On Thursday, December 8th, 2022, the dead and living Tyrolean freedom fighters of the 1960s were traditionally commemorated in St. Pauls. Around 2,000 sutlers, marksmen and Tyrolean patriots followed the joint invitation of the South Tyrolean Homeland Association (Südtiroler Heimatbundes) and the South Tyrolean Rifle Association (Südtiroler Schützenbundes). Sepp Kerschbaumer's** life remains a role model in terms of home service. The celebration began at 9.45 a.m. with the reporting of the formations that had taken place and the subsequent front patrol by the mayor of Eppan, Wilfried Trettl , the regional commander of the South Tyrolean Rifle Association, Major Roland Seppi , the chairman of the South Tyrolean Heimatbund, Roland Lang and the commemorative speaker, honorary regional commander Major Elmar Thaler.
The Frangart band then accompanied the shooters through the streets of St. Pauls to go to church in the parish church. Father Reinald Romaner celebrated Holy Mass. In the sermon he emphasized Sepp Kerschbaumer's Christian way of life. After going to church, the participants marched to the cemetery, where Roland Lang greeted those present. In addition to the shooters, many participants from the civilian population also accepted the invitation. The strong participation of broad sections of the population underlines that the services of Sepp Kerschbaumer and his comrades-in-arms for today's South Tyrol are widely recognized and undisputed.
In his speech, memorial speaker Elmar Thaler underlined the importance of the sacrificial death of Sepp Kerschbaumer for the history of South Tyrol and drew important conclusions for the present:
Future needs origin. Ask high school graduates today who Sepp Kerschbaumer is. You will be severely disappointed. It's a lot if our students can place Andreas Hofer halfway in time, but that's all we can do. But if, as soon as the contemporary witnesses have passed away, no one knows what sacrifices were necessary to achieve our current status, in a few years we will not only not have an answer to the question why we are different, but this question will don't even face it anymore. According to Honorary Commander Elmar Thaler, it's finally about showing commitment to the homeland and taking Sepp Kerschbaumer as a role model to heart.
After the commemorative speech, the Frangart band played the song about the “good comrade” at the former grave of Sepp Kerschbaumer. Sepp Kerschbaumer's comrades-in-arms Franz Höfler, Anton Gostner, Luis Amplatz, Jörg Klotz, Kurt Welser and all those comrades who walked part of the way with them were also remembered. The rifle company Sepp Kerschbaumer Eppan fired the salvo of honor . The very dignified commemoration was concluded with the Tyrolean national anthem and the Austrian national anthem. In his closing remarks, state commander Roland Seppi warned South Tyrolean politicians to act as a matter of urgency in terms of South Tyrolean volunteer work:
Our clubs and associations are the backbone of our society. You are one of the guarantors that we as an Austrian minority have a chance of surviving in the foreign national state of Italy. So you people in charge in the country house, call Tuscany and learn something from them, but quickly! Not just on Saint Never's Day!
At a time when the role played by the struggle for freedom in the 1960s was being increasingly relativized by official South Tyrol, it is a sign of recognition when numerous participants express respect, admiration and thanks to those men and women who unite for the freedom of their homeland Sacrificed part of their lives and without whom today's South Tyrolean autonomy would be unthinkable.
** It is 58 years since Sepp Kerschbaumer died. He was only 51 years old. He was a leading member of the South Tyrolean Liberation Committee (Befreiungsausschuss Südtirol)
➡️ Kerschbaumer was the charismatic leader of the "Committee for the Liberation of South Tyrol" (BAS).
➡️ He has drawn worldwide attention to the injustice in South Tyrol with attacks on state symbols.
➡️ For this he was mercilessly tortured by the carabinieri and died on 7 December 1964
➡️ Kerschbaumer has always saved human lives.
➡️ He assumed responsibility in the Milan trial.
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