Leopold Engleitner (23 July 1905 – 21 April 2013) was an Austrian

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

, as one of

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

, and a concentration camp survivor who spoke publicly and with students about his experiences. He was the subject of the documentary ''Unbroken Will''. Before his death, Engleitner was the world's oldest known male

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (Old Reich) territori ...

, Niederhagen and Ravensbrück

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

survivor and the oldest male Austrian.

Imprisonment

Born in Aigen-Voglhub, Austria, Engleiter grew up in the imperial city of

Bad Ischl Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the river Traun in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden ...

. He studied the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

intensively in the 1930s and was

baptised Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

as a

Jehovah's Witness Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co- ...

in 1932. In the period up to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he faced

religious intolerance Religious intolerance or religious bigotry is intolerance of another's religious beliefs, practices, faith or lack thereof. Statements which are contrary to one's religious beliefs do not constitute intolerance. Religious intolerance, rather, ...

, even

persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...

, from his immediate neighbourhood and the Austrian authorities, first by the fascist regime of

Dollfuss Engelbert Dollfuss (alternatively Dollfuß; 4 October 1892 – 25 July 1934) was an Austrian politician and dictator who served as chancellor of Austria between 1932 and 1934. Having served as Minister for Forests and Agriculture, he ascended t ...

and then under

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. *Spring 1934: 48 hours in Bad Ischl prison *Winter 1934/35: 48 hours in Bad Ischl prison *5 January 1936 – 30 March 1936: imprisonment in St. Gilgen and

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

*19 September 1937 – 14 October 1937: detained in

Bad Aussee Bad Aussee (; Central Bavarian: ''Bod Ossee'') is a town in the Austrian state of Styria, located at the confluence of the three sources of the Traun River in the Ausseerland region. Bad Aussee serves as the economic and cultural center of the St ...

prison When

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

occupied

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 1938, Leopold Engleitner's religion, ideologies and

conscientious objection A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

to serving in the Army brought him into conflict with the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

. On 4 April 1939 he was arrested in Bad Ischl by 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 ...

and detained in

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

and

Wels Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the List of cities and towns in Austria, eighth largest city in Aus ...

. From 9 October 1939 to 15 July 1943 he was held in the concentration camps Buchenwald, Niederhagen and Ravensbrueck. In Niederhagen he rejected a proposal to renounce his beliefs in return for his release. Despite brutal and inhumane treatment, his will – to stand for fair principles and to refuse military service – was unbroken. In July 1943 – weighing only – he was released on condition of his acceptance of lifelong

slave labour Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

on a farm. After returning home he worked on a farm in St. Wolfgang. On 17 April 1945, three weeks before the war ended, he received notice to enlist in the German army. He fled to the mountains of

Salzkammergut The Salzkammergut (, ; ) is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains. The main river of the region is the Traun (r ...

, and hid in an alpine cabin and a cave, hunted by the Nazis but never found. On 5 May 1945 Engleitner was able to return home and resume work on the farm as a slave labourer. When in 1946 he tried to leave the farm, his request was rejected by the labour bureau of Bad Ischl, on the argument that the slave labour duty imposed by the Nazi occupation was still valid. Only after intervention of the US occupying power was he released from the duty in April 1946. *4 April 1939 – 5 October 1939: prisons in Bad Ischl, Linz and Wels *5 October 1939 – 9 October 1939: deportation to concentration camp (prisons in Salzburg and

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

) *9 October 1939 – 7 March 1941: Buchenwald concentration camp *7 March 1941 – April 1943: Niederhagen concentration camp in

Wewelsburg Wewelsburg () is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the ''Landkreis'' of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The castle has a triangu ...

*April 1943 – 15 July 1943: Ravensbrück concentration camp *22 July 1943 – 10 April 1945: forced labour on a farm *17 April 1945 – 5 May 1945: call-up to the German army; flight to the mountains

Rehabilitation and recognition

In the years after the war Engleitner continued facing isolation and intolerance, and only after the author and film producer Bernhard Rammerstorfer documented his life in 1999 in the book and documentary film ''Nein statt Ja und Amen,'' did the larger public become aware of him. Engleitner and Rammerstorfer held lectures at universities, schools and memorials in Germany,

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Though already far advanced in years, between 1999 and 2012 Engleitner travelled with his biographer and friend Bernhard Rammerstorfer more than 95,000 miles across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the US, to schools, memorial sites, and universities, as a witness of history to ensure the past was not forgotten, and he became a model of tolerance and peace. Once a persecuted concentration camp labourer and outlawed conscientious objector, he was honoured in May 2007 by the Republic of Austria and the Federal Republic of Germany for his courageous stand during the Nazi regime and for his tremendous awareness-raising activities with: *The Golden Order of Merit of the Republic of Austria from Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer *The

Cross of Merit on ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first President of the Federal Republic ...

(Knight's Cross) from German President Dr.

Horst Köhler Horst Köhler (; 22 February 1943 – 1 February 2025) was a German politician who served as President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU ...

In 2003 he was awarded the "Silver Order of Merit of the Province of Upper Austria" by the Upper Austrian governor, Josef Pühringer. In 2006 he was awarded the Elfriede Grünberg Prize by Antifa, an anti-Fascist initiative in Austria. In 2008 Engleitner was presented with the "Ring of Honour of the Town of Bad Ischl" by the municipal authorities in Bad Ischl, the town where he grew up. In 2009 he received the "Badge of Honour of the Town of St. Wolfgang" from his home municipality, St. Wolfgang.

Media

In 2004, the book and the film ''Nein statt Ja und Amen'' were translated into an English version called ''Unbroken Will'', and were presented in the US by a tour including the

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust, dedicated to the documentation, study, and interpretation of the Holocaust. Opened in 1993, the museum explores the Holocaust through p ...

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and the

Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating antisemitism, tolerance educati ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. In 2005, Rammerstorfer released a new German biography and DVD ''Nein statt Ja und Amen – 100 Jahre ungebrochener Wille''. The book also contains a short biography of the German conscientious objector Joachim Escher: Escher was detained between 1937 and 1945 in several prisons and the concentration camps Sachsenhausen, Niederhagen and Buchenwald; in Buchenwald he was servant to the former

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

government members

Georges Mandel Georges Mandel (born Louis George Rothschild; 5 June 1885 – 7 July 1944) was a French journalist and politician who was a member of the Chamber of Deputies representing Gironde from 1919 to 1924 and from 1928 until the dissolution of the Fren ...

and

Léon Blum André Léon Blum (; 9 April 1872 – 30 March 1950) was a French socialist politician and three-time Prime Minister of France. As a Jew, he was heavily influenced by the Dreyfus affair of the late 19th century. He was a disciple of socialist l ...

, whom the Germans kept as hostages. In 2008, Rammerstorfer released a new edition of the German book, entitled "Ungebrochener Wille", which Engleitner and Rammerstorfer presented at the

Frankfurt Book Fair The Frankfurt Book Fair (German: , FBM) is the world's largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. The five-day annual event in mid-October is held at the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds in Frankfurt am ...

during 2008, 2009 and 2011. In 2009 the new English book ''Unbroken Will: The Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man-The Story of Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor Leopold Engleitner, born 1905'' based on the latest German version was released at Harvard University. The Austrian president,

Heinz Fischer Heinz Fischer Order of Prince Henry, GColIH, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, OMRI, Order of the Seraphim, RSerafO, Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, GCollSE (; born 9 October 1938) is an Austrian politician who served as the pre ...

, described in his foreword to the book that it is "a milestone in correspondence about the horror of Nazism." Brewster Chamberlin, director of archives at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC from 1986 to 1997, wrote a preface. Further prefaces were written by the founder of the

Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service ''Gedenkdienst'' is a concept in Austria aimed at young people to face and take responsibility for the darkest chapters of the country's history while being financially supported by Austrian government. Founded in Austria in 1992 by Andreas M ...

Andreas Maislinger Andreas Maislinger (born 26 February 1955 in Sankt Georgen bei Salzburg, St. Georgen near Salzburg, Austria) is an Austrian political scientist and wiktionary:Founder, founder and former chairman of the Austrian Service Abroad. He also is the fou ...

, ''

Franz Jägerstätter Franz Jägerstätter, (also spelled Jaegerstaetter in English; born Franz Huber, 20 May 1907 – 9 August 1943) was an Austrians, Austrian farmer and conscientious objector during World War II. Jägerstätter was sentenced to death and executed ...

and Leopold Engleitner,'' and Walter Manoschek, from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, "No more War!" In May 2009 the songwriters Mark David Smith and

Rex Salas Rex Salas (born March 16, 1962) is a Grammy and Emmy Award nominated American record producer, songwriter, musical director, and music arranger. Best known in recent years for his work as the musical director for Janet Jackson on several of her t ...

from California wrote the song "Unbroken Will" for Leopold Engleitner. On 22 May 2009, Engleitner was presented with the song during an event at

Moorpark College Moorpark College is a Public college, public community college in Moorpark, California. It was established in 1967 with enrollment of 2,500 students and enrolled 14,254 students in 2014. History The board of the Ventura County Community Col ...

, when singer

Phillip Ingram Phillip Ingram (born 1958) is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as one of the founding members of the Motown Group Switch and is the younger brother of James Ingram. Biography Ingram was raised in Akron, Ohio. He came from a musica ...

interpreted "Unbroken Will". In 2012 Bernhard Rammerstorfer produced with A. Ferenc Gutai the documentary film "LADDER in the LIONS' DEN – Freedom Is a Choice, Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor Leopold Engleitner: A 107-Year-Old Eyewitness Tells His Story."Awards for LADDER in the LIONS‘ DEN: The USA premiere took place at ''Laemmle's Town Center 5'' Theatre in Encino, Los Angeles County, in November 2012 with Leopold Engleitner present. The German version, "LEITER in der LÖWENGRUBE", was released in Austria in March 2013. In April 2013 the film was awarded "Best Documentary Short" by the Fallbrook International Film Festival 2013, of Fallbrook, California, and "Best Short Documentary" by the Rincòn International Film Festival 2013, of Rincòn, Puerto Rico. Engleitner is the subject of Rammerstorfer's educational DVD ''Unbroken Will''. which contains the full documentary plus films of special events relating to Engleitner's awareness-raising activities from 1999 to 2004, as well as material on the Holocaust for use in schools in English, German, Italian, and Spanish.

References

Sources

* Book ''Unbroken Will: The Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man-The Story of Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor Leopold Engleitner, born 1905'' (Austria, 2009) * Educational DVD ''Unbroken Will'' (USA, 2004) * DVD ''Unbroken Will Captivates the United States'' (USA, 2006) * DVD ''Unbroken Will USA Tour'' (USA, 2009) * "Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime: 1933–1945" by Hans Hesse, Edition Temmen, 2003, , * "Though Weak, I Am Powerful" as told by Leopold Engleitner,
The Watchtower
', May 1, 2005, page 23-28 * "For Jehovah in the concentration camp – Engleitner", ''DiePresse.com'', 8 May 2010
online, in German
* "107-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Dies", ''Encino-Tarzana Patch'', May 8, 2013

External links

Web site of Leopold Engleitner
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Engleitner, Leopold Austrian Jehovah's Witnesses Austrian men centenarians 1905 births 2013 deaths Austrian conscientious objectors Austrian Christian pacifists Buchenwald concentration camp survivors Ravensbrück concentration camp survivors Niederhagen concentration camp survivors Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People from Salzburg-Umgebung District People from Bad Ischl Converts to Jehovah's Witnesses