Laef Story
Nomata Mi Wik, Mi Strong
STORY BILONG LEOPOLD ENGLEITNER
Wanfala soldia putim smol gun long hed bilong mi, and hem ask olsem: “Waswe, iu redi for dae? Mi bae sutim iu dae bikos iu iusles nomoa.” Mi trae for mekem voice bilong mi no seksek and mi sei: “Mi redi.” Then mi redi, satem eye bilong mi and weit for hem sutim mi, bat no eni samting happen. Hem singaot, “Iu stupid tumas for dae tu!” and hem aotem gun bilong hem from hed bilong mi. Wanem nao mekem mi stap long danger olsem?
MI BORN long July 23, 1905, long Aigen-Voglhub, wanfala taon wea stap long olketa maunten bilong Austria. Dadi bilong mi hem waka long sawmill, mami hem dota bilong wanfala farmer, and mi nao fasbon son bilong tufala. Dadi and mami poor bat tufala pipol for waka hard. Taem mi smol pikinini mifala stap long Bad Ischl wea hem klosap long Salzburg, wea garem olketa maunten and lake wea barava luk naes tumas.
Taem mi smol yet, mi savve ting abaotem olketa samting long laef wea no followim justice, no bikos famili bilong mi poor nomoa, bat bikos mi born witim baksaed wea bend. Pain wea diswan kosim mekem hem barava hard for mi standap stret. Long skul olketa stopem mi for join long sport and from diswan olketa classmate bilong mi mekfani long mi.
Taem World War I finis, mi klosap 14 year and mi disaed for luk aotem waka mekem mi no poor. Evritaem mi hangre, and mi kamap wik from strongfala fever bilong Spanish flu wea killim dae staka million pipol. Taem mi ask for waka, staka farmer savve sei: “Mifala no garem eni waka for man wea wik olsem iu.” Nomata olsem, wanfala farmer wea kaen tekem mi for waka for hem.
Hapi Tumas for Lane Abaotem Love Bilong God
Nomata mami hem wanfala strong Catholic, mi no go long church evritaem bikos dadi no strict saed long religion. Bat for miseleva, mi savve feel nogud long wei for worshipim image wea hem barava big samting long Roman Catholic Church.
Wanday long October 1931, wanfala fren askem mi for go witim hem long wanfala meeting bilong Olketa Bible Student, hem nao nem wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness iusim bifor. Long meeting hia mi kasem ansa from Bible for olketa important kwestin olsem: Waswe, God hapi long wei for worshipim image? (Exodus 20:4, 5) Waswe hellfire stap? (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Waswe, pipol wea dae finis bae laef bak moa?—John 5:28, 29.
Samting wea barava muvim heart bilong mi nao hem wei wea God no appruvim eni war, nomata pipol sei olketa faet long nem bilong Hem. Mi lanem hao “God hem love” and hem garem nem Jehovah, wea hae winim eni nara nem. (1 John 4:8; Psalm 83:18) Mi hapi tumas for lanem hao thru long Kingdom bilong Jehovah, olketa man bae stap hapi olowe long paradaes evriwea long earth. Nara samting mi lane abaotem, hem nambawan chance for samfala pipol wea no perfect, wea God chusim for rul witim Jesus insaed Kingdom bilong Hem long heven. Mi willing for duim eni samting for datfala Kingdom. So long May 1932, mi baptaes and kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. For duim olsem mi mas garem fasin for no fraet bikos Roman Catholic wea hem main religion long Austria long datfala taem no laekem eni nara lotu.
Feisim Wei wea Pipol Againstim and Les Long Mi
Dadi and mami barava feel nogud taem mi no laek for member moa long Catholic Church, and priest kwiktaem niusim diswan long church. Olketa neiba spit front long mi for showimaot olketa les long mi. Nomata olsem, mi disaed for kamap wanfala full-taem minister, and mi start pioneer long January 1934.
From Nazi sekson kamap strong long province bilong mifala, no eniwan savve wanem bae happen saed long politik. Taem mi pioneer long Styrian Valley of Enns, police evritaem luk aotem mi so mi mas “careful olsem snek.” (Matthew 10:16) Start long 1934 go kasem 1938, persecution kamap part long laef bilong mi. Nomata mi no garem waka, selen wea gavman shud givim long man olsem, hem nating givim mi. Tu-thri taem olketa judgem mi for stap long prison for short taem and fofala taem hem for longtaem lelebet bikos long waka bilong mi for preach.
Army Bilong Hitler Tekovarem Austria
Long March 1938, army bilong Hitler attakim Austria. Insaed tu-thri day nomoa, olketa arrestim 90,000 pipol—samting olsem 2 percent long population bilong olketa full-grown pipol and putim olketa insaed olketa raf prison and olketa nara prison, from olketa sei pipol hia againstim Nazi gavman. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness redi for samting wea bae happen. Long hot taem bilong year 1937, samfala long kongregeson bilong mi raedem baesikol for 350 kilometer for go long Prague for attendim international convention. Long disfala convention olketa herem olketa nogud samting wea kasem olketa brata and sista long Germany. Tru nao, mifala nao next wan.
Start long day wea army bilong Hitler attakim Austria, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness mas duim haed olketa meeting and waka bilong olketa for preach. Nomata olketa haedem kam Bible literature from Switzerland, hem no inaf for evriwan. So samfala Christian long Vienna wakem literature long wei wea haed. Staka taem mi nao duim waka for tekem go literature long olketa Witness.
Go Long Wanfala Raf Prison
Long April 4, 1939, secret police arrestim mi and nara brata and tufala sista, taem mifala celebratem Memorial Bilong Dae Bilong Christ long Bad Ischl. Olketa tekem mifala insaed car for go long headquarter bilong State police long Linz. Hem fastaem mi go insaed car, bat mi no enjoyim bikos mi wari tumas. Long Linz, olketa firem staka kwestin long mi, bat mi nating lusim faith bilong mi. Bihaen faevfala month, olketa tekem mi go long judge long Upper Austria. Seknomoa kot case bilong mi wasaot, bat datwan no end long olketa problem bilong mi. Long semtaem, olketa sendem thrifala hia go long olketa raf prison and olketa stap faithful go kasem taem olketa dae.
Mi stap long prison, and long October 5, 1939, olketa sei mi bae go long Buchenwald raf prison long Germany. Mifala prisoner go insaed wanfala spesol train long Linz. Train hia garem olketa cell wea tufala man fit for stap insaed. Man wea mitufala stap tugeta insaed wanfala cell hem governor bilong Upper Austria bifor, Doctor Heinrich Gleissner.
Mitufala startim wanfala interesting story. Hem showimaot trufala interest long samting wea kasem mi and hem barava feel nogud hao nomata taem hem governor, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem staka problem saed long law long province bilong hem. Hem tok sorre olsem: “Mr. Engleitner, mi no savve duim eni samting for stretem datwan, bat mi laek for sei sorre. Hem luk olsem gavman fail for showimaot justice. Sapos enitaem iu needim help, mi hapi tumas for duim eni samting for helpem iu.” Mitufala meet moa bihaen war hem finis. Hem helpem mi for kasem pei wea gavman savve givim long olketa man wea retire for pipol wea Nazi spoelem olketa.
“Bae Mi Sutim Iu”
Long October 9, 1939, mi arrive long Buchenwald raf prison. No longtaem bihaen, prison gard hem savve wanfala Witness hem kam witim evri niu wan wea just arrive, and mi nao main wan wea hem spoelem. Hem barava whipim mi nogud tumas. Then, bihaen hem luksavve hem hard for mekem mi brekem faith bilong mi, hem sei: “Bae mi sutim iu, Engleitner. Bat bifor mi duim datwan, iu savve raetem leta for sei gudbae long dadi and mami bilong iu.” Mi redi for raetem toktok for comfortim dadi and mami, bat evritaem mi trae for raet, hem hitim hand bilong mi and mi no savve raet stret. Hem mekfani olsem long mi: “Krangge man nao diswan! Hem bat no savve raetem tufala stret laen. Bat diswan nating stopem hem for readim Bible, iaman?”
Next samting, hem putim smol gun bilong hem long hed bilong mi, and mi tingse hem bae sutim mi, olsem mi storyim fastaem. Then hem forcem mi go insaed wanfala smol cell wea fulap witim olketa prisoner. Mi standap for full naet. Bat hem bae hard tu for mi sleep bikos full body bilong hem pain. For tok spoelem mi olketa nara prisoner sei: “No eni gud samting nomoa man kasem for dae for wanfala stupid religion!” Doctor Gleissner stap long nara cell klosap long mi. Hem herem samting wea happen and hem sei, “Wei for persecutim olketa Christian hem happen moa!”
Long Sunday, long hot taem bilong year 1940, evri prisoner mas go waka for karem ston, nomata Sunday hem no day for waka. Diswan hem for panisim olketa prisoner for smol mistek wea samfala duim. Mifala mas karem olketa big ston go bak long prison. Tufala prisoner trae for putim wanfala big ston long baksaed bilong mi, and mi klosap foldaon bikos hem hevi tumas. Bat Arthur Rödl, bigman bilong prison wea evriwan fraetem, hem kwiktaem duim samting for helpem mi. From hem lukim hao hem hard tumas for mi karem datfala ston, hem sei long mi: “Hem bae hard tumas for iu karem datfala ston go bak long prison! Putim daon distaem!” Datwan hem toktok mi hapi tumas for obeyim. Then Rödl point go long wanfala wea no big tumas and hem sei: “Tekem datwan and karem go bak long prison. Datwan nao iu fit for karem!” Bihaen, hem luk go long boss bilong mifala and hem sei: “Letem Olketa Bible Student go bak long prison. Waka wea olketa duim hem fitim nao!”
Taem mifala finis waka each day, mi hapi tumas for story witim spiritual famili bilong mi. Mifala garem wei for sharemaot spiritual kaikai. Wanfala brata savve raetem wanfala verse from Bible long smol pepa and givim go long olketa narawan. Wanfala man haedem kam wanfala Bible insaed long prison tu. Mifala brekem and each man keepim wanfala buk bilong Bible. Mi keepim Bible buk bilong Job for thrifala month. Mi haedem insaed socks bilong mi. Story bilong Job helpem mi for stand strong.
Gogo, long March 7, 1941, olketa sendem mi go witim wanfala big grup long pipol wea go long Niederhagen raf prison. Evriday mi sik go moa. Wanday, olketa askem mi and tufala brata for putim olketa tul insaed long olketa box. Bihaen datwan, mifala go bak long prison witim nara grup bilong olketa prisoner. Wanfala soldia lukim mi isisi kam bihaen. Hem barava kros tumas, seknomoa hem kik nogud bihaen long mi wea mekem bigfala garekil. Diswan barava pain tumas, nomata olsem, long next day mi go waka.
Seknomoa Mi Free
Long April 1943, evriwan lusim Niederhagen prison. Bihaen datwan, olketa sendem mi go long raf prison long Ravensbrück. Then long June 1943, seknomoa olketa letem mi kamap free from raf prison. Distaem olketa no trae forcem mi for brekem faith bilong mi for kamap free. Mi mas agree nomoa for waka long farm for full laef bilong mi. Mi willing for duim datwan for free from olketa nogud samting wea gohed insaed prison. Mi lukim doctor bilong prison for lastfala chekap. Doctor sapraes for lukim mi. Hem sei: “Man, iu still wanfala Jehovah’s Witness!” Mi sei: “Hem stret Doctor.” Then hem sei moa: “Sapos olsem iu no fit for kamap free. Bat long narasaed hem bae gud for iusles samting olsem iu for go aot.”
Wanem hem talem abaotem mi hem tru. Mi barava sik fogud. Samfala part long skin bilong mi olketa louse kaikaim, wanfala ear bilong mi hem earpas from olketa whipim mi staka taem, and full body bilong mi garem boela. Bihaen mi no kasem samting mi needim for 46 month and mi hangre evritaem, and waka hard, weight bilong mi hem 28 kilogram nomoa. Taem body bilong mi olsem nao, mi kamap free from Ravensbrück, long July 15, 1943.
Taem mi go bak long homtaon bilong mi, no eniwan gardim mi long train, and mi go long headquarter bilong secret police long Linz. Man long secret police givim mi pepa wea letem mi for go free and hem warnim mi olsem: “Sapos iu ting mifala mekem iu kamap free for iu duim preaching waka bilong iu, iu rong tumas! No eni samting bae sevem iu sapos mifala lukim iu preach moa.”
Mi kasem bak hom nao! Taem olketa arrestim mi long April 4, 1939, mami nating muvim eni samting wea stap long rum bilong mi. Nomata Bible bilong mi tu open yet antap tebol wea stap saed long bed bilong mi! Mi nildaon and prea for sei thankiu from heart bilong mi.
No longtaem bihaen, mi go waka long wanfala farm long maunten. Datfala farmer hem wanfala fren wea mi savve long hem taem mi smol pikinini yet, and nomata hem shud no peim mi hem givim mi selen. Bifor war start hem letem mi tu for haedem samfala Bible literature long farm bilong hem. Wei wea mi readim olketa literature hia hem strongim mi long spiritual wei. Mi kasem evri samting mi needim, and mi disaed for gohed waka long farm go kasem taem war hem finis.
Haed Long Olketa Maunten
Bat wei wea mi free hem for shortfala taem nomoa. Long midol bilong August 1943, mi mas go lukim doctor bilong army for chekim mi. Fastaem hem sei mi no fit for joinim army bikos long baksaed bilong mi wea bend. Bat bihaen wanfala week, hem changem samting wea hem talem fastaem and report bilong hem sei: “Fit for joinim army and stap long front laen for faet.” For lelebet taem, army no savve faendem mi, bat long April 17, 1945, taem war klosap finis, army faendem mi. Olketa markem mi for faet long front laen.
Mi tekem samfala kaleko, kaikai, and wanfala Bible and mi ranawe go haed long olketa maunten wea stap klosap. Fastaem mi savve sleep long aotsaed bat weather kamap nogud and snow wea foldaon hem haf meter deep. Mi full tuwet. Gogo mi go kasem wanfala smol haos long maunten wea hem 1,200 meter hae winim sea. From mi cold tumas, mi mekem fire for hotem miseleva and draem kaleko bilong mi. Mi barava taed tumas and mi sleep klosap long datfala fire. No longtaem nomoa, mi wekap kwiktaem from body bilong mi hem pain tumas. Kaleko bilong mi hem bone! Mi rola long floor for killim dae fire long kaleko bilong mi. Full baksaed bilong mi hem bone.
Nomata hem danger, mi haed go bak long farm long maunten taem hem naet yet, bat from waef bilong boss bilong mi fraet tumas, hem talem mi for no stap bikos olketa luk aotem mi. So mi go long dadi and mami bilong mi. Dadi and mami tu bat fraet for mi stap witim olketa, bat tufala letem mi for sleep long ples for keepim kaikai bilong olketa animal, and mami klinim olketa garekil bilong mi. Bat bihaen tufala day nomoa, dadi and mami no laekem mi for stap moa, so mi disaed for mi go haed moa long olketa maunten.
Long May 5, 1945, wanfala big noise mekem mi wekap. Mi savve lukim plane bilong olketa kantri wea faetem Nazi flae low nomoa. Stretawe mi savve gavman bilong Hitler lus nao! Spirit bilong Jehovah strongim mi for winim barava hard taem hia. Toktok long Psalm 55:22 barava tru for mi, hem comfortim mi long start bilong olketa test bilong mi. Mi ‘torowem hevi bilong mi long Jehovah,’ and nomata body bilong mi wik, hem strongim mi taem mi wakabaot long “deepfala valley.”—Psalm 23:4.
Paoa Bilong Jehovah “Kamap Perfect Long Man wea Wik”
Bihaen war hem finis, laef hem isisi kamap gud moa. Fastaem mi waka long farm bilong fren bilong mi long maunten. Long April 1946, bihaen army bilong U.S. tekova, mi kamap free from wei wea olketa forcem mi for waka long farm for full laef bilong mi.
Taem war hem finis, olketa Christian brata long Bad Ischl and olketa nara ples wea stap klosap, start moa for garem olketa meeting evritaem. Olketa start preach moa witim strong. Mi security gard long wanfala factory and diswan helpem mi for gohed pioneer. Gogo, mi go stap long area klosap long St. Wolfgang, and long 1949 mi maritim Theresia Kurz, wea garem wanfala dota from fasfala marit bilong hem. Mitufala stap tugeta for 32 year, go kasem taem waef bilong mi dae long 1981. Mi lukaftarem hem for winim sevenfala year.
Bihaen Theresia dae, mi start pioneer moa and diswan helpem mi for deal witim bigfala sorre bilong mi. Distaem mi wanfala pioneer yet and elder long kongregeson long Bad Ischl. From mi iusim wheelchair, mi offerim Bible literature and story long pipol abaotem hope bilong Kingdom long Bad Ischl park or front long haos bilong mi. Olketa nambawan story from Bible barava mekem mi hapi.
Taem mi ting abaotem olketa samting wea happen bifor, mi nating feel nogud long olketa barava nogud samting wea kasem mi. Hem tru, samfala taem mi feel wikdaon taem mi kasem olketa test hia. Bat gudfala wei wea mi fren witim Jehovah God helpem mi for winim kaen feeling olsem. Toktok bilong Lord for Paul wea sei, “Paoa bilong mi kamap perfect long man wea wik” hem tru tu for mi. Distaem mi klosap 100 year and mi savve agree witim Paul, wea sei: “Mi hapi long olketa wik point, long toktok wea spoelem mi, long taem bilong need, long persecution and hardfala samting, for Christ. Bikos taem mi wik, hem nao taem wea mi strong.”—2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
[Olketa Piksa long page 25]
Secret police arrestim mi long April 1939
Pepa bilong secret police wea talem samting olketa accusim mi long hem, May 1939
[Credit Line]
Both images: Privatarchiv; B. Rammerstorfer
[Piksa long page 26]
Olketa maunten wea mi haed long hem
[Piksa Credit Line long page 23]
Foto Hofer, Bad Ischl, Austria