The library training Dorothee Poelchau completed in 1923 at Leipzig served as the foundational occupation for a life defined by clandestine resistance. While working within the German administrative system, she operated as an active participant in efforts to shield those targeted by the Nazi regime, often utilizing her own household to facilitate the survival of individuals facing persecution and deportation.
Early Life and Professional Beginnings
Born Dorothee Ziegele on 6 June 1902 in Steinkirchen, she was the second daughter of the pastor Paul Eugen Ziegele and his wife Berta. Her early ideological influences stemmed from participation in the German Youth Movement. She entered Leipzig University in the winter semester of 1921/22 to study German, concurrently attending a library school. This certification allowed her to join the middle library service. In 1923, she began her professional career at the University Library of Tübingen.
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In 1923, she met Harald Poelchau, then secretary of the Köngener Bund youth organization. She relocated to Berlin in 1926 to accept a role at the library of the Statistisches Reichsamt. Following her marriage to Harald, she opposed the Nazi government. When Harald became a prison chaplain in Berlin on 1 April 1933, his work involved supporting inmates, including political resistance members and Jews threatened with deportation. Dorothee acted as his secret aide, managing the logistical requirements for those in hiding.
Operational Support
During the war, Poelchau coordinated the procurement of food and supplies for families of political prisoners and individuals in hiding. Her home served as a transit point for those fleeing persecution. Beyond housing arrangements, she prepared meals that her husband delivered to inmates within various prison facilities. Late in the Second World War, she moved out of Berlin with their son, Harald Stephan, eventually returning in the summer of 1945.
Commemoration
In 1971, she and her husband were honored as Righteous Among the Nations. Following her death on 4 November 1977, she was buried at Friedhof Zehlendorf, a site designated as an honorary grave of the State of Berlin in 1987. Subsequent memorials include a plaque at their former residence on Afrikanische Straße 140b, an asteroid named Poelchau in 1992, and a memorial stele in the Marzahn district installed in 2017.
Fast facts
- Born: 6 June 1902, Steinkirchen
- Died: 4 November 1977, West Berlin
- Occupation: Librarian, resistance fighter
- Spouse: Harald Poelchau
- Righteous Among the Nations: 1971
- Burial site: Friedhof Zehlendorf
Questions readers ask
What was the nature of Dorothee Poelchau's resistance work?
She procured food and supplies for prisoners' families, hid persecuted individuals in her home, and prepared food for inmates.
How is her legacy recognized in Berlin today?
She is honored through an honorary grave in Zehlendorf, a memorial plaque on her former house, and a stele in the Marzahn district.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1971
- Worked as librarian and resistance fighter
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