A letter from Australia
14.Sep.2007 12:49 Uhr Abgelegt in:Anthroposophie
Hello Hans-Juergen Bracker,
I found your address on the Birk / Petelea website. Over the last 10 years or so I have been following the "Benesch Saga" on the Internet. Initially my interest arose when S. D.* (and my mother) visited me in Australia and gave me a copy of the "Birker Heimatbuch" about that time. Let me introduce myself:
I was born in Birk and have the "honour" of having been christened by Friedrich Benesch at the beginning of 1944. According to my mother, many good Lutheran parishioners were unhappy about this as my father had not voluntarily joined the "German Army". Benesch christened me despite these protests and I think my parents were very grateful.
Needless to say, I have never met Benesch and have no recollection of Birk. All I know about him is hearsay (or inference) of what I heard from Birker Saxons in Austria. The Saxon people in Birk were very hard working and god-fearing Lutherans. Much of their Sunday leisure time revolved around the church - prayer, cultural and youth activities. The "Herr Pfarrer" had enormous influence because he was "ein Gelehrter" and a minister. Either directly or indirectly, he encouraged many young men (and a few women) to voluntarily join the "German" military.
In mid-September 1944 nearly all Saxon families left on the "evacuation trek", headed by Benesch and travelling by wagon, to Austria / Germany. After about 100 km, some 100 people (old, sick and young children) were put on a train with the retreating German army. My family was part of this group. After about 5 weeks they and the others ended up in Upper Austria, whilst the larger group with Benesch got to Southern Germany. As a child, I often heard people say things like: "Benesch hat uns im Stich gelassen." or "Er will nichts von uns wissen." or "Er sagt jeder fuer sich selbst". S. D.* told me that she could not have compiled the "Birker Heimatbuch" earlier, because she needed the "Kirchenbuecher". Somehow it was not possible to get access to them prior to Benesch' death. I am not sure whether he actually had these documents himself or whether he excerpted his influence over the people that had them. I understood that Benesch was a very forceful character, who could be very angry and was not to be approached.
I ask myself, how could a "caring minister" so completely disregard his erstwhile parishioners and forbid all contact? What did Benesch do with the church records - I assume there may be others apart from the "Kirchenbuecher" - that he took to Germany? Did nobody in Germany wonder why Benesch had no contact with any Birkers?
You will find very few Saxons in Birk. They are in Canada (Ontario), USA (Illinois, Ohio), Germany and Upper Austria.
I look forward to reading the biography of Friedrich Benesch that I will purchase when I am in Austria next time.
Kind regards,
S. B.*
____________________
*Namen sind uns bekannt
I found your address on the Birk / Petelea website. Over the last 10 years or so I have been following the "Benesch Saga" on the Internet. Initially my interest arose when S. D.* (and my mother) visited me in Australia and gave me a copy of the "Birker Heimatbuch" about that time. Let me introduce myself:
I was born in Birk and have the "honour" of having been christened by Friedrich Benesch at the beginning of 1944. According to my mother, many good Lutheran parishioners were unhappy about this as my father had not voluntarily joined the "German Army". Benesch christened me despite these protests and I think my parents were very grateful.
Needless to say, I have never met Benesch and have no recollection of Birk. All I know about him is hearsay (or inference) of what I heard from Birker Saxons in Austria. The Saxon people in Birk were very hard working and god-fearing Lutherans. Much of their Sunday leisure time revolved around the church - prayer, cultural and youth activities. The "Herr Pfarrer" had enormous influence because he was "ein Gelehrter" and a minister. Either directly or indirectly, he encouraged many young men (and a few women) to voluntarily join the "German" military.
In mid-September 1944 nearly all Saxon families left on the "evacuation trek", headed by Benesch and travelling by wagon, to Austria / Germany. After about 100 km, some 100 people (old, sick and young children) were put on a train with the retreating German army. My family was part of this group. After about 5 weeks they and the others ended up in Upper Austria, whilst the larger group with Benesch got to Southern Germany. As a child, I often heard people say things like: "Benesch hat uns im Stich gelassen." or "Er will nichts von uns wissen." or "Er sagt jeder fuer sich selbst". S. D.* told me that she could not have compiled the "Birker Heimatbuch" earlier, because she needed the "Kirchenbuecher". Somehow it was not possible to get access to them prior to Benesch' death. I am not sure whether he actually had these documents himself or whether he excerpted his influence over the people that had them. I understood that Benesch was a very forceful character, who could be very angry and was not to be approached.
I ask myself, how could a "caring minister" so completely disregard his erstwhile parishioners and forbid all contact? What did Benesch do with the church records - I assume there may be others apart from the "Kirchenbuecher" - that he took to Germany? Did nobody in Germany wonder why Benesch had no contact with any Birkers?
You will find very few Saxons in Birk. They are in Canada (Ontario), USA (Illinois, Ohio), Germany and Upper Austria.
I look forward to reading the biography of Friedrich Benesch that I will purchase when I am in Austria next time.
Kind regards,
S. B.*
____________________
*Namen sind uns bekannt
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