Matthias Schönerer‑Gasse 10 (laid 2015)
Lorenz Halbauer
Beaten to death in the Mauthausen concentration camp
Lorenz Halbauer, born 29 July 1907 in Sigleß.
KZ Dachau; on 8 August 1938 transferred to KZ Mauthausen; murdered on 15 April 1940.
Lorenz Halbauer often went into the Föhrenwald forest with friends to collect firewood. During these outings, they also discussed the political situation and what could be done against it. Lorenz did not hide his opinions. Like many others, he was denounced.
(© Reinhard and Inge Panzenböck)
In early 1939 (?), Lorenz Halbauer received a summons to the police in Wiener Neustadt because of a tavern brawl in which political statements had allegedly been made. Shortly afterward, his partner Barbara Gerdenitz was told at the police station: “… he will have to stay longer,” and the distressed woman was pushed out of the guardroom.
The trail of Lorenz Halbauer reappears only in August 1938. His name appears on the list of the first transport from KZ Dachau to KZ Mauthausen — the so‑called transport of “professional criminals.” With the arrival of these first 300 prisoners (Austrian and some German police security detainees), the Mauthausen concentration camp began its operations.
On the registration card issued on 20 April 1938, Dachau is not mentioned, and under “deregistration” it says “Mauthausen” with a date stamp of 17 March 1939. One possible explanation is the concealment of the actual events.
What is certain, however, is the date of death recorded in the Mauthausen death register: 15 April 1940. The last information about his death came to his partner from a fellow prisoner who survived: “… he was beaten to death.”
Anton Blaha, based on information from the partner’s descendants and documents from the Mauthausen archive