The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Hubertus Conaert

The birth and death of Hubertus Conaert are documented in the Nederlandsche Staatscourant of September 19, 1950 under number 62921 [1].
According to maastrichtsegevelstenen.nl he died in October 1944 in a penal camp in Cologne of typhus [4]. Since the Staatscourant is more precise about the date, we stick to that.
One of the largest camps in Cologne was the Messelager Köln [2] on the grounds of the Exhibition Center in Cologne-Deutz. One section of it was the AEL (Arbeitserziehungslager) "Messeturm," which existed from August 28 to September 5, 1944 [3], not at the time of Hubertus Conaert’s death. The name AEL indicates that so called work-shy elements were to be re-educated by work there. In reality, these were punishment camps, often for people who had been caught evading forced labor in Germany. Many German companies maintained such AELs. Wages were paid to the SS.
But what about Hubertus: where, when and why exactly was he caught?
Do you know more? Write us!

Footnotes

1. Nederlandsche staatscourant, 19 sept. 1950 N° 62921
2. de.wikipedia Messelager_Köln
3. https://rheinische-geschichte.lvr.de/Epochen-und-Themen/Themen/nationalsozialistische-lager-und-haftstaetten-in-der-rheinprovinz/DE-2086/lido/5d6f6cf15ded88.93331660
4. http://www.maastrichtsegevelstenen.nl/0.OORLOG/oorlog2c-verzet.htm