August 13, 1943 – Jakob Gapp Executed

Execution of Bl. Jakob Gapp (1897 – 1943) Jakob Gapp was born in Wattens, Austria in 1897. He was a soldier in World War I. He joined the Marianist order in 1921 and was ordained a priest in 1930. He was the director of religious education in the Marianist schools. As the Nazi party came to power, Fr. Gapp saw a conflict between Nazi ideology and Christianity and spoke out loudly against the party. In 1933 the Gestapo ordered him to cease teaching religion. Gapp, however, continued to speak out against the Nazi party. Under increasing pressure, he fled to Spain. The Gestapo arrested him on a visit into France in 1942. On August 13, 1943 he was guillotined. He was beatified in 1996 by Pope John Paul II.

Source: August 13 in German History