1) Interview with Annemarie Heimann (née Geierhaas, born 1919), April 13, 2012, 76 minutes. KIT Archives 28503/177;
2) Interview with Hilde Becht (née Trapp, born 1925), December 3, 2015, 83 minutes. KIT Archives 28503/180.
The illustration shows portrait photographs of unknown authorship of Annemarie Geierhaas (left) and Hilde Trapp (right), which were taken at or near the time reported by them. KIT Archives 28010/I 3642 (left) and 21003/300 (right).
Members of the KIT Archives and Alumni Organization conducted interviews in 2012 and 2015 with contemporary witnesses. Annemarie Heimann (born 1919) and Hilde Becht (born 1925) related their experiences studying and working at Karlsruhe Polytechnic during the National Socialist era and the subsequent postwar period. These recorded interviews provide insights into various aspects of academic life and work at Karlsruhe, including teaching operations, the daily routine, and their experiences of the Nazi regime. They still vividly remembered the relocations of the Institute of Applied Mathematics and the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry shortly before the end of the war, as well as the early days of the occupation. Dramatic moments, such as the day after the pogrom “Night of Broken Glass” of 1938 and the bombings come alive again, along with many more mundane aspects of life at the Polytechnic. These very personal accounts not only detail their experiences but also illuminate the related fates of fellow students and professors. The digital presentation of this exhibition, which is available alongside the present publication, features selected excerpts from the interviews. This volume makes a selection of contemporary photographs and quotes from these conversations to offer a glimpse into the wealth of information conveyed by such interviews. The audio recordings are permanently stored at the KIT Archives and can be accessed or obtained there. kn
Interview with Annemarie Heimann (née Geierhaas, born 1919), April 13, 2012. KIT Archives 28503/177.
Interview with Hilde Becht (née Trapp, born 1925), December 3, 2015. KIT Archives 28503/180.