- 77 - influence on the disembodied soul, it is like an anchor that fetters the spirit to the Earth. It sometimes causes us great difficulties in regard to acting against these damaging influences. Those that are left behind would surely be less likely to surrender to their groundless pain, if they could see just once the kind of effect it has on the departed.” It is sometimes the deepest distress of those left behind that makes a deceased return to Earth in order to psychically communicate and to ask for help for the relatives. Such an event took place in a circle around the already mentioned Maria Silbert from Graz. The engineer Rudolf Sekanek writes about it in his book (21, P. 84): “Dr. Gangl and Mrs. Felser-Schuller reported the following case to us: During the meeting on the 15th of May 1917, the spirit of a fallen soldier communicated and asked for help. Lieutenant Rittmann (Professor Dr. Rudolf Rittmann who passed away in Innsbruck on the 12th of July 1950) questioned him and at the end of the interview had noted down the following: Johann Haas aus Rottenmann – soldier – fallen in Russia – is pleading for help for the wife and eight children he left behind – they were in dire stress and close to starvation. Rittmann investigated and the municipal council in Rottenmann, in the district of Murau, confirmed the correctness of his statements. He wrote the family a letter on the 19th of June and he received the following answer from the widow: ‘Hedwig Haas, Rottenmann District Murau, Upper Styria Rottenmann, the 25th of June 1917 Most honourable Mr. Rittmann, Rudolf, Graz In answer to your kind letter from the 19th of this month I would like to tell the honourable Mr. Rittmann the following. The death of my beloved husband was a bitter blow for myself and my children. He died in Rabarnaska in Russia on the 8th of August 1916 from a grenade. I think of the poor man every day with tears in my eyes. He left a widow with 5 children behind. There were 8, but 3 have died. My husband received a small silver medal after he died and I would like to ask for advice about whether I am entitled to an allowance. I have a small farmhouse, grow vegetables but I had to sell everything in spite of this; to have lost the provider for the family is a bitter blow for me. But all mourning is in vain, all I want to do is to pull the children though as best as I can. Three of the children are not provided for, the two older ones are in service with my relatives. Would there be a possibility to received further assistance from some source through your endeavour and kindness. I would be eternally grateful to you. I am indeed a little too lowly to find the right way. Repeating my request most submissively, I close most respectfully Hedwig Haas.’ This was a registered letter with the number Murau 754. As Lieutenant Rittmann had to return to the front, he handed the case to Professor Walter. He in turn looked after the poor widow, he made the necessary petitions to the authorities and this succeeded. The widow thanked him in a letter on the 19th of August 1917:
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