the final years of the war:
from residential use and firefights

Following the deportation of the last Jews from Villa Buth, the building was once again used as residential accommodation. Agnes Fink (born Fitzer) reports that, following the deportation of the last Jewish residents of Villa Buth, her family moved back into the villa. Together with seven other households, the family lived in the building [1] – It is hard to imagine that the new residents knew nothing of the atrocities that had taken place on the property only a short time before.

In September 1944, at the time of the evacuation of Kirchberg, Villa Buth was once again assigned a completely new purpose: it was used to house Wehrmacht soldiers [1]. Although it was only used for a very short period, it has nevertheless left a clear mark. Numerous bullet holes mar the magnificent exterior façade, and the walls, too, bear these marks – Traces of their history.

[1]    M. Kummer und T. Ohrndorf, „Architektur und Baugeschichte der Villa Buth, in Villa Buth: Zwischenstation zum Holocaust (Veröffentlichungen des Jülicher Geschichtsvereins 1923 e.V. 22), T. Ohrndorf und I. Gedig, Hg., 2. Aufl. Ammianus Verlag, 2024, S. 19–33.