first worked in insurance, then as a sailor and finally, as a construction worker. He joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1931.Beginning in 1933, he took part in the illegal German...
. It fought the National Socialist (Nazi) regime from 1940 till the end of the war in 1945. It consisted of about 300 members in over 30 groups in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
factories, making it the biggest regional Nazi resistance group in the history of Hamburg.
History
In 1940, Bästlein, Jacob, Abshagen and Gustav Bruhn were released from Sachsenhausen concentration campSachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
. They immediately set about building a Resistance organization after secret meetings with the remnants of various Resistance groups of the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
and other small groups. The plan was to help promote the overthrow of the Nazi regime and end the war by concentrating on large Hamburg companies. Through extensive contacts, they were able to build a conspiratorial network in over 30 firms, primarily in the Hamburg shipyards. Their declared goals were to mobilize the workers, support the foreign forced laborers
Forced labor in Germany during World War II
The use of forced labour in Nazi Germany and throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II took place on an unprecedented scale. It was a vital part of the German economic exploitation of conquered territories. It also contributed to the mass extermination of populations in German-occupied...
and the Soviet prisoners of war and to sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
the weapons production. The group consisted of Communist Party members, some Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, independents and foreign forced laborers. The group promoted a socialist Germany allied with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, using leaflets that were, as a rule, distributed internally. Through Wilhelm Guddorf
Wilhelm Guddorf
Wilhelm Guddorf was a journalist and resistance fighter against the Third Reich. He was reputedly a member of the Red Orchestra resistance group.- Life :...
, they had contacts outisde Hamburg, with the Rote Kapelle in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Leo Drabent and Hermann Böse
Hermann Böse
Hermann Böse was a music teacher at the Hermann-Böse-Gymnasium, which was named after him. He was also conductor of the ultra left "Workers - Singing Union in Bremen"....
in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
.
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and more than 100 of their then roughly 200 members were arrested. Franz Jacob went underground
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
in Berlin and with Anton Saefkow
Anton Saefkow
Anton Emil Hermann Saefkow was a German Communist and a resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.-Early life:...
, established a new network of cells.
After heavy air raids on Hamburg
Bombing of Hamburg in World War II
The Allied bombing of Hamburg during World War II included numerous strategic bombing missions and diversion/nuisance raids. As a large port and industrial center, Hamburg's shipyards, U-boat pens, and the Hamburg-Harburg area oil refineries were attacked throughout the war...
in July and August 1943, the city was in shambles. 900,000 Hamburg residents had no more roof over their heads and water, gas and electricity were no longer guaranteed, much less food. The jails were in no better shape, so the decision was made to furlough
Furlough
In the United States a furlough is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole...
2,000 prisoners for two months, including about 50 Resistance fighters. Many of the furloughed prisoners immediately sought to resume their political work, underground. After a few months, most of them were arrested again. From May 1944, there were a number of trials known as the "Hamburg Communist Trials", in which numerous were given a death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
and were hanged. In total, 70 members of the group were murdered between 1942 and 1945. Nevertheless, the group was able to sustain its activity till the final days of the war and Hamburg was surrendered to the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
without a fight.
Other key group members were Walter Bohne, Gustav Bruhn, Hans Hornberger, Oskar Reincke, Kurt Schill and Heinz Priess.
Honors and memorials
On September 8, 1946, 27 urns from murdered Resistance fighters from Hamburg were buried in a cemetery in OhlsdorfOhlsdorf
Ohlsdorf is a municipality in the district of Gmunden in Upper Austria, Austria....
. Included in that number were urns from Bernhard Bästlein, Franz Jacob and Heinz Priess. Other urns were later added for Robert Abshagen and other members of the group.
During the postwar years, the shop committee of Blohm & Voss had a commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
made, honoring the 11 murdered shipyard workers, which included eight members of the Bästlein-Jacob-Abshagen Group. In 1964, the postal service of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
released a series of postage stamps on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the execution of Saefkow, Jacob and Bästlein. There had already been a memorial series on athletes, which had honored Walter Bohne. During the 1980s, Hamburg's Office of Memorials, as part of its program, Stätten der Verfolgung und des Widerstandes ("Persecution and Resistance Sites"), unveiled a memorial plaque at the Thalia Theater
Thalia Theater (Hamburg)
The Thalia Theater is one of the three state-owned theatres in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1843 by Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger and named after the muse Thalia...
in Hamburg, which had been one of the bases of the group.
Berlin has streets named for both Bernhard Bästlein and Franz Jacob and there have been Stolpersteine
Stolpersteine
Stolperstein is the German word for "stumbling block", "obstacle", or "something in the way". The artist Gunter Demnig has given this word a new meaning, that of a small, cobblestone-sized memorial for a single victim of Nazism...
placed at former homes of Bästlein, Jacob and Abshagen.
See also
- Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein OrganizationSaefkow-Jacob-Bästlein OrganizationThe Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization was an underground German resistance movement acting during the Second World War, that published the illegal magazine, Die Innere Front ....
- List of Germans who resisted Nazism
- Katharina JacobKatharina JacobKatharina Jacob was a teacher and member of the German Resistance movement against National Socialism. She was married to Franz Jacob, a German Resistance fighter who was executed by the Nazis.- Biographical details :...
External links
- "Memorialising the Holocaust" (Study trip to Berlin) University of Leeds, Department of German (March 2002)