Stemwede under National Socialism

Regional representatives and opponents

Denunciations were widespread in the offices of today's municipal area during the National Socialist era. Gestapo and police interrogations were carried out for even minor criticism of Nazi ideology or the Nazi state. Even minor offenses could result in severe penalties.

In addition to ordinary citizens who expressed criticism in conversations, pastors who belonged to the confessing church were regarded, observed and punished as resisters in the Dielingen/Wehdem and Levern offices of the time.

Stemwede under National Socialism

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Stemwede under National Socialism

The flag

Even children playing in the villages around Stemweder Berg were not spared from the general surveillance structures of the National Socialists. According to the minutes of the Levern police department, an absurd incident occurred in the village of Niedermehnen on April 10, 1938:

SA men on patrol retrieved a black, white and red flag measuring around 60x40 cm from a tree. Two 13-year-old boys from the village had hung it up to play with. As the election to the Greater German Reichstag and the subsequent referendum on the annexation of Austria to the German Reich were taking place that day, the incident was considered a provocation and classified as a criminal offense. Flags played a prominent role in the Nazi state. Almost every party grouping had its own flag, which was literally "consecrated" before being used. in 1935, the Reich Flag Law as part of the Nuremberg Laws stipulated: "The colors of the Reich are black-white-red. The imperial and national flag is the swastika flag." The actually harmless use of the flag by children was therefore undesirable.

A police investigation was launched against the children and extended to their families. According to the children, they had already sewn the flag with the colors of the empire two years ago from old clothes and used it to "play soldier". The two said that since flags were hanging everywhere, they had hoisted their flag in the tree in good faith. Their parents were also unaware of this. During the subsequent examination of the parents, it was noted and conspicuously emphasized that there was no swastika flag in these households and that parents preferred to attend church services on this important Sunday. In the Nazi surveillance state, mistrust and arbitrariness were evident at the slightest attempt to deviate from the permitted "norm".

Stemwede under National Socialism

The books from Hilden

Heinrich Strangmeier (born 1899 in Oppendorf, died 1986 in Hilden) was a librarian, municipal official, local historian, editor and publisher in Hilden after training with the Levern district administration and several intermediate positions. When the Nazi regime demanded the burning of ostracized books in 1933, Strangmeier had the endangered books removed from the Hilden public library. He had faked a sale for this purpose and paid the proceeds from his own pocket. The books ended up in a safe hiding place in his birthplace of Oppendorf. They were stored there until the end of the war. If this behavior had become known, he would have had to reckon with serious consequences from the NSDAP. A friend who was also critical of the NSDAP and his Jewish landlord therefore advised him to join the NSDAP. Strangmeier complied with a heavy heart.

in 1945, he retrieved all his books intact. The Hilden public library was then the best-stocked public library for miles around. At the end of the war, the Americans offered Strangmeier the position of mayor, which he declined. The British later made him deputy town manager.

As the British military government decreed that all those who had been in the NSDAP before May 1, 1937 were to be dismissed from the administration, Strangmeier's former Jewish landlords from England came forward. They confirmed his opposition to the Nazi regime. The British found him worthy of continuing in his previous position without restriction. He was thus fully rehabilitated.