Executions at the Sahlenburg shooting range during the Nazi era
During the Nazi regime, the former shooting range in Sahlenburg gained the reputation of being a place of execution. The German Wehrmacht also used the site to carry out death sentences passed by the naval court martial in Cuxhaven. Up to 11 soldiers and civilians are known to have been executed here by firing squad. The execution of Heligoland freedom fighters sentenced to death is particularly well-known here. Towards the end of the war, the not unjustified fears of the Heligoland population grew that the Allied air force would eliminate the militarily important position off the German coast with a massive air raid. Not without reason, because the Allies gave the German military an ultimatum to surrender and voluntarily hand over the red rock in the sea. In their desperation, a group of five people, four soldiers and one civilian, formed. They had planned a daring operation to overthrow the military leadership of the garrison in order to save the heavily armed North Sea island from the expected destruction. Contact was made with the British military by radio and the plan for the overthrow was put forward. Shortly before the operation began, however, a member of the group betrayed the group and the coup was thus thwarted. All five people were arrested by the Gestapo on the morning of April 18, 1945 and taken to the mainland in Cuxhaven. In a summary trial, the Cuxhaven Naval Military Court sentenced the resistance forces to death by firing squad for "conspiracy and incitement to mutiny." On the same day, and after the ultimatum had expired, at around 12 noon, the British Royal Air Force began its devastating air strike with almost 1,000 heavy bombers in several waves. During the attack, almost 7,000 tons of bombs were dropped, including several 7-ton Tallboy bombs, which reduced the entire island to rubble and ashes, killing 285 people. The death sentence against the members of the Heligoland Freedom Movement was carried out by a firing squad on April 21, 1945, at the shooting range in Sahlenburg, just 17 days before the end of the war. The death sentences were signed by a man who held the post of Naval Commander Elbe-Weser at the time in 1945, Rear Admiral Rolf Johannesson. After the war, he became Admiral of the new German Federal Navy. More information on this can be found under Trace Search in the Pinneberg District - - - > #. In addition, other convicted soldiers from various branches of the military were shot at this location. The reasons for the verdict mostly concerned undermining military morale, desertion, an increased number of minor offenses involving absence from the troops, but also a suspected murder. In the book "... whose preservation in prison would be pointless!" Hans Jürgen Kahle describes some of these death sentences handed down by the local military justice system. Published by Wilhelm-Heidsiek-Verlag.
Executed at the Sahlenburg shooting range:
- Hans Georg Glauche. / 7.M.FLA.A 214 - Battery Altenbruch († 19.01.1943)Johann Zehnpfennig, Private, Marine Artillery Division 254 († 09.01.1944) Source: Forum of the WehrmachtArnulf Burkhardt. / 7.M.FLA.A 214 - Battery Altenbruch(† 14.03.1944)Otto Maushake. / 1. mot. Marine-Bau-Battallion 314-Sahlenburg († 16.07.1942) Erich PJ Friedrichs / Heligoland Resistance († 21.04.1945)Georg E. Braun / Heligoland Resistance († 21.04.1945)Karl Fnouka / Heligoland Resistance († 21.04.1945)Kurt A. Pester / Heligoland Resistance († 21.04.1945)Martin O. Wachtel / Heligoland Resistance († 21.04.1945)Wilhelm Reinhardt, sailor from the outpost boat "Flakjäger 23" (21.04.1945) (Source: Cuxpedia)Joachim Hans Edel, sailor of the 21st Minesweeper Flotilla († 21.04.1945) (Source: Cuxpedia)Engelbert Thaurer († 03.05.1945)
Engelbert Thaurer † 03.05.1945
The heartwarming fate of a young man from Zell (Zell am Ziller/Austria) is just too moving and typical of this unfortunate time - it should be noted here: Engelbert Thaurer, who lived at the "Entrigen Selanger" in the imperial city, had a desire to go to sea since he was a child. In 1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the navy. On May 3, 1945, just three days before the capitulation, he was shot by court martial in Cuxhaven. This shows the full perfidy of the system at the time and makes your blood run cold. Every clear-thinking person has now realized that this war is coming to an end. Engelbert's mistake was that in April he said at the train station in Bremerhaven that "the war was lost", which was already too much at the time. He was denounced, reported and sentenced to death by a court martial on the grounds of "undermining military morale" - with the added sentence that a bullet would be too good and that he should be hanged. The Catholic priest who looked after him in his prison cell is said to have managed to get him shot by pointing out that he was so young. Engelbert Thaurer is thus considered the last victim of the Nazi naval justice system.
In the archives of St. Mary's Church in Cuxhaven, Pastor Niederschäfer recorded: 3.5., 17-year-old Tyrolean shot by firing squad, he said that the war was probably not going to be won, whereupon a mate reported him. In the cell, Thaurer repeatedly asked the pastor when the English would arrive. Shortly before the British arrived, he was shot. Signed Niederschäfer." Pastor Niederschäfer wrote Engelbert's grandfather a letter informing him of his death: "I had the difficult duty as a priest and pastor to make his last days easier and to support him in death. He died as a devout Christian after receiving Holy Communion three more times. Signed Niederschäfer."
Auch Engelbert Thaurer richtete Abschiedsworte an seinen Großvater:
„Lieber Großvater, die letzten Grüße von Engelbert. Das Leben auf der Welt ist ein Kummer. Wir finden uns ja alle oben in unserer Heimat. Grüß mir meine Mutter (sie leistete Zwangsarbeit in Leipzig) und Bruder Franzal (Bruder Franz war ebenfalls bei der Wehrmacht) und Hansal fortweg und auch die anderen Tanten. Ich bin noch als Soldat gestorben. Engelbert Thaurer.“
Engelbert war auf dem in Cuxhaven stationierten Flakjäger „22 Wiking“ eingesetzt. Seine Ermordung erfolgte auf dem Schießplatz von Sahlenburg, beigesetzt ist er auf dem Friedhof von Brockenwalde.
Quelle: Gemeinde Zell am See, Chronik, 2.Jahrgang,März 2022, Folge 2
The memorial stone at the former shooting range in Sahlenburg. It was erected at this spot in memory of those killed in the Heligoland resistance and as a memorial against forgetting, thanks to many donors.