Satellite Camp Schwechat Heidfeld

Establishment of the satellite camp

The German Luftwaffe built an airbase in Schwechat right after the “Anschluss” (annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany), and Heinkel-Werke moved their aircraft production there after the bombings of Rostock in 1942. In the autumn of 1943, the first 72 prisoners arrived in Schwechat from Mauthausen. They stayed directly on the factory premises of Heinkel AG. Schwechat Heidfeld Subcamp is also referred to as “Schwechat II”.

Location

The camp was located at what is today the premises of Vienna International Airport. The gate and two buildings of the former Heinkel-Werke still exist and are rented out to airlines by the airport operation company.

Prisoners

72 prisoners were deported to Schwechat with the first transport, and within only six months - so, by the spring of 1944 - Schwechat Heidfeld Subcamp reached its highest number of prisoners with 2,665 people

Forced labor

The malnourished prisoners had to produce aircraft parts for Heinkel-Werke (Heinkel He 219 and He 162 “Volksjäger”). Even during the heaviest bombings they had to work 12 hours every day

Guarding

SS-Hauptsturmführer (Chief Assault Leader) Anton Streitwieser was camp commander. He was a notorious mass murderer.

Schließung

On 13 July 144, the camp was shut down after being destroyed by the allied forces in an air raid. The prisoners were brought to Floridsdorf first (Wien XXI), and later some of them were transferred to Hinterbrühl Subcamp and to Schwechat Santa.

Commemoration and remembrance

Today, Vienna International Airport is located on the premises of the former camp. What used the be the campgrounds, is the so-called “Mazur” parking lot today. In 1995, the Flughafen Wien AG erected a memorial stone on the grounds of the camp. It is, however, located on a part of the premises that is not publicly accessible.

Fotos (Aktuell, Historisch, Topografie und Luftaufnahmen)

former entrance building Heinkelwerke
former construction building Heinkelwerke
Former Hangars Heinkelwerke
Memorial stone at the airport area
Overview 1:5.000 with GPS data, 1=ehem. Heinkelwerke
Land register plan 1:1,000, former Heinkelwerke; property 611/6