Rudolf Redlinghofer
Rudolf Redlinghofer (born October 31, 1900 in Alservorstadt , Austria ; died January 11, 1940 in Berlin-Plötzensee ) was an Austrian victim of National Socialism from Krems an der Donau in Lower Austria . As a Jehovah's Witness (then also known as the Bible Students) he refused to work with a weapon for reasons of conscience and was therefore executed by guillotine on January 11, 1940 in the Berlin-Plötzensee prison. 58 years after his execution, the Republic of Austria overturned the unjust judgment of yore and Rudolf Redlinghofer was rehabilitated as one of the first Nazi victims in Austria .
Career
Rudolf Redlinghofer was born on October 31, 1900 in the Viennese Alservorstadt and was a Bible researcher in the early 1930s - as Jehovah's Witnesses were also called at the time. He lived with his wife Agnes (born on June 8, 1909 in Herrnbaumgarten , Mistelbach district) in Krems, Spitalgasse 3. He earned his family living by working as a bricklayer's assistant in Krems. Shortly after the wedding, the couple had a daughter, Regina, on November 3, 1937. On July 25, 1939, Rudolf Redlinghofer received the draft order to perform a several-week exercise at the Langenlois Horse Training Hospital . Since he refused to support the war on the basis of his conviction of conscience, he wrote a letter to the Krems military registration office on August 5, 1939, in which he stated that he was not ready to move in to fight for Hitler in the war, but that he was a peaceful "soldier of Christ". Rudolf Redlinghofer did not obey the draft order and was temporarily released.
arrest
The Krems gendarmerie arrested him on August 18, 1939 on behalf of the Gestapo branch in St. Pölten and delivered Redlinghofer to the Krems prison . The next day he was transferred to the Gestapo branch in St. Pölten. In St. Pölten they first tried to break their resistance. To this end, his wife was ordered to line up with the young child in front of the courtroom to put pressure on her husband, who was shown past her, and to reverse his firm decision.
However, Rudolf Redlinghofer remained determined to obey his God more than people.
Imprisonment and trial in Berlin
He was then transferred to the remand prison in Berlin-Moabit on November 13, 1939 . The trial took place before the Reich Court Martial on December 9, 1939. The 3rd Senate of the Reich Court Martial sentenced him on charges of Chief War Judge Dr. Burckhardt caused death and loss of military worth because of the decomposition of military strength. According to the protocol, no defense attorney was present. At the same time he was deprived of his civil rights for life. The judgment “By law, signed Schmauser, v. Goeldel, Schroth, Büscher, Block ”. The judgment was upheld by the President of the Reich Court Martial on December 21, 1939.
The participants in the hearing on December 9, 1939 in Berlin were:
- as judge: Senate President Dr. Schmauser, Head of Negotiations Colonel von Goedel, Colonel Schroth, Lieutenant Colonel Büscher and Chief Justice Dr. block
- as representative of the prosecution: High Court Judge Dr. Burckhardt
- as clerk of the office: Reich War Court Inspector Hotje
At the end of December, Rudolf Redlinghofer was therefore transferred to the Berlin-Plötzensee prison, where he arrived on December 30, 1939.
Execution and Consequences
After a few days in prison in Berlin-Plötzensee, he was finally led from his prison cell to the place of execution on January 11, 1940 . Here the executioner Wilhelm Röttger (1894–1946) was at work, who carried out most of the death sentences in the Third Reich. After repeated reading of the judgment Rudolf Redlinghofer was tied behind their backs hands under the guillotine down and decapitated.
On January 12, 1940, the Reich Court Martial informed the Krems military registration office that the sentence was being carried out. A very difficult time began for his wife Agnes and his then two-year-old daughter. Agnes Redlinghofer tried to earn a living as a housekeeper and tavern cook. She later moved to Heinemannstrasse 5, where she lived until her death in 1989.
Agnes Redlinghofer repeatedly emphasized to her daughter and her grandchildren that she always valued the steadfastness of her husband - as Jehovah's Witness, not to support Hitler's mania for power - very highly.
His suit saves fellow believers
One of Rudolf Redlinghofer's fellow believers - Peter Gölles - was imprisoned in Stein near Krems. On April 6, 1945 - due to the approach of Russian troops - all prisoners were to be released and the prison to be evacuated. The layoffs went smoothly in the morning, but the Stein massacre occurred in the afternoon . The order was given to recapture and kill all released prisoners who were apprehended in the vicinity of Krems. Not only were numerous prisoners murdered in the urban area of Krems , mass shootings were also carried out in the wider area (in Hadersdorf am Kamp , Hörfarth , Paudorf and other places) .
Peter Gölles escaped from Stein prison on a good opportunity. On secret routes he went to Agnes Redlinghofer's apartment in Krems. Agnes then gave him a suit from her husband Rudolf, who had been executed in Berlin-Plötzensee. With this suit Peter Gölles was able to avoid the shootings and return to Vienna safe and sound . The suit of the killed Rudolf Redlinghofer saved the life of one of his fellow believers.
Rehabilitated
Rudolf Redlinghofer was rehabilitated by the Republic of Austria 58 years after his execution . On October 14, 1998, the Vienna Regional Court overturned the former Nazi injustice judgment. In this way his conscience decision is appropriately appreciated and his fate is torn from oblivion. It was also clearly underpinned that conscience can not be a crime.
Stumbling block laying
On June 23, 2009, a stumbling block was laid in Krems an der Donau at Spitalgasse 3 at Rudolf Redlinghofer's last residential address . The Cologne artist Gunter Demnig , who has meanwhile laid more than 50,000 stumbling blocks in Europe, set a symbol of memory of Rudolf Redlinghofer. Since the former residential building has meanwhile been torn down, the stumbling block lies on a traffic island that has been built there.
See also
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Redlinghofer, Rudolf |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian Nazi victim |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 31, 1900 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Alservorstadt , Vienna , Austria |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 11, 1940 |
| Place of death | Berlin-Plötzensee |