Ortsbegehung: Das KZ-Außenlager "Leipzig-Schönau"

with Mirko Koch

Leipzig was an important center of the armaments industry during the Second World War. Even before 1933, many metalworking companies such as Hugo Schneider Aktiengesellschaft (HASAG) and Allgemeine Transportanlagen-Gesellschaft (ATG) were based here with large production facilities. With the start of the war, they switched their production to armaments, especially aircraft parts. Initially, they mainly used foreign civilian forced laborers and prisoners of war. From 1943, it also became possible for "war-relevant" companies to use concentration camp prisoners for forced labor. A system of subcamps was established - one of them in Schönauer Lindenallee (now Parkallee).

Around 500 Hungarian Jewish women were interned in the "Leipzig-Schönau" subcamp from summer 1944. The women and girls had to work in ATG's aircraft production. The camp was a subcamp of Buchenwald concentration camp until the end of the war.

At the authentic site of the former subcamp "Leipzig-Schönau", we will first take a general look at the phenomenon of forced labor. Participants will then gain an insight into the everyday life and work of the prisoners. Using exemplary biographies and illustrative material, we will go in search of traces in a place that offers few clues.

Meeting point: Parkallee streetcar stop (duration approx. 1½ hours)
Streetcar 8, 15 (Parkallee)