Anna WEGSCHEIDER, born on 24 September 1904 in Zell bei Kufstein, Jehovah’s Witness, married to Joseph Wegscheider (daughter Gertrude), residing at 15 Landstrasse, Salzburg Itzling, (house of Theresa Mittendorfer), was arrested for refusing to do war work, and on 28 December 1939 was deported to the Ravensbrueck concentration camp.
She died there on 8 June 1942.
Joseph WEGSCHEIDER, born on 28 September 1897 in Pobersach, shoemaker, married to Anna, residing at 15 Land Str., Salzburg Itzling, was court martialled together with Johann Pichler, also a Jehovah’s Witness, by the Salzburg Military Tribunal on 26 September 1939 for refusing military service and sentenced to death and shot at the military shooting range in Glanegg.
The Gestapo report concerning the funeral which took place two days later at the Salzburg municipal cemetery included:
In addition to the families of the two dead [Josef Wegscheider and Johann Pichler] about 150 people attended the funeral. The participants escorted the coffins, which were carried directly taken from the morgue to the graves, in procession. Approximately 90% of the mourners were women who brought a remarkable number of children with them. The Jehovah´s Witness Alois Harasek had intended to speak a prayer at the graves and to lead those present in singing three spiritual songs he had taken from the Jehovah hymn book, but was forbidden. The Jehovah´s Witness Rudolf Stonig, residing at No. 72 Kleinarl, Market Pongau, took a demonstrative attitude, in that he cried with a loud voice: ‘You have obeyed God rather than man »[…]«.
Translation: Stan Nadel
Stumbling Stone
Laid 22.08.2007 at Salzburg, Landstraße 15
Wegscheider family
Death sentence against Josef Wegscheider, September 1939