On 450 square meters

Human remains found in Nazi memorial site

Today, Hartheim Castle is a place of learning and remembrance.

(Bild: Lern- und Gedenkort Schloss Hartheim)

A layer of human ashes several centimetres thick and bone remains covering an area of around 450 square meters - excavations at the former Nazi killing centre in Hartheim (Upper Austria) have revealed new insights into the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime at the former euthanasia institution.

The northern side of the former Nazi killing center in Hartheim, Upper Austria, which had previously been untouched by excavations, was investigated. Last week, an extensive ash field with cremated human remains and bones was found there, as well as on the south side. The remains were uncovered at a depth of around one meter over an area of approximately 450 square meters.

"These findings are of great importance both for the commemoration of those murdered and for the research work in Hartheim. We will include the newly discovered areas with the human remains in the dignified commemoration. Almost exactly 80 years on, the new findings also provide us with important information about the perpetrators' attempts to remove the traces of their crimes," says Florian Schwanninger, Director of the Hartheim Castle Learning and Memorial Site.

The plan of the boreholes on the grounds of Hartheim Castle.

(Bild: Doris Jetzinger)

Around 30,000 people killed
Around 30,000 people were murdered in a gas chamber at Hartheim Castle between May 1940 and November 1944. The victims were mainly people with disabilities or mental illnesses as well as concentration camp prisoners and forced laborers.

Initially, the Nazi regime took the remains of the dead to the Danube and dumped them in the river. "This was then stopped because it was too visible for the people. For example, bones kept falling down during the transports," explains Schwanninger. From this point on, the human remains were buried around the castle. "The intention was to erase and hide all evidence of the crimes," says Schwanninger. This is another reason why the new discovery is so important. Remains of those murdered in Hartheim were already found during excavations in 2001 and 2002, as well as personal belongings and other objects.

Human remains were found during new excavations at the former Nazi killing center.

(Bild: Tabea Truntschnig)

"Crimes of the Nazi era must never be forgotten"
Testimonies from contemporary witnesses and aerial photographs led to the new investigations on the north side of the former killing center. They were carried out by the Ministry of the Interior together with the province of Upper Austria. For Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, the findings show that "by no means all the tragic remains" of the Nazi regime are known. "The crimes of the Nazi era must never be forgotten."

For Upper Austria's Governor Thomas Stelzer, the atrocities committed by the Nazis "must be dealt with completely. This is not only our duty, but our endeavor."

The full extent of the newly discovered burial site is now being investigated. "Subsequently, the site will be dedicated as a war grave, which is dedicated to remembrance and commemoration and also has a cemetery function for relatives and descendants," says memorial site director Schwanninger.