Theodor Hoffmann (pastor)

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Theodor Wilhelm August Hoffmann (* January 20 . Jul / 1. February  1865 greg. In St. Petersburg , Russian Empire ; † 22. May 1919 in Riga , Latvia SPR ), Latvian Teodor Hofmanis , was a Baltic German pastor . He is considered an Evangelical Lutheran 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 and family

Youth and education

Theodor Hoffmann's father was the pharmacist Friedrich Theodor Hoffmann (1818–1900), his mother was Antonie Caroline Catherine Paucker (1829–1865). His older siblings were Carl Georg Otto Hoffmann (1852-1853), Auguste Caroline Emilie Hoffmann (1853-1924), Agnes Wilhelmine Alexandra Hoffmann (1855-1940, married Paucker, mother of the pastor and martyr Walther Paucker ), Heinrich Conrad Ferdinand Hoffmann ( 1856–1927) and Julie Antonie Hoffmann (1860–1868); his younger brothers were Arnold Johannes Walter Hoffmann (1867–1868) and Arnold Gottfried Hoffmann (1868–1906).

Theodor Wilhelm August Hoffmann spent his entire childhood in St. Petersburg, where he first received home schooling and attended the Annenschule from 1877 to 1883, from which he graduated from high school. Since he felt like a Balte, he did not regard the city as his home.

Theodor Hoffmann began his theology studies at the University of Tartu in 1883 at the age of 17 and completed it in 1888 at the age of only 22 with the candidate degree to general satisfaction. In the same year he passed the exams before the consistory in Riga. Since February 7, 1886 he was a member of the theological society Dorpat. From 1888 to 1889 he spent his probationary year with Pastor von Holst in Riga.

He received a certificate as a senior teacher in the subject of religion, effective from April 2, 1889; He had already been admitted to Lutheran religious instruction at the Rigas Gouvernementsgymnasium. There, or at the Nikolai grammar school, he worked as a senior teacher from 1888 to 1901. He switched to teaching because he was too young for the clergy. From 1889 he also worked as a religion teacher at the town's daughter school.

On November 13, 1892, he was finally ordained vicar by Provost Gaehtgens in Riga. He was now serving in the St. Petri Congregation in Riga, which, despite its size, he had to lead alone, although it usually had three pastors. However, one of the pastors had died while the second was seriously ill and the third was suspended from service for offenses against the Russian Orthodox Church , which was common in the days of the Russian state church. He was also a religion teacher at Hasford's school, which brought about an immense workload. He suffered from the effects of this overexertion for years.

Afternoon preacher in Riga

In 1893 Theodor Hoffmann was introduced to the Petrikirche as an "afternoon preacher". He was to hold this position for 27 years. He suffered from the fact that he was never elected parish priest because his congregation had to limit itself to his "afternoon services", but did not complain about the relegation, but tried to serve his congregation as well as possible in addition to his stressful teaching profession.

On September 14, 1893, he married Lucie Ella Margarethe Schuhmacher (1869–1953) in Riga. His son Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Hoffmann († 1945) was born in Riga on July 24, 1894, his daughter Elsbeth Antonie Lucie Hoffmann († 1970) on June 22, 1895, Gerda Hilma Alexandrine Hoffmann (married Schummer) on September 13, 1898, on February 27, 1902 Heinrich Conrad August Hoffmann († 1968) and on November 30, 1903 Margarete Agnes Hedwig Hoffmann (married Becker, † 1990).

During the Latvian War of Independence , the Bolsheviks approached Riga. Theodor Hoffmann was aware of the danger that threatened him; Escape was out of the question for him. His eldest son was a squadron leader in the Baltic State Army . He was withdrawn from Riga without being able to say goodbye in person. So he asked his father by phone to flee with his wife. Theodor Hoffmann replied:

“I stay, I am in God's hands. I'm not leaving my church. I do my duty, you do yours. "

The son agreed with him. While the son helped prepare the reconquest of the Baltic States, the pastor fought in his own way for his congregation.

At the time of the Bolsheviks

The Bolsheviks, who now occupied Riga, made the Petrikirche their main meeting place. The meetings usually took place at the times that were actually intended for church services. Theodor Hoffmann then held the services elsewhere. This time was very labor-intensive for him; many people became seriously ill and died from hunger and typhus spread; there were also many homeless people who had had to leave their homes, people whose property had been seized or who had lost their jobs, whom Hoffmann had to help. He succeeded in hiding large amounts of money, which he needed to care for the poor, from the Bolsheviks, which enabled him to help efficiently. After a hard day at work, he said:

“How am I so grateful to God that He still lets me do my work. I have comforted some, helped others and, if I had only been allowed to work until now, my stay was worth it. "

A member of his community learned that the Bolsheviks were looking for Hoffmann and asked him to hide with him. Hoffmann declined the offer:

"Just as the captain is only allowed to leave the ship as the last, so I am not allowed to leave my community and not get to safety."

Instead, he continued his work as usual. The Bolsheviks took his study and eventually his apartment for themselves. Even in this situation Hoffmann continued his work.

arrest

In February 1919 Theodor Hoffmann took up the confirmation class and suspected that he would not be able to complete it, but this did not come true. The group was confirmed, and he was also able to preach the sermon at the confirmation service. The Lord's Supper was about to follow when armed people came to the altar and asked him to follow them. However, Theodor Hoffmann successfully insisted that the Lord's Supper first be brought to an end. At the end he gave himself the sacrament, then spoke the thanksgiving prayer and the blessing in a clear voice. Only then did he allow himself to be led away. There is a written eyewitness report of this arrest by a parishioner who was very impressed by Hoffmann's "calm and dignity and power of faith", which was carried over to the parish. This eyewitness went home with the conviction that no one could take away the faith of the community, which would ultimately defeat "tyranny," as he put it. He later judged that Hoffmann's role model had given everyone present at the time of arrest the strength they needed for the occupation.

Detention

Theodor Hoffmann was arrested by the Bolsheviks outside the city in Riga Central Prison, initially in a very wet cell. There were too few benches; only some of the prisoners could sit at a time. Nobody could stretch out. After a few days he was put into a large, bright cell in which the pastors Erhard Doebler , Alfred Geist , Hermann Bergengruen , August Eckhardt and Eberhard Savary were also held. All the hostages of the Bolsheviks were imprisoned here. The pastors dealt with the interpretation of the Philippians , one of the captive letters of Paul of Tarsus (see Paulus letters ). Hoffmann had good exegetical knowledge and was able to replace the written comment. He saw Phil 4:13  LUT as a special consolation : "I can do everything through him who makes me mighty, Christ." Hoffmann had a great general education. Like the other pastors, he was able to give lectures to fellow prisoners, even about economics.

From the next cell in which the women were housed, Hoffmann and the other prisoners, Marion von Klot , heard the song “I don't know the way either, you know it” in the evening. The prisoners expected an amnesty for May 1, 1919, but this did not materialize. They were torn between hope and fatefulness.

On May 10th, Doebler wrote in one of his letters that morning and evening services were being held daily in all cells.

Hoffmann starved, was humiliated and threatened with death, which seemed to him to be of secondary importance to Christian hope. He was convinced that the Bolshevik occupation was temporary and that Riga would soon be retaken, but said that he would not see it himself. A few days before his death, Hoffmann was able to speak to his wife again. He told her:

"You will soon be set free, but I will not see it, but you should not mourn for me."

He said goodbye to his wife, convinced that he would never see her again in this life. He was emaciated, but seemed to keep his hopes on his faith.

execution

On May 22, 1919, the prison was about to be stormed by a raiding party of the Baltic State Armed Forces, about which the prisoners knew nothing. Shortly before the Bolsheviks withdrew from Riga, the commissars entered the cell heavily armed and forbade any movement or word. Then some nobles were brought out. The iron door was closed again. After a moment of concerned silence, Eckhardt prayed aloud for those who had been removed. Before the end of the prayer the door was opened again. Now some pastors had to step out, including Hoffmann, Bergengruen, Doebler, Eckhardt and Savary. Theodor Hoffmann and 32 fellow prisoners (see the list below) were led in an orderly manner through the long corridors under heavy guard to the prison yard. Soldiers of the Red Army, who formed the guard, were posted there and now shot all those who were taken out. Theodor Hoffmann was the first to die, according to Oskar Schabert's book of martyrs from the Baltic States (see under “Literature”), he prayed for the salvation of his soul and also for those who brought him death; then a bullet pierced his heart. He came to lie apart from the other executed people.

Immediately afterwards the soldiers and commissioners fled. A little later, an armored car from the Landeswehr made its way to the prison; the prisoners' relatives followed him into the courtyard. They were shocked by the sight they saw.

According to Schabert, Theodor Hoffmann's body had a deeply peaceful expression.

burial

The funeral service for Hoffmann and Bergengruen took place on May 28, 1919 at 2 p.m. in Hoffmann's Church of St. Peter. The church was filled with people long before that. The service was held by pastor Karl Keller, and pastor Victor Grüner also preached. The text for Hoffmann was the verse Phil 4:13, so valued by him in his captivity. Both were buried in good weather in the Petrifriedhof. At the graves, the senior teacher Karl Ernst Heinrich Hellmann from the Stadttöchterschule and the senior teacher Erich Moritz von Schrenck from the Hasford school spoke.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence


personal data
SURNAME Hoffmann, Theodor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hoffmann, Theodor Wilhelm August (full name); Hofmanis, Teodors (Latvian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-Baltic pastor
DATE OF BIRTH February 1, 1865
PLACE OF BIRTH Saint Petersburg , Russian Empire
DATE OF DEATH May 22, 1919
Place of death Riga , Latvian SPR