| SPANISHSKY.DK 20 JULY 2017 |
Wollweber Group

We must not forget the members of the Wollweber Gruppe (‘Wollweber Group´) who fought together against fascism. They were brigadists, seafarers, dockers and members of the ITF from Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Many of them died a horrific death in Plötzensee Prison or Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Belgian members of the Wollweber Group

The only traces left of the Belgian members of the antifascist Wollweber Group are the addresses of the places where they lived. Places where memorial stones, stolpersteine (‘stumbling stones’) should be installed to honour their fight for our freedom and to keep alive the memories of the past and the memories of the members of the Belgian Wollweber Group.

In the words of German artist Gunter Demnig who initiated the stubling stone project: “a person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten”.

Below, you can see photos of the places where Belgian members of the Wollweber group lived.

Victor Broucke – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group

Victor Broucke – Address: Adriaan Brouwerstraat 29, Antwerpen

Alfons Fictels was killed in Gross-Rosen Concentratioon Camp in Poland 30 March 1942

Alfons Fictels – Born: 2 March 1907. Died: 30 March 1942 in Gross-Rosen Concentration Camp, Poland. Address: Sint Willibrordusstraat 61, Antwerpen

August Lemmens – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group, died in 1942

August Lemmens – Born: 28 February 1874 in Antwerpen. Died 1942. Address: Dambruggestraat 75, Antwerpen

Waldemar Pötzsch – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group, killed in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp 1944

Waldemar Pötzsch – Born: 15 July 1892 in Bad Schmiedenberg. Died: 1944 in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Address: Godefriduskaai 10, Antwerpen

Louis Schockaert – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group, killed at the Plötzensee Prison in 1943

Louis Schockaert – Born: 11 February 1913 in Antwerpen. Died: 7 September 1943 in Plötzensee Prison. Address: Kempischdok-Westkaai 32, Antwerpen

Gerardus Rodrigus was killed at Plötzensee Prison 7 September 1943

Gerardus Rodrigus – Born: 20 April 1898 in Sint-Niklaas. Died: 7 September 1943 in Plötzensee Prison. Address: Tulpstraat 63, Antwerpen

Van Arkel – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group

Van Arkel – Address: Gasstraat 101, Antwerpen

Frans Van Welde died 9 February 1945

Frans Van Welde – Born: 4 September 1898 in Antwerpen. Died: 9 February 1945. Address: Oranjestraat 134, Antwerpen

Gummarus Vercammen – Belgian member of the Wollweber Group

Gummarus Vercammen – Born: 26 januari 1902. Address: Napelsstraat 27, Antwerpen

Revision and translation editing by Maria Busch, august 2020