Otto (Adalbert) Kaasch OSB

Adalbert Kas; [from 1945 Kaasch] attended grammar school in Kremsmünster, Eperjes/Preschau [Presov] and Komotau after elementary school in Bad Aussee, where he graduated in 1926. He then began his studies at the German Technical University in Prague, which he continued in 1927 at the agricultural college in Tetschen [Decin] on the Liebwerd estate. Here he joined the student fraternity Elbmark in 1927. In the spring of 1934, he decided to take up religious life and entered the Benedictine order in the monastery in Braunau [Brevnov]/Bohemia, where he was given the religious name Otto. He then completed his theological and philosophical studies at the German University in Prague and was ordained a priest in Wrocław Cathedral in 1939.

Shortly after the outbreak of war, he was arrested by the Gestapo and interrogated for hours, although there was no apparent reason for his arrest. They were looking for evidence. As he spoke several languages (German, Czech, English and French), he was suspected of espionage. Nor can he be proven to have committed any moral misconduct (despite an intensive search) that would have led to a trial. He helps the Czechs as an interpreter during the interrogations. He was then transferred together with Czechs and Slovaks as a so-called protective custody prisoner to the Waldenburg [Walbrzych]/Lower Silesia camp, later a satellite camp of the KZ Groß Rosen. He remained there until October 31, 1939.