Have you heard of Franz Jägerstätter?
Probably not. Many have not heard of this exceptional man even in his own native country.
Who was he? Why is his life a challenge for us?
On March 1, 1943, this young Austrian farmer bid farewell to his wife and children and went to the town nearby. He knew that he would never see his loved ones again. He reported at the military centre where he had been ordered to appear.
Austria had been annexed by Nazi Germany in 1939. All able-bodied Austrians were ordered to join the Nazi army. Jägerstätter was aware of the tremendous atrocities committed by Nazi Germany, and refused to serve in their army. For this he was arrested and thrown into jail. He was then tried by a military court and condemned to death as an “enemy of the state.” On August 9, 1943, he was beheaded. He was thirty-six years old.
Franz had been known as a rough and wild youngster, but later became convinced of his Catholic faith and lived an honest and committed life. Unlike most of his fellow citizens, he expressed his refusal to accept the Nazi rule and stated that he would not serve in Hitler’s army. Many friends and authorities—including priests and his bishop—tried to dissuade him, telling him of the danger in his stand and his need to care for his wife and three daughters. But Jägerstätter, aware of the evil the Nazi regime was doing, stated his rejection of their rule. He was ready to pay the highest price for his convictions.
Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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