Paul Rázga

* 10 December 1798, Bazin – † 18 June 1849, Bratislava / Lutheran pastor, one of the martyrs of Bratislava in 1848. ; ; He attended high school in Modor, then continued his studies in Bratislava and graduated in theology in Vienna. He did not get a job back home, so he went to Plankenburg in Austria to teach, then studied theology again in Vienna and was finally ordained a priest in 1823. He spent four years as a regular pastor in Trebesing in Carinthia and eight years in Zlán from 1827. At that time he was called back to his homeland and the town of Modor elected him as its priest. ; In 1835 he founded the Bratislava diocese widow and orphan pension institution. However, fate forced him to go abroad again and in 1839 he moved to Prague, where he organized a Protestant school and in November 1840 he issued an appeal to his followers on this matter, which was also published in print. He ministered there for two years. ; Finally, in 1846, the German Lutheran Church of Bratislava invited him to be its pastor. It is characteristic that in his very first sermon he voiced his passionate patriotism: «My strength, my talent are yours, my love is the church, my life is my homeland!...» For two years, even in German, he enthusiastically urged his followers to love their country. ; In 1848, Lajos Kossuth stirred up the mood at the parliament in Bratislava. Rázga, the fiery-hearted patriot, greeted the sudden turn of events as a day of salvation. He soon formed the Bratislava National Association and loudly proclaimed that the association's main goal was "to enforce the legal measures of the Hungarian government, if necessary, by force of arms". A few days later the number of members had increased to 400, and he was elected president. He also organized the national guard, which he sent to the Szenitsa region against the bandits who were robbing and destroying the lake. ; In Bratislava, meanwhile, the turmoil was reaching its peak. Kossuth addressed the gathered crowd from the balcony of the Green Tree Inn, and immediately afterwards Rázga stood next to Kossuth and interpreted the speech into German. After this speech, so many volunteer soldiers came forward that a huge Hungarian army could set off towards Schwechat, where the Austrians had set up camp. Heroes of freedom, yearning for victory, gathered in Köpcsény. Rázga hurried there to be present at the departure. It was his army, he had created it and wanted to bless the Hungarian weapons. The enthusiastic priest stood on a cannon to address the soldiers from this improvised pulpit and say a prayer in the hope of victory. The Hungarian armies had varying fortunes. Finally, in December 1848, the defeated imperialists crossed the Hungarian border again. Many fled from the Austrian army approaching Bratislava. ; Rázga decided to stay, although he could have fled towards Komárom, his friends warned him of this, but he did not want to hear about the escape. Count Ludwig von Welden marched into Bratislava with 40,000 soldiers. The captain of the city at that time was Vecsera (grandfather of Baroness Mária Vecsera, the heroine of the Meyerling disaster), who was very eager to assist Count Welden and that very evening he made sure that Rázga was imprisoned. City councilor Ferenczy, at the head of a whole group of soldiers, stormed into the parsonage at 24 Apacza-pálya. He only allowed the owner enough time to say goodbye to his wife and five children. He was taken to the city hall and immediately interrogated, but was soon escorted to the water barracks, where he languished in a damp prison for several months. In place of the humane Count Welden, the Viennese government sent the "more energetic" Baron Haynau, and that very day the military tribunal was convened to begin passing judgment on all the prisoners. ; The president of the military tribunal, General Windischgrätz, took pity on the unfortunate parson and wanted to give him an opportunity to "clear himself". But Rázga did not want to admit that he had committed a crime by defending his country. Finally, the trial was brought before Haynau. New incriminating witnesses came forward against the imprisoned pastor, Megerle, the director of the German theater, and Beumann, the comedian, who claimed that Rázga had made several insulting statements about the ruling family. The unfortunate man could no longer be saved. The sentence was for him to be hanged. Notables of the Lutheran church, and then women, flocked to Haynau to plead for mercy, but all to no avail. Rázga accepted the verdict calmly. ; On the night of June 17, 1849, he was taken to the castle prison, where he spent his last hours. The commander assigned the Lutheran pastor Vilmos Simkó to his side, who wrote down everything they had said together on that fateful night: "I did not comfort Rázga, but he comforted me, because I was completely broken." The next day, June 18, he was executed on Szamárhegy behind the castle. ; His prayer before his execution testifies to his astonishing faith: “Lord, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me, but not my will, but yours be done! Here I stand before you, Lord, facing the rising sun, and I look back over my life. Pain surrounds me, but my soul is at peace. I bless everything that my eyes see. I bless the inhabitants of Bratislava, my dear community, I bless my poor, innocent children, I bless my beloved wife, I bless the emperor – I bless those who condemned me. I bless my dear homeland, and I wish that it may be free and happy as soon as possible!”