Einhorn, Maria, née Heudorf

Housekeeper

born: 07.06.1891 in Überlingen

died: 27.01.1989 in Wiesbaden

In 1942, almost all of Wiesbaden's Jews were deported to the East. The Jewish population was separated from the rest of the population by being forced into overcrowded "Jewish houses". Only a few still maintained contact with their former neighbors or friends of Jewish origin. Einhorn, a trained housekeeper, was one of them. The Einhorns lived at Adolfsallee 14, in the same house as the Jewish Leffmann family. When the Leffmanns had to move to a "Jews' house", they put some of their belongings with Rosa Marx at Adelheidstraße 35. In August 1942, Rosa Marx was informed of her imminent "evacuation to the East". Auguste Leffmann then asked Einhorn to collect her belongings from her friend's apartment. Einhorn did not want to refuse this request, even though she knew that she was putting herself in danger. She was arrested and taken to the police prison (24.08.-21.10.1942).

Einhorn - like around ten other women from Wiesbaden who had also provided "Jewish aid" - had been denounced. All the women concerned were transferred to the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp and interned for an indefinite period. They were forced to perform hard physical labor, lived together in cramped conditions and had to reckon with draconian punishments at all times.

After more than half a year of torture and harassment (21.10.1942-31.03.1943), Einhorn was "released" again on the condition that he report regularly to the Gestapo. In the post-war period, Einhorn, who never recovered from the health problems she suffered in prison, applied for compensation. It was rejected on the grounds that her actions had not been an act of political resistance. She successfully appealed against this decision. Nevertheless, as a former concentration camp inmate, she felt rejection. She therefore rarely spoke about it. Correspondence with former concentration camp comrades gave her comfort.