Ungargasse 20 (moved 2012)
Anna Ribitz (Ribits)
An annoying resident?
Anna Ribitz, born on March 31, 1894 in Lichtenwörth/Fondsgut, single, without occupation. On November 12, 1943, she died in the murder operation carried out by Dr. Gelny.
On New Year’s Eve 1929, Anna Ribits (according to the patient file) wandered around all night and was picked up by the police the next day. The report of the health office in Wiener Neustadt states: „a mentally ill person dangerous to herself,“ „requires admission to a closed institution.“ As a result, she was admitted to the Mauer-Öhling institution at the end of February 1930. The patient was described there as calm and orderly. In between, there were periods of depressive moods. After three years, Anna Ribits was released as cured.
After five years, at the urging of the nursing home and according to the Wiener Neustadt health office, the patient was once again deemed “dangerous to herself and others” and “had to be placed in an institution.” She allegedly argued in the home and threatened other residents.
She was therefore admitted to the “Am Steinhof” institution and two days later transferred to the institution in Mauer-Öhling. The patient’s description was as positive as some years before. A reserve hospital was to be set up in the institution. In February 1943, she was transferred to the Gugging sanatorium and care institution as part of an evacuation transport. The entries in the care report suddenly read very differently: “very annoying, disorderly, unusable for any work, steals food from the others.”
She was described as “in need of care, physically deteriorated”, lost weight, became increasingly apathetic and died on November 12, 1943.
The head of the institution, Emil Gelny, wrote proudly in a letter to the district governor in Lower Danube at the beginning of February 1944 that “through his efforts, the elimination of more than 400 incurable patients who were a heavy burden on the state in the current situation had been achieved in the last four months.” Anna Ribits was one of those victims who were killed with medication.
Anton Blaha
Photo: Anna Ribitz (right) with her sister (© Michael Löffler)