Bosch, Anton, 70 Years Old...
by the Editors of Volk auf dem Weg
Bosch Anton, 70 Jahre ...
Von Redakteuren des Volk auf dem Weg
Volk auf dem Weg, Landsmannschaft der Deutschen
aus Russland, Stuttgart, Germany, October, 2004, pages 19-20
Translation from German to English by Alex Herzog,
Boulder, Colorado
With this heading, Anton Bosch sent his "bio" to the editors
of Volk auf dem Weg twenty years ago. The text also stated: "Fully
qualified engineer, married, three children, Catholic, born in Kandel
near Odessa."
From about April, 1974, Bosch quickly became one of the people
of the future for the Landsmannschaft der Deustchen aus Russland.
For a long time he was considered a legitimate successor for the
national chairman from 1978 to 1991, Franz Usselmann. But that did
not happen because of the "fateful election" in the Landsmannschaft
of October 20, 1991, when the delegates decided, by a large majority,
in favor of the experienced social expert, Alois Reiss. Bosch was
considered to be rather a man representative of the culture and
history of the Germans from Russia, and an expert on family reunification
and human rights.
In these areas, he distinguished himself before and after his work
within the national leadership of our Landsmannschaft. His straightforward
approach to things took him from a series of leadership positions
in local chapters of the Fuerth-Nuernberg area into the national
leadership group of the Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Russland
(1977 - 1984 and 1984 - 1991).
In addition, Anton Bosch served from 1987 to 1991 as chair of the
Cultural Council for Germans from Russia and was especially effective
during those first contacts between the Landsmannschaft and Soviet
officials during the glasnost and perestroyka eras. Thanks to his
efforts, the "Question of Germans from Russia" met with
much more consideration, on many levels, than ever before or after.
For example, during the Vienna KSZE Conference of 1987, where Anton
Bosch, along with his leadership colleague, Helmut Kremser, was
not without success in his attempt to bring about awareness with
representatives of the Federal Republic, the USSR, Great Britain,
Canada, and the USA about specific hardship cases affecting specific
members of German nationality in the Soviet Union eager to emigrate.
German Bundestag members and CDU majority party members in Bonn
followed his example during their October 1987 visits to Moscow.
Even after he left leadership posts of the Landsmannschaft, Anton
Bosch remained very closely associated with his ethnic group via
his contributions to VadW and via his active work in the Bund der
Vertriebenen [Association for Refugees].
Considered perhaps his greatest achievement within recent years
is the founding of the "Historischen Forschungsverein der Deutschen
aus Russland [Historical Research Society for Germans from Russia]"
in Nuernberg in 1999. He has been its chairman and driving force
ever since. The Society has distinguished itself particularly through
its publication of books and calendars on the history and the present
of the Germans from Russia.
Anton Bosch is one of the multitude of German-Russians who are
actually German-Ukrainians and who during the past century were
governed and humiliated by various commissars. At the time of Anton
Bosch's birth in 1934, Ukraine had just suffered one of its worst
years of famine, which was followed by the horrendous state-sponsored
terror under Stalin. In 1941 Hitler's troops arrived and introduced
a new regime, which left the majority of ethnic Germans in the Black
Sea region alone, but immediately thereafter caused them to be punished
for every crime that had been committed in the name of Germany between
1933 and 1945.
For the Bosch family this first meant participation in the "Great
Trek" to the Warthegau [Poland] in 1944, then further flight
to Germany in 1945, then "repatriation" to Kazakhstan
for mother and children without their father and a permanently separated
family. Following several attempts, the Bosch family was able to
return to Germany in 1974, that is, at a time when it was still
a favorable thing for German-Russians to emigrate. The excellent
employment situation in Germany at the time provided Anton Bosch
with a position as an engineer -- his professional qualifications
thus made it possible for him to take up outstanding positions in
both Kazakhstan and Germany.
These days, Anton Bosch, who will be 70 years old on October 28,
continues his activities with great and creative enthusiasm, thanks
to strict attention to a medically ordered diet. After losing 12
kg [about 26 pounds] and shaving off his beard he seems more like
a wiry athlete rather than a retiree. He does not show the years
nor any minor aches and pains.
Volk auf dem Weg expresses its best wishes to its avid comrade-in-arms
in matters on behalf of Germans from Russia, for good health and
for good fortune in his remaining journey in life.
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