Peter Ramme reveals the shadows of his origins from Bad Arolsen

Peter Ramme reveals the shadows of his origins from Bad Arolsen

What is it like in Bad Arolsen? A very special guest recently visited the Christian Rauch School: Peter Ramme, who shared his story about the search for his biological parents with the students. Ramme, whose mother Else Schlag gave birth in the city, has not yet met his biological father Albin Sawatzki, but provided fascinating information about his past in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp. On April 18, 1944, Else Schlag came to the “Fürst Friedrich” hotel in Bad Arolsen with her newborn son Peter. Since Sawatzki, who was married at the time, feared for his reputation, he wanted the child to be adopted.

After three months in the Korbach children's home, Peter was adopted by the Ramme family. It was only after the death of his adoptive parents that Peter began searching for his birth parents. He found his mother in Cologne, but was unable to locate his father, who worked in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp during the war. Ramme emphasized to the curious students that he did not want to look for a “Nazi” in his research, but rather his father.

The look behind the story

It was clear that Sawatzki was not a follower but was actively involved in the missile weapons program. This information gave the students a new perspective on the history of Mittelbau-Dora, a place where over 60,000 prisoners suffered and at least 20,000 died from hunger, disease and abuse. Only a few hundred prisoners survived the liberation of the camp by the US Army on April 11, 1945, during which almost 2,000 bodies were found.

Peter Ramme also shared that he was able to follow his father's life until his unclear death. The students were well prepared for the lecture and asked Ramme open questions, such as his personal feelings about his father's legacy. Luke Itter, a student, aptly noted that Ramme's perspective changes the way we look at history.

The legal processing

The crimes from the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp were dealt with legally shortly after the war. The well-known Dora Trial, which took place in Dachau from August 7 to December 30, 1947, was interested in those responsible for the atrocities committed there. 19 men were charged, with 15 convictions, including one death penalty. This is part of a long history of confrontation with the wrongdoings that took place in service of the missile weapons program.

It is also worth taking a look at other trials, such as the Essen trial, which took place in the 1960s. The Stasi dealt with the crimes in the concentration camp in order to present itself as a representative of the victims. The trial came almost two decades after the first major Dora trial and highlighted the long aftereffects of the terrible events in German post-war history.

On that day in Bad Arolsen, the complex connection between personal fates and historical reappraisal came to life. Peter Ramme's stories enabled the young people to not only deal with the horrific events in the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, but also with the question of how they affect our society today.