80 years after the war: contemporary witnesses report in St. Stefan-Afiesl!

80 years after the war: contemporary witnesses report in St. Stefan-Afiesl!

On Monday, June 9th, an impressive commemoration event took place in St. Stefan-Afiesl to honor the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Under the title "Spring 1945" [meinbezirk.at] (https://www.meinbezirk.at/rohrbach/c-lokales/ after war year-by-hunger-und-not-praegt_a7376762), around 250 visitors came to Stefplatzerl to listen to the moving stories of the contemporary witnesses. Moderated by Franz Gumpenberger, eleven contemporary witnesses reported their personal experiences around the end of the war, the moving fates and the deep cuts in their lives.

The event, right after the Sunday mass, offered a historical framework for the presentation of a 40-page brochure, which contains historical photos and important documents under the title "Spring 1945-end of the war and peace in Sankt Stefan-Afiesl". This brochure not only bundles the personal memories of contemporary witnesses, but also valuable information from the community chronicle, which was destroyed in the last days of the war on command [tips.at] (https://www.tips.at/nachrichten/rohrbach/land-leute/686544-damals-als-dieg- zezeit-zeitzeugen-erzaehlen-in-stfefan-afiesl).

testimonies and memories of the post -war period

The stories of the contemporary witnesses were characterized by lively descriptions of the arrival of the American troops on May 19, 1945. While American tanks rolled on the town square and moved into the district of the district, the residents experienced the soldiers as friendly, especially the children who received chewing gum and chocolate. Nevertheless, there were also dark sides such as the destruction of musical instruments by the soldiers. "We had to leave our apartment in the dark," recalled Erich Leitner of these difficult days. The contemporary witnesses also described the miserable life in the post -war years, which according to Hildegard Madlmayr was characterized by hunger, need and a lack of electricity and flowing water [meinbzirk.at] (https://www.meinbezirk.at/rohrbach/c-lokales/ after war year-warrant--waren-von-hiner-und-not-praegt_a7376762).

In contrast to the friendly Americans who experienced them as a liberator, the Soviet occupying powers came in July 1945 and brought with it an atmosphere full of fear and uncertainty. The reports on raids and looting left deep terror and grief in humans. This moved not only the contemporary witnesses, but also the younger generations that were touched by these stories during the event.

an important project for the future

Mayor Alfred Mayr emphasized that 80 young people from the community lost their lives during the war. These memories must be kept awake so that future generations recognize the importance of peace and democratic values. The brochure can be purchased via a QR code on the LITFASS column, the municipal office and in the parish library and helps to keep the collective memory of this difficult time alive [tips.at] (https://www.tips.at/nachrichten/rohrbach/land-leute/686544-damals-als-dieg- zezeit-zeitzeugen-erzaehlen-in-stfefan-afiesl).

Such memorial events are not only a sign of respect for the victims, but also a valuable opportunity to learn from history. At a time when conflicts and wars are still reality, it is particularly important not to forget the teachings from the past and to preserve the values ​​of peace. The lively stories, supplemented by musical performances by the children's choir of the elementary school and the wind ensemble of the music association, made the commemoration of an emotional and meaningful occasion for the entire community.