Unterlüß, Germany

History

The name Lüß was documented in 1569 for a forest, which was probably the source for the name.

In 1847, the railroad was built, eventually becoming part of the line between Hanover and Hamburg, and a station Unterlüß was created, causing a settlement around it. In 1899, the company Rheinmetall (then Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft) first installed a shooting range and then began manufacturing weapons. The settlement became a municipality in 1910. After World War I, Rheinmetall had to turn to civil production. They managed a model estate. Some labourers found work in the kieselgur industry.

During the German re-armament, the production was expanded starting in 1934. Rheinmetall and Borsig became nationalised as Rheinmetall-Borsig. Housing for workers was built in Hohenrieth, now also part of Südheide, in 1936. When World War II began, Polish forced labourers were used, and from 1941 also Soviet ones (and finally Jewish deportees).

As allied forces approached, the prisoners were forced to dig their own graves in mock execution. Once the SS guards fled, most of the prisoners (except a few who escaped) were forcibly removed back to Bergen Belsen by local civilians.

From the History section of Unterlüß on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.