Maximilian Kolbe - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1973 - 40 Pfennig

The Polish Father Maximilian Kolbe was the second of five children of a working-class family born on January 8, 1894, near the Polish industrial city of Lodz. From 1912 to 1919, the young man who entered the Minorite Order studied philosophy and theology in Rome. Already as a student, he thought of founding a community with the help of which he wanted to defend the Church, renew it and make it missionary. From 1919 he began as a young priest in Krakow, then in Grodno, finally from 1927 in Niepokalanów, west of Warsaw, to put his plans into action. The main means of disseminating his ideas was initially a journal; later a daily newspaper and other periodicals were added. From 1930 to 1936 Kolbe worked as a missionary in Japan. There too he had greater successes with his press apostolate. His multifaceted work was made possible by the Niepokalanów Monastery, which grew steadily until 1939, where nearly all the work was done by monks, most recently around 700. The monastery was marked by a radical poverty in the succession of St. Francis of Assisi and great brotherhood. When, after the occupation of Poland by Germany in 1939, the majority of the brothers had separated, the monastery became a refuge for persecuted Poles and Jews. It also served to supply the population living there. After being released after an eight-week detention, Father Kolbe was arrested again in February 1941 and taken to Auschwitz. Subjected to the same tortures as the others, he helped his fellow prisoners as best he could. At the end of July 1941, 10 prisoners were selected for the thirst and starvation following the escape of a prisoner. In doing so, Kolbe voluntarily took the place of a convicted man and went with him to the notorious Hungerbunker. He encouraged the inmates and led them from hate to resignation. On August 14, 1941, he was forcibly killed with three other survivors. On October 17, 1971, Pope Paul VI. Maximilian Kolbe declared Blessed. The Catholic Church understands the modern apostolate of this Order's preacher, his love across all national borders, to the sacrifice of one's own life as a call to her as well as to all people of good will.