In the summer of 1943, a huge part of Hamburg lies in ruins. It seems that Joseph Goebbels’ “Sportpalast Rede” (Sportpalast address) has become a prophecy:
“Do you want total war? Do you want it, if necessary, even more total and radical than we can ever imagine today?”
In order to break the people’s morale (and in retaliation for the bombardment of British cities), British and American planes keep on attacking the city for more than a week. Almost half of all flats in Hamburg are destroyed. Only the city hall stays intact.
The bombardments take effect: for the first time since 1933, people dare to openly oppose the NS regime. 900,000 people flee the city. Others hope to be comforted by a visit from the “Führer”. However, he does not appear in Hamburg in person.
Timeline General
2 February: After a month’s long encirclement, the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht surrenders in Stalingrad.
18 February: In his address in the Sportpalast in Berlin, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels declares “total war”.
22 February: Only four days after taken into custody, the siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl and Christoph Probst, all of them members of the resistance group “Weisse Rose”, are executed after being convicted for “undermining the defence power”, “furthering the enemies’ cause” and “preparation of high treason”.
3 November: Against the background of the lost battle for Stalingrad and further setbacks, Heinrich Himmler orders the execution of as many Jews as possible on one day without prior warning, in order to prevent uprisings. Under the name “Aktion Erntefest” (Operation ‘Thanksgiving’), more than 43,000 people are shot dead in the “General Governorate” of Poland.
Timeline Hamburg
25 July: “Operation Gomorrha” begins. Until 3 August, Hamburg is bombarded heavily by the British and American Air Force. The gym of the St. Pauli-Turnverein suffers severe damages.
7 August: In the course of the “Euthanasie” (euthanasia), over 500 psychiatry patients are deported, sent to their death.
12 September: For the first time after “Operation Gomorrha”, league football is again played in Hamburg.
Timeline Persons
1943 Otto Lang, now living in South America, is permitted to enter the United States.
30 April: Peter Jürs is handed over to the Gestapo and committed to the KZ Neuengamme.
July: During a home visit, the officers in charge of the local Air Forces Sports Club arrange for Karl Miller not to return to the front in Russia – so that he can play for this club instead. He is stationed directly on the flak-tower of the high bunker on the Heiligengeistfeld.
August: After his appointment as general commissioner for the entire economy of the Gau (region), Otto Wolff announces the deployment of 5,000 KZ prisoners into the building sector.