Joseph Hercher (1892 - 1940)

Born 31 Jan 1892 in Hinterzarten, Neustadt, Freiburg, Baden, Deutsches Reich

Ancestors

Died 21 May 1940 at age 48 in Grafeneck, Dapfen, Münsingen, Württemberg, Deutsches Reich

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Florian Straub [send private message]

Biography

Joseph was born in 1892 as child of Joseph Hercher and Marie Schindler from Ramselehof in Hinterzarten.^[1] His godparents were forester Gebhard Späth and Brigitta Steiert, wife of his father's brother Konrad.^[2]

He fought in World War I, where he apparently was trapped/buried in battle for a time between some 30 minutes^[3] and several days. He survived and came home. But the war had changed something inside of him. After his return he was mainly just sitting around the whole day.^[4] His father pushed him to work.^[4] One day, when they were working in the forest, he threatened him with an axe.^[3][4]

This was too much for the family.^[4] He was admitted to the Grand Duchy's sanatorium (Großherzogliche Heilanstalt) in Emmendingen on 2 September 1921.^[5] There he worked on the field^[3][5] and was visited by his family every once in a while.

On 30 April 1940, after having been there for almost 19 years, he was transferred to Rastatt. At least his file from Emmendingen states this.^[5] Since the sanatorium in Rastatt with 577 patients had been "moved" completely to Zwiefalten in September 1939 already,^[6] he might have also been brought there. From 2 April until 9 December 1940 over 1000 patients were transported in 22 rounds via buses from Zwiefalten to nearby Grafeneck, where they were killed as part of Aktion T4, the Nazi mass murder campaign of involuntary euthanasia.^[6]

According to the staff of Grafeneck Memorial and a memorial plate for T4 victims in the Psychiatry Museum in Emmendingen, he was transported on 21 May 1940 and killed directly after arrival.

Official documents say, Joseph died on 5 June 1940.^[1] His family very likely received "comfort letter" (Trostbrief), similar to the specimen available online.^[7][8] There the special civil registry office of Grafeneck informed them about the surprising and sudden death of Joseph, that the his body was cremated immediately due to epidemic reasons and that the clothing was ruined during disinfection and therefore was forwarded to recycling. They might have also sent personal belongings of Joseph home and offered his (= some) ashes to be transferred to a cemetery of choice.

Apparently the family, who didn't really believe in Joseph dying from an infectious disease, took this offer since there was a memorial service held for him at Hinterzarten cemetery.^[3] There also was a gravestone for him at the cemetery.^[9]

Research notes

• Request death record from Hinterzarten town hall?
• Have Hinterzarten church book checked for burial record.
• Process his military record and the other one
• category for "2. Landsturm-Infanterie-Bataillon Mosbach XIV/12"

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Gemeinde Hinterzarten: Eheregister #8/1890:
   

   ?. Sohn Joseph Hercher geboren am 31. Januar 1892 in Hinterzarten

   (Standesamt Hinterzarten No 3/1892 )

   Dieses Kind ist am 5. Juni 1940 in Grafeneck, Kreis Münsingen

   gestorben (Standesamt Grafeneck No 90/1940).

2. ↑ "Germany, Baden, Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, Catholic Church Records, 1678-1930". Citing Baptism, Hinterzarten, Neustadt, Baden, Deutschland, , Erzbischöfliches Archiv Freiburg (Archbishop's Archives), Germany. FamilySearch Record: QYBR-PSPZ (accessed 21 June 2022) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-892X-1646 Image number 00286. Joseph Hercher baptism on 31 Jan 1892, daughter of Joseph Hercher & Maria Schierler, in Hinterzarten, Neustadt, Baden, Deutschland:
   

   Nr. 5

   Im Jahr 1892 den zweiten Februar wurde in hiesiger

   Pfarrkirche durch den Unterzeichneten getauft:

   Joseph, geboren den einunddreißigsten Januar

   ehel. Tochter [sic!] des Holzakkordanten Joseph Hercher

   u. der Maria Schindler dahier. Pathen sind

   Waldhüter Gebhard Späth u. Brigitta Steiert

   verehelichte Hercher von hier.

   Hinterzarten den 2. Februar 1892

   Albert Landold. Pfarrer.

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} told like this by Luise (Steurenthaler) Mechau and/or W. Hercher between 2010 and 2012
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} reported by Zähringer-61 on 3 April 2022 and after; she was told this by her mother and/or grandmother
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Patientenakte Josef Hercher, Bundesarchiv, R 179/8730
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Landeszentrale für politische Bildung (publisher): Euthanasie im NS-Staat: Grafeneck im Jahr 1940 - Baustein (2000)
7. ↑ Trostbrief Theodor K., 4 December 1940 (via [1])
8. ↑ Trostbrief Martin Bader, 27 June 1940
9. ↑ told by Luise (Steurenthaler) Mechau to Florian Straub around 18 June 2022