Dr. Jakob Kastelic
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Curriculum Vitae
Jakob Kastelic was born in Vienna, the son of a journeyman baker in the 14th district. After elementary school, he attended the Imperial and Royal State Grammar School in Fichtnergasse. In October 1915, he passed the so-called "Kriegsmatura" with distinction. He was called up for military service in 1915 and was discharged from the war as a lieutenant.
In 1937, Jakob Kastelic married a hairdresser's daughter from Penzing. His eldest son Norbert was born in 1938, followed two years later by his second son Gerhard.
Politically, Jakob Kastelic was firmly rooted in Austrian Catholicism. He became involved in Catholic youth organizations early on, including the Kalasantines, and was particularly dedicated to young workers. He was involved in various organizations, such as the Patriotic Front or the "Christian-German Gymnasts" [today: Sports Union].
One of the group's political goals was the idea of a Danube federation including Bavaria, if possible with the participation of the House of Habsburg. Kastelic's fellow campaigners included the social democratic journalist Hans Schwendenwein, the non-party member Karl Rössel-Majdan and the writer Günther Loch. In 1940, he managed to make contact with the "Austrian Freedom Movement" around Karl Lederer and the group around the Augustinian canon Roman Karl Scholz.
From July 1940, a good 300 people from these resistance groups were betrayed by the castle actor Otto Hartmann (Otto Hartmann was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment in 1947 and pardoned in 1957) and Jakob Kastelic was arrested on July 23, 1940. In December 1940, he was sent to the Vienna Provincial Court, transferred to Anrath Prison in Westphalia in the summer of 1941, then to Hamborn Prison and transferred to Anrath again in January 1943. On March 1, 1944, Jakob Kastelic was sentenced to death by the People's Court for high treason.
On January 24, 1941, Jakob Kastelic was informed by the Vienna Provincial Court that his wife was seriously ill. He is taken to see his wife that day. In the two days that followed, he heard nothing about his wife's condition. Another day later, he learns of his wife's death two days earlier. His wife Maria died on January 25, 1941, the cause of death being pneumonia and pleurisy.
The National Socialists do not allow Jakob Kastelic to attend his wife's funeral. One hour before the funeral, he was able to bid farewell to his dead wife in the mortuary, guarded by two judicial officers.
On August 1, 1944, Jakob Kastelic is visited one last time. He is not informed of the date of his execution. Anna Hanika and his son Gerhard, who was a toddler at the time, were among the visitors. Also present is Father Johann Bruckner, a friend of the family, who knows that the death sentence will apparently be carried out the next day.
His son Gerhard and Father Bruckner are not allowed to enter the consulting room during the interview. The front door is opened for a brief moment so that Jakob Kastelic can see his son and Father Bruckner one last time. The priest gives him general absolution, for which the prisoner thanks him with a deep bow. However, the warden's voice, announcing the "end of speaking time", ended the visit without allowing him to say goodbye.
Jakob Kastelic was murdered by guillotine in Vienna's Regional Court I on August 2, 1944. His body was found in the Vienna Anatomy Department after the end of the war in 1945. He was buried in the Penzing parish cemetery on October 27, 1945.
From his farewell letter dated August 2, 1944, the day of his execution:
My dearest, faithful sister!
Take care of my darlings, raise them to be upright, good people. Thank you so much for all your love and kindness! Make Mother's old age a beautiful one! Protect them from the terrible news of my death! She shall come to me in eternity in a beautiful picture. With the deepest gratitude I go strengthened with the means of grace into eternity. Your picture accompanies me on my last journey. Heartfelt thanks to all my dear relatives and brothers-in-law, benefactors, friends and acquaintances! Special thanks and greetings to my dear foster mothers of my little boys!
With deepest love, your Jakob
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Citations
Homepage "Zur Erinnerung" unter www.jakob-kastelic.zurerinnerung.at
