From the end of the 19th century, the properties located at Williburgstrasse 6 and 6a belonged to Jakob Bachmann (born 12.1.1852, died 12.4.1936) and his wife Berta, née Lebenstein (born 6./16.12.1852, died 5.1.1933). How long the couple had already lived in Mengede cannot be established with certainty, but Jakob Bachmann seems to have moved there in 1892.

Else, the couple’s only daughter, married Salomon Heimberg, a businessman from Westerholt, on 23 February. Unlike his wife, Salomon Heimberg was not a member of the Jewish community; indeed, he was referred to in documents as a so-called “Dissident”. After the death of her parents, Else Heimberg became the owner of the property at Williburgstr. 6.

The Heimbergs’ home was used by the Nazis as a so-called “Jew house”, where Jews were compulsorily housed after being expelled from their own homes. Jew houses were used as assembly points prior to the residents being deported and murdered.

On 27 January 1942, a deportation transport left Dortmund for Riga. Along with some of the involuntary residents of the “Jew house”, the Heimbergs – the owners of the house – were also among the deportees. Else Heimberg was killed in the so-called “Dünamünde Action”, an incident that involved the shooting of large numbers of people from the Riga ghetto in March 1942. Her husband was left behind in the ghetto, but never left it alive. Consequently, the date of death for Mrs Heimberg was officially declared by the court as 31 March 1942, that for Mr Heimberg as 8 May 1945.