Political Prisoner of War - Dachau Concentration Camp

In May 2017, I wrote a post detailing my connection to Peter Josef Hasenstab, who was my great-grandfather's first cousin. Many in the family immigrated to America, while other family members remained in Germany. DNA testing revealed that my mom was not a biological Hasenstab a couple of years ago.  That didn't matter. Peter has always intrigued me and been a part of the family.  I've spent a significant amount of time searching for information about him, and he continues to hold a special place in our family tree. 

Unfortunately, it seems like this is all I will ever know about his life.

April 18, 1897 Peter Yosef Hasenstab was born in Gailbach - 

 

1914-1918 - Peter served in WW1 in Germany in the Artillery 

From February 1933, the Gestapo arrested individuals whom the Nazis believed could endanger the "people and state," according to the title of the Reichstag Fire Decree. They sent them to concentration camps as "protective custody" prisoners. Most of them were political prisoners, homosexuals, Jews, Gypsies, and Jehovah's Witnesses. They could be held indefinitely without trial. They arrested communists, socialists, social democrats, trade unionists, and other opponents of the regime and sent them to the early concentration camps.

Sept 16, 1937, Peter entered the Dachau Concentration Camp by train (Zug) 

He was listed as a prisoner of war with the category Sch. DR (protective custody prisoner/Political Prisoner) Category translates to Prisoner German. 

 

According to the sources listed, It is believed Peter died there in Dachau, and his body was buried in Mauthausen, which was another Concentration Camp.

At the Mauthausen Memorial, in the room of Names, there is a Peter Hasenstab, although the dates are off a bit.  Could this be my Peter Hasenstab? 

Born 12.4.1897 in Gailbach / Aschaffenburg

Died 9.5.1940

I believe there are two Peter Hasenstabs! 

I have submitted these sources and requested that they verify my information. It's a slight possibility that they are the same, but I do have to rule it out one way or another. 

My gut tells me the name is probably fairly common, and other documentation lists him with his middle name of Josef. 

However, the above record says he is at the Dachau KZ Cemetery. 

The Nazis kept good records. There must be another Peter Hasenstab.

There's always a mystery, isn't there? 

I also sent in for information at the Dachau KZ, where I believe my Peter Josef Hasenstab is. 

Both sites say it could take a minimum of 8 weeks. 

Z - The end of A-Z

Whew! I'm glad it's over. I found it quite challenging and sometimes felt completely stuck. While I may enjoy researching my family tree, I understand it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I do hope I was able to demonstrate how enjoyable it can be to go beyond simply adding names and dates to your family tree. 

On the other hand, genealogy research is an ever-evolving process that never really ends. As we delve into new documents and sources, we uncover more family stories and ancestral connections. This means that there will always be a wealth of information waiting to be discovered and learned from for many years to come.

I thank all of you who made comments. 

That's it for me - I have no more to give.

Regards,

Debby

W for the Salem Witch Trials

Elizabeth Bassett married at the age of 27 to John Proctor, a prosperous yeoman and tavern keeper. John had previously been widowed twice. Elizabeth became John's third wife in 1674, and they had six children together. Sadly, one or two of their children died as infants or young children before 1692. Elizabeth managed the tavern owned by her husband and John's eldest son, Benjamin Proctor. The couple owned a 700-acre estate located south of Salem Village.

I won't get into the whole trial - it was a tragic mess of hysteria. The trials were started after people had been accused of witchcraft, primarily by teenage girls. 

According to historical records, the first mention of Elizabeth Proctor in connection with the Salem witch accusations occurred on or after March 6th, when 12-year-old Ann Putnam Jr. accused her of causing afflictions. Later, on April 11th, Elizabeth and her husband were among a group of people who were formally charged with acts of sorcery and ordered to be imprisoned in Boston jail.

Mary Warren, Proctors’ servant, who was the first one to bring attention to the family, was conspicuous by her absence during the examination and formal charges. She later admitted to her lies about the accusations. She was accused of witchcraft; a formal accusation was filed on April 18. Thereafter, she recanted that statement about lying and once again began formally accusing the Proctors of witchcraft and testified against them in June. 

 Elizabeth and John Proctor were married 18 years before he was hanged for witchcraft in August of 1699. Elizabeth gave birth to her final child while in prison several months after her husband's death. Unexpectedly released from prison instead of being executed, Elizabeth had six children who outlived their father, and she was penniless. He had written his will shortly before he died and did not include herself, probably assuming she would hang after the birth of their child.

 After her conviction, she was legally considered a non-entity. However, years later, her stepchildren were ordered to return her dowry, and she received a small settlement along with a declaration of innocence from the Colony. She later married Daniel Richards in Lynn. There are no records of them beyond this point, but it's likely they lived a quiet life after her ordeal.

According to Relative Finder of Family Search, Elizabeth was my 6th cousin/9 times removed. Her husband John Procter was my 1st cousin/10 times removed. 

U - Uncle Jay

Uncle Jay 

1922-2003

This is a picture of my husband's Uncle Jay, who was a brave soldier in World War II. My husband has always been fascinated by his uncle's heroic deeds and wanted to know more about them. He said that his dad and Uncle Jay used to talk for hours about their experiences during the war, but only with each other. As a boy, my husband was very curious and would hide behind the stairs to listen to their shocking stories.

The military records housed at the National Archives can be unreliable and incomplete. Unfortunately, many records were destroyed in a fire that took place in St. Louis, MO in 1973. This fire led to the loss of over 80 percent of Army personnel records from 1912 to 1960, as well as roughly half of the Air Force records. This loss had a significant impact on millions of people across the country, and the staff at NPRC still grapple with the aftermath of this disaster daily.

It was a difficult task to locate Uncle Jay's records and some of them might not ever be found. However, I was finally able to tie up some loose ends related to his military career. 

Uncle Jay served in the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division and fought in North Africa, Italy, and was part of the D-Day operation where his division parachuted into Normandy. Later on, he was deployed to the Battle of the Bulge and took part in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. To add to his already impressive record, Uncle Jay was also part of the liberation of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp on May 2, 1945. My husband recalls the photos of this liberation that Uncle Jay had taken during his time in Europe. These photos had a profound impact on him, even as a young boy who did not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. And even as adults, can we ever truly understand the horrors of war and the atrocities that were committed?

The 82nd Airborne Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991. 

Uncle Jay had four children who have all passed away. However, his nephew still holds a special place for him in his heart, and always will, due to his service to our country. It was a great pleasure to explore Uncle Jay's life, and the sense of accomplishment is truly satisfying.  Although I never knew Uncle Jay, he has managed to find a place in my heart that will stay with me forever. 

I am almost emotional that this part of Uncle Jay's story is now complete as it stands today - I have gathered all the information available to me and now it's up to future generations to discover more.

 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15;13