Aloisia Hofinger

But love is stronger...

Aloisia Hofinger was born in 1922, the third child of a working class family from Walding/Linz. Due to their poverty, she started to work for farmers after finishing the seven years of "Bürgerschule" (compulsory schooling). In 1939, she volunteered for six months of "Arbeitsdienst" (labour service). After that, she worked with a farmer as a maid in a stable at Ottensheim, where she met Josef, a Polish forced labourer. The couple fell in love, and Aloisia got pregnant. In May 1942, they were informed against and taken to the Gestapo prison in Linz. Aloisia was provisionally released after two weeks. On July 2nd, 1942, her daughter Annemarie was born. After her temporary parole, Aloisia Hofinger was again arrested on November 2nd, 1942. The farmer’s family where she had been employed took care of her daughter. In the Gestapo prison, she saw Josef for the last time. He had been imprisoned since May and was showing the physical effects of torture. With a gesture, he let her know that he had been sentenced to death by hanging. Without a trial, Aloisia Hofinger was deported to Ravensbrück on November 8th, 1942. When she arrived there, Josef had already been executed in Linz.

I told my confirmation sponsor. „Heavens, Loisi, if only you had said one word,“ she said, „we would have been able to stop this.“ „That's what you say today,“ I said, but we were trained not to say anything. So we didn't even dare. You can control yourself, after all, so you don't do something like that at all, when it is forbidden. Right? But … love is stronger …

Forced labour in the Third Reich

Immediately after the war had started, Polish prisoners of war were taken to the "German Reich" as forced labourers. Later, to satisfy the demand for labour in industry and agriculture, civilian workers were forcefully recruited and also brought to Germany. To prevent all social contact between the "Aryan" population and Polish forced labourers outside the workplace, the so-called "Polenerlasse" ("Polish decrees") were passed in March 1940. Polish forced labourers were subjected to a number of petty prohibitions and regulations. There were curfews, they had to wear a visible "P" on their clothing, the use of public transport was prohibited, and they were threatened with concentration camp sentences for "careless work". Above all, any "sociable dealings with the German population" were prohibited. An intimate relationship with an "Aryan" woman, the man was punished by death, the woman by a prison or concentration camp sentence.