Ukugcina Ubuqotho EJalimane LamaNazi
NGOSUKU olubandayo lwango-April ngo-1939, ngathunyelwa enkanjini yaseSachsenhausen eJalimane. Ngikanye nezinye iziboshwa ezintsha, ngavela phambi kwesikhulu senkambu, indoda enolaka ebizwa ngokuthi uFoursquare ngenxa yokuba kwayo isidlakela. ‘Enkulumweni yayo yokusamukela,’ yasithethisa, ichaza ukuhlushwa okunonya okwakufanele sikulindele.
“Kimi uthola yonke into oyifunayo,” yamemeza, “ukudutshulwa ekhanda, ukudutshulwa esifubeni, ukudutshulwa esiswini!” Futhi yaxwayisa: “Abafana bami abageji uma bedubula. Bazonenyusela ezulwini ngokushesha! Niyohamba lapha niyizidumbu kuphela.”
Ngemva kwalokho ngathunyelwa eSitokisini sami ngedwa, ingxenye ebiyelwe ngocingo phakathi enkanjini. Yilapho oFakazi BakaJehova babegcinwa khona, kanye nezinye iziboshwa ezazibhekwa njengeziyingozi. Lapho ngiyiswa lapho, insizwa eyiSS (Ugqayinyanga oyiBlackshirts/Elite kaHitler) wangimukula ebusweni ngokuphindaphindiwe ngenxa yokuthi nganginqabile ukusayina amazwi alahla ukholo lwami.
UOtto Kamien waseHerne wakha ubungane nami, engisiza ukuba ngithungele enyunifomini yami inombolo yami yokuba isiboshwa kanye nophawu oluwunxantathu olunsomi, olwaluyindlela yokubona oFakazi BakaJehova enkanjini. Wangibonisa futhi indlela yokwendlula umbhede wami—iziboshwa zazishaywa noma ngisho zibulawe uma zingawendlulanga kahle umbhede wazo.
UOtto wangixwayisa: “Njalo ngezikhathi ezithile, bazokubuza ukuthi usenguye yini uFakazi kaJehova. Qina, ume isibindi, futhi ukhulumele phezulu nangokucacile: ‘Ngisenguye uFakazi kaJehova.’” Wenezela: “Uma uqina futhi uma isibindi, uDeveli uzokubalekela.” (Jakobe 4:7) Isikhuthazo sikaOtto sangisiza ukuba ngigcine ubuqotho kuNkulunkulu phakathi neminyaka eyisithupha eyalandela engayichitha ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa.
Uma ngikhumbula emuva ngaleyominyaka enzima, ngiyaqaphela namuhla kunanini ngaphambili, ukuthi kwakuwusizo lukaNkulunkulu kuphela olwangisiza ukuba ngigcine ubuqotho. Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba ngo-January 20, 1938, ngiboshwe ngokokuqala?
Iminyaka Yami Yobusha
Eminyakeni ethile ngaphambi kokuba ngizalwe ngo-1911, abazali bami, ababehlala eKönigsberg, e-East Prussia, baba ama-Bibelförscher (Abafundi BeBhayibheli), njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Nganginabafowethu abathathu nodadewethu ababili, futhi ngokuvamile uMama wayeya nathi emihlanganweni. Ngokudabukisayo, ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uBaba akabange esahlanganyela nomkhaya ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Nakuba abafowethu nomunye udadewethu baba abamemezeli boMbuso abashisekayo, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi mina nodadewethu uLisbeth sayeka ukulalela amaqiniso eBhayibheli esasiwafundile.
Lapho ngisanda kweva eminyakeni engu-20, uHitler waba umbusi eJalimane, futhi abantu bacindezelwa kakhulu. Ngasebenza njengomakhenika wezimoto embonini enkulu yokulungisa izinto eKönigsberg. Lapho iFührer (umbusi) inikeza izinkulumo ngezikhathi ezikhethekile, bonke abasembonini kwakufanele bahlangane. Kwaba futhi into evamile ukubingelela ngokuthi “Heil Hitler!” Ekugcineni ngatshelwa ukuba ngihlanganyele ekuqeqeshelweni ukubuthwa empini, ngakho kwadingeka ngibhekane nombuzo othi, Ngisohlangothini lukabani?
NgokwezEnzo 4:12, ngangazi ukuthi i-heil, noma insindiso, yayingaveli kuHitler kodwa ngoJesu Kristu kuphela. Ngakho ngangingenakusho ukuthi “Heil Hitler,” futhi angizange ngisho. Futhi, angizange ngiwunake umyalo wokuba ngihlanganyele ekuqeqeshelweni ukubuthwa empini.
Phakathi no-1936 no-1937, umama, udadewethu omncane uHelene, kanye nabafowethu, uHans noErnst, bonke baboshwa. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke nami ngangifuna ukumelela uNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngaqala ukufunda iBhayibheli njalo ebusuku, futhi ngathandaza kuJehova ukuba angisize. ULisbeth naye waqala ukuba nesithakazelo esengeziwe.
Ngithatha Ukuma Kwami
Lapho isikhathi sifika, ngathatha ukuma okucacile kokumelela uJehova futhi ngenqaba ukusebenza ebuthweni likaHitler, ngisho nakuba ngangingakabhapathizwa. Ngaboshwa futhi ngayiswa ezikhulwini zezempi. Emasontweni ayisihlanu kamuva inkantolo yezempi eRastenburg yangigweba unyaka ngisejele.
Ngavalelwa endlini yami ngedwa eCentral Prison eStuhm, eWest Prussia. Phakathi nesikhathi sami sokuzivivinya egcekeni lasejele, ngangithola induduzo ekujeqezaneni noFakazi abathembekile baseKönigsberg engangibazi kusukela ebuntwaneni. Khona-ke, abafowethu—uPaul, uHans, noErnst—nabo bafakwa kulo lelijele ngenxa yokholo lwabo kuNkulunkulu. Lapho ngivalelwe ngedwa, ngezinye izikhathi uHans wayekwazi ukungishushumbisela ucezu lwesinkwa.
Lapho ngiqeda ukudonsa isigwebo sami, amaGestapo eKönigsberg angiphenya ngemibuzo ngokuphindaphindiwe. Njengoba ngangenqaba ukushintsha ingqondo yami, ngayiswa enkanjini yokuhlushwa eSachsenhausen. Lapho ngabelwa umsebenzi wokwakha egalaji, ngisebenza kanzima kusukela ngehora lesithupha ekuseni kuze kube ngelesithupha ntambama. Ngenxa yokuphathwa kabi kakhulu, ezinye iziboshwa zazama ukubaleka, zazi ukuthi uma zibanjwa, zizodutshulwa. Ngake ngabona isiboshwa sizibulala ngokuziphonsa ocingweni lukagesi.
Ukucindezela Kuyakhula
Ngo-September 1939, kwagqashuka iMpi Yezwe II, futhi ukucindezelwa kwethu eSachsenhausen kwakhula. Izinga lomsebenzi wethu lakhula, futhi saphucwa izingubo zethu zikavolo ezifudumele. Ngo-September 15 amaNazi ayezokwenza isibonelo ngomzalwane wethu ongumKristu uAugust Dickmann, owayeyinqabile inkonzo yezempi. Ngakho kwabizwa umhlangano okhethekile ukuze azobulawa.
Thina bazalwane abangoFakazi abangamakhulu amaningana sazibonela ngawethu njengoba ibutho elidubulayo lidubula futhi uAugust ewa esefa. Ngemva kwalokho zonke ezinye iziboshwa kwathiwa azihambe ngaphandle koFakazi BakaJehova. Khona-ke uFoursquare wabuza ukuthi ubani owayekulungele ukusayina amazwi alahla ukholo lwakhe nabonisa ukuzimisela ukuba isosha. Akekho noyedwa owasayina, futhi uFoursquare wagana unwabu.
Ubusika bango-1939 babushubisa umnkantsha. Sasihlubule futhi singadli kahle, ngakho kwafa abaningi. Abaningi babazalwane bethu abadala bafa, kodwa sekukonke amaphesenti abafa phakathi kwethu thina esingoFakazi ayemancane uma eqhathaniswa namanye amaqembu eziboshwa. Ngisho nesidlakela esiwuFoursquare sagula futhi safa ngo-February 1940.
Ukuya Kwenye Inkambu
Izinsuku ezimbalwa ngemva kokufa kukaFoursquare, abangu-70 bethu bagudluzelwa enkanjini encane yaseWewelsburg eduze nasePaderborn. Sasicabanga ukuthi izimo zizoba ngcono lapho, kodwa kwenzeka okuphambene nalokho. Sasithola ukudla okuncane futhi sisebenza kanzima ngokwengeziwe enkwalini yokumba amatshe. Ngezinye izikhathi sasiba manzi té ngenxa yeqhwa nemvula. Phakathi nalesikhathi esinzima ngokukhethekile, ebusuku ngangidonsa ingubo yokulala ngemboze ikhanda lami futhi ngithululele inhliziyo yami ngezinyembezi kuJehova. Isikhathi ngasinye lapho ngikwenza, ngangizwa ukuzola kwangaphakathi kanye nokuthula kwengqondo, ngaleyondlela ngithole kuNkulunkulu ‘usizo ngesikhathi esifaneleyo.’—Heberu 4:16.
UJehova wayinakekela impilo yethu engokomoya. OFakazi basenkanjini yokuhlushwa yaseBuchenwald bathunyelwa eWewelsburg, beza nokudla okungokomoya okwakuyizincwadi zeBhayibheli. Ngamaqembu amancane sasiya egumbini lokulala, lapho sasihlanganyela nabo eSifundweni seNqabayokulinda sangasese. Ngisho nokudla okungokwenyama enkanjini kwaqala ukuba ngconywana.
Ngambonga uJehova ngomusa wakhe lapho uFakazi engangikanye naye ehlela ukuba ngisebenze naye endaweni okusetshenzwa kuyo ngezinsimbi. Ezindaweni zomsebenzi, lapho kwakusebenza khona oFakazi ngokuyinhloko, iziboshwa zazithola ukudla okungconywana. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakufudumele, futhi izisebenzi zazingalandelwa ngemuva ngokuhlukunyezwa. Ngokomzimba ngasizakala kakhulu kangangokuba zingakapheli izinyanga eziyisithupha ngabe sengiyisidlakela futhi, nakuba ngaphambili nganginciphe ngaba ngangothi lokuvungula.
Okuthile Ngabafowethu
Lapho ngiseWewelsburg, ngathola umyalezo ovela kudadewethu uLisbeth wokuthi umfowethu uErnst wayegcine ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova kwaze kwaba sekufeni. Wayenqunywe ikhanda eBerlin ngo-June 6, 1941, ngemva kokuvalelwa ejele iminyaka emine. Lapho abanye oFakazi bezizwa lezindaba, beza futhi bangihalalisela. Isimo sabo sengqondo esiqondile sangithinta ngokujulile. Ukuhlala uthembekile kithi kwakusho okungaphezu kokusinda.
Iminyaka emibili kamuva, ngo-February 1, 1943, umfowethu uHans wadutshulwa eQuednau eduze naseKönigsberg. UHans wayeneminyaka engu-34 ubudala futhi wayevalelwe ejele iminyaka emihlanu. Kamuva, umuntu owazibonela ngawakhe ukubulawa kwakhe wangitshela ukuthi isikhulu sabuza uHans ukuthi wayenaso yini isifiso sokugcina. UHans wacela imvume yokuba athandaze, ayinikezwa. Umthandazo wawathinta amasosha kangangokuba lapho isikhulu ekugcineni sikhipha umyalo wokuba adubule, alikho nelilodwa eladubula. Sawuphinda lomyalo, labe selidubula elinye, lidubula uHans emzimbeni. Khona-ke isikhulu sahosha esaso isibhamu futhi samqedela sona ngokwaso.
Ezinye Izibonelo Zobuqotho
KoFakazi abasuswa eBuchenwald bayiswa eWewelsburg, abangu-27 bakhethelwa umsebenzi wempi futhi bathunyelwa ukuba bayosebenza ezikhungweni ezihlukahlukene. Ngamunye wabo wenqaba ukubuthwa empini; oyedwa kuphela owamukela umsebenzi ongesiwo owempi. Abangu-26 basongelwa ngokubulawa, konke kwaba yize. Ngemva kokuba bephindele enkanjini yaseWewelsburg, umphathi wasongela: “Engakapheli amasonto amane nizobe senibulewe nangcwatshwa.”
Labazalwane abathembekile baphathwa kabi ngokukhethekile. AmaSS acabanga ngazo zonke izindlela zokucindezela, ukuqeda amandla, nokubahlupha baze bafe. Nokho, bonke abangu-26 basinda! Kamuva, nabanye abangesibo oFakazi baphathwa kanjalo, futhi inani labafa kubo laliphakeme ngisho nangemva nje kwesikhathi esifushane.
Odadewethu Abagcina Ubuqotho
Ngo-April 1943, ngayiswa enkanjini yaseRavensbrück. Ngokuyinhloko yayingeyabesifazane kodwa inengxenye encane yamadoda. Ngasetshenziswa endaweni elungisa izimoto, engaphambi kwenkambu yabesifazane. Odadewethu abangamaKristu ababedlula ngokushesha baphawula uphawu oluwunxathathu olunombala onsomi. Yeka injabulo okwaba yiyo ukubingelelana ngomshoshaphansi noma ukumoyizelelana ngokufudumele! Ngokushesha kwezwakala ukuthi ngangiyindodana kaGog’ uRehwald. Yebo, umama wayephakathi kwalabo ababesenkanjini yabesifazane, kanye nodadewethu uHelene nomakoti wakithi, inkosikazi yomfowethu uHans owayengasekho!
Odadewethu abangamaKristu bakwazi ukunginikeza izingubo zangaphansi futhi ngezinye izikhathi nocezu lwesinkwa. Bake bahlela izinto ukuze ngikwazi ukukhuluma ngasese nomama wami othandekayo. Ukube nje babekubonile ukuhlangana kwethu, kwakuyosidalela inkinga enkulu. Yeka ukuthi kwakujabulisa kanjani ukuphinda sibonane! Izinyanga ezithile kamuva, ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuba sikhululwe enkanjini, umama wafa. Wayegcine ubuqotho bakhe kwaze kwaba sekufeni.
Ukukhululeka Ekugcineni!
Ngo-April 1945 abantu baseRussia nabaseMelika babesondela eRavensbrück. Nganikwa ugandaganda nenqola edonswayo ukuze ngisize ekuqaqweni kwenkambu. Ngemva kohambo oluyingozi, isikhulu samaSS esasiphethe sasitshela ukuthi amaMelika ayeseseduze nokuthi sonke sasikhululekile ukuba senze esikubonayo.
Ekugcineni safika eSchwerin, ezweni laseMecklenburg, lapho sahlangana khona noFakazi abaningi ababesenkanjini yaseSachsenhausen, phakathi kwabo kwakukhona nomfowethu uPaul. Wayesindile ekumasheni kokubulawa eSachsenhausen, kanye nakokunye ukucindezelwa. Izinsuku ezithile kamuva sagibela isitimela esiya eBerlin futhi sathola umkhaya woFakazi owasamukela ngomoya wokwamukela izihambi.
Lomkhaya wenza okuningi ukuze usize abazalwane nodade ababekhululwe ezinkanjini nasemajele. Ngo-1946, ngashada noElli, indodakazi yalowomkhaya. Ekugcineni, kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba ngibhapathizwe, okwakuyinto eyayingeke yenzeke ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa.
Yeka indlela okuye kwavusa amadlingozi ngayo kuleminyaka eminingi ukuhlangana nabazalwane enganginabo ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa emihlanganweni emikhulu! Abanye babefake ukuphila kwabo ezingozini ngenxa yabafowabo, futhi laba ngangibathanda ngokukhethekile. Amalungu ayisithupha omkhaya wakithi ayeboshiwe—umama, udadewethu uHelene, nami, kanye nabafowethu, uPaul, uHans, noErnst—achitha iminyaka engu-43 evalelwe. Futhi udadewethu uLisbeth naye wabugcina ubuqotho bakhe kuNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1945.
Ukuncika Emandleni KaJehova
Ngemva kokushada, mina noElli saba nelungelo lokukhonza iminyaka eminingi eBethel yaseMagdeburg nasemsebenzini wokuphayona kwaze kwaba yilapho siqala ukukhulisa amadodana ethu amabili. Sijabula kakhulu ngokuthi enye yawo, uHans-Joachim, ukhonza njengomdala futhi umkakhe njengephayona. Ngokudabukisayo, enye indodana yethu ayizange inamathele enkambweni yobuKristu esasiyifundise yona.
Sekuphele iminyaka engu-45 ngaba nokuhlangenwe nakho kokuba senkanjini yokuhlushwa. Kodwa ngisho namanje, uNkulunkulu wawo wonke umusa ongasifanele akakakuqedi ukungiqeqesha. (1 Petru 5:10) Ngokuvamile ngiye ngakhunjuzwa amazwi kamphostoli uPawulu akweyoku-1 Korinte 10:12: “Osuka ethi umi, akaqaphele ukuba angawi.”
Namuhla, njengoba ngineminyaka engu-81 ubudala, ngiyabonga ngokuthi ngisakwazi ukuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokufakaza nokukhonza njengomdala webandla. Futhi ngiyabonga ngokuthi ngiye ngakwazi ukusiza abantu abaningi ukuba bafinyelele izinga lokuzinikezela nobhapathizo. Nalokhu ngikubheka njengokubonakaliswa komusa ongafanele kaJehova.—Njengoba ilandiswa uJosef Rehwald.
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UJosef Rehwald ngo-1945
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Umkhaya wakwaRehwald, cishe ngo-1914. Umama noJosef esemncane ethangeni lakhe
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Josef noElli Rehwald emhlanganweni waseBerlin ngo-1991, nendodana uHans-Joachim nomkayo, u-Ursula