Blessed Otto Neururer

Otto Neururer (25 March 1882 – 30 May 1940) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and was the first priest to die in a Nazi concentration camp. Neururer did his studies for the priesthood in Brixen before he served as a teacher and pastor in several cities before settling in 1932 in Götzens near Innsbruck. He was arrested in 1938 for attempting to persuade a girl not to be wed to a man of questionable morals and was sent to Dachau before being transferred to Buchenwald where he died after being hanged upside down, nailed to a tree, practically crucified. As he was "crucified" he did not scream, but instead prayed silently. He was left there for 36 hours and then killed by Nazi guard Martin Sommer. Otto Neururer was later beatified. Neururer's beatification was celebrated on 24 November 1996 based on the fact that he died as a result of "odium fidei" (the hatred of the faith). Otto Neururer was born on 25 March 1881 as the last of twelve children to the poor and modest farmers Alois Neururer and Hildegard Streng. His parents managed a small farm with a mill. He was a timid (noted as having had a subdued temperament) but academic man who battled depression much like his mother did. His devout mother would suffer from these occasional bouts of depression following her husband's death when Neururer was eight years old. Supported by his uncle, he studied for the priesthood in Brixen, under the Vincentians from 1895, (he did his theological studies from 1903 onwards) before he was ordained to the priesthood in June 1907. He celebrated his first Mass as a priest in his hometown. Neururer also wanted to become a Jesuit so he could join their missions though his delicate health at the time prevented him from being able to pursue that path.