![Helene Gotthold, a Jehovah's Witness, was beheaded for her religious beliefs on December 8, 1944, in Berlin. [LCID: 90787]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/e039ad36-073d-4ce5-8206-c7868a4a91f5.jpg "Helene Gotthold, a Jehovah's Witness, was beheaded for her religious beliefs on December 8, 1944, in Berlin. [LCID: 90787]")
Helene Gotthold, a Jehovah's Witness, was beheaded for her religious beliefs on December 8, 1944, in Berlin. She is pictured with her children. Germany, June 25, 1936.
Item View![Elisabeth, Hans Werner, and Paul Gerhard Kusserow. [LCID: 68377]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/207d9ac9-711d-4b26-b397-d9ae92ce11f9.jpg "Elisabeth, Hans Werner, and Paul Gerhard Kusserow. [LCID: 68377]")
Elisabeth, Hans Werner, and Paul Gerhard Kusserow. Because they were the children of Jehovah's Witnesses, all three were forcibly removed from school on March 7, 1939, and kept separated from their family, which was accused of spiritual and moral neglect, until their liberation in April 1945. This photograph was taken at the Kusserow home in Bad Lippspringe, 1936-1939.
Item View![The Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe and the tram tracks in front of it. [LCID: 68358]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/63da410c-0a9f-49e5-86ca-d2bf99f46163.jpg "The Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe and the tram tracks in front of it. [LCID: 68358]")
This photograph shows the Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe and the tram tracks in front of it. The Kusserow family members were active Jehovah's Witnesses in their region. They distributed religious literature and taught Bible study classes in their home. Their house was conveniently situated for fellow Witnesses along the tram route connecting the cities of Paderborn and Detmold. For the first three years after the Nazis came to power, the Kusserows endured moderate persecution by local Gestapo agents, who often came to search their home for religious materials. In 1936, Nazi police pressure increased dramatically, eventually resulting in the arrest of the family and its members' internment in various concentration camps. Most of the family remained incarcerated until the end of the war. Bad Lippspringe, Germany, 1933-1937.
Item View![The Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe. The family kept religious materials in the trunk of the car and distributed them from ... [LCID: 68357]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/236dc1f7-1e48-4912-b73c-c29a43fe1166.jpg "The Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe. The family kept religious materials in the trunk of the car and distributed them from ... [LCID: 68357]")
The Kusserow family home in Bad Lippspringe. The family, Jehovah's Witnesses, kept religious materials in the trunk of the car and distributed them from it as well. The Kusserow family was active in their region distributing religious literature and teaching Bible study classes in their home. Their house was conveniently situated for fellow Witnesses along the tram route connecting the cities of Paderborn and Detmold. For the first three years after the Nazis came to power, the Kusserows endured moderate persecution by local Gestapo agents, who often came to search their home for religious materials. In 1936, Nazi police pressure increased dramatically, eventually resulting in the arrest of the family and its members' internment in various concentration camps. Most of the family remained incarcerated until the end of the war. Bad Lippspringe, Germany, 1933-1937.
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The Kusserow family was active in their region distributing religious literature and teaching Bible study classes in their home. They were Jehovah's Witnesses. Their house was conveniently situated for fellow Jehovah's Witnesses along the tram route connecting the cities of Paderborn and Detmold. For the first three years after the Nazis came to power, the Kusserows endured moderate persecution by local Gestapo agents, who often came to search their home for religious materials. In 1936, Nazi police pressure increased dramatically, eventually resulting in the arrest of the family and its members' internment in various concentration camps. Most of the family remained incarcerated until the end of the war. Bad Lippspringe, Germany, ca. 1935.
Item View![Franz Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for his religious beliefs. [LCID: 68369]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/a9e172df-a361-419c-90db-2a7647143ce4.jpg "Franz Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for his religious beliefs. [LCID: 68369]")
Franz Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for his religious beliefs. Bad Lippspringe, Germany, ca. 1950.
Item View![Hilda Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for her religious beliefs. [LCID: 68370]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/c07f99b9-8160-4b63-8885-7977c3abde2b.jpg "Hilda Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for her religious beliefs. [LCID: 68370]")
Hilda Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for nine years for her religious beliefs. Eschborn, Germany, ca. 1979.
Item View![Waltraud Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested several times for refusing to make the "Heil Hitler" salute. [LCID: 68374]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/03737ec4-fe52-4c77-b25a-3ec2855253e9.jpg "Waltraud Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested several times for refusing to make the \"Heil Hitler\" salute. [LCID: 68374]")
Waltraud Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested several times for refusing to make the "Heil Hitler" salute. She spent two and a half years in prison. Germany, after 1945.
Item View![Hildegard Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for four years in several concentration camps including Ravensbrueck. [LCID: 68381]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/e19525c0-21a9-478e-b63c-6d3093a3d4fa.jpg "Hildegard Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for four years in several concentration camps including Ravensbrueck. [LCID: 68381]")
Hildegard Kusserow, a Jehovah's Witness, was imprisoned for four years in several concentration camps including Ravensbrück. Germany, date uncertain.
Item View![Klaas de Vries, a Dutch Jehovah's Witness who was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. [LCID: 80414]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/7b913200-96a3-4c30-8e12-4047d21b8e93.jpg "Klaas de Vries, a Dutch Jehovah's Witness who was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. [LCID: 80414]")
Klaas de Vries, a Dutch Jehovah's Witness who was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. The Netherlands, date uncertain.
Item View![Aart Bouter, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested by the Dutch police and deported to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. [LCID: 02553]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/fc79c6ba-84a6-4874-a0dc-e0dacac17d02.jpg "Aart Bouter, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested by the Dutch police and deported to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. [LCID: 02553]")
Aart Bouter, a Jehovah's Witness, was arrested by the Dutch police and deported to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The Netherlands, 1946–47.
Item View![A group of Jehovah's Witnesses in their camp uniforms after liberation. [LCID: 79273b]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/large/25cc6eeb-150c-41a8-a44f-599253521f5d.jpg "A group of Jehovah's Witnesses in their camp uniforms after liberation. [LCID: 79273b]")
A group of Jehovah's Witnesses in their camp uniforms after liberation. These men were imprisoned in the Niederhagen bei Wewelsburg concentration camp. Niederhagen bei Wewelsbug, Germany, 1945.
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