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Memorial stone at Fischerhof station
Hannover-Linden

--> Humboldtschule (Fischerhof)

A memorial stone is situated in front of the old Fischerhof station in Linden. It was donated by the Niedersächsischer Verband Deutscher Sinti e.V. (Lower Saxony Association of German Sinti) and inaugurated on 1 March, 1996. Its shape resembles the traditional depiction of the two plates of the Ten Commandments. It carries the inscription: “For all prosecuted by national socialism.” and – in the tradition of Sinti tombstones – two symbols: a “Z”, the sign for “Zigeuner” (Gypsey), as it was used as a symbol for the Sinti and Roma in the national socialist concentration camps, and the Star of David to symbolize the Jewish people.

The Niedersächsischer Verband Deutscher Sinti e.V. deliberately dedicated this stone to all who were persecuted by national socialism. The association wanted to set an example because Sinti and Roma are often left out of most Holocaust memorials.

Most transportation of victims of the racist persecution by the national socialist regime from southern Lower Saxony to the ghettos and extermination camps in the east were processed via the slightly remote Fischerhof station. Of the eight transportations the Gestapo control centre in Hanover organised from 15 December, 1941 to 11 January, 1944, seven were processed via Fischerhof station. These transportations of Jewish victims, which contained a total of 2174 persons who had been concentrated in the deportation camp in the Israelitsche Gartenbauschule Ahlem   8 were headed for Riga, Warsaw, Auschwitz and Theresienstadt.

Especially the second transportation, which was supposed to leave for Warsaw on the evening of 31 March, 1942 set a chaotic scenario. The Gestapo stuffed the 491 people into the partially overcrowded coaches of the delayed train. Until then the people had been waiting on the platform for five hours, freezing in the pouring rain. The big Auschwitz transport from early March, 1943 was also processed via Fischerhof station. The criminal investigation department of Hanover deported approximately 100 Sinti from Hanover and at least 25 Sinti from the vicinity to the “Zigeunerfamilienlager” (“Gypsy-family-camp”) at Auschwitz Birkenau.

Apart from that, concentration camp prisoners from Ravensbrück, Mauthausen and Auschwitz, who were supposed to be used in the arms industry of Hanover, arrived at Fischerhof station in goods trains. From here on they were distributed to their assigned places of work.

Literature: 11, 40, 41, 76

To be found on the map under:

22 Memorial stone at Fischerhof station

Directions: suburban trains S1, S2, S5, bus lines 100 and 200

Contact:
Landesverband Deutscher Sinti e.V. (Lower Saxony Association of German Sinti)
Schaumburgstraße 3, 30419 Hannover
Tel. +49 (511) 79 60 61
Network-Member

Contact:
Verein für Geschichte und Leben der Sinti und Roma in Niedersachsen e.V.
(Association for the History and Life of the Sinti and Roma in Lower Saxony)
Mr. Reinhold Baaske
Salbeiweg 9, 30659 Hannover
Tel. +49 (511) 64 94 46
Network-Member