Civil courage in World War II: How a family saved life

Civil courage in World War II: How a family saved life

Winden, Österreich - On November 25, 2024, the students of the HLW Perg experienced a captivating lesson that they will never forget. Contemporary witness Anna Hackl, who gave a moving insight into the history of her family during the Second World War, spanned the bow from her personal story to the importance of civil courage. Professors Katharina Böhm and Lukas Reitbauer supported the project, which was under the patronage of Hackl's life story. She told her family in 1945 two fled concentration camp prisoners from the Mauthausen concentration camp to ensure survival. This happened during the so -called Mühlviertel human hunt when numerous prisoners tried to escape their cruel captivity. The courageous decision of her family saved the life of Mikhail Rybtschinskij and Nikolai Zimkolo, which were hidden in their farm for three months.

a lively contemporary witness discussion

The 93-year-old Hackl spoke about how crucial it is to deal with the past. "Watch out well and take a good eight," said her urgent message to the younger generation. She did not go unmentioned that her mother, Maria Langthaler, had warnings regarding Hitler's governmental vision of our country right from the start and always said: "He brings disaster!" How Hackl from an interview with Press emphasized. The connection between the two sources shows how important it is not to forget the atrocities of the past, but to remember them in order to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Hackl's reports on the "Mühlviertel Hasenjagd" and the suffering of the refugees blew the horrors of this time and illustrated the dangers for those who helped. While SS troops called up the citizens to hunt for the concentration camp refugees, Hackl's family took over to give them shelter. This was a significant risk, but which was born out of her deep conviction, to stand up for people in need. Hackl emphasizes that it is important that today's youth learns from these stories and relies on the values of tolerance, compassion and courage, so the darkness of the past leaves behind.