Ranly, Heinz (eg. Heinrich Michael)

Journalist, resistance fighter

Born: 21.11.1892 in Essen

died: 16.12.1946 in Wiesbaden

After moving to Wiesbaden, the trained locksmith, who had been a member of the SPD since 1912, became head of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold as well as managing director and editor in charge of the "Volksstimme", the newspaper of the Wiesbaden SPD.

After the trade unions were broken up, he was taken into "protective custody" in May 1933. He was accused of embezzling the assets of the "Volksstimme". As no criminal offense could be proven against him, he was released. In 1935, he was arrested again for "continued anti-state activities" and interned in the Esterwegen concentration camp for nine months. He was released on 16.03.1936. The Gestapo arrested him for the third time on November 23, 1942 and took him to the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp in Alsace in February 1943 and to the Dachau concentration camp at the end of 1944 until liberation in spring 1945.

When he returned to Wiesbaden, he immediately made himself available for the reconstruction of Wiesbaden, was appointed head of the municipal support office for those persecuted by the Nazi regime and eventually worked as head of the main support office at the district president's office. Ranly died as a result of his long imprisonment in the concentration camps.

A street in Klarenthal is named after him.