Ukholo Ngaphansi Kovivinyo EYurophu YobuNazi
NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGU-ANTON LETONJA
Ngo-March 12, 1938, amabutho kaHitler awela umngcele wase-Austria. Imisakazo yayidlala izingoma zempi neziqubulo zezombusazwe. Lonke izwe lakithi, i-Austria, laligcwele umoya wokushisekela izwe.
NGEMVA kokuthatha kukaHitler izintambo e-Austria, abantu babesese. Abaningi babenethemba lokuthi ‘ukuBusa kwakhe Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane’ kwakuzoqeda ubumpofu nokuntuleka kwemisebenzi. Ngisho nabapristi bamaKatolika, bethathwe umoya wokushisekela izwe owawugubuzele isizwe, bashaya indesheni kaHitler.
Nakuba ngangiyibhungu elineminyaka engu-19 nje kuphela, angikhohliswanga izithembiso zikaHitler. Ngangingakholwa ukuthi kukhona uhulumeni wabantu ongaxazulula izinkinga zesintu.
Ukufunda Amaqiniso EBhayibheli
Ngazalwa ngo-April 19, 1919, eDonawitz, e-Austria, ngiyingane yesithathu nothunjana ekhaya. Ubaba wayesebenza kanzima emayini yamalahle. Ngo-1923, wathatha umkhaya wakithi waya eFrance, lapho athola khona umsebenzi edolobheni lemayini laseLiévin. Ngenxa yezinkolelo zakhe kwezombusazwe, wayengayithembisisi inkolo, kodwa umama wayengumKatolika ozinikele. Njengezingane, umama wayesikhulise ukuba sikholelwe kuNkulunkulu, ethandaza nathi njalo ebusuku. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukungayethembi kukababa inkolo kwakhula kangangokuthi waze wenqabela umama ukuya esontweni.
Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1920, sahlangana noVinzenz Platajs, esasimbiza ngoVinko, omusha owayedabuka eYugoslavia. Wayazana nabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. Ngokushesha kamuva, omunye wabaFundi BeBhayibheli waqala ukusivakashela ekhaya. Njengoba ubaba ayenqabele umama ukuba aye esontweni, umama wabuza uVinko ukuthi uNkulunkulu angakhulekelwa yini ekhaya. UVinko wakhuluma ngezEnzo 17:24, ezithi uNkulunkulu “akahlali emathempelini enziwe ngezandla,” wayesechaza ukuthi ikhaya liyindawo efanelekayo yokumkhulekela. Umama wajabula futhi waqala ukuya emihlanganweni emakhaya abaFundi BeBhayibheli.
Ubaba wathi makayeke lo mbhedo, njengoba ayekubiza kanjalo. Ukuze asivimbele ukuba singazihlanganisi nabaFundi BeBhayibheli, ubaba waphoqelela ukuba sonke siye eMiseni ngamaSonto! Njengoba umama ala waphetha, ubaba walwela ukuba ngiyokhonza e-altare. Nakuba ayezihlonipha lezi zifiso zikababa, umama waqhubeka egxilisa izimiso zeBhayibheli enhliziyweni nasengqondweni yami futhi ehamba nami lapho eya emihlanganweni yabaFundi BeBhayibheli.
Ngo-1928, uVinko nodadewethu, uJosephine—esasimbiza ngoPepi—babonisa ukuzinikezela kwabo kuJehova ngobhapathizo lwamanzi. Kamuva bashada. Ngonyaka olandelayo, bathola indodakazi, uFini, khona eLiévin. Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu bacelwa ukuba bayokwenza inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele eYugoslavia, lapho umsebenzi woFakazi wawubekelwe imingcele khona. Naphezu kwezinkinga eziningi, injabulo nentshiseko yabo enkonzweni kaJehova ayinciphanga. Isibonelo sabo esihle safaka kimi isifiso sokuba isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele.
Ukukhula Ngokomoya
Ngokudabukisayo, ukungezwani kwabazali bethu kwaholela esehlukanisweni ngo-1932. Ngaphindela e-Austria nomama, kwathi umfowethu omdala, uWilhelm (uWilli), wasala eFrance. Emva kwalokho, angibange ngisathintana kangako nobaba. Waqhubeka engasinambithisisi kwaze kwaba yilapho eshona.
Mina nomama sahlala eGamlitz, idolobhana elise-Austria. Njalo wayexoxa nami ngezincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini, njengoba kwakungekho mabandla eduze. Ngokujabulisayo, kabili ngenyanga u-Eduard Wohinz wayeza ekhaya ngebhayisekili esuka eGraz ezosikhuthaza ngokomoya, okuwuhambo olungamakhilomitha acishe abe ikhulu ukuya!
Ekuqaleni komkhankaso kaHitler wokwesabisa ngo-1938, uMfoweth’ uWohinz waboshwa. Sadabuka kakhulu lapho sizwa ukuthi wafuthelaniswa ngesisi waze wafa esikhungweni sokuqedela abagulayo eLinz. Ukholo lwakhe olumangalisayo lwasiqinisa ukuba siqhubeke sikhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka.
U-1938—Unyaka Wezigigaba
Ngo-1935, umsebenzi woFakazi wawuvinjelwe e-Austria. Lapho amabutho kaHitler engena e-Austria ngo-1938, umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela waba ingozi kakhulu. Omakhelwane babazi ukuthi mina nomama singoFakazi BakaJehova, ngakho sakugwema ukuzidonsela amehlo. Ngaqala ngisho nokulala enqolobaneni ukuze amaNazi angangitholi kalula.
Ngasekuqaleni kuka-1938, ngase ngiyiqedile imfundo yami eyisisekelo futhi sengiqale ukusebenza ebhikawozi. Njengoba ngangenqaba ukuthi “Heil Hitler” noma ukuba ilungu lenhlangano i-Hitler Youth, ngaxoshwa emsebenzini. Kodwa ngazimisela nakakhulu ukubonisa ukuzinikezela kwami kuJehova uNkulunkulu ngobhapathizo lwamanzi.
Ngo-April 8, 1938, mina nomama sabhapathizwa. Ngolunye usuku, sabuthana nabanye abangu-7 ebusuku endlwaneni esendaweni eqhelile ehlathini. Ngemva kwenkulumo yobhapathizo, sahamba ngamunye ngamunye, sishiyana ngemizuzu eyishumi, sehla ngendledlana eya endaweni yokuhlanza izingubo. Safika lapho sabhapathizwa kubhavu kakhonkolo.
Ngo-April 10, 1938, kwenziwa ukhetho-mbumbulu ngendaba yokuhlanganiswa kwe-Austria neJalimane. Iziqubulo ezithi “Votela UHitler!” zazigcwele ezingqwembeni kulo lonke izwe. Mina nomama kwakungadingeki sivote, ngoba kwakungekho lizwe esasibhekwa njengezakhamuzi zalo ngemva kokuba sihlale eFrance isikhathi eside—okuyinto eyasindisa ukuphila kwami kamuva. UFranz Ganster, waseKlagenfurt eningizimu ye-Austria, wayesilethela INqabayokulinda njalo. Kanjalo sakwazi ukuthola amandla angokomoya eZwini likaNkulunkulu ngaphambi kokuba kuqale iMpi Yezwe II.
Umfowethu, UWilli
UWilli, owayemdala kunami ngeminyaka emine, wayengakaze asithinte mina nomama kusukela sahamba eFrance eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-9 ngaphambili. Nakuba umama ayemqeqeshe ngeBhayibheli esemncane, wayengelwa ukuba akholelwe ukuthi isimiso sikaHitler sezombusazwe siyisihluthulelo sekusasa eliqhakazile. Ngo-May 1940, inkantolo yaseFrance yamgweba iminyaka emibili ejele uWilli ngenxa yokusebenzelana kwakhe namaNazi ngokungemthetho. Kodwa ngokushesha wakhululwa, lapho amabutho amaJalimane ehlasela iFrance. Ngaleso sikhathi wasithumelela ikhadi eseParis. Sajabula ukwazi ukuthi usaphila kodwa kwasishaqisa ukuzwa ukuthi wayeseyini!
Phakathi nempi uWilli wayekwazi ukusivakashela kaningi ngenxa yokuzwana kwakhe nama-SS (ama-Schutzstaffel, amasosha kaHitler ekhethelo). Impumelelo kaHitler kwezempi yayimhlaba umxhwele kakhulu. Cishe yonke imizamo yami yokumbonisa ngethemba lethu elisekelwe eBhayibhelini yayigcina ngokuthi athi: “Umbhedo! Bheka indlela uHitler acoboshisa ngayo. Maduze nje amaJalimane azoba amakhosi omhlaba!”
Ngesinye isikhathi lapho uWilli evakashele ekhaya, ngo-February 1942, ngamnika incwadi ethi Enemies, eyayinyatheliswa oFakazi BakaJehova. Ngamangala kakhulu lapho eyifunda eyiqeda khona manjalo. Kwahlaluka kuye ukuthi umbuso kaHitler nakanjani wawuzohluleka. Wayekade esekela isimiso esinonya futhi wayezimisele ukulungisa iphutha lakhe ngaphandle kokupholisa amaseko.
Ukumelela KukaWilli Iqiniso LeBhayibheli
Lapho uWilli esivakashela ngenyanga elandelayo, wayesengumuntu ohlukile. Wathi: “Anton, bengilahlekile!”
Ngathi: “Willi, ukubone sekwephuzile lokho.”
Waphendula wathi: “Lutho, akukephuzi! IBhayibheli lithi ‘kumelwe wenze lokho okufanele ukwenze uma nje usaphila,’ futhi ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngoba ngisaphila!”—UmShumayeli 9:10.
“Yini ngempela ohlose ukuyenza?” ngimbuza.
“Angifuni ukuqhubeka ngiyisosha,” ephendula. “Ngizohlukana namaNazi ngibone ukuthi kwenzekani.”
Ukusuka lapho, walibangisa eZagreb, eYugoslavia ephinda evakashela udadewethu, uPepi. Ngemva kokuba khona isikhashana emihlanganweni yoFakazi eyayivinjelwe lapho, wabhapathizwa ngasese. Ekugcineni, indodana yolahleko yayisibuyile!—Luka 15:11-24.
Ukuze abalekele amaNazi eFrance, uWilli wazama ukweqa umngcele eya eSwitzerland. Nokho, waboshwa amaphoyisa ezempi angamaJalimane. Wabizelwa enkantolo yezempi eseBerlin, kwathi ngo-July 27, 1942, wagwetshelwa ukufa ngenxa yokuhlamuka. Ngavunyelwa ukuba ngimvakashele eJele Lezempi LaseBerlin-Tegel. Ngayiswa ekamelweni elincane, ngemva kwesikhashana kwangena uWilli, eboshelwe kunogada ngeketanga. Ukumbona ekulesi simo kwangilethela izinyembezi. Asivunyelwanga ukuba sangane futhi sanikwa imizuzu engu-20 kuphela ukuba sivalelisane.
UWilli wazibona izinyembezi kimi wayesethi: “Anton, ukhalelani? Kufanele ngabe uyajabula! Ngibonga kakhulu kuJehova ngokungisiza ngiphinde ngithole iqiniso! Uma bengingase ngifele uHitler, bengingeke ngibe nathemba. Kodwa ukufela uJehova kungenza ngiqiniseke ukuthi ngiyovuswa nokuthi siyophinda sibonane!”
Encwadini yakhe yokuvalelisa, uWilli wabhala: “UNkulunkulu wethu othandekayo, engimkhonzayo, unginika konke engikudingayo futhi ngokuqinisekile uzongisekela kuze kube sekugcineni, ukuze ngikwazi ukukhuthazela futhi nginqobe. Ngiyaphinda ngithi qinisekani ukuthi angizisoli nokuthi ngiye ngama ngigxilile eNkosini!”
UWilli wabulawelwa eJele LaseBrandenburg, ngaseBerlin, ngakusasa, ngo-September 2, 1942. Wayeneminyaka engu-27 ubudala. Isibonelo sakhe sibonisa ukuba iqiniso kwamazwi akweyabaseFilipi 4:13 athi: “Nginamandla azo zonke izinto ngenxa yalowo ongipha amandla.”
Ukwethembeka KukaVinko Kuze Kube Sekufeni
Ibutho lamaJalimane lase lingene eYugoslavia ngo-1941, okwaphoqa uPepi nomyeni wakhe uVinko nendodakazi yabo eneminyaka engu-12, uFini, ukuba babuyele ekhaya e-Austria. Ngaleso sikhathi iningi loFakazi e-Austria lase livalelwe emajele noma emakamu okuhlushwa. Njengoba kwakungekho lizwe ababhekwa njengezakhamuzi zalo—ngamanye amazwi, bengezona izakhamuzi zaseJalimane—babelwa ukusebenza ngempoqo epulazini eliseningizimu ye-Austria, eduze nasekhaya.
Kamuva, ngo-August 26, 1943, amaGestapo (amaphoyisa omshoshaphansi amaNazi) abopha uVinko. Lapho uFini ezama ukuvalelisa uyise, isikhulu samaphoyisa samshaya wandiza wayophonseka laphaya. AmaGestapo ayemphenya njalo ngemibuzo uVinko futhi emshaya ngesihluku, abe esemyisa eJele LaseStadelheim eMunich.
Ngo-October 6, 1943, amaphoyisa angibopha emsebenzini, nami ngathunyelwa eJele LaseStadelheim, lapho kwakukhona khona uVinko. Njengoba ngangikwazi ukukhuluma isiFulentshi kahle, ngangitolikela iziboshwa zempi zaseFrance. Lapho sihambahamba emagcekeni asejele, ngakwazi ukuxoxa noVinko.
UVinko wagcina egwetshelwe ukufa. Wabekwa icala lokunikeza oFakazi izincwadi zeBhayibheli nokusiza ngezimali abesifazane abangoFakazi abayeni babo ababesemakamu okuhlushwa. Wathunyelwa kulelo jele elingaseBerlin uWilli ayebulawelwe kulo. Lapho, wanqunywa ngo-October 9, 1944.
Lapho uVinko egcina ukubonana nabomkhaya wakhe kwakudabukisa. Bamthola esemaketangeni futhi eshayiwe, futhi kwakunzima kuye ukubanga ngenxa yamaketanga. UFini wayeneminyaka engu-14 ubudala lapho egcina ukubona uyise. Usawakhumbula amazwi kayise okugcina: “Fini, unakekele umama wakho!”
Ngemva kokufa kukayise, uFini wahlwithwa kunina wayohlaliswa nomkhaya ongamaNazi owazama “ukumshintsha.” Wayevame ukushaywa ngesihluku. Lapho amabutho aseRussia engena e-Austria, awudubula lo mkhaya owawumhlukumeze kakhulu uFini. Lo mkhaya ayewubheka njengamaNazi aziwa ngokuqina.
Ngemva kwempi udadewethu waqhubeka esenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Wakhonza nomyeni wakhe wesibili, uHans Förster, egatsheni loFakazi BakaJehova laseSwitzerland waze washona ngo-1998. UFini uye walandela ezinyathelweni zabazali bakhe futhi manje ukhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, eSwitzerland.
Inkululeko Ekugcineni!
Ekuqaleni kuka-1945 ijele lethu laseMunich laba ngesinye sezakhiwo ezaqhunyiswa ngamabhomu. Idolobha lalicekelwe phansi. Ngase ngichithe izinyanga ezingu-18 ejele lapho ekugcineni kufika usuku lokuba kuqulwe icala lami phambi kwejaji. Lolo suku lwafika sekusele amasonto amabili kuphela ngaphambi kokuba impi iphele ngokusemthethweni ngo-May 8, 1945. Ecaleni ngabuzwa: “Ingabe uzimisele ukwenza inkonzo yezempi?”
Ngaphendula ngokuthi: “Isiboshwa asivunyelwe ukugqoka izingubo zamasosha noma sithi ‘Heil Hitler.’” Lapho ngibuzwa ukuthi ngizimisele yini ukuba sebuthweni laseJalimane, ngathi: “Ngicela ninginike amaphepha ami okubuthwa, ngemva kwalokho ngizonitshela ngesinqumo sami!”
Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa, impi yayisiphelile, ngatshelwa ukuthi ngingaphuma ngihambe. Ngemva kwesikhashana ngathuthela eGraz, lapho kwakunebandla elincane loFakazi abangu-35. Manje kunamabandla achumayo angu-8 endaweni yaseGraz.
Umsizi Onothando
Ngemva nje kokuba impi isiphelile, ngahlangana noHelene Dunst, uthishelakazi osemusha owayekade eyilungu lenhlangano yamaNazi. Wayedumele ngokuphelele ngobuNazi. Lapho ngiqala ukuxoxa naye, wabuza: “Kungani kuyini kuphela enazi ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu uJehova, abanye bengazi?”
Ngaphendula ngathi: “Yingoba abantu abaningi abalihloli iBhayibheli.” Ngabe sengimbonisa igama likaNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini.
Wababaza: “Uma iBhayibheli lithi igama likaNkulunkulu uJehova, kufanele-ke sitshele bonke abantu!” UHelene waqala ukushumayela amaqiniso eBhayibheli futhi ngemva konyaka wabonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwakhe kuJehova ngobhapathizo lwamanzi. Sashada ngo-June 5, 1948.
Ngo-April 1, 1953, saba izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele zoFakazi BakaJehova. Ekugcineni sacelwa ukuba size ekilasini lama-31 le-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, eyayingaseSouth Lansing, eNew York. Lapho, sajabulela ubudlelwane obumnandi ngempela nabafundi esasikanye nabo ababevela emazweni angu-64.
Ngemva kokuthweswa iziqu, saphinda sathunyelwa e-Austria. Kwaphela iminyaka embalwa umsebenzi wethu kuwukuhambela amabandla ukuze siwaqinise ngokomoya. Sabe sesimenywa ukuba siyokhonza ehhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eLuxembourg. Kamuva sacelwa ukuba sithuthele ehhovisi legatsha lase-Austria, eliseVienna. Ngo-1972, sisakhonza lapho, saqala ukufunda ulimi lwesiSerbo-Croatia ukuze sishumayele ezisebenzini eziningi eziyizifiki zaseYugoslavia eziseVienna. Manje kunamabandla angu-8 esiSerbo-Croatia lapha eVienna, anabantu abavela cishe kuzo zonke izingxenye zeYurophu!
Ngo-August 27, 2001, uHelene walala ekufeni. Wayebe umsizi nomngane onokwethenjelwa noyigugu eminyakeni yethu engu-53 yomshado ojabulisayo. Manje ithemba lovuko liyigugu nakakhulu kimi.
Ukwaneliseka Othandweni LukaNkulunkulu
Naphezu kobuhlungu engiye ngabhekana nabo, ngisalokhu nganelisekile ngomsebenzi wami ehhovisi legatsha e-Austria. Muva nje ngisanda kuthola ilungelo lokulandisa okuhlangenwe nakho kwami embukisweni othi “Forgotten Victims of the Nazi Regime [Izisulu Ezilitshelwe Zombuso WamaNazi].” Kusukela ngo-1997 lo mbukiso uye wahambela amadolobha namadolobhana angu-70 ase-Austria, unikeza labo abasinda emajele nasemakamu okuhlushwa amaNazi ithuba lokulandisa ngokholo nesibindi esaboniswa amaKristu eqiniso lapho eshushiswa amaNazi.
Ngikubheka njengelungelo ukwazi abanjalo abathembekile. Bawubufakazi obuhlaba umxhwele bokuba iqiniso kweyabaseRoma 8:38, 39 ethi: “Nakufa nakuphila nazingelosi nahulumeni nazinto ezikhona manje nazinto ezizayo namandla nakuphakama nakujula nanoma iyiphi enye indalo ngeke kukwazi ukusihlukanisa nothando lukaNkulunkulu olukuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.”
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Umkhaya wakithi ngo-1930 (kusukela kwesokunxele kuya kwesokudla): yimi, uPepi, ubaba, uWilli, umama noVinko
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Umfowethu uWilli, ngaphambi nje kokuba abulawe
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Mina noVinko sake saboshwa eJele LaseStadelheim, eMunich
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Indodakazi kaVinko, uFini, yahlaliswa nomkhaya onesihluku ongamaNazi; isathembekile nanamuhla
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UHelene wayengumngane oyigugu phakathi neminyaka engu-53 sishadile
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Ngikhuluma embukisweni othi “Forgotten Victims of the Nazi Regime”