Franz Jagerstatter, Austria, Farmer August 9. Franz Jagerstatter
Franz Jagerstatter, Austria, Farmer August 9. Franz Jagerstatter. Jagerstatter started out like your average wild kid. As a teenager, he fathered a child out of wedlock, led a motorcycle gang, and got arrested for street fighting. But when he met the woman he soon married, she introduced him to Jesus, prayed with him, helped him grow in faith. And soon Jagerstatter stood all-in for Jesus Christ, which put him at odds with the Nazis. On this date in 1943, Jagerstatter was executed by guillotine. Sometimes it’s better to lose your head than to lose your integrity. In 1938, German troops marched into Austria, took over, and it legally became part of the Third Reich. They held a vote to determine whether Austria would adopt the Nazi leadership, and more than 99% of the population approved. The church—having seen what happened to clergy who disagreed with the Germans—took the position that it was the duty of all Austrians to obey legitimate authorities. And the entire village of Saint Radegund voted in favor of the Nazis, except one man. Franz Jagerstatter believed that Christianity and Nazism were completely incompatible. Oil and water. Good and evil. The thought of believing in your country taking the place of believing in God was absurd. In about five years, he was drafted, and he refused to enter the war and fight for Hitler. Franz swore it was impossible to be a good Catholic and a true Nazi. His bishop—who believed as Franz did but did not want to face the consequences—confronted Franz, said that it was not his place to decide whether the war was righteous or unrighteous, said it was Franz’s duty to serve.
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