Ungargasse 20 (laid in 2012)
Johanna Kraus
“Not Suitable for Work at the Institution”
Johanna Kraus, born May 24, 1872 in Winzendorf, single, no occupation.
After stays at Steinhof and Mauer-Öhling, she was released on January 20, 1940 as “not in need of institutionalization.” On a later stay at Mauer-Öhling she was caught in the evacuation and murder operation of Dr. Gelny in Gugging, where she died on December 12, 1943.
The short woman (140 cm, 37 kg) lived as a subtenant at Corvinusring and worked as a cleaner. Due to leg pain she went to Sophienspital in Vienna. She believed she was admitted wrongly and resisted orders, leading to her transfer to “Am Steinhof.” Her intake interview described her as “calm, very talkative, temporally essentially oriented, answered IQ questions promptly and correctly, striking immobility in right knee, osteoporosis.” A week later, she was moved to Mauer-Öhling.
The assessment there was likewise positive: “Behaves properly, content, gets along with others.” On October 13, 1939, the decision was “not in need of institutionalization—can be discharged to nursing home.” She could hardly wait to be transferred. On January 20, 1940: “released, not in need of institutionalization,” and the Amstetten District Court ruled, “Further involuntary confinement in a closed mental institution is not warranted.”
Johanna Kraus entered the nursing home in Ungargasse. A medical report from Wiener Neustadt’s health office in early 1943 noted, “Bothers offices, … begs on the street, talks nonsense.” Required? “Yes,” proposal: “Mauer-Öhling.” She was admitted to Mauer-Öhling on February 23, 1943, and one week later transferred to Gugging because Mauer-Öhling had to be mostly evacuated. Nursing notes from Gugging: “Often tearful, writes to acquaintances and asks them to pick her up, cares for herself.” – “Not suitable for work,” “sees poorly” – “orderly, clean, pleasant, good-natured, weak and slow-moving.”
Early December 1943 she developed intestinal inflammation and died on December 12 of “old age.”
Her death fell within the period described by Dr. Gelny proudly in a letter to the district governor: “My actions have eliminated more than 400 incurable patients burdening the state in the past four months, and those in Berlin were eager that I continue.” Johanna Kraus was one of these more than 400 victims.
Anton Blaha