Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P.: An American Priest in Nazi Germany

Viktor: An American Priest in Nazi Germany

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Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P.
The Life and Work of a Missionary

Before He Was Viktor
Nikolaus Koch, 16, professes his vows as a Passionist. More info »
Newly Ordained
Fr. Viktor, 23, is ordained a priest on September 19, 1896. More info »
A Photo with Mothers and Sisters
A tintype photo of Fr. Viktor with his mother Viktoria, and two older sisters Viktoria and Anna. More info »
Visiting Home
A young Fr. Viktor visits his mother's house in Sharon, Pennsylvania. More info »
An Easy Sunday
In the years after ordination, Fr. Viktor served as pastor of parishes in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. More info »
Young Viktor
Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P., circa 1900. More info »
April 1922: Saying Goodbye to Family in Sharon
He is pictured here with nephew Joe Koch. This picture dates back from the spring of 1922, before he departed for Germany. More info »
April 1922: Family Photo Session Before Setting Sail
He is photographed here with his two sisters and two brothers, all of whom are trying to make him smile. More info »
April 1922: Trying to Make Uncle Grin
Fr. Viktor's neices from the Bauer family are trying to make him smile for the camera. He is often somber in photos, and there might be a reason why. More info »
April 1922: Before the Departure to Germany
Fr. Viktor pasues for a photo before bidding farewell to his family in Sharon, PA. More info »
Photo with the Father General
Before they start their mission, Fr. Viktor (right, standing) and Fr. Valentine Lenherd (left, standing) journey to Rome and visit the leader of the Passionst Order, Father General Silvio Di Vezza, C.P. (seated). More info »
Frs. Viktor and Valentine at Lourdes
After arriving in Europe, the two co-founders of the future German-Austrian foundation visit the site of the Marian apparition. More info »
The Bulldog Face
He was a force to be reckoned with. We suspect this is the expression he donned to greet the Nazis and the American commander who delivered the fateful ultimatum in Schwarzenfeld. More info »
Good Days in Austria

Fr. Viktor (standing, center) poses with German Passionist Fr. Adolf Schmitt (standing, left), American Passionist Fr. Christopher Berlo (standing, right), and Austrian Cardinal Friedrich Gustav Piffl (seated). More info »
The Day that Changed Schwarzenfeld
On May 21, 1934, in the Bavarian town of Schwarzenfeld, Germany, Fr. Viktor breaks the sod and ushers in the construction project that will put bread and meat on tables throughout the impoverished town. More info »
The Groundbreaking Ceremony
After celebrating the breaking of the sod, the Passionists and the people of Schwarzenfeld commemorate the occasion with a photo. More info »
Like Bill Gates Coming to Town
Armed with an ample supply of American money, Fr. Viktor hires the citizens of Schwarzenfeld, Germany—and unemployed people wandering the Bavarian countryside in search of work—to construct a new Passionist monastery. More info »
Maneuvering Around the Reich
At a time when the Nazis were actively confiscating and secularizing monasteries throughout Bavaria, Fr. Viktor succeeds in hiring the town of Schwarenfeld to build a new cloister. Unemployment plunges so sharply in the region that the Nazis are forced to let the project continue. More info »
Monitoring Construction
Fr. Viktor poses for a photo with Dr. Michael Buchberger, the Bishop of Regensburg (center), along with clergy members and the civil leaders of Schwarzenfeld, Germany. More info »
Triumphant Provincial
Fr. Viktor poses for a photo at the steps of his new Passionist monastery, the Miesbergkloster. More info »
"Don't get mixed up in the War."
In a letter to his nephew Charles Koch, Fr. Viktor conveys his opinion about America's involvement in yet another European conflict. More info »
Fifty Years a Priest
Despite the opression of war, Schwarzenfelders decorate the Miesberg church and celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Fr. Viktor's ordination.
Peaceful Protest
The Nazis confiscate the Miesberg monastery in Schwarzenfeld. Fr. Viktor (seated) defies the eviction by taking up residence in a miniscule church sacristy with Fr. Paul Böhminghaus (standing). More info »
Once Passionists, Now Soldiers
Frs. Viktor and Paul pause for a photo with two Passionist novices drafted into the German army. Fr. Viktor prevailed upon all of his "spiritual sons" to write him weekly, providing a sign of life from the front lines. More info »
Devoted Parishioners: Paula and Michael Dirrigl
When Frs. Viktor and Paul chose to defy the eviction by staying in the flower sacristy, Frau Paula Dirrigl voluntarily cooked meals for the priests. Anna Thanner, her maid, secreted baskets of food to the church under a shawl. More info »
Herr Norbert Gindele
A staunch Catholic and fervent follower of Fr. Viktor, the town baker of Schwarzenfeld was shockingly vocal about his antipathy for the Nazis. Patrons of the Gindele bakery urged to his wife Maria: "Don't let him speak anymore, he is putting himself in danger." More info »
Changing the Milieu of a German Town
This poesiealbum (friendship book) belonged to Frau Liebharda Gindele. According to custom, only lifelong friends are permitted to write in these scrapbooks. Fr. Viktor penned a bible verse, followed by the Passionist slogan. More info »
The White Armband
The armband indicates that this photo was taken during the American occupation of Schwarzenfeld—possibly even during the 48-hour ultimatum. More info »
St. Nikolaus Apothecary
Escapees of the Flossenbürg Death March hid in a local barn. The Germans protecting them contracted typhoid fever. Fr. Viktor cut through the red tape with the American military government and helped Schwarzenfeld quickly open its first apothecary before the outbreak became an epidemic. More info »
Averting an Epidemic
Herr Emil Weiß (right), the founder of the St. Nikolaus Apothecary, is shown with his wife (left) and daughter Rita (center). They named the apothecary in Fr. Viktor's honor. (Fr. Viktor was devoted to St. Nikolaus.) More info »
The Ehrenbürger (Honorary citizen)
Shortly after Schwarzenfeld's local leadership regained political control in 1947, the town bestowed honorary citizenship upon Fr. Viktor. A gesture normally reserved for German nationals, the declaration celebrates his efforts to save Schwarzenfeld spiritually and physically throughout the war years and beyond. More info »
The Honor Citizen
Newly elected town mayor Norbert Gindele presents Fr. Viktor with a certificate declaring him an honorary citizen of Schwarzenfeld. More info »
"I was merely working in the Framework that God set for me."
History records Fr. Viktor making this statement to the onlooking crowd after Norbert Gindele (elected town mayor in the postwar era) declares him an honorary citizen of Schwarzenfeld. More info »
Visiting Home
During his trip to the States in 1947, Fr. Viktor visits with his youngest brother Albert Koch (grandfather of Gary and great grandfather of Katherine). More info »
The Family Patriarch
Even with an ocean separating him from his family, Fr. Viktor was consulted for blessings on marriages and called upon to resolve family disputes. More info »
Following in Viktor's Footsteps
Fr. Viktor is pictured with nephew Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P., just one of several family members who followed him into the Passionist order. Fr. Basil worked in West Hunan, China, for twenty-eight years until the Communist regime expelled him in 1952. More info »
Profound Family Influence
The family members flanking Fr. Viktor in this photo all followed him into the Passionist priesthood. From left to right, they are Monsignor Joseph G. Mehler (cousin), Fr. Benedict Huck, C.P. (second cousin), Fr. Victor, C.P., Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P. (nephew), and Fr. Roland Flaherty, C.P. (third cousin). More info »
Back to Germany—With Volunteers
Fr. Viktor visited the States for the last time in 1947. He returned with five young American Passionists who had volunteered to help him rebuild the shattered German-Austrian Passionist province. More info »
Death Card
Fr. Viktor died on December 15, 1955, in Schwarzenfeld. More info »
Funeral Procession
The people of Schwarzenfeld gather to lay their town father to rest. More info »
Procession Through the Courtyard
The coffin is carried to the Miesbergkirche church for the funeral cermony.
Funeral Service
The ceremony was held in the Miesbergkirche, the church where Fr. Viktor hid in a sacristy and peacefully protested the monastery eviction. More info »
Schwarzenfelders Pay Their Respects
Parishioners say farewell to the priest who defended their town. More info »
The Gravesite
The gravesite is situated in a small, private cemetery on the Miesbergkirche grounds. He is buried beside Fr. Valentine Lenherd, who died in February 1941. More info »
Rest in Peace
At the time of Fr. Viktor's death, no one beyond Schwarzenfeld knew of his efforts to save the town. More info »

Before He Was Viktor

Nikolaus Koch, 16, professes his vows as a Passionist. As a child, he was no stranger to pain and hardship. At the tender age of seven, he witnessed his newborn brother die. His father died of typhoid six months later. A few weeks after that, his maternal grandmother died of natural causes. No doubt, the Passionist credo, "We are closest to Christ in the midst of pain," made instant sense to him. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
Newly Ordained

Young Nikolaus Koch receives the name "Viktor" when he advances into the Passionist novitiate. He did not choose the name himself. During his day and age, novitiates randomly picked a slip of paper from a hat, and adopted the name inscribed on it. On September 19, 1896, at age 23, Fr. Viktor is ordained a priest. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
A Photo with Mothers and Sisters

This tintype photo shows Fr. Viktor with his mother Viktoria, and two older sisters Viktoria and Anna. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
Visiting Home

A young Fr. Viktor visits his mother's house in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Viktor's parents, Nikolaus Koch and Viktoria Elser Koch, settled in Hickory Township (modern-day Hermitage), and raised their family on Dutch Lane. Later, his mother moved to a house on Ormond Avenue in Sharon. Source: Bauer Family Records
An Easy Sunday

Fr. Viktor gets out of the habit and takes it easy. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
Young Viktor

Fr. Viktor Koch, C.P., circa 1900. Laboring as a curate, parish priest, and a rector in various parishes during the next 26 years, Fr. Viktor earned a reputation for self-sacrifice and perseverance. His commitment to the Passionist message was reflected by his decision to produce "Veronica's Veil," a Passion Play that never been seen before in North America. The first Pittsburgh staging occurred in 1910 at St. Michael Auditorium on the city's south side. It drew 25,000 attendees at its peak in the 1920s. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
April 1922: Saying Goodbye to Family in Sharon

He is pictured here with nephew Joe Koch. This picture dates back from the spring of 1922, before he departed for Germany. Source: Bauer Family Records
April 1922: Family Photo Session Before Setting Sail for Germany

He is photographed here with his two sisters and two brothers, all of whom are trying to make him smile. From left to right: Viktoria Koch Oldecker (eldest child in the family); Peter Koch (fourth child); Fr. Viktor (third child and eldest son); Anna Koch Bauer (second child); and Albert Koch (fourth and youngest child of the family). Source: Bauer Family Records
April 1922: Trying to Make Uncle Grin

Fr. Viktor's neices from the Bauer family are trying to make him smile for the camera. He is often somber in photos, and there might be a reason why. We found a Bauer family video from 1934, and when he smiled, it revealed a space between his two front teeth. It must have made him self-conscious. Source: Bauer Family Records
April 1922: Before the Departure to Germany

Fr. Viktor pasues for a photo before bidding farewell to his family in Sharon, PA. Source: Bauer Family Records
Photo with the Father General

Before they start their mission, Fr. Viktor (right, standing) and Fr. Valentine Lenherd (left, standing) journey to Rome and visit the leader of the Passionst Order, Father General Silvio Di Vezza, C.P. (seated). Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
Frs. Viktor and Valentine at Lourdes

After arriving in Europe, the two co-founders of the future German-Austrian foundation visit the site of the Marian apparition. Source: U.S. Passionist Archives, Union City, NJ
The Bulldog Face

See Fr. Viktor standing in the center of the photo. You can't miss him. It's impossible to tell what prompted that glower on this occasion, but one thing is certain—he was a force to be reckoned with. This is likely the expression he donned when standing toe-to-toe with the American commander who delivered the fateful ultimatum in Schwarzenfeld. Source: Bauer Family Records
Good Days in Austria

Fr. Viktor (standing, center) poses with German Passionist Fr. Adolf Schmitt (standing, left), American Passionist Fr. Christopher Berlo (standing, right), and Austrian Cardinal Friedrich Gustav Piffl (seated). Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
The Day that Changed Schwarzenfeld

On May 21, 1934, in the Bavarian town of Schwarzenfeld, Germany, Fr. Viktor breaks the sod and ushers in the construction project that will put bread and meat on tables throughout the impoverished town. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
The Groundbreaking Ceremony

After celebrating the breaking of the sod, the Passionists and the people of Schwarzenfeld commemorate the occasion with a photo. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Like Bill Gates Coming to Town

Armed with an ample supply of American money, Fr. Viktor hires the citizens of Schwarzenfeld, Germany—and unemployed people wandering the Bavarian countryside in search of work—to construct a new Passionist monastery. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Maneuvering Around the Reich

At a time when the Nazis were actively confiscating and secularizing monasteries throughout Bavaria, Fr. Viktor succeeds in hiring the town of Schwarenfeld to build a new cloister. In the wake of the Great Depression, revitalizing the German economy is a priority for Hitler and his regime. Unemployment plunges so sharply in the vicinity of Schwarzenfeld that the Nazis are forced to let construction efforts continue. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Monitoring Construction

Fr. Viktor poses for a photo with Dr. Michael Buchberger, the Bishop of Regensburg (center), along with clergy members and the civil leaders of Schwarzenfeld, Germany. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Triumphant Provincial

Fr. Viktor poses for a photo at the steps of his new Passionist monastery, the Miesbergkloster. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
"Don't get mixed up in the War."

In a letter to his nephew Charles Koch, Fr. Viktor conveys his opinion about America's involvement in yet another European conflict. Source: Koch Family Records
Fifty Years a Priest

Despite the opression of war, Schwarzenfelders decorate the Miesberg church and celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Fr. Viktor's ordination. Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Peaceful Protest

The Nazis confiscate the Miesberg monastery in Schwarzenfeld. Fr. Viktor (seated) defies the eviction by taking up residence in a miniscule church sacristy with Fr. Paul Böhminghaus (standing). Source: German Passioninst Foundation Archives
Once Passionists, Now Soldiers

Frs. Viktor and Paul pause for a photo with two Passionist novices drafted into the German army. Fr. Viktor prevailed upon all of his "spiritual sons" to write him weekly, providing a sign of life from the front lines. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
Devoted Parishioners: Paula and Michael Dirrigl

When Frs. Viktor and Paul chose to defy the eviction by staying in the flower sacristy, Frau Paula Dirrigl voluntarily cooked meals for the priests. Anna Thanner, her maid, secreted baskets of food to the church under a shawl. Source: Herta Arata
Herr Norbert Gindele

A staunch Catholic and fervent follower of Fr. Viktor, the town baker of Schwarzenfeld was shockingly vocal about his antipathy for the Nazis. Patrons of the Gindele bakery urged to his wife Maria: "Don't let him speak anymore, he is putting himself in danger." Source: Gindele Family Records
Changing the Milieu of a German Town

This poesiealbum (friendship book) belonged to Frau Liebharda Gindele. According to custom, only lifelong friends are permitted to write in these scrapbooks. Fr. Viktor penned the Passionist slogan: "Das Leiden unseres Herrn Jesus Christus sei stets in unsern Herzen." Translation: "May the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ remain ever in our hearts." Source: Gindele Family Records
The White Armband

The armband indicates that this photo was taken during the American occupation of Schwarzenfeld—possibly even during the 48-hour ultimatum. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
St. Nikolaus Apothecary

Escapees of the Flossenbürg Death March hid in a local barn. The Germans protecting them contracted typhoid fever. Fr. Viktor cut through the red tape with the American military government and helped Schwarzenfeld quickly open its first apothecary before the outbreak became an epidemic. Source: Rita Wittleben
Averting an Epidemic

Herr Emil Weiß (right), the founder of the St. Nikolaus Apothecary, is shown with his wife (left) and daughter Rita (center). They named the apothecary in Fr. Viktor's honor. (Fr. Viktor was devoted to St. Nikolaus.) Source: Rita Wittleben
The Ehrenbürger (Honorary citizen)

Shortly after Schwarzenfeld's local leadership regained political control in 1947, the town bestowed honorary citizenship upon Fr. Viktor. A gesture normally reserved for German nationals, the declaration celebrates his efforts to save Schwarzenfeld spiritually and physically throughout the war years and beyond. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
The Honor Citizen

Newly elected town mayor Norbert Gindele (center) presents Fr. Viktor with a certificate declaring him an honorary citizen of Schwarzenfeld. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
"I was merely working in the Framework that God set for me."

History records Fr. Viktor making this statement to the onlooking crowd after Norbert Gindele (elected town mayor in the postwar era) declares him an honorary citizen of Schwarzenfeld. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
Visiting Home

During his trip to the States in 1947, Fr. Viktor visits with his youngest brother Albert Koch (grandfather of Gary and great grandfather of Katherine). Source: Koch Family Records
The Family Patriarch

Even with an ocean separating him from his family, Fr. Viktor was consulted for blessings on marriages and called upon to resolve family disputes. Source: Bauer Family Records
Following in Viktor's Footsteps

Fr. Viktor is pictured with nephew Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P., just one of several family members who followed him into the Passionist order. Fr. Basil worked in West Hunan, China, for twenty-eight years until the Communist regime expelled him in 1952. Source: Bauer Family Records
Profound Family Influence

The family members flanking Fr. Viktor in this photo all followed him into the Passionist priesthood. From left to right, they are Monsignor Joseph G. Mehler (cousin), Fr. Benedict Huck, C.P. (second cousin), Fr. Victor, C.P., Fr. Basil Bauer, C.P. (nephew), and Fr. Roland Flaherty, C.P. (third cousin). Source: Bauer Family Records
Back to Germany—With Volunteers

Fr. Viktor visited the States for the last time in 1947. He returned with five young American Passionists who had volunteered to help him rebuild the shattered German-Austrian Passionist province. Source: U.S. Passionst Archives, Union City, NJ
Death Card

Fr. Viktor died on December 15, 1955, in Schwarzenfeld. Source: Hans and Anna Gietl
Funeral Procession

The people of Schwarzenfeld gather to lay their town father to rest. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
Procession Through the Courtyard

The coffin is carried to the Miesbergkirche church for the funeral cermony. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
Funeral Service

The ceremony was held in the Miesbergkirche, the church where Fr. Viktor hid in a sacristy and peacefully protested the monastery eviction. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
Schwarzenfelders Pay Their Respects

Parishioners say farewell to the priest who defended their town. Source: German Passionist Foundation Archives
The Gravesite

The gravesite is situated in a small, private cemetery on the Miesbergkirche grounds. He is buried beside Fr. Valentine Lenherd, who died in February 1941. Source: Fr. Nikolaus Seitz
Rest in Peace

At the time of Fr. Viktor's death, no one beyond Schwarzenfeld knew of his efforts to save the town. Source: Fr. Nikolaus Seitz

About the Town of Schwarzenfeld, Germany

It is a riverside town in northeast Bavaria, home to a population that is mostly devout Catholic. It celebrates its 1000-year anniversary in 2015.

The Passionists: Fr. Viktor's Religious Order

They are spiritual contemplatives with a powerful message: the Crucified Christ is present in all who endure suffering.

Now Available: The Novel

Katherine's historical fiction novel, The Sower of Black Field, carries readers from the monastery confiscation in April 1941 to the climactic 48-hour ultimatum. The book is available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook form.