Ngayeka Ukuba Isikhulu Sama-SS Ngaba Isikhonzi SikaNkulunkulu Weqiniso

Njengoba Ilandiswa NguGottlieb Bernhardt

Ngangiyisikhulu ebuthweni eliphakeme i-German SS, elaligada uHitler eWewelsburg Castle. Ngo-April 1945, ngathola umyalo wokubulala iziboshwa ekamu lokuhlushwa elaliseduze. ZazingoFakazi BakaJehova. Ama-SS ayefuna ukuba umuntu azithobe ngokungananazi egunyeni. Lokhu kwangifaka enkingeni kanembeza. Ake ngichaze ukuthi kungani.

NGAZALWA ngo-1922 edolobheni eliseduze neRhine River eJalimane. Nakuba le ndawo yayiyisizinda samaRoma Katolika, umkhaya wakithi wawukhonza eqenjini elibizwa ngokuthi ama-Pietist, iqembu lenkolo elasungulwa ekhulwini le-17. Ngo-1933, lapho ngineminyaka engu-11 ubudala, uHitler wathatha amandla okubusa eJalimane. Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, ngenxa yokuthi ngangihamba phambili ezifundweni zami nakwezemidlalo, ngakhethwa ukuba ngiye esikhungweni esiseduze neMarienburg, manje eseyaziwa ngokuthi iMalbork ePoland. Kule ndawo eyayiqhele ngamakhulu amakhilomitha ekhaya, ngangena shi emfundisweni yobu-National Socialist, noma ubuNazi. Kulesi sikhungo abafundi babefundiswa inhlonipho, ukuzimisela, ukwethembeka, ukulalela, ukuba nomuzwa wesibopho nenhlonipho enkulu ngamasiko aseJalimane.

Impi Yezwe II Nama-SS

Lapho kuqala impi yezwe yesibili ngo-1939, ngajoyina iLeibastandarte SS Adolf Hitler, iqembu eliphakeme lamasosha elalingaphansi ngokuqondisa kukaHitler. Amasosha agada izikhulu zikahulumeni ayethathwa kuleli qembu, futhi lalisetshenziselwa imisebenzi ekhethekile yezempi. Ngabona izimpi eBelgium, eFrance, eNetherlands, eRomania, eBulgaria naseGreece. Lapho ngiseBulgaria, ngaya enkonzweni yenkolo eyayiqhutshwa umpristi wamasosha. Ngamangala. Futhi ngazibuza, ‘Ingabe nezitha zethu zinezinkonzo ezifana nalezi?’ Ngazibuza nokuthi: ‘Ingabe uNkulunkulu uyayibusisa impi? Ingabe uthatha uhlangothi?’

Kamuva, ngakhethwa ukuba ngiye e-Junkerschule, isikhungo sokuqeqesha izinsizwa ukuba ziphathe izikhundla eziphakeme ebusosheni. Ngemva kwalokho, ngajutshwa ukuba yilungu leqembu elaliqapha ikomkhulu leReich eBerlin, lapho ngake ngabona khona uHitler ethethisa isikhulu esiphakeme sezombangazwe obala. Ngacabanga, ‘Lokhu kuwukuziphatha okuyihlazo.’ Kodwa ngangingeke ngilinge ngikusho lokho!

EBerlin ngahlangana no-Inge, naye owayesebenza kuleli komkhulu. Lapho sekufanele sishade, iqembu engangikulo lathunyelwa empini eRussia ngebhanoyi lingenazo izimpahla ezifanelekile zasebusika. Lesi simo sasishiya sishaqekile thina njengamasosha, ngoba ebusika bango-1941/1942, amazinga okubanda ayengaphansi kuka-30 degrees Celsius. Lapho, ngaklonyeliswa ngendondo yesibili ye-Iron Cross. Kamuva, ngemva kokulimala kabi, ngathunyelwa eJalimane ngendiza. Sashada no-Inge ngo-1943.

Isabelo sami esilandelayo saba se-Obersalzberg ekomkhulu likaHitler ezintabeni zaseBavaria. Kwakukhona noHeinrich Himmler, isikhulu sama-SS, owahlela ukuba ngelashwe udokotela wakhe futhi ongumbhucungi uFelix Kersten. Kamuva, ngezwa ukuthi uKersten unendawo ebizwa ngokuthi iHartzwalde eduze kwaseBerlin. Ngase kupheleni kwempi, wacela uHimmler ukuba avumele oFakazi BakaJehova abasekamu lokuhlushwa eliseduze kwale ndawo ukuba bayosebenza emzini wakhe. UHimmler wavuma, futhi uKersten wabaphatha ngenhlonipho oFakazi. UFakazi owayesebenzela uKersten eSweden, njalo wayefaka ikhophi ye-Nqabayokulinda esikhwameni sakhe ukuze ayinikeze oFakazi eJalimane.a

Ukwazana Kwami NoFakazi BakaJehova

Ngasekupheleni kuka-1944, uHimmler wangimisa njengomsizi kajenene wama-SS owayengumkhuzi eWewelsburg Castle, inqaba eyayisineminyaka engu-400 ikhona eduze nedolobha lasePaderborn. UHimmler wayefuna ukwenza iWewelsburg ibe isikhungo esincane semfundiso yama-SS. Eduze naleyo nqaba kwakunekamu lokuhlushwa elincane elalibizwa ngokuthi iNiederhagen elalihlala uhlobo olukhethekile lweziboshwa—oFakazi BakaJehova, ababaziwa nangokuthi AbaFundi BeBhayibheli.

Isiboshwa esigama laso lingu-Ernst Specht seza kaningana sizongelapha. Wayethi, “Sawubona Mnumzane.”

Mina ngambuza, “Kungani ungasho ukuthi ‘Heil Hitler!’?”

Waphendula ngokuhlakanipha, “Ingabe wakhuliswa njengomKristu?”

Ngamphendula ngathi, “Yebo, ngakhuliswa ama-Pietist.”

Wabe eseqhubeka ethi, “Cishe uyazi ukuthi iBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi insindiso (heil) iza ngomuntu oyedwa kuphela, uJesu Kristu. Kungakho ngingeke ngisho ukuthi ‘Heil Hitler!’”

Ngimangele futhi ngihlabeke umxhwele, ngabuza, “Kungani ulapha?”

Waphendula, “NgingumFundi WeBhayibheli.”

Zangithinta inhliziyo izingxoxo engaba nazo no-Ernst kuhlanganise nomunye uFakazi, u-Erich Nikolaizig owayengumgundi wezinwele. Kodwa, izingxoxo ezinjalo zazingavunyelwe futhi umphathi wami wathi angiziyeke. Noma kunjalo, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi ukuba bonke abantu baseJalimane—izwe okuthiwa lingelamaKristu elinezigidi zamalungu esonto—babeziphatha njengoFakazi, yayingeke neze ibe khona impi. Ngacabanga, ‘Kufanele bahlonishwe, bangahlushwa.’

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umfelokazi othile owayekhathazekile washaya ucingo, ecela imoto eyayingaphuthumisa indodana yakhe okwakufanele ikhishwe i-appendix ngokushesha. Ngaphuthuma ngayocela imoto, kodwa umphathi wami wenqaba. Kungani? Umyeni walona wesifazane wayebulewe ngenxa yokuthi wayeyilungu leqembu elazama ukubulala uHitler ngo-July 1944. Washona lo mfana, futhi ayikho into engangingayenza. Lesi sehlakalo sisawuhlupha unembeza wami kuze kube namuhla.

Nakuba ngangisanda kweva eminyakeni engu-20, ngaqala ukubona ukuphila njengoba kunjalo—hhayi ngendlela inkulumo-ze yamaNazi eyayikubeka ngayo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo uthando lwami ngoFakazi BakaJehova nezimfundiso zabo lwakhula. Lokhu kwaholela esinqumweni esikhulu ekuphileni kwami.

Ngo-April 1945, amabutho angumfela-ndawonye ayesondela, futhi umphathi wami wabaleka wayishiya iWewelsburg. Kwabe sekufika iqembu lamasosha nomyalo ovela kuHimmler wokuba kubhidlizwe le nqaba futhi kubulawe iziboshwa. Umkhuzi wekamu lokuhlushwa eliseduze wanginika uhlu lwamagama eziboshwa okwakufanele zibulawe—zonke zazingoFakazi. Kungani? Kubikwa ukuthi yizona ezaziyazi indawo lapho kwakufihlwe khona izinto zobuciko eziyigugu ezazebiwe yi-Third Reich, okusobala ukuthi zazifihlwe kwezinye zezakhiwo. Kwakungafanele idalulwe leyo mfihlo! Manje, yini okwase kufanele ngiyenze ngalowo myalo?

Ngaya kumphathi wekamu ngathi: “Amasosha aseMelika ayeza. Akukhona yini ukuhlakanipha ukuba wena nebutho lakho nihambe?” Yilokho kanye ayesezimisele ukukwenza! Ngabe sengenza into engacabangeki kumuntu oyisikhulu sama-SS—angiwuthobelanga umyalo, futhi oFakazi basinda.

Ilungelo Lokuba Omunye Wabo

Ngemva kwempi, mina no-Inge saxhumana noFakazi BakaJehova futhi saqala ukufunda nabo iBhayibheli ngobuqotho. Owesifazane onguFakazi u-Auguste, kuhlanganise nabanye, basisiza. Ukulimala kwami empini nenkathi enzima yangemva kwempi kwenza ukuphila kwami kwaba nzima. Kodwa noma kunjalo, mina nomkami sanikezela ukuphila kwethu kuJehova futhi sabhapathizwa—mina ngo-1948, u-Inge ngo-1949.

Ngeminyaka yawo-1950, oFakazi abaningana ababeseWewelsburg phakathi nempi babuyela khona ukuze bahlangane. Phakathi kwabo kwakukhona u-Ernst Specht, u-Erich Nikolaizig, nesinye isiboshwa esiqotho uMax Hollweg. Ngikubheka njengelungelo elikhulu ukubizwa ngomfowabo, ngoba laba bantu bakaNkulunkulu abanesibindi babefake ukuphila kwawo engozini ukuze bafakaze kimi. Abanye ababekhona uMartha Niemann, owayengunobhala eWewelsburg. Naye wayehlabeke umxhwele ngokuziphatha koFakazi futhi wayeseyinceku kaJehova ezinikezele.

Uma ngibheka eminyakeni edlule, ngibona ubufakazi obuningi bokuthi “lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi [uSathane uDeveli]”—into engangingayiboni lapho ngiseyinsizwa enesifiso esihle kodwa engenakho ukuhlakanipha. (1 Johane 5:19) Ngiwubona ngokucacile nomehluko omkhulu phakathi kokukhonza ababusi abayizidlova njengoHitler, nokukhonza uJehova. Bafuna ukulalelwa ngenkani, kuyilapho uJehova efuna ukuba simkhonze ngenxa yothando olusekelwe olwazini olunembile ngaye nezinjongo zakhe ezembulwe eBhayibhelini. (Luka 10:27; Johane 17:3) Yebo, uJehova kuphela engizomkhonza uma nje ngisaphila.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Isithombe somshado wethu, ngo-February 1943

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IWewelsburg Castle eyayizoba isikhungo semfundiso yama-SS

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Nginomkami u-Inge namuhla