The oldest Fischlhammer celebrates his 101st birthday next week. Johann Pfaff was born on December 21, 1920 in Vukovar. After six years at the German elementary school in his birthplace, he worked on his parents’ farm until he was drafted into the German army in 1942. At the end of the war he managed to cross the border at Unterdrauburg on May 12, 1945 at 9 a.m. “I later heard from a neighbor in Lindach that there was no getting through after midday. I was really lucky,” he says gratefully.
Released from English captivity in St. Veit an der Glan on January 21, 1946, he went to Upper Austria, where his parents had found refuge from 1944 onwards. Johann was a farmhand on various farms in the municipality of Schwanenstadt.
In 1953 he married Maria (nee Medved) and started independence with her in Niederholzham. Son Johann was born here in January 1954. Daughter Maria was born in Schwanenstadt in 1955 and son Anton saw the light of day in Lambach in 1958. At that time the family was already at home in Laimberg in the Edt community near Lambach. From there the family moved to Lindach to the “Haberger-Gut” in the municipality of Laakirchen. In November 1971 Johann Pfaff bought the “Leitenbauer” in Fischlham. Fruit trees were planted, a large vegetable garden was created, berries were planted and small animals such as chickens, turkeys and ducks were kept. The goods were either sold directly at the Wels weekly market or to a trader for the Gmundner Markt. The sprightly Fischlhammer mostly takes care of himself – with support.
He takes care of the vines and peach trees with great love. If the weather permits, he goes for a walk with his two cats every day.
He is kept informed about current events through TV news and reading the daily newspaper. With his wife Maria, who died in February 2020, he was granted 66 years together. “We worked from morning to night to make our children feel better,” says Johann Pfaff about his life with little free time and a lot of hard work.
Source: Nachrichten
