Konstantyn Krefft
Konstantyn Krefft (born March 7, 1867 in the village of Lubnia in Kashubia ; † June 11, 1940 in the Stutthof concentration camp ) was a Polish Catholic clergyman and victim of the Nazi regime .
Life
His parents were the farmer Jan Krefft and Elżbieta nee. Szczepańska. Konstantyn had eleven siblings. After graduating from high school in Konitz (today Chojnice ), Krefft attended the seminary in Pelplin . He was ordained a priest on September 12, 1893 . In Freiburg im Breisgau he continued his studies in the fields of catechesis and preaching . In February 1895 he received his doctorate with the dissertation The Doctrine of God Justin the Martyr .
He worked as a chaplain in Graudenz and Danzig ( St. Brigitten ). 1899-1901 he was administrator of the parish in Bütow ( Bytów ). He then came to Sopot as an assistant priest , where in 1902 he helped build the Maria Meeresstern Church . In May 1904 he was appointed pastor of Hochstüblau ( Zblewo ). On his initiative, the parish oven ( Piece ) was established, where he was also pastor and built the church in the years 1911-1914.
In 1927 Krefft became a pastor in Subkowy (German: Subkau ) near Dirschau , which had been part of the Polish corridor since 1920 . In the autumn of 1930 he became a clergyman in the city of Tuchola ( Tuchel ). Here he built the imposing Bożego Ciała parish church ( Corpus Christi Church ) between 1935 and 1939, his third church.
His merit was not only the building of three churches, he was also an esteemed and popular pastor, and he was also active in many church associations. He was considered a patriot and passionate preacher who was not afraid to denounce social grievances and injustices in Poland . He was also known for the devotion with which he organized services in German.
When the Second World War broke out , he gave a patriotic sermon to Polish soldiers before the battle in the Tucheler Heide . Despite many warnings, he stayed in Tuchel and was arrested by the Gestapo on September 30th . He came to Kamień Krajeński (German: Fireplace ) in prison.
On December 15, 1939, he and 20 other Polish priests and teachers were transferred to the Stutthof concentration camp . There he died on June 11, 1940 as a result of physical exhaustion. He was buried with other prisoners in Saspe near Danzig . After the war, his bones were transferred to a grave in the parish cemetery in Tuchola.
Remembrance and beatification process
In Sopot since 1985 a memorial to him, four Catholic chaplains who died in a similar manner, and 69 other citizens.
On September 17, 2003, a process of beatification as a martyr was initiated; Piotr Sosnowski and Włodzimierz Szembek are among the 121 other pastors .
Pictures of the church buildings
Church of the Star of the Sea in Sopot / Sopot, built around 1902
Church in Piece / Ofen, built 1911-1914
Church in Tuchola / Tuchel, built 1935-1939
Web links
- NN: Ks. Konstantyn Krefft (Polish). Retrieved February 3, 2013 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Sopot Monuments Sopot.net, accessed on March 28, 2015. (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Krefft, Konstantyn |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Roman Catholic clergyman and Nazi victim |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 7, 1867 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lubnia , German Empire |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 11, 1940 |
| Place of death | Stutthof concentration camp , German Empire |