Sister Frieda Selma Klotzbücher (1899-1944) Lutheran Missionary in World War 2
Frieda Klotzbücher was one of 333 church missionaries were died during the Japanese occupation of Papua New Guinea in World War 2. The largest number were Roman Catholic (197) but all major denominations suffered losses. Some names are relatively well-known, such as the twelve Anglican ‘New Guinea Martyrs’ whom the Anglican Church in Australia commemorates each year on 2 September. Others such as Frieda Klotzbücher who was among the 17 Lutheran missionaries in the total, are little known. Originally from Poland, she lived in South Australia before becoming a nursing sister at the American Lutheran Mission at Amele near Madang in Papua New Guinea around 1936. She was captured and imprisoned with other missionaries by the Japanese army in December 1942. She was one of 63 killed on 7 February 1944 when American bombers attacked the Japanese ship on which they were being transported.
