EVIENNA—NgoMeyi 13, 2015, abantu abamalunga ne-400 baya kutyhilo litye lesikhumbuzo likaGerhard Steinacher, iNgqina likaYehova elabulawa ngamaNazi kwiminyaka eyi-75 eyadlulayo kuba lingazange livume ukuba semkhosini wamaJamani. UGabriele Votava, ongusodolophu weNgingqi yaseMeidling, eVienna, wayesisithethi esiphambili xa kwakutyhilwa eli litye lesikhumbuzo lincanyathiselwe ngaphandle kumzi owawusakuba ngowakwaSteinacher eMeidling, eVienna eLägenfeldgasse 68.

Amazwi athi, “Andinakukwazi tu ukudubula,” awayethethwa nguMnu. Steinacher xa ecela ukuba avunyelwe angayi emkhosini aba ngumxholo weso sikhumbuzo. Loo mazwi alula acacisa imilinganiselo yamaKristu uMnu. Steinacher awayeyixabise nyhani, njengamazwi kaYesu afumaneka kuMateyu 19:19 athi: “Uze umthande ummelwane wakho njengawe siqu.”

UGerhard wafunda iBhayibhile esemtsha. Xa wayeneminyaka eyi-17, wazenzela isigqibo sokuba liNgqina likaYehova. NgoSeptemba 15, 1939, uMnu. Steinacher wabanjwa ngenxa yokuba isazela sakhe sasingamvumeli ukuba abe semkhosini nokuba engazange afune ukwenza isifungo sokuthembeka kuHitler. Emva kokuba evalelwe iiveki ezintandathu eVienna, uMnu. Steinacher wasiwa apho kugcinwa amabanjwa angekaxoxwa amatyala awo kwintolongo yaseMoabit eBerlin, eJamani.

NgoNovemba 11, 1939, usuku lokuqala lokuxoxwa kwetyala lakhe, uMnu. Steinacher wabekwa ityala lokungayixhasi inkonzo yasemkhosini waza wagwetyelwa ukufa. Wacela ukwenzelwa inceba ngenxa yoko akukholelwayo. Nakuba kunjalo, ngoMatshi 2, 1940, iReichskriegsgericht (Reich Military Court) zange isitshintshe eso sigwebo sokufa. Kwiiveki ezine kamva, ngoMatshi 30, uMnu. Steinacher wanqunyulw’ intloko eBerlin kwintolongo enamabanjwa azindlavini iPlötzensee, eneminyaka eyi-19.

Emva kolo tyhilo litye lesikhumbuzo, lo mcimbi waqhubeka kwalapho kufutshane eVolkshochschule Theater. Phakathi kwezinto ezazisenziwa, kwakukho nomboniso ongembali yentsapho yakwaSteinacher. Kwaboniswa nangebhokisi encinane eyayifunyanwe ngo-1976 eneeleta eziyi-28 ezazivela kuIgnatz noLuise Steinacher zisiya kunyana wabo uGerhard ngoxa wayesentolongweni, kunye namakhadi neeleta eziyi-25 ezazivela kuGerhard ekhuthaza abazali bakhe yaye ebaqinisekisa ngokholo awayenalo, nabo ababenalo.

Lithetha ngeso sihlandlo, inqaku elikwiphephandaba leveki laseVienna iWiener Bezirkszeitung, lathi, “yayisisikhumbuzo esikhethekileyo” esenza izenzo zenkalipho zikaMnu. Steinacher “zaphuma ebumnyameni zeza ekukhanyeni.” Eli nqaku laqhubeka lincoma uMnu. Steinacher lisithi: “Wayekulungele ukufela imilinganiselo yakhe—le kanye wayephila ngayo.”