Location
Görlitzer Str. 74
Historical name
Görlitzer Str. 75
District
Kreuzberg
Born
22 January 1876 in Zernsdorf
Murdered
17 February 1944 in Meseritz-Obrawalde
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Margarete Gaebler © OTFW
Margarete Gaebler, née Koar, was born on 22 January 1876 in Zernsdorf, south east of Berlin. Born an illegitimate child, she was raised by foster parents. When Margarete was 22 she married Herr Gaebler. They had one son, Kurt. The three of them lived in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg at Görlitzer Strasse 75 (now no. 74).
Margarete Gaebler worked as a seamstress in her own dressmaking workshop. Her husband was a shopkeeper. The family got by on modest means. In 1930, Margarete Gaebler’s husband died. Her son Kurt had married and she did not get along with her daughter-in-law.
From 11 to 16 April 1938, Margarete Gaebler underwent treatment in hospital in Kreuzberg. Though diagnosed as obese and apparently being treated for a physical ailment – she was in the care of the Department of Internal Medicine – she was also diagnosed with a “manic condition”. On 26 April 1938, she was admitted to the Rudolf Virchow hospital in Berlin-Wedding. She was discharged on 19 August 1938 but noted as suffering from a manic-depressive illness in her medical records.
In 1943 Margarete Gaebler contravened the blackout regulations. Other residents of the building and her daughter-in-law had previously complained about her aggressive behaviour. She was regarded as a danger to the household and admitted to the “Wittenauer Heilstätten” mental home (now Karl Bonhoeffer Nervenklinik) on 8 September 1943. A few months after being admitted, on 11 February 1944, Margarete Gaebler was transferred to a Nazi death camp for the mentally ill, the so-called “Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Obrawalde” (now in Poland). Just six days later, on 17 February 1944, Margarete Gaebler was dead. The official cause of death was “sudden heart pressure”.
Margarete Gaebler worked as a seamstress in her own dressmaking workshop. Her husband was a shopkeeper. The family got by on modest means. In 1930, Margarete Gaebler’s husband died. Her son Kurt had married and she did not get along with her daughter-in-law.
From 11 to 16 April 1938, Margarete Gaebler underwent treatment in hospital in Kreuzberg. Though diagnosed as obese and apparently being treated for a physical ailment – she was in the care of the Department of Internal Medicine – she was also diagnosed with a “manic condition”. On 26 April 1938, she was admitted to the Rudolf Virchow hospital in Berlin-Wedding. She was discharged on 19 August 1938 but noted as suffering from a manic-depressive illness in her medical records.
In 1943 Margarete Gaebler contravened the blackout regulations. Other residents of the building and her daughter-in-law had previously complained about her aggressive behaviour. She was regarded as a danger to the household and admitted to the “Wittenauer Heilstätten” mental home (now Karl Bonhoeffer Nervenklinik) on 8 September 1943. A few months after being admitted, on 11 February 1944, Margarete Gaebler was transferred to a Nazi death camp for the mentally ill, the so-called “Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Obrawalde” (now in Poland). Just six days later, on 17 February 1944, Margarete Gaebler was dead. The official cause of death was “sudden heart pressure”.