Hiking Trail from Herzhausen to Asel along the Urwaldsteig Edersee.
In the picturesque Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, north from Herzhausen train station and Asel, a chilling chapter of history unfolded. On a hike along the Urwaldsteig Edersee trail, a detour was made to a site that holds a sombre past – the Polish Cross near Herzhausen.
The Polish Cross, with an inscription that reads, "Six innocent Poles were hanged here on command," was the site of a horrific event that took place on December 19, 1942. This tragic incident was a direct result of retaliation and deterrence, ordered by Heinrich Himmler.
The six Polish forced laborers who lost their lives were Anton Cieply (31), Marian Orlowsyk (29), Miecyslaw Kolczynski (24), Jan Wojcik (21), Anton Janicki (18), and Kazimierz Stephan (18). They were from the "Arbeitserziehungslager Breitenau" run by the Gestapo in Kassel.
Prior to this fateful day, Fritz Hamel, a sawmill owner and Gendarmerie reserve officer responsible for Herzhausen, was tasked with transporting Nikolay Gluszko (27), a Polish forced laborer suspected of attempted arson, from Asel to the Korbach prison on November 22, 1942. However, the circumstances surrounding Gluszko's arrest and the transport are not publicly documented.
In a disturbing twist, the Polish forced laborers from the area were forced to witness a staged execution, which likely contributed to the retaliation that led to the murders at the Polish Cross. Tragically, Gluszko initially went missing following the transport, and the bodies of the six victims were found in the "Am Knapp" forest section near Herzhausen in December 1942.
The hike along the Urwaldsteig Edersee trail also included a section near the low water levels of Edersee lake, where a bridge between Asel and Asel-Süd emerged. This bridge is known as "Atlantis Edersee."
The murder of Herzhausen's auxiliary policeman, Fritz Hamel (50), occurred on an unspecified date in December 1942. The circumstances of his death remain unclear.
As we remember these tragic events, it serves as a reminder of the dark chapters in our history and the importance of preserving and learning from the past. The Polish Cross stands as a poignant symbol of the lives lost and the injustices committed during that time.
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