Anna Grossmann
Anna Grossmann | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 16, 1905 Pirmasens, Germany |
| Declared | 1921 |
| Died | June 12, 1984 Savonlinna, Finland |
| Other names | Anna Hartmuth |
| NSA member | Germany & Austria 1936 - 1937 1948 - 1959 Germany 1959 - 1960 |
| ABM | Europe 1954 - ???? |
Anna Grossmann (August 16, 1905 - June 12, 1984) was a German Bahá’í who served as an National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board member.
Biography[edit]
Grossmann was born Anna Hartmuth in the town Pirmasens in Southern Germany in 1905 and raised in a middle class family. She met Hermann Grossmann while attending school and was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith through him declaring in 1921. They married in 1924 and had two children, Hartmut and Susanne.[1] Initially they lived in Hamburg after marrying but moved to Weinheim in 1933 and later moved to Neekargemfind.[2]
Grossmann served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria during the 1930's.[3] In March 1937 the Grossman's went on pilgrimage and met Shoghi Effendi.[4] The Nazi Party outlawed the Bahá’í Faith in late 1937 and Grossmann kept in communication with Bahá’ís across Germany to offer encouragement.[1] She was interrogated by the Gestapo in 1939 and in May 1944 legal proceedings were taken against her charging her with being a Bahá’í.[3]
After the war she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria after the body was re-established in 1945 serving as secretary and particularly assisting in the reformation of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the two countries.[1] In 1951 her husband was appointed a Hand of the Cause and she served as his assistant and secretary and in 1954 she was appointed as an inaugural Auxiliary Board member for Europe when the institution was established.[4]
In the spring of 1957 the Grossmann's made a second pilgrimage.[5] In the early 1960's Grossmann accompanied her husband on travel teaching trips across South America in 1960, 1961, and 1962. After her husbands passing she remained in Neekargemfind in Germany and continued serving as an Auxiliary Board member into the 1970's.[6] In her seventies she pioneered to Finland to live near her son, Hartmut, and served on a Local Spiritual Assembly.[4]
In 1984 Grossmann passed away in Savonlinna, Finland, and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message to her family:
EXTEND WARMEST SYMPATHY PASSING YOUR ESTEEMED AND MUCH LOVED MOTHER WHOSE SOUL UNDOUBTEDLY REJOICING SERVICES CAUSE HER CHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN ESPECIALLY YOUR OWN DISTINGUISHED LABOURS. HAVE TELEXED NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY GERMANY QUOTE GRIEVED LEARN PASSING ANNA GROSSMANN OUTSTANDING PROMOTER FAITH. RECALL WITH PROFOUND EMOTION HER LOVING ANGELIC CHARACTER HER STALWART UPHOLDING FAITH AT SIDE HER ILLUSTRIOUS HUSBAND DURING DARKEST YEARS CAUSE GERMANY HER INSPIRING SERVICES TEACHING FIELD INCLUDING EXTENSIVE TRAVELS SOUTH AMERICA HER TIRELESS LABOURS AS MEMBER AND SECRETARY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY AND AS MEMBER AUXILIARY BOARD. FINLAND BLESSED BY HER PIONEERING THAT LAND EVENING HER EARTHLY LIFE. CONVEY MEMBERS BEREAVED FAMILY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY ASSURANCE PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. URGE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETING MASHRIQULADHKAR UNQUOTE HAVE ALSO TELEXED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FINLAND. HARTMUT GROSSMANN.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 639. View as PDF.
- ↑ Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 2007, p 177
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 2007, p 180
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 640. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 420. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1974). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 523, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
