Christoph Strautmann

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Christoph Strautmann (* November 11th July / November 23rd  1860 greg. In Schnickern , Courland Governorate , Russian Empire ; † March 19, 1919 in Alt-Rahden , Latvian SPR ), Latvian Kristaps Strautmanis or Kristaps Strautmans , was a Latvian pastor . He is considered a Protestant martyr and is recorded on the Riga Martyrs Stone.

The dates in this article are based on the Julian calendar for the period up to 1918 unless otherwise noted.

Life

Training and activity as a teacher

Christoph Strautmann was the son of the financially ill-off Kurland elementary school teacher Michael Strautmann. He went to the parish school in Schnickern. In 1878 he obtained his secondary school certificate in Mitau . Christoph Strautmann was considered hardworking and tough, so that he was able to achieve his educational goals. He earned his living at an early age. In 1884 he passed his exam as a district teacher. From 1880 to 1890, ie even before his Abitur as an external student at Mitauschen Gymnasium in June 1889, which he passed with the grade “good”, he was active in teaching.

In this way he fought for the longed-for access to the university, which he achieved at the age of almost 30: from 1890 to 1893, in six semesters, he studied theology at the University of Dorpat . Since November 21, 1890 he was a member of the Dorpat Theological Society. On December 12, 1891, he received a silver medal from his faculty for his treatise " Luther's Doctrine of the Law". In 1892 he received a gold medal.

After graduating as a candidate in November 1893, passing his exams at the consistory in Mitau and his probationary year, which he spent from 1893 to 1894 with Provost Seesemann in Grenzhof , he again worked successfully as a teacher for several years, namely from 1894 to 1895 in Mitau at the Stavenhagen School and from 1895 to 1896 in Irmlau in Kurland at the elementary school teacher seminar .

Conflicts in ordination as a pastor

Lutheran Church in Bauske

When the Bausk pastor Carl Georg Seiler died, Strautmann was appointed by the majority of the patrons of the local church as his successor as pastor of the Latvian community in 1895 , while a minority of the patrons and the majority of the community appointed the deceased's son, pastor-adjunct Herrmann Seiler, favored. There were suspicions that there were irregularities in the election, so that new elections were necessary. During this time, the services were held by pastors from the neighboring congregations. Proponents of new elections deliberately made noise in the church services and annoyed with loud talk and heckling.

On the second Sunday of Advent in 1895 it became so loud during the Lord's Supper that the pastor had to interrupt his speech with the words: "If you talk, I must be silent." Disturbing the practice of religion was legally punishable. Despite the tumult, Strautmann was finally ordained in Mitau on May 5, 1896 by General Superintendent Boettcher.

Strautmann was considered closed; what was going on in him he revealed to only a few; not many could understand him. He had only one friend in the pastorate, namely Hans Bielenstein . Since he had to fight hard for his social advancement, his expectations of his community were correspondingly high, which made him appear tough. When dealing with children, however, he showed his loving side.

Kurland director of the Latvian Literary Society

In 1899 Christoph Strautmann married his second wife, Olga Baronesse von der Ropp.

In addition to his spiritual activities, Christoph Strautmann was a member of the Kurland Society for Literature and Art. He was also the pastor Karl Schilling , murdered in 1905 , the provost Ludwig Zimmermann , murdered in 1906 , the clergymen Hans Bielenstein, Alexander Bernewitz , Xaver Marnitz , Arnold von Rutkowski , Paul Fromhold-Treu , Karl Schlau , Eberhard Savary , who were executed by Bolsheviks in 1919 , Eugen Scheuermann and Wilhelm Gilbert and, like the pastors Gustav Cleemann and Erwin Gross , who died as a result of their imprisonment with the Bolsheviks, full members of the Latvian Literary Society , which was dedicated to the study of the Latvian language, folklore and culture.

From 1903 he was their director in Courland.

During the Russian Revolution in 1905 and its aftermath, Pastor Strautmann stayed with his congregation.

As director of the Latvian Literary Society of Courland, Strautmann reported on December 5, 1907 at the 77th annual meeting of the Society in Mitau on the Latvian literature of the past few years. At the 80th annual meeting of the Society on December 6, 1911, he gave a lecture on 20 Latvian books and writings published in Courland in 1911. Since he had submitted his resignation as director, Pastor Wilhelm Gilbert from Siuxt was elected as his successor at this meeting .

The society was mainly supported by German-Baltic pastors and intellectuals. For the Latvians themselves, a higher education was hardly accessible at the time of the imperial Russian rule, their culture led a shadowy existence. Strautmann was therefore one of the comparatively few privileged Latvians of his time.

During the First World War

Pastor Strautmann stayed with his congregation during the First World War . As the front drew nearer, he allowed his wife and children to retreat to relatives in interior Russia, assuming the war would only last a few months, which turned into almost three years. Strautmann suffered greatly from the loneliness and the uncertainty about the fate of his family and the war. His diary from this time gives deep insights into the soul of the otherwise so closed person. In it he described that he could only express himself in sermons about his suffering and that his fear of dying lonely in the war was expressed in his words:

"I am often overwhelmed by the anxiety that I might have to finish my life at the edge of the road without a dear hand cooling my forehead."

At the same time, he expressed his trust in God in the book and the view that his loneliness was a test of God, also in preparation for his death.

He saw his family again, but suffered from the fact that his son had been influenced by Russian during the years of exile and found it difficult to settle in the Protestant parsonage.

The Bolshevik Tribunal in Bauske

At the time of the Latvian War of Independence , the Red Army took Bauske on January 9 and 10, 1919. The regular troops did not commit war crimes there. The situation changed after these troops moved on. A tribunal made up of Latvian Bolsheviks , chaired by Zvirbul, began to pronounce death sentences against so-called counter-revolutionaries. Other members of the tribunal were Mrs. Taurit, who was judged by opponents to be particularly relentless and who walked through the streets of the city fully armed, and the bricklayer Schwiting. The Polish private lawyer Malachowski, whose work was also rated positively by opponents of the Bolsheviks, served as defense lawyer. The show trials, which mostly took place in the savings bank, were a pure formality. The arrests were based on a black list that the fisherman Weide had given to the tribunal. Wittort served as the executioner.

Pastors as alleged enemies of the people

Among the first victims in January 1919 were the German-Baltic pastor Hans Bielenstein and Edgar von Uhlot, who was accused of being a police officer during the Russian Revolution of 1905. Von Uhlot was tortured before his execution. Bielenstein was convicted of his work as head of office during the German occupation. Appeals for grace from his community were rejected.

Strautmann was also arrested in a wave of arrests. He was initially released, saying that he could be arrested again at any time. At the same time, his son joined the Red Army.

Before Bielenstein's execution, which took place on January 13th on the Schlossberg between the pavilion and the music shell, the firing squad stripped him completely. Before he was shot, Hans Bielenstein is said to have said: "You can do what you are told to do with my body, my soul will be in paradise in a moment." Christoph Strautmann now also expected his execution, but continued to serve unchanged. There were no disruptions to the services, which were well attended due to the difficult time. The obvious religiousness of the community prevented attacks by Bolsheviks on the place of worship. However, there were numerous house searches in the pastorate. The pastor had a small supply of grain that he urgently needed for his family. He had hidden this from the Bolsheviks, which is why they called him a “people suckler” who stole bread from the people.

A meeting was held in March to commemorate the Tsar's abdication. Strautmann was described as a particularly dangerous enemy of the people.

On March 12th, which fell on the day of repentance , the Bolsheviks held another meeting in the German Church, to which the entire population had to appear. There was smoking and secular music played. Finally, Namneek, the head of the political department, gave an aggressive hate speech against Strautmann.

The Baltic State Armed Forces approached, at the same time the repression by the Bolsheviks increased. Strautmann's diary from this time, which fell during the Passion period in 1919, bears witness to his inner struggles, which in the end his trust in God won, he wrote:

"Now I am at peace with my God, call me, Lord, your servant is listening."

- (Compare 1 Sam 3,9-10  LUT ).

A militiaman was quartered with the pastor to prevent his escape, which Strautmann had no intention of doing; he foresaw his death.

On March 16, 1919, Reminiscere Sunday , Christoph Strautmann gave his last sermon. The sermon text was Psalm 77 , 7ff, the pastor referred especially to verse 11 ( Ps 77:11  LUT ): "I have to suffer this, the right hand of the Most High can change everything."

execution

A memorial stone at the place of execution

On March 18, 1919, the opponents of the Bolsheviks captured Mitau.

Pastor Strautmann held his last morning devotion in his home on Wednesday March 19th. He spoke about Isa 53,7  LUT , a passage that is seen in Christianity as a pre-interpretation of the sufferings of Christ. That day, the Bolsheviks left Bauske in a hurry. They tried to get rid of their opponents beforehand. Strautmann was arrested again.

There was little time to say goodbye; the Bolsheviks mocked him and drove him out of the house. He then had to walk 10 km to Alt-Rahden; mounted militiamen chased him. Once there, a show trial took place. Prisoners were shot at the Hofschowitz mill on the Memel . Strautmann was to be spared; Mrs. Taurit shot him on a hill in the forest near Alt-Rahden on her own initiative to try out her new revolver, as she said herself. Christoph Strautmann died as he had feared during the First World War.

Other events

The news of Christoph Strautmann's death was brought by a boy. His family found the pastor at the execution site. He was wearing only one shirt, everything else had been stolen. His skull had been split open by a blow from a saber and his chest had been pierced by a bullet. His hands were folded on his chest.

He was brought home. No coffin was available as the Bolsheviks had confiscated all the boards.

Other civilian victims of the Bolsheviks in Bauske and the Bausk district were:

  • Merchant Eugen Küttner for alleged food speculation
  • Paul Freiberg because of relations with the Baltic State Army
  • the Latvian community elder and former mayor Ramann
  • Landowner Strauchmann
  • the former Latvian policeman Swirgst
  • a Latvian of unknown name
  • the authorized representative and former head of department Hentschel from Ruhental
  • the former Latvian policeman Frey
  • the former city police guard Saring
  • Manor owner Hans Kröger from Wiexten
  • Dr. med. Hoff from Neugut

Lilienfeldt, Prince Lieven's agent in Zohden, was abducted .

The Bolsheviks returned to Bauske on March 20. Willow fell on March 23rd when the place was captured by their opponents. Strautmann could now be buried, namely by Pastor Stavenhagen, who was responsible for the German community and who miraculously survived.

Swirbul was later captured by German soldiers. Christoph Strautmann's son was arrested by the German gendarmerie and deported to Germany, where his mother was already.

Commemoration

In addition to the Riga martyr's stone, a memorial stone at the place of his execution commemorates Christoph Strautmann.

literature

Web links

Commons : Kristaps Strautmanis  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Alfred Seeberg : Album of the Theological Association to Dorpat-Jurjew , Theological Association, Dorpat-Jurjew 1905, p. 151, No. 362
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Pastor Christoph Strautmann † in the Rigaschen Zeitung , No. 26 of June 26, 1919, online under Strautmann Christoph Strautmann | issueType: P
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Oskar Schabert : Baltic Martyrs Book . Furche-Verlag, Berlin 1926, p. 97 ff. ( Digital copy, the report is based on the records of Christoph Strautmann's wife, Olga Strautmann, née vd Ropp, and A. Braunstein from Worms)
  4. ↑ Harald Schultze and Andreas Kurschat (editors): "Your end looks at ..." - Evangelical Martyrs of the 20th Century , Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 978-3-374-02370-7 , Part II, Section Russian Empire / Baltic States , P. 555
  5. ^ Calendar reform by the Bolsheviks on February 1st July. / February 14,  1918 greg. , Declaration of independence of Latvia on November 5th jul. / November 18,  1918 greg.
  6. ↑ Domestic. in the Libauschen Zeitung , No. 131 of June 12, 1889, online at Strautmann | issueType: P
  7. ↑ Latest post. in the Libauschen Zeitung , No. 283 of December 13, 1891, online under Strautmann | issueType: P
  8. ^ At the Courland Consistory in the Düna-Zeitung , No. 253 of November 6, 1893, online under Strautmann | issueType: P
  9. ↑ Domestic. in the Libauschen Zeitung , No. 254 of November 8, 1893, online under Strautmann | issueType: P
  10. ↑ a b Bauske. After Pastor Seiler's death in the Düna-Zeitung , No. 294 of December 29, 1895, online under Pastor Strautmann | issueType: P
  11. ^ A b Theological Association: Addendum to the album of the Theological Association in Dorpat , C. Mattiesen, Dorpat 1929, p. 59, no. 362
  12. ↑ 77th Annual Meeting of the Latvian Literary Society on December 5th in Mitau in the Düna-Zeitung , No. 285 of December 8th, 1907, online under Strautmann Pastor | issueType: P
  13. ^ The Latvian Literary Society in the Rigaschen Zeitung , No. 282 of December 7, 1911, online under Strautmann Pastor Pastor Pastor | issueType: P
  14. ^ List of members of the Latvian Literary Society from 1901 ( Memento from September 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m H. Dohrmann: The horror days in Bauske. , May 15, 1919, in the Libauschen Zeitung , No. 117, May 22, 1919, online at Bielenstein Pastor | issueType: P
personal data
SURNAME Strautmann, Christoph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Strautmanis, Kristaps; Strautmans, Kristaps
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Evangelical Lutheran clergyman, Latvian martyr
DATE OF BIRTH November 23, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH Schnickern , Russian Empire
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 1919
Place of death Alt-Rahden , Latvian SPR