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Germany (1922)
Sources:
Werner Fürbringer (nephew) / Neuhaus at the Eger
Gertraud Helgert (sister) / Neuhaus at the Eger
Annemarie Möschl (sister) / Selb
Thea Fürbringer (sister-in-law) / Neuhaus at the Eger
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Hans Fürbringer was born on April 17, 1922 in the village of Neuhaus at the Eger, which has around 250 inhabitants. This was in the Bavarian district of Rehau, not far from the Czech border. Hans Fürbringer was the second oldest of six children. In addition to a brother, he had four sisters. His mother Frieda took care of the upbringing of the six siblings, while his father Hans, after whose name the first-born son was baptized, ran the family sawmill. Later, one of the two sons was supposed to take over and continue the family business. However, only one of the two could do this, and so Hans Fürbringer decided to make his dream come true after finishing school and join the navy. At the age of 17, he applied as a volunteer and at the beginning of June 1940 his basic training began. He was trained at the 11. Schiffsstammabteilung in Stralsund.
After just one month, the training was over and Hans Fürbringer was sent to the battleship Bismarck with most of the other recruits. As the new ship was not yet ready, he first went to a barge in Gotenhafen before on-board training began in Hamburg in August 1940. He was part of the anti-aircraft defense and spent most of his time on deck. Hans Fürbringer celebrated his nineteenth birthday with his comrades on April 17, 1941. He probably spent his first vacation at home with his family shortly afterwards. It was the only vacation he was allowed to take during his entire service. When it was over, his parents did not want to let him go, but Hans Fürbringer had no choice and had to say goodbye to his parents and siblings with a heavy heart. It was to be the last time they saw each other. Immediately after his return on board, he is said to have set sail on the Bismarck for Operation "Rheinübung". If he had left a day later, he would have missed the departure, family members say today. The young able seaman Hans Fürbringer, never returned from the trip. He and his ship sank on May 27, 1941.
When his mother was informed of her son's death shortly afterwards, she ran to his wardrobe, sank into it and smelled his clothes. She threw a picture of the sea with a floating wreath on it, which was later sent to her as a condolence, onto the floor and destroyed it. She could not cope with the painful loss of her son. Even when she regularly went to fetch firewood with her young grandson years later, she often sat down at the edge of the field and cried; the grandson reminded her too much of her fallen son.
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