Aachen, North Rhine-Wetphalia, Germany — Central Europe
Franz Oppenhoff
| — | Wege gegen das Vergessen 1933-1945 Aachen | — |
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 22, 2023
1. Franz Oppenhoff Marker
Nachdem amerikanische Truppen Aachen von den Nazis befreit hatten, wurde Franz Oppenhoff am 31.Oktober 1944 zum Oberbürgermeister seiner Heimatstadt ernannt. Deshalb schickte die Naziführung in Berlin ein Werwolf-Kommando nach Aachen, das Franz Oppenhoff am 25. März 1945 vor seinem Haus erschoss.
After American troops liberated Aachen from the Nazis, Franz Oppenhoff was appointed mayor of his hometown on October 31, 1944. It was for this reason that the Nazi leadership sent a “Werewolf” team from Berlin to Aachen, which shot and killed Oppenhoff on March 25, 1945 in front of his home.
Erected by Wege gegen das Vergessen. (Marker Number 24.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is March 25, 1945.
Location. 50° 46.175′ N, 6° 6.118′ E. Marker is in Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Wetphalia). It can be reached from Oppenhoffallee. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Aachen HE 52066, Germany. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8
this page online
More about this marker. The marker is embedded in the ground a few steps to the west of the Oppenhoff memorial, which is located in the park that runs along the median of Oppenhoffallee.
Regarding Franz Oppenhoff. The “Werewolf” commandos were a small covert military group that carried out actions against the Allied military and German civilian government in occupied Germany near the end of the war.
Also see . . . Franz Oppenhoff (Wege gegen das Vergessen). For each of their 40+ markers, Wege gegen das Vergessen (“Ways Against Forgetting”) presents a page on their website with extended information on each marker’s subject.
Excerpt (in translation):(Submitted on October 22, 2023.)“There is nothing left to manage, everything has to be reworked. The task seems hopeless and is almost beyond our strength,” said Oppenhoff shortly after taking office. Although the name of the new mayor of Aachen had not been announced by the Americans, the Nazi leadership found out about it in distant Berlin. They viewed Oppenhoff as a traitor and set up a so-called “Werewolf Squad” on his trail. The five members of this commando, all committed Nazis, parachuted near Aachen at night. Their mission was to liquidate Oppenhoff.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, October 22, 20232. Franz Oppenhoff Marker - wide viewThe marker is visible in the center, set amongst the pavers, while directly behind it is the Oppenhoff memorial, which will have a separate entry in the database.
On March 25, 1945, Franz Oppenhoff was shot by this Werewolf team in front of his house on Eupener Strasse. Aachen had already been liberated for almost six months at that time, but the war in Germany was to continue until May 1945. Trials were held against the murderers in 1949 and 1952, in which ridiculously lenient prison sentences were imposed. It's hard to believe, but the perpetrators were able to mitigate their sentence by claiming that it would have required an "unexpected level of strength of character" to resist the order to murder Oppenhoff. In 1954, all those involved in the crime were even given a waiver of any punishment.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 222 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 22, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
