Katznstein, Hans

Son of Henrietta and Shimon, was born on September 27, 1916, in Berlin, the capital of Germany. He grew up in the bosom of an assimilated family (his father was a member of the municipal council in Berlin), who nurtured and developed his tendencies and talents for science (mathematics, physics, chemistry). Hans graduated from high school and was about to enter university, but this plan was broken by Hitler’s rise to power. He immediately changed his lifestyle, went to study agriculture with a German farmer, became a Zionist, learned Hebrew and joined the Hechalutz movement. In 1936 (after two years of training) he was allowed to move to Sweden for further training. The combination of several cases resulted in the remaining 12 years in Sweden as an agricultural worker (Falah, dairy farmer, poultry, jade). At first the war delayed him. In the winter of 1939-1940 he wanted, as a righteous man, to volunteer for the Finnish army that had been attacked by the Soviet Union. “Hehalutz” refused to release him and he left the movement, but for some reason was not accepted as a volunteer to the foreign army and remained in his work and in his place. In 1945 he returned to Hehalutz (after a break of five years), but his Zionism remained theoretical only – until the outbreak of the War of Independence and felt the obligation to hurry and come and the help of the people. Hans immigrated to Israel on May 1, 1948, and was so quick to enlist that he missed an opportunity to see his younger brother, who was a member of one of the kibbutzim in the Negev. Hans fell in Tel Azzayat. Even in this last case of his life, his stubbornness was conspicuous in his loyalty to the principles that were correct in his eyes and did not spare himself. His unit stood in the front post of the mound and repulsed the enemy’s most severe attack. “We do not leave the outpost we have,” he said. He remained alone in the post, took the Bren machine gun of his friend who was killed and fired at the approaching enemy until he was hit and fell on the 17th of Tammuz 5707 (July 17, 1948). He was buried in Bashar on the 14th of Adar 5703 (March 3, 1950) and was transferred to the eternal rest of the military cemetery in Haifa