Edgar Hassmann

Edgar Haßmann (born January 31, 1884 in Luhde bei Walk , Livonia Gouvernement , Russian Empire ; † March 26, 1919 in Riga , Latvia ), also written Edgar Hassmann , with full name Edgar Andreas Woldemar Haßmann , Latvian Edgars Hasmanis , with full name Edgars Andreas Woldemar Hasmanis , was a Latvian Lutheran 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.

family

Edgar Haßmann's father Karl Haßmann was a farmer and Kruger (innkeeper). Edgar Haßmann's mother was called Elise, née Muskau. Both belonged to the Latvian ethnic group, but moved to the Estonian part of Livonia early on. Edgar Haßmann was married to Maria Elisabeth, née Abb.

Life

Edgar Haßmann attended grammar school in Dorpat (Estonian Tartu ) from 1906 to 1910 . His mother's deep faith made him want to become a theologian at an early age, so that he studied this subject at the Baltic State University in Dorpat from 1911 to 1913 . In 1914, after completing his studies, he served as an adjunct of his brother-in-law Jaan Lattik of the Estonian community in Fellin (Estonian Viljandi ). In 1915 he was elected preacher of the large Latvian community in Pskov- Laura. From 1916 he was pastor of the Latvian community in Salisburg (Latvian Mazsalaca ) in the Latvian-speaking area. Having grown up as a Latvian in the Estonian part of Livonia, he was one of the few pastors who knew both the Latvian and Estonian languages. His work was considered successful.

During the First World War , during the first communist domination, in January 1918, he was arrested by the Bolsheviks . They brought him to Rujen (Latvian Rūjiena ). There he should be brought before the tribunal. Its members were disguised and masked. They saw themselves not responsible for him and sent him to Walk . Here he managed to escape. He remained hidden until the German conquest of the city. Immediately afterwards he went back to Salisburg and took up his office.

After the withdrawal of the German troops, the Bolsheviks took control again in the Latvian War of Independence . Haßmann had to expect his arrest at any time, which is why he fled to Riga. A communist from Salisburg recognized him there on the street and arrested him. Edgar Haßmann was arrested by the Bolsheviks in a dark cell under severe conditions , together with other prisoners from the Wolmar (Latvian Valmiera ) area . There, too, he served as a pastor; he even celebrated the sacrament with the other prisoners , using bread and water. Most recently he was in a cell in the Riga Central Prison with his provost Karl Schlau , with whom he was executed. Before that he could write a message to his young wife:

"Goodbye in the afterlife."

The 46 prisoners were taken to the Kaiserwald on the morning of March 26, 1919 , and tied to trees. Karl Schlau was the first to be shot, Edgar Haßmann followed later.

Honors

Edgar Haßmann is mentioned on the Riga Martyrs Stone.

In August 1929, Jaan Lattik, who was Estonian Foreign Minister at the time, unveiled a monument to Edgar Haßmann in Salisburg and gave a speech in Latvian.

literature

• Oskar Schabert : Baltic Martyrs Book . Furche-Verlag, Berlin 1926, p. 127. ( Digitized version, the report is based on the notes of Edgar Haßmann's sister, A. Lattick, née Haßmann.)
• Günther Schulz (editor): Church in the East , Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1996, ISBN 3-525-56385-X , p. 25
• Harald Schultze and Andreas Kurschat (editors): "Your end looks at ..." - Protestant martyrs of the 20th century. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 978-3-374-02370-7 , Part II, Section Russian Empire / Baltic States , p. 536.
• Kārlis Beldavs: Mācītāji, kas nāvē gāja , Luterisma mantojuma fonds, Riga 2010, ISBN 978-9984-753-56-0 (Latvian)

Web links

• Edgar Haßmann in the Erik Amburger database
• Portrait photo of Edgar Haßmann (top row, far right)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Pskov. On the preacher of the large Latvian community Pskow-Laura in the Rigaschen Zeitung , No. 15 of January 20, 1915, online at Haßmann | issueType: P
2. ↑ Latest news. in the Rigaschen Zeitung , No. 48 of February 27, 1918, online at Haßmann | issueType: P
3. ↑ Twenty years ago. in Evangelium und Osten: Russian Evangelical Press Service , No. 5, May 1, 1939, online at Marnitz | issueType: P
4. ↑ Estonia and Geneva in the Rigaschen Rundschau , No. 192 of August 27, 1929, online at Haßmann | issueType: P