Stumbling stone for Wilhelm Reuß

Wilhelm Reuß was born on August 17, 1912 in Offenbach. The trained saddler was a communist and active worker sportsman. Like many other men and women in Offenbach, he was involved in one of the many sports and cultural clubs of the workers' movement. Reuß was known as a quiet person among his friends. He lived at Ziegelstraße 45.

Wilhelm Reuß belonged to a group of 10 people who were found on the corner of Ziegelstraße and Rohrstraße on July 27, 1933 by two members of a special commando. An article in the Offenbacher Zeitung on July 29, 1933, states: "Since they were all communists and such gatherings are forbidden, the two auxiliary policemen asked the people to move on." But Wilhelm Reuß did not comply and even made "derogatory remarks". He was arrested and taken to the Sonderkommando. As he continued to behave "insolently" there, an SS man was ordered to take him to Gestapo headquarters in Ludwigstraße.

On the way there, 20-year-old Wilhelm Reuß was shot by the SS man "on the run". In Offenbach, he was the first victim of Hermann Göring's shooting order of February 17, 1933, according to which guns were to be used ruthlessly in the event of clashes with opponents of the Nazi system.

The sponsors of the Stumbling Stone for Wilhelm Reuß are Mr. and Mrs. Machingal from Offenbach. Laid on October 21, 2006.