Stumbling block for Änne Salzmann

Änne Buchert was born on October 9, 1905 in Offenbach am Main.

She began her apprenticeship as a sharpener at the Wallerstein shoe factory in 1920 and became a member of the shoemakers' union and the Socialist Workers' Youth (SAJ). In 1922, she joined the Communist Youth Association of Germany (KJVD), whose goals were more in line with her own, and also became a member of the Offenbach Nature Friends in 1923.
Änne Salzmann In 1928, she married her Kreuznach comrade Hugo Salzmann. After a year of marriage, she moved back to Frankfurt am Main. There she quickly made contact with the KPD.

Änne Salzmann's illegal work began immediately after the Nazis came to power on January 30, 1933. She was arrested for the first time at Easter 1933 and released after several weeks in solitary confinement in Giessen.

The Gestapo arrested her again in 1935. She was often confronted with comrades and was "transported" for further interrogation. She made no statements and never incriminated anyone. In the indictment of November 19, 1935, she was accused of preparing a highly treasonous enterprise.
Änne Salzmann was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison - mostly in solitary confinement in various institutions - with 10 years "loss of honor" and police supervision after the sentence.

The day of her release came in March 1942. She had to report regularly to the Gestapo and worked in the Hassia shoe factory. Soon after the liberation in 1945, the "Advisory Committee of the City of Offenbach", formed by the military government from untainted citizens, appointed Änne as managing director of "Hilfe für Offenbach", which had set itself the task of fairly distributing the few available resources and relief supplies from America to those most in need and to those persecuted by the Nazis.
She represented the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime (VVN), which she had helped to found, in public spheres.
In the fall of 1945, Änne Salzmann co-founded and then chaired the "Non-Partisan Offenbach Women's Association".
During the "Cold War" and the persecution of communists, she was expelled from the women's association, and from 1946 until her retirement in 1965, Änne worked in the Offenbach social welfare office.

When the KPD was banned in 1956, she was advised to leave the KPD. She refused. Thanks to her colleagues, her trade union and Winkel (SPD), the head of the social welfare department at the time, she was not dismissed.
In addition to their uncompromising opposition to old and new Nazis, Änne and her partner Karl Schild were also involved in the peace movement, memorial visits, Easter marches and trade union campaigns. They were always there as important role models for young people.

Another focus was her practical solidarity work, e.g. for South Africa, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
This strong woman, who was always modest and never spoke quietly about her achievements, was honored many times: in 1978 she was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime, League of Anti-Fascists, and in 1987 the city of Offenbach honored her with the Silver Citizens' Medal. In 1990, she received the Hans Böckler Medal from her trade union for 70 years of active membership.
In 1992, the City of Frankfurt awarded her the Johanna Kirchner Medal.

Änne Salzmann died on May 22, 2005, a few months before her 100th birthday. Her obituary in the newspaper read: "Solidarity is the tenderness of nations."

In 2016, the city councillors of her native city of Offenbach am Main decided to name a square in the Waldheim district after her, today's "Änne-Salzmann-Platz".

Änne Salzmann was one of the founders of the Hessian Association of Persecutees of the Nazi Regime VVN.

Source: https://hessen.vvn-bda.de/aenne-salzmann/