In May 1940, the prison was used as a way station for families during the first centrally planned deportation of Sinti and Roma out of southwest Germany, west of the Rhine River (Mainz, Ingelheim, Worms).
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In this capacity, it held Peter Graf, father of the tennis-player Steffi Graf, in 1995.
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The institute was named for the "Scientific Racist," Robert Ritter.