 |
||
|
Hans Meier, born 1892. Hans was born son of a train conductor in Wuppertal, in the west of Germany. His father being a socialist, Hans became a member of a socialist youth group "Die Falken" ("The Hawks") and eventually a youth group leader. He also learned to become a train conductor like his father and joined the workers' union where he got elected on leading posts. He later became a member of the KPD, the German Communist Party and got elected to parliament. In 1933, shortly after Hitler had taken over the power, Hans Meier was arrested by the police because of his world view and political work. He was sentenced to 20 years of penitentiary where he was locked in a solitary cell. As more and more people got arrested for political reasons, many of the prisoners were sent to work and concentration camps. So was Hans. Hans was sent to a work camp where he had to knock down stones 14 hours a day. The nutrition was bad, the prisoners did not get paid. They were crowded in wooden barracks which had to hold 1000 prisoners. 25,000 people were imprisoned in the camp. Those who attempted to flee were shot. In addition to each flight attempt, 10 men from the camp were shot as an act of vengeance. This action was supposed to scare the prisoners into not trying to flee. If the prisoners were not able to achieve their work target, they were punished with up to 25 blows delivered with a whip or a truncheon or with food reduction. 1943 was Han's tenth
year of imprisonment. He had lost a lot of weight and muscle structure
as well as most of his teeth. His |
 |