August Froehlich
A Catholic priest whose defiant protection of Polish laborers under the Nazi regime led to his martyrdom at Dachau.
1891–1942 (age 51)·Birthday: January 26·The Lost Generation
Biography
August Froehlich was a parish priest in Upper Silesia, a region of tangled German and Polish identities. When the National Socialists took power, his faith compelled him to act against their ideology. His most direct confrontation came from defending Polish forced laborers, whom he insisted on treating with basic human dignity, allowing them to attend Mass and hear sermons in Polish. This defiance enraged local Nazi officials. Arrested in 1941, he was shuttled through prisons and finally the Dachau concentration camp, where systematic brutality and harsh conditions led to his death the following year. Froehlich's story is not one of military resistance, but of a moral stance taken from the pulpit, a choice that cost him his life.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
August was born in 1891, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When August Was Born
The biggest hits of 1891
August's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1891Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1896Started school
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Became a teenager
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could drive
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could vote
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Turned 21
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1921Turned 30
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1931Turned 40
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 50
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1942Died at 51
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
Key Achievements
- Publicly defended the rights of Polish forced laborers in Nazi Germany, allowing them religious services in their own language.
- Was repeatedly arrested by the Gestapo for his outspoken criticism of National Socialist policies.
- Was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II.
Did You Know?
Before his arrest, Froehlich was known for his powerful and engaging sermons.
The cause for his sainthood was opened by the Diocese of Berlin.
A street in the Berlin district of Schöneberg is named after him.
“I will give the Polish workers the same pastoral care I give my German parishioners.”
