Franz Boehm (resistance Fighter)
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Franz Boehm (October 3, 1880 in Boleszyn – February 13, 1945 in
Dachau concentration camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
) was a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Cologne,
resistance fighter A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...
and
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
.


Biography


Youth and ordination to the priesthood

Franz Boehm was born in
West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and from 1878 to 1919. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773, formed from Royal Prussia of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonweal ...
, which is now in the Polish region of the
Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship is a voivodeship (province) in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn. The voivodeship has an area of and in 2019 had a population of 1,425,967. Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship was created on ...
. He came from a family of German-Polish origin. His parents were teachers during the cultural struggle by
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
, which is why the family had to move to the
Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...
in 1893 by order of the authorities. In class, the father had rehearsed with his students a
Christian hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
in Polish, such a thing was prohibited in West Prussia during the imperial period due to the
Germanisation Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people, and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In l ...
of the Polish people. Franz Boehm was graduated from a secondary school in
Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Netherlands, Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, th ...
. After his philosophical and theological studies in
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
, he was ordained a priest in the
Archdiocese of Cologne The Archdiocese of Cologne (; ) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. History At an early date Christianity came to Cologne with the Roman soldiers ...
in 1906. At his three chaplain positions in the
Ruhr area The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...
, he was also active in the Polish pastoral care, as he spoke the Polish language.


First pastoral position in Düsseldorf

He took up his first assignment as a parish priest in 1917 at St. Katharina in
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
. In his
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
, he campaigned for the preservation of a Catholic elementary school that now bears his name. In this confrontation, Boehm displayed not only a very good knowledge of the
Weimar Constitution The Constitution of the German Reich (), usually known as the Weimar Constitution (), was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era. The constitution created a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament whose ...
, which guaranteed
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
, but also an exceptional talent for motivating people to invigorate the Catholic faith.


Resistance to National Socialism

On January 4, 1923, Boehm was sent to the newly founded parish of St. John Before the Latin Gate in Sieglar, near
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
, where he quickly realized that he had to deal with the extreme political currents of the time,
communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
and
national socialism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was frequ ...
. In his
church bulletin A parish magazine or parish bulletin, also called church bulletin, is a periodical produced by and for an ecclesiastical parish. It usually comprises a mixture of religious articles, community contributions, and parish notices, including the prev ...
and in his
sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present context ...
s from the
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
, he left no doubt that he considered these two political currents to be incompatible with
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. Boehm's resistance to National Socialism became problematic after the Nazis came to power in 1933. Supported by the Nazi mayor of Sieglar, the
Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
repeatedly investigated Boehm and imposed numerous sanctions. In 1934 there were criminal proceedings, which were discontinued. Boehm's list of alleged misconduct is as long as it is absurd. "Ringing the bells at the return of the
pilgrim The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...
s from
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and disturbance of the National Socialist May Day celebrations", as well as "irregular flagging of the rectory" and "starting Sunday prayers for captured priests and laypeople" were among the accusations against Boehm. In 1935, Boehm was banned from teaching religious education. At the same time he received his first expulsion from the governmental district of Cologne, which was lifted again in 1936 by an
amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...
. The second and final expulsion followed in 1937. Boehm had to leave Sieglar and wait for the General Vicariate to assign him a new job. However, the archbishop's policy of protecting its own
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
did not make it possible for Boehm to receive a new pastorate directly. In letters, Boehm took the view that he had acted in Sieglar according to the motto "stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing affrighted by the adversaries" (Phil. 1:27 f.). Therefore, in a letter dated October 12, 1937, he asked the
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...
to "take pity on the physical and mental pressure" and to "assign him to a new place of work as soon as possible".


The new parish and the martyrdom in Dachau

In 1938, Boehm was sent as a parish priest to
Monheim am Rhein Monheim am Rhein (, ; ) is a town on the right (eastern) bank of the river Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Monheim belongs to the district of Mettmann – with the southern suburbs of Düsseldorf to the north, and the Bergisches Land to ...
. In his priestly work he continued to resist the Nazi regime. Boehm worked primarily with young people. The 450-page Gestapo files''Great honor for parish priest Franz Boehm in his birthplace Boleszyn/Poland.''
Website of the Catholic parish in Monheim am Rhein.
show that he received a fine in 1938 and a warning in 1941 for worshipping in Polish. In 1942 he was sentenced to a security payment of 3,000
Reichsmark The (; sign: ℛ︁ℳ︁; abbreviation: RM) was the currency of Germany from 1924 until the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945, and in the American, British and French occupied zones of Germany, until 20 June 1948. The Reichsmark was then replace ...
for a sermon on
Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where Christ is described as being seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one o ...
. In his sermon, Boehm affirmed that there were no thousand-year kingdoms on earth, as there was only one kingdom that would last that long, namely the kingdom of Jesus Christ which would last eternal. The Nazis saw this as a violation of the Law for the Stabilization of the Armed Forces. Normally, such an accusation carried the
death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
. But the judges reduced the accusation to "hostile remarks against the state" (similar to a conviction under
Pulpit Law The Pulpit Law (German ''Kanzelparagraph'') was a section (§ 130a) to the ''Strafgesetzbuch'' (the German Criminal Code) passed by the Reichstag in 1871 during the German Kulturkampf or fight against the Catholic Church. It made it a crime for a ...
). At Easter 1944 Boehm preached against the Nazi film industry, which led to his arrest. On June 5, 1944, he was arrested in the church immediately after a holy mass. In connection with the arrests around the
20 July plot The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...
, Boehm was brought to
Dachau Concentration Camp Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...
. On August 11, 1944, he was taken to Dachau in a single transport because he had obviously been confused with the lawyer and economist
Franz Böhm Franz Böhm (16 February 1895 – 26 September 1977) was a German politician, lawyer, and economist. Early life Franz Böhm was born on 16 February 1895 in Konstanz. He moved along with his family in 1898 to Karlsruhe as his father was appoi ...
from
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
, who belonged to the Freiburg Circles of the
German resistance to Nazism The German resistance to Nazism () included unarmed and armed opposition and disobedience to the Nazi Germany, Nazi regime by various movements, groups and individuals by various means, from assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler, attempts to ass ...
. Even a letter from the bishop could not change anything about the imprisonment. He died in the concentration camp on February 13, 1945, as a result of an illness caused by his imprisonment. The parish priest's body was cremated after his death. The ashes were either dumped in a nearby river or scattered on a field.


Effect to the present

Franz Boehm is considered one of the bravest pastors of the Archdiocese of Cologne during the National Socialist era. In Monheim am Rhein, on the street named after him, a ''
Stolperstein A (; plural ) is a concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution. Literal translation, Literally, it means 'stumbling stone' and metaphorically 'stumbling block'. ...
'' in front of the staircase to St. Gereon commemorates Boehm – another one is in front of the rectory of St. Katharina in Düsseldorf. In Düsseldorf, a Catholic elementary school was renamed Franz-Boehm-Schule in 2002. In Monheim and Sieglar, streets and parish centers are named after Franz Boehm. In 2020 a memorial place was inaugurated in Monheim in honor of the unforgotten parish priest. In 1999, the Catholic Church included parish priest Franz Boehm as a witness of faith in the German
Martyrology A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...
of the 20th Century. There is a memorial plaque for Franz Boehm at St. Martin's Church in Boleszyn and an exhibition on his life and act in the St. Geron's Church in Monheim. In the touring exhibition "Martyrs of the Archdiocese of Cologne from the National Socialist Era", which has been showing the educational work of the Archdiocese of Cologne at various locations since 2006, Franz Boehm has a prominent position. In 2010, Catholics from the parish in Monheim submitted a petition to the Archdiocese of Cologne to initiate a beatification process for Boehm. As a contemporary witness, the historian of philosophy Karl Bormann reported about Boehm that he was "helpful, deeply religious, conscientious, strict and uncompromising". According to the
Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC prophet Isaiah ben Amo ...
, Boehm didn't want to belong to the "mute dogs" (Is 56:10).''Monheim: beatification sought.''
Rheinische Post of October 10, 2010.


Bibliography

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External links


Priest-Franz-Boehm-Parish-Center, Monheim am Rhein

Franz Boehm Memorial (Municipality of Monheim)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boehm, Franz 1880 births 1945 deaths 20th-century German people German people who died in Dachau concentration camp Resistance members who died in Nazi concentration camps Roman Catholics in the German Resistance University of Bonn alumni 20th-century German Roman Catholic priests 20th-century Roman Catholic martyrs Martyred Roman Catholic priests