Friedrich Lorenz
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Lorenz was a Catholic
priest and a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
.
district in Lower Saxony
. In 1902, the family moved to Hildesheim
. Here Lorenz had his first contact with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He went to the St. Karl Oblate boarding school
in Limburg
in the Netherlands
from 1911 to 1916. In connection with this, he joined the Novitiate
of the Oblates at Maria Engelport Monastery
, although one month later, the monastery had to let him go because he had been called into the army
. In the First World War, he fought as a corporal
and a non-commissioned officer
on the Western Front
. For his bravery, he was awarded the Iron Cross
, second class.
After the war, he joined the monastery again, took his eternal vows on 25 July 1923, and a year later, was ordained a priest by the Bishop
of Fulda
, Joseph Damian Schmitt. Lorenz had his first posting in the People's Mission. Because he found it hard to deliver sermons, he was transferred to Schwerin
.
On 1 September 1939, he had to return to the military as a chaplain
as the Second World War was looming. Once again, he received the Iron Cross for his bravery. In 1940, he returned to Schwerin
. Here he developed contacts with the "Wednesday Circle" ("Mittwochskreis"), a discussion group for men from the Stettin
pastoral area. On 4 February 1943, the Wednesday Circle was stormed by the Gestapo
resulting in 40 people being arrested, among them Friedrich Lorenz. Lorenz was sentenced by the Reichskriegsgericht in Torgau
on 28 July 1944 to death for "listening to enemy broadcasts", "undermining the fighting forces", and "helping the enemy". The sentence was upheld in later proceedings from 2 to 4 September. On 13 November 1944 at 16:00, Father Friedrich Lorenz OMI was beheaded in Halle. His body was cremated
. The burial of the urn took place on 3 November 1947 in the monastery graveyard in Hünfeld.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest and a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
.
Life
Friedrich Lorenz was born as a postman's son in 1897 in Klein Freden in today's HildesheimHildesheim (district)
Hildesheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Hanover, Peine, Wolfenbüttel, Goslar, Northeim, Holzminden and Hamelin-Pyrmont.-History:...
district in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. In 1902, the family moved to Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
. Here Lorenz had his first contact with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He went to the St. Karl Oblate boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
from 1911 to 1916. In connection with this, he joined the Novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of the Oblates at Maria Engelport Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, although one month later, the monastery had to let him go because he had been called into the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
. In the First World War, he fought as a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
and a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. For his bravery, he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, second class.
After the war, he joined the monastery again, took his eternal vows on 25 July 1923, and a year later, was ordained a priest by the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
, Joseph Damian Schmitt. Lorenz had his first posting in the People's Mission. Because he found it hard to deliver sermons, he was transferred to Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
.
On 1 September 1939, he had to return to the military as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
as the Second World War was looming. Once again, he received the Iron Cross for his bravery. In 1940, he returned to Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
. Here he developed contacts with the "Wednesday Circle" ("Mittwochskreis"), a discussion group for men from the Stettin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
pastoral area. On 4 February 1943, the Wednesday Circle was stormed by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
resulting in 40 people being arrested, among them Friedrich Lorenz. Lorenz was sentenced by the Reichskriegsgericht in Torgau
Torgau
Torgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.Outside Germany, the town is most well known as the place where during the Second World War, United States Army forces coming from the west met with forces of the Soviet Union...
on 28 July 1944 to death for "listening to enemy broadcasts", "undermining the fighting forces", and "helping the enemy". The sentence was upheld in later proceedings from 2 to 4 September. On 13 November 1944 at 16:00, Father Friedrich Lorenz OMI was beheaded in Halle. His body was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
. The burial of the urn took place on 3 November 1947 in the monastery graveyard in Hünfeld.
External links
- Biography (in German)