Beatrice Lojda was spokeswoman of the Socialist movement and had run for election to the Nationalrat (National Council, Lower House of Parliament). One of her girlfriends​—her name was Bretschneider—​whom she knew from her political activities, had become a witness of Jehovah and naturally spoke to her about God’s Kingdom. Beatrice was invited to the Continental Hotel in Vienna to hear a lecture. This was the very hotel where Brother Russell had tried in vain to give a talk back in 1911. Beatrice did not believe in God and at first waved off the whole matter, remarking: “God would first have to introduce himself to me!” But she wanted to please her friend and so she attended the talk. In spite of her feelings, even during the discourse she could not help saying several times to Sister Bretschneider: “This is the truth! This is the truth!”

It did not take long until Beatrice withdrew from political life, in harmony with Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You are no part of the world.” (John 15:19) At once, difficulties set in. Her husband threatened to divorce her unless she would ‘come to her senses,’ as he put it. But she stood firm in the faith and continued to do so until her death.

Franz Monfreda of Salzburg had been a zealous Catholic, but the truth reached his heart. After leaving the Catholic Church on March 12, 1927, he dedicated his life to Jehovah God. His family was not at all pleased with this action and thus heaped reproaches and hostility upon him. It went so far that he lost his house as well as his business. His faith was put to hard tests, for it took quite some time for him to find another job. But he stayed faithful to Jehovah. What does he have to say about those days? “Today I am happy that I overcame that period and stuck with the truth. Jehovah’s arm never proved to be too short.”​—Compare Isaiah 59:1.

Fighting for Legal Rights

As the preaching work became more extensive, it was not unusual for the brothers to be summoned to appear before local authorities on account of their preaching activities. As far as they were capable of doing so, they defended themselves. In some cases they were given legal aid. But the legal steps did not always turn out in their favor.

However, it proved far more difficult to get the local branch of the Watch Tower Society registered than to avert sentences. Legal recognition as an organized religion was simply not possible yet. The brothers tried at least to get registered as an association, but the public authorities objected, arguing: ‘Your intention is to form a religious organization, and an organization of that type cannot be constituted under Austrian law.’

The brothers filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court, complaining that they were being denied their legal right to form an association. The immediate reaction of the members of the Austrian Constitutional Court was the dismissal of the appeal on December 7, 1929. Next, the brothers tried to register an association for distributing Bibles and Bible literature, without any involvement in religious functions. This application was not refused. So, on May 24, 1930, a local association was formed to serve as a legal instrument for the brothers.

Legal recognition of the Wachtturm-Gesellschaft by no means ended the difficulties with which the brothers had to contend. But Jehovah’s servants stuck to their Scriptural responsibility. They recognized that a witness must be given also to officials.​—Mark 13:11.

Opposition Increases

The change on the political scene that next took place was very welcome to the clergy, who were our foremost opponents. Dr. Engelbert Dollfuss, a Christian-Socialist, assumed office as federal chancellor on May 20, 1932, and received a congratulatory telegram from Cardinal Pacelli, the papal secretary of state. Marked curtailments of civil liberties occurred during the term of office of Dr. Dollfuss. Cleverly taking advantage of an emergency situation in 1933, he dissolved the Parliament. Then, holding all the political strings in his hand, he established what he called “The First Catholic Model Government of Europe.” Clerical circles described Dollfuss as the ideal Catholic statesman.

Under these circumstances, would it be a surprise if attempts were made to prohibit our Christian meetings? Such a prohibition was soon put into effect in Graz, where hundreds of persons were attending our meetings. The brothers were not intimidated. They immediately filed an appeal, which had to be allowed because there was no infraction of law on the part of our brothers. However, the public authorities withdrew the permits of residence from some pioneers and thus forced them to leave town. Nearly every week there were false accusations against the brothers. A Catholic journal requested that the government put a stop to our Christian work, plainly revealing who was behind these actions.

Just at the right time Jehovah’s organization provided upbuilding help. Although Brother Rutherford was not able to come in 1933 as he had planned, he sent N. H. Knorr and M. C. Harbeck, who met with the brothers in Wimberger’s Etablissement in Vienna. That meeting did much to strengthen the brothers.

Censorship and Confiscation of Literature

In harmony with the Bible’s prophecy that human rule is to be replaced by God’s Kingdom of the heavens, our publications freely highlighted the sad results of rulership by men. (Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 14, 27) The ruling authorities took offense at such statements when they felt that these put them in a bad light. As a result, there was a series of confiscations of our literature in the early 1930’s.

During 1933 and 1934 the brothers were summoned before the public authorities almost weekly to listen to all sorts of objections. Often the authorities demanded that certain paragraphs in the publications be made illegible. To make absolutely sure that all paragraphs in question would really be obliterated, a policeman was stationed right at the Society’s office. Some days the work continued for a long time, even until midnight. And as the eye of the law also gets tired sometimes, certain passages in the publications remained legible after all.

Political Unrest Brings Restrictions

The differences between the various political parties escalated dramatically. The Social Democratic Schutzbund (armed forces of the Socialist Party) went into resistance. The opposition by the working class was brutally smashed in February 1934. The Social Democratic Party was prohibited. Further restrictions of personal freedom followed.

As if affirming that a new era had begun, Austria got a new constitution in May 1934. The introductory words of it sounded like a religious creed: “In the name of God, the Almighty, from whom all the law goes forth, the Austrian people herewith receives this constitution for their permanent Christian German Federal State.” But in neighboring Germany, Hitler, another Catholic but one who espoused a different political ideology, was already firmly in power. And in July a supporter of Hitler’s National Socialist Party assassinated Dr. Dollfuss, Austria’s chancellor.

The months that followed, under the government headed by Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, brought no relief for those who truly sought to serve “God, the Almighty.” Bible literature was still seized from them, and they continued to be haled before the courts. In many cases public Bible meetings were also forbidden.

Local Association Dissolved by Authorities

Finally, by a decree issued on September 10, 1934, the federal security commissioner of Vienna dissolved the Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, the legal association used by Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, following an appeal by the brothers, that decree was canceled by the Federal Chancellor’s Office in its capacity as an executive board for public security.

But the authorities who were especially eager to stamp out our work did not rest. On June 17 and on July 17, 1935, it was again decreed, this time by the federal security administrator, that the “Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Branch of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, N.Y.,” was to be dissolved. The brothers tried again to appeal this decree but, this time, to no avail.

Putting the Kingdom First Despite Obstacles

The brothers continued to work from door to door, though cautiously now. In spite of their vigilance, they were often arrested and sentenced either to go to jail or to pay a fine. Even though jail could mean several weeks of detention, they preferred jail to paying a fine, for they had in mind opportunities to give a witness there.