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Death of Fritz Pfeffer

Fritz Pfeffer died in the Neuengamme concentration camp on 20 December 1944.

Event

Dec. 20, 1944

53.430417 N 10.230694 E

Neuengamme

Duitsland

KZ_Gedenkstätte Neuengamme

Uit de kampadministratie van Neuengamme: een boek met de namen van de gevangenen die tussen 17 december 1944 en 19 januari 1945 zijn gestorven. Fritz Pfeffer staat zesde van onder.

KZ_Gedenkstätte Neuengamme Copyright: Publiek domein

Sometime in the winter of 1944, Fritz Pfeffer became seriously ill. On 16 February 1945, a death certificate No IX/107 was drawn up in the death book of Neuengamme concentration camp at the instructions of Otto von Apenburg. It states that Fritz Pfeffer died at nine o'clock in the morning on 20 December 1944 from enterocolitis: an inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.[1] Enterocolitis causes diarrhoea, leads to dysentery without treatment and eventually death.[2]

His marital status was given as 'divorced'. Acknowledgement of the marriage to Charlotte Kaletta, banned in 1937, was noted in the margin in 1953.[3]

The address of death given is: Hausdeich 60 at Hamburg-Neuengamme.[4] This address indicated the crematorium of Neuengamme.[5] It is therefore likely that Fritz Pfeffer was cremated.

On 23 October 1945, the Dutch Red Cross wrote a formal death notice to Charlotte Kaletta: 'From a message received here from an aid team in Germany of the Dutch Red Cross, I have the sad duty to inform you that Mr Fritz Pfeffer, born 30 April 1889 and last living in Amsterdam, died on 20 December 1944 in the Neuengamme concentration camp.'[6]

The 'Häflings-Toten-Nachweis' lists the date, time and cause of death identically.[1] Museum Auschwitz says the clerks in Auschwitz could choose at random from a list of several dozen standard causes of death. Perhaps the same thing happened in Neuengamme.

The Repatriation Bureau of the Military Authority passed Pfeffer's death on to the Civil Registry of Amsterdam. There, on 15 July 1946, the death was recorded on certificate 7/495.[7]

Footnotes

  1. a, b Gedenkstätte Neuengamme, "Häftlings-Toten-Nachweis", 17.12.1944-19.1.1945 (kopie: Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Pfeffer_I_0150).
  2. ^ Menselijk Lichaam: Enterocolitis.
  3. ^ Standesamt Hamburg-Neuengamme: Afschrift overlijdensakte (AFS, AFC, reg. code A_Pfeffer_I_016).
  4. ^ Het Nederlandse Rode Kruis (NRK), Den Haag, dossier 7500: Overlijdensacte Fritz Pfeffer: Nr.IX/107.
  5. ^ KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme: Bauliche Entwicklung des KZ Neuengamme 1938 bis 1945 - Krematorium.
  6. ^ NRK, dossier 7500: Brief aan mevrouw C. Kaletta van J. van de Voss, 23 oktober 1945.
  7. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Fritz Pfeffer (onafgeplakte kopie).