The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Emilius Antonius Hubertus Maria Merckelbach (Emile)

Het Grote Gebod – L.O.

Emile Merckelbach was a member of the Provinciale Staten (Provincial Parliament) of Limburg and chairman of the Coöperatieve Veilingvereeniging Kring Gulpen (Cooperative Auction Association for Agricultural Products, District of Gulpen). On July 21, 1944, he too was arrested as a member of the L.O. at the Klap van Wittem [1], in which the L.O. of the district of Gulpen was dealt a severe blow. His brother J.M.H. Merckelbach was also arrested, but was released after a few days. [2]
According to oorloggravenstichting.nl Emile died on December 15, 1944, according to Cammaert and vriendenkringneuengamme.nl [3] on January 15, 1945.
From this we see, how chaotic during the last months of the war the conditions in the German concentration camps were. His brother mentioned above also wrote after the war on a questionnaire of the OGS:
4. Date and place of death: Presumably 15 December 1944 at Neuengamme
5. Do you know anything about a grave? Nothing known, presumably cremation. [4#2]
The OGS wrote to Louis, the other brother, on May 24, 1962:
According to the information available at the Foundation, your brother died in Neuengamme on 15.12.1944 and the remains were most probably cremated. The ashes of those cremated were generally scattered. [4#13]
More information about the Merckelbach family can be found at footnote [5].

Footnotes

1. Klap van Wittem
2. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   6. De Landelijke Organisatie voor hulp aan onderduikers, p.698
3. monument.vriendenkringneuengamme.nl Emile Merckelbach
4. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief), Dossier Emile Merckelbach
   • #2 • #13
5. 1. Genealogieonline.nl Emilius Antonius Hubertus Maria Merckelbach
   2. Fam. Merckelbach, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch
6. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl