Martin Aiff
Martin Aiff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 21, 1919 Darmstadt, Germany |
| Died | March 13, 2001 Windhoek, Namibia |
| NSA member | Germany & Austria 1957 - 1959 South & West Africa 1973 - 1974 Namibia 1981 - 1984 1985 - 1986 |
| ABM | Africa 1986 - 1996 |
Martin Aiff (March 21, 1919 - March 13, 2001) was a German Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria and pioneered to Namibia.
Biography[edit]
Aiff was born in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1919. He became a Bahá’í in 1946 and was appointed to the National Youth Committee of Germany shortly after declaring. He married Gerda Hartmann in 1948 and they had six children. At some point he and his wife were appointed as caretakers of the National Bahá’í Center of Germany.[1]
In 1957 Aiff was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria and he served on the body until he pioneered to Windhoek, Namibia, in 1959. In Namibia he worked in business serving as a salesman and a store manager, later became a school administrator and managed arts centers, and also served as caretaer of the National Bahá’í Center in Windhoek alongside his wife. He pioneered to Leuderitz in 1967 and later pioneered to Tsumeb.[1]
In 1973 Aiff was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa and served for one year. He was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Namibia in 1981 and served until 1984, he was re-elected to the body in 1985 and served until being appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Africa the following year, and served as Board member for ten years.[1]
In 2001 Aiff passed away in Windhoek after a lengthy illness.[1] The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
"The Universal House of Justice was grieved to learn of the passing of longstanding servant of the Cause Martin Aiff. His staunch faith, his many years of dedicated service and his steadfastness in remaining at his pioneering post in Namibia in excess of forty years will serve as shining examples of devotion for generations to come."[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2002). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 29 (2000-2001), Pg(s) 267. View as PDF.
- ↑ Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa (2003) , compiled by Edith Johnson and Lowell Johnson, p 405
