Psychiatric Hospital: Forced Labor in Tübingen City and at the University
Station im Stadtrundgang: History Path to National Socialism
During World War II, at least 1,700 foreign civilians and prisoners of war had to serve as forced laborers in Tübingen's economy and public services. Most of them had been forcefully removed from countries occupied by Germany. The Nazi war economy was heavily dependent on forced labor.
The university alone employed at least 152 forced laborers from twelve countries, with 143 working for the university's hospitals, for example here at the Nervenklinik (psychiatric hospital). Forced laborers were housed in 9 prisoner of war camps and 27 camps for civilian forced laborers, all located within the municipal area of Tübingen.
According to National Socialist racial hierarchy, foreign civilians from different countries were treated differently. Polish and Soviet forced laborers faced the worst working, supply, and housing conditions. More often than not, their quarters were simple wooden barracks or barns, for example in the courtyard of the Marquardtei, an inn on Herrenberger Straße. The deaths of Polish and Soviet forced laborers constituted the largest number of fatalities due to hunger, disease, and executions. But the situation of forced laborers was also highly dependent on their respective employer. The Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Reich Railway) and industrial companies' housing and supply with foodstuffs and medicine for forced laborers was mostly worse than in agriculture, at the university, or in private households.
The Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police, Gestapo) brutally punished escapes and deviant behavior with deterrent measures. For example, Polish forced laborer Eugenia Szalaty was, after a failed escape, imprisoned for eight weeks in the Rudersberg "Arbeitserziehungslager" (labor and disciplinary camp) near Welzheim. Sexual relationships between Poles or Soviet "Ostarbeiter" ("East workers") on the one hand and German women on the other were to be punished by death on account of "Rassenschande" ("racial defilement").
Image 1
Map showing the sites of forced laborer and prisoner of war camps in the Tübingen municipal area between 1939 and 1945. Map: © University City of Tübingen, basis: official city map
Image 2
Forced laborer wearing the "Polenabzeichen" ("Polish badge"), undated. Polish and Soviet forced laborers had to visibly wear a badge ("P" for Polish or "Ost" for East, i.e. Soviet) on their clothes. This ensured monitoring their exclusion from, for example, cinemas, restaurants, or public transportation. Photo: City Archives Tübingen
Image 3
Eugenia Szalaty during a visit of former forced laborers in 1991, to which she had been officially invited by the Tübingen Stadtverwaltung (municipal administration). Mrs. Szalaty was arrested in Rzeszow, Poland in 1940 and was forcefully brought to Tübingen, where she had to work in the kitchen of the Chirurgische Klinik (surgical hospital). Photo: City Archives Tübingen