Voting Station

Franz Jagerstatter

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Religious Figure

The Resume

    (May 20, 1907-August 9, 1943)
    Born in Sankt Radegund, Austria
    Martyr of the Catholic Church
    Guillotined by the Nazis for refusing to serve in the German Army in WWII
    Beatified on October 26, 2007
    Fest Day: May 21

Why he might be annoying:

    His refusal to serve in the German Army during WWII was controversial especially among his fellow German Catholics who served in the German military and his own pastor and bishop counseled him to serve.
    He was born out of wedlock and fathered a daughter out of wedlock.
    He was a wild, out of control youth.
    His death left his wife and their three daughters (the oldest was only five) destitute.
    His refusal to serve included refusing to serve against Russia and its brutal communist dictatorship.
    He actually willingly joined the German Army but only refused to serve when called up to active duty.
    There is little movement towards his canonization, the final step in being recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church.

Why he might not be annoying:

    After getting married, he almost overnight turned into a serious, devout, sober-minded Catholic.
    He was the only person in his village to vote against the German/Austrian Anchluss.
    He offered to serve in the German Army as a paramedic.
    His hometown vindictively refused to add his name to their memorial of war dead and his wife was not awarded her widow's pension until 1950.
    He was almost unknown until the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton and the sociologist, Gordon Zahn wrote about him.
    He spent most of his adult life working as a miner and a farmer but still found time to serve as a sacristan at his local parish.
    Pope Benedict XVI (a German Army deserter) beatified him which should end any arguments about whether or not he was justified in refusing to serve in the German military.
    His father was killed in WWI.
    Despite having a minimal education he was an avid reader.
    He was the first person in his village to own a motorcycle.
    He refused monetary remuneration when he helped out at funerals.
    His wife lived to be a hundred.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 87 Votes: 74.71% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 76.92% Annoying