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13
RENE F.
1919: born in Luxembourg City
Feb. 1940: joins the “Volunteer Company”
Dec. 1940: leaves Luxembourg with the “Volunteer Company” for retraining in Weimar (D)
June 1941: transfer to Cologne (D) with his company
Oct. 1941: transfer to Slovenia to combat “partisans and gangs”
June 1942: disbandment of the company; transfer to Hamburg and departure for Poland
From 1942: participation in deportations and shootings of Jews and partisans
From 1943: action against “partisans and gangs” (12 missions), leader of a “hunt for Jews”
July 1944: missing in Poland in the course of a major Russian offensive
Deportation of Jews from the Międzyrzec Podlaski ghetto in Poland
Work
René F. joined the Luxembourg army, the “Volunteer Company”, in early 1940. After the occupation of Luxembourg by Nazi Germany, he was transferred to Germany and integrated into the German police force. The Luxembourgers were sent to Slovenia to combat resistance fighters (partisans). Many refused to serve and were sent to prison or concentration camp. Others, like René F., swore an oath to Adolf Hitler and joined various police battalions in Germany. With 14 other Luxembourgers, he was assigned to reserve police battalion 101 and took part in mass murders of Jews. Members of this battalion were also deployed to fight the resistance. In mass shootings, Jews were rounded up and killed in the villages. Thousands of other Jews were deported to Treblinka extermination camp, where they were gassed. Jews capable of work were selected for forced labour.
René F. participated in all of his battalion’s actions against Jews and led patrols in “Jew hunts”. Jews living in hiding were tracked down and killed. Reserve police battalion 101 was responsible for the shooting of 38,000 and the deportation of 45,000 people. In addition, there were several killings of Polish civilians, Jews and partisans.
Auf dem Weg zum Bahnhof hörte ich Schüsse, meistens einzelne oder auch zwei. Bei der Räumung der Ortschaft war viel geschossen worden. Nachher sagte mir ein Deutscher: „Von den Luxemburgern hat heute auch einer Juden erschossen“.
Jean Heinen, contemporary witness account (letter), Sept. 1998
Führung in und außer Dienst: gut […] ist charakterlich gutmütig, geistig etwas unbeweglich, zeigt aber guten Willen, körperlich zäh und ausdauernd.
Officer in training battalion (L), report on René F., 20 May 1941
Souvenir photo taken after these policemen, including leader René F., had killed Jews and partisans in a barn
Diese Scheune war voll Juden und Banditen. Der Stoßtrupp nach dem Kampf.
René F., note on the photo, ca. 1944
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