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traces the life of the National Socialist resistance fighter.
The exhibit on Nikolaus Groß is in a building adjacent
to the Hattingen church St. Mauritius in the Niederwenigern
quarter close to the cathedral. It honours the convicted Catholic,
whose understanding of his faith during the time of the period
of the inhuman NS dictatorship brought him to affiliate with
the resistance against Hitler.
Born in 1898 as the son of a colliery smith, Groß spent
his childhood in Niederwangen. After attending the Catholic
grade school, he worked primarily in a sheet metal plant and
later as a breaker in a coal mine.
He was additionally involved in the Christian miners' organization and worked as an assistant editor for the newspaper "Bergknappe" (Miner). As editor-in-chief of the West German labour newspaper, he followed the rise of the National Socialists. His critical commentaries and political pieces led to civil commotion, resulting in the Gestapo house searches, arrests and hearings. Following a miscarried assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, Niklaus Groß was sentenced to death.
The collection in the Niklaus Groß house graphically depicts his resistance activity with photos, documents and personal belongings in four rooms. Yet another room displays a reconstruction of his office.
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