Josef Ringhoffer
Josef Ringhoffer, born 15 June 1927 at Bakonygyirót, was one of a joiner’s seven children. Like most of the village, the family was of German race and spoke German at home, but also spoke Hungarian quite well. A talent for drawing appeared at school and led Josef to hope to study it further in Budapest.
In September 1944, aged 17, he was draughted into the German SS and placed in Section 4 of the 22nd SS reconnaissance brigade, posted initially in November 1944 near Soroksár. Here he first saw dead men and came himself under fire. His unit retreated in late December to Kőbánya, then to inner Pest. Even then they were hungry and unwashed and their officers had vanished. One colleague dressed as a civilian, but Ringhoffer dared not do so for fear of the gendarmerie. He left his unit and drifted in the city, occasionally linking with a fighting unit.
Ringhoffer joined the Breakout. It is almost sure he took the Pesthidegkút/Nagykovácsi route north over the Buda Hills up to Nyakas-tető. He reached German forces at Szomor. It long remained a shock to recall how the Soviets shot many fellows dead on a steep slope as he put his last gasp into mounting a dyke-ridge for shelter. Passing into German-held lands he arrived at Beneschau, Bohemia, where bazooka men were still trained. Late in April 1945 he was sent with his unit to Prague, where they gave in and fell into Soviet custody. Ringhoffer learnt in prison camp how to paint. Among those to help him was a reserve officer who had taught at Munich Arts College.
1950-ben átadták a magyar hatóságnak. Először a Toloncházba került, később a tiszalöki internálótáborba. Innen csak 1953 őszén szabadult. Különböző egyesületek segítettek neki a beilleszkedésben, egy württenbergi képviselő a rajztanulásban is támogatta. Grafikusként az Avon nevű cégnél helyezkedett el, Németországban ismerte meg Dorogról kitelepített feleségét. Az SS-veteránegyesületekkel semmilyen kapcsolatot sem tartott, háborús élményeiről évtizedeken át senkinek nem beszélt. Budapest ostroma mint téma sokáig rémálmokban tért vissza számára. Háborús élményeinek megfestésére is csak 2015 után vállalkozott.
