- Johann Maier
Johann Maier (born
23 June 1906 in Berghofen, today part ofAham ,Lower Bavaria ; died24 April 1945 inRegensburg ) was from 1939 until his death a preacher at RegensburgCathedral .On
22 April 1945 , Reich Defence CommissarLudwig Ruckdeschel took city defence to the extreme in Regensburg whenUnited States Army tank s had already reached theDanube .The next day, an excited crowd of people gathered at the Moltkeplatz – nowadays known as Dachauplatz. Johann Maier was there and bade the crowd be quiet as he had something to say. He called for the town's peaceful handover. Even before he had finished his speech, he was seized by
plainclothes police . Likewise, several other demonstrators were arrested. That evening, Maier was brought before adrumhead court and sentenced to death byhanging .Michael Buchberger , theBishop of Regensburg , was frightened into silence and hid himself in a cellar.On the morning of
24 April 1945 at 3:25, Maier was hanged at Moltkeplatz. About his neck, he wore a sign that said "I am asaboteur ". Later theWehrmacht and the SS both fled southwards out of town; Regensburg fell without a fight.Maier's grave can be found in the Cathedral among the bishops' graves. There is also a memorial plaque at the Cathedral.
Literature
*Werner Chrobak, Paul Mai, Barbara Möckershoff: "50 Jahre danach. Domprediger Dr. Johann Maier und seine Zeit". Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 1995, ISBN 3-7954-1083-5
*Karl Hausberger: "Sterben, damit andere leben können. Der Regensburger Domprediger Dr. Johann Maier (1906-1945)". Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1758-9
*Anton M. Kormann: "Domprediger Dr. Johann Maier. Erinnerungen an einen Blutzeugen". 1995, ISBN 3-9804016-2-6External links
* [http://www.br-online.de/cgi-bin/ravi.pl?v=video/&g2=1&f=bh-maier.rm Documentary video]
* [http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/m/Maier_j.shtml Biography at "Bautz"]
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