New Imprisonment

On 15th July 1938 August Landmesser was arrested again. From a newspaper report on the trial against August Landmesser 

• "Aryan committed Rassenschande.
  The accused, August Landmesser, blamed his relapse on the fact that he was primarily concerned about his children whom he feared to lose if he broke off the relationship completely. The public procecutor gave a stern warning that "Rassenschande" by a true-blooded German male was to be regarded as a breach of trust with his 'Volksgemeinschaft' (racial community). In this case, despite a number of extenuating circumstances, a long jail sentence was the only option. He moved for three and a half years imprisonment. The verdict was two and a half years penal servitude for "Rassenschande". 
  In passing sentence, the Court maintained that if the purity of the Gennan race is to be successfully maintained, then such violations of the Race Pro- tection Law (Rassenschutzgesetze) must be severely punished; that applies to Aryans as much as Jews. However, in this case the Court did not totally ignore the human aspect of the case. The Court was concerned not so much with the relationship of the accused with the woman involved, who is hardly a very worthy character, but rather his relationship with his children, for which the Court has every sympathy. However, the situation was aggravated by the defendant resuming the for- bidden relationship and thus acknowledging neither restraint nor repentance. This was also the reason for the Court's decision to impose a sentence of penal servitude. Dr. Sch" 

Now the secret directive of June 1937 could be put into effect! On 18th July 1938, three days after August's arrest, Irma Eckler was picked up by the Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei; Secret State Police) for "Rassenschande".

No record of her arrest is to be found. However, from registers of accounts for expenses and number of days of detention (records of public prosecutor's office at Higher County Court - Administration), it can be determined that she was in the Fuhlsbüttel police cells from l8th until 29th July 1938 and in the City of Hamburg remand prison (women's section) from 20th until 23rd October 1938. (Public-record office Hamburg 213-1 ) 

Also, her KZ-number from Ravensbrück (928/574) testifies to the fact that she was imprisoned before September 1938 because it can be proved that the number 1021 was issued on 9th September 1938 in Lichtenburg. 

The children were sent to the municipal orphanage, Averhoffstraße, because in 1938 children were not yet deported with their mothers. The Jewish grandmother was refused entry to the orphanage and denied custody of the children. Only her Aryan husband managed to get Ingrid released into his care. Irene had to remain at the orphanage.

A family separated...