Otto Schimek
Encyclopedia
Otto Schimek was an Austrian
soldier in the German
Wehrmacht
during World War II who served as a member of a firing squad
. He was himself executed for refusing to carry out a death sentence on Poles
. His actions have served as a source of inspiration to many Poles and pacifists
.
, the thirteenth child of Rudolph and Maria (née Zsambeck). The family had fallen into hard times during the Great Depression
, and was further pushed into poverty by the death of Rudolph Schimek, who had been the primary breadwinner, in 1932. After his father's death, Otto neglected his school duties in favor of helping his mother, a dressmaker, bring enough money in to feed the large family.
According to his sister, Elfrida Kujak, Otto was not particularly religious as a child. However, he would go to church every Sunday with his mother. Later, after being drafted to the Wehrmacht, he carried a cross
with him at all times. His work with his mother consumed most of his time, and he did not have too many friends. However, the family's neighbors spoke highly of him, and on the way to the army unit, he was allegedly bid farewell by the whole condominium located on Obere Augartenstrasse.
, and was later moved to southern Poland
. As Elfrida Kujak stated after the war, while on leave
some time in 1943 or early 1944, Otto told her that he did not want to kill anybody, and that he would raise his gun above heads of enemies. "My conscience is clear" - Schimek allegedly said. "I will not shoot people. These people want to return home just like me. This war is not Christian."
This behavior was swiftly noted by the Army authorities. Schimek was warned, and then put in prison. He managed to escape and tried to return to Vienna, but was caught somewhere in Czechoslovakia
. Severely beaten, Otto faced court martial for desertion, but was given a final chance.
and Dębica
- a father, mother and two sons, who had been caught preparing food for soldiers of the Home Army. Otto firmly refused, stating that he would not kill innocent people in Hitler's war. His superiors' reaction was quick, and Schimek was immediately sentenced to death for cowardice and desertion.
Elfrida Kujak later said that when news about the sentence reached his family, Otto's mother wrote a letter to Berlin, pleading for clemency. It was too late. A few hours before the execution, Schimek wrote a letter to his brother, stating: "I am in a happy mood. What do we have to lose? Nothing, only our poor lives, as they cannot kill our souls. What a hope! Today, I am going to heaven, where the Father
is waiting. May God guard you so that you will join me".
, located halfway between Tarnów and Dębica.
. A nearby tablet reads "Born in 1925, executed in 1944, because he did not want to shoot the Poles. May God take you in his mercy". Many people visit the grave to lay flowers and light candle
s in his memory. Polish and Austrian flags can also be seen on it.
These visits became controversial in the late 1980s, when the anarcho-pacifist organization Wolnosc i Pokoj (WiP), on November 17, 1985, used the anniversary of Schimek's death to announce their "Declaration of Principles". WiP activists were stopped on their way to the cemetery. Communist militia in Tarnów detained fourteen of them for several hours. On May 4, 1986, a march to Schimek's grave to commemorate his birth resulted in the detention of fifty activists.
In 1993, Telewizja Polska
(Polish Television) made a 40-minute documentary movie entitled Casus: Otto Schimek.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
soldier in the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during World War II who served as a member of a firing squad
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
. He was himself executed for refusing to carry out a death sentence on Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
. His actions have served as a source of inspiration to many Poles and pacifists
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
.
Early life
Otto Schimek was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the thirteenth child of Rudolph and Maria (née Zsambeck). The family had fallen into hard times during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and was further pushed into poverty by the death of Rudolph Schimek, who had been the primary breadwinner, in 1932. After his father's death, Otto neglected his school duties in favor of helping his mother, a dressmaker, bring enough money in to feed the large family.
According to his sister, Elfrida Kujak, Otto was not particularly religious as a child. However, he would go to church every Sunday with his mother. Later, after being drafted to the Wehrmacht, he carried a cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
with him at all times. His work with his mother consumed most of his time, and he did not have too many friends. However, the family's neighbors spoke highly of him, and on the way to the army unit, he was allegedly bid farewell by the whole condominium located on Obere Augartenstrasse.
Wehrmacht duties
Schimek was seventeen years old when he was drafted. He initially served in BosniaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and was later moved to southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. As Elfrida Kujak stated after the war, while on leave
Leave (military)
In military, leave is a permission to be away from one's unit, either for a specified or unspecified period of time.The term AWOL, standing for absent without leave, is a term for desertion used in armed forces of many English speaking countries....
some time in 1943 or early 1944, Otto told her that he did not want to kill anybody, and that he would raise his gun above heads of enemies. "My conscience is clear" - Schimek allegedly said. "I will not shoot people. These people want to return home just like me. This war is not Christian."
This behavior was swiftly noted by the Army authorities. Schimek was warned, and then put in prison. He managed to escape and tried to return to Vienna, but was caught somewhere in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Severely beaten, Otto faced court martial for desertion, but was given a final chance.
Firing squad
Wehrmacht authorities decided that Schimek would be included in a firing squad. His task was to kill a Polish family from the area between TarnówTarnów
Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
and Dębica
Debica
Dębica is a town in southeastern Poland with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship .-Area:...
- a father, mother and two sons, who had been caught preparing food for soldiers of the Home Army. Otto firmly refused, stating that he would not kill innocent people in Hitler's war. His superiors' reaction was quick, and Schimek was immediately sentenced to death for cowardice and desertion.
Elfrida Kujak later said that when news about the sentence reached his family, Otto's mother wrote a letter to Berlin, pleading for clemency. It was too late. A few hours before the execution, Schimek wrote a letter to his brother, stating: "I am in a happy mood. What do we have to lose? Nothing, only our poor lives, as they cannot kill our souls. What a hope! Today, I am going to heaven, where the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
is waiting. May God guard you so that you will join me".
Death
Schimek was executed on the morning of November 14, 1944. The exact location of his execution is unknown. It has only been established that it took place in the village of Lipiny, southeast of Tarnów. Afterwards, the locals were reportedly allowed to pick up his body. He was reportedly buried in the cemetery in the village of MachowaMachowa
Machowa is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pilzno, within Dębica County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It lies approximately west of Pilzno, west of Dębica, and west of the regional capital Rzeszów.-References:...
, located halfway between Tarnów and Dębica.
The tomb
The locals today regard Schimek's symbolic tomb as an object of pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. A nearby tablet reads "Born in 1925, executed in 1944, because he did not want to shoot the Poles. May God take you in his mercy". Many people visit the grave to lay flowers and light candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s in his memory. Polish and Austrian flags can also be seen on it.
These visits became controversial in the late 1980s, when the anarcho-pacifist organization Wolnosc i Pokoj (WiP), on November 17, 1985, used the anniversary of Schimek's death to announce their "Declaration of Principles". WiP activists were stopped on their way to the cemetery. Communist militia in Tarnów detained fourteen of them for several hours. On May 4, 1986, a march to Schimek's grave to commemorate his birth resulted in the detention of fifty activists.
In 1993, Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
(Polish Television) made a 40-minute documentary movie entitled Casus: Otto Schimek.
Sources
- Kennedy, Michael D. "The constitution of critical intellectuals: Polish physians, peace activists and democratic civil society", Center for Research on Social Organization, The University of Michigan, April 1990, pp. 27-30. Retrieved on: September 6, 2007.
- Warszawski, David. "Set an example... On the Otto Schimek Affair" Tezeusz (Article about WiP demonstrations by Schimek's tomb, late-1980s) Retrieved on: September 6, 2007. "Odmawiam wykonania rozkazu", Przewodnik Katolicki nr 39, Poznań, 28 września 1975 r., Retrieved on: September 6, 2007. Sylwetki - Otto Schimke, Wspólnota Przymierza Miasto na Górze w Bielsku-Białej, Retrieved on: September 6, 2007. Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. Leona Schillera w Łodzi (Description of the 1993 Polish movie about Schimek) Retrieved on: September 6, 2007. Antikriegsmuseum der Evangelischen Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz, Retrieved on: September 6, 2007.
