Walter Knoll (1895-1979). Su vida es ejemplo de un devenir que transcurrió entre la fortuna, la tragedia y el azar.
Natural de Alemania (nació en Wrttemberg), era hijo de una acaudalada familia, que lo envió a estudiar ingeniería a Bélgica durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, conflagración en la que perdió a su padre (coronel) y a un hermano, también militar.
De regreso en Alemania, reclamado por un tío, es defraudado en sus derechos de herencia y entonces le da el adiós definitivo a su familia y a su patria de origen, embarcándose con incierto derrotero.
Llegó a Valparaíso (Chile) tripulando un barco alemán, que fue internado por las autoridades chilenas. Walter logró desembarcar, en busca de jolgorio, y en ese lapso sus compañeros se sublevaron exigiendo la libertad, a lo que las autoridades locales respondieron negativamente, por lo que los tripulantes tomaron la trágica decisión de dinamitar la nave y hundirse con ella.
El azar ayudó así a Walter a salvarse.
Luego de ello, recorrió el sur chileno, desempeñándose en mil oficios distintos, hasta recalar en Punta Arenas.
Ya en Argentina, ingresó al establecimiento de los Clark en 1919, oficiando de alambrador.
De refinada educación, ordenado y metódico, muy pronto se ganó el aprecio de su patrón, quien lo designó delegado de los obreros, en época de las huelgas rurales (1920-1921).
Por estar en desacuerdo con esas medidas de fuerza, fue tomado como rehén por Antonio Soto (líder de la protesta) y sus seguidores, y llevado a la estancia "Anita", en cercanías del lago Argentino.
Cuando la estancia es tomada por los militares al mando del coronel Várela, fue obligado a cavar su propia fosa y a esperar su destino frente al piquete de fusilamiento, a cargo del capitán Viñas Ibarra. El tétrico relato que el historiador Osvaldo Bayer hace en su libro" Los vengadores de la Patagonia Trágica", da clara visión del dramático episodio vivido por este hombre singular.
En el instante final, el azar nuevamente juega a favor de Walter, porque su querido patrón, Juan Marcos Clark, apareció para salvarle la vida del plomo argentino.
Walter Knoll ya nunca abandonaría el rincón del mundo que eligió como definitivo, pese a las cartas que recibía de sus familiares alemanes, que le pedían que regresara a su país original.
Más de sesenta años permaneció junto a su familia adoptiva (los Clark) y legó sus heredades de Alemania a su ahijado Walter Martín Clark (bisnieto de su salvador). *
Falleció el 2 de octubre de 1979. Sus restos mortales descansan en estancia "El Tero", un trozo del erial santacruceño que fue la
tierra que amó. (De los recuerdos de familia y a la memoria de + Elvira Clark de Ru y + Emilia Ru Clark).
Te german
Walter Knoll (1895-1979). Ihs Fife ihs Ann example of a succession of events at the hands of fortune, tragedy and chance."
Native of Germany (bom in Württemberg), he was the son of a wealthy family who sent him to study engineering in Belgium during the First World War, in which he lost his father (a colonel) and a brother, also in the army.
On his retum to Germany, at the insistence of an únele, he was cheated of his right of inheritance and with that he bade farewell for ever to his family and homeland, embarking on a voyage with an uncertain route.
He reached Valparaíso (Chile) as a crew member onboard a Germán ship, which was impounded by the Chilean authorities. Walter managed to disembark in search of a good time and in his absence his shipmates rose up in rebellion demanding freedom, which the local authorities denied and his shipmates took the tragic decisión of blowing up the ship and going down onboard.
Chance thus helped save Walter's life.
After that he travelled throughout the south of Chile, working in a thousand and one different jobs until he ended up in Punta Arenas.
Then, in Argentina, he was taken on at the Clarks' establishment in 1919, working as a fencer.
Of a refined upbringing, orderly and methodical, he soon won the appreciation of his boss, who designated him as a workers' delégate in the era of the rural strikes (1920-1921).
He was taken hostage by Antonio Soto (leader of the protest) and his followers, for his disagreement with resorting to measures of forceful protest, and was taken to the estancia "Anita", in the vicinity of lake Argentino.
When the estancia was taken over by the militia under the orders of Lt. Col. Várela, he was obliged to dig his own grave and await his fate facing the firing squad, under Cap. Viñas Ibarra. The gloomy narration made by the historian Osvaldo Bayer in his article "Los Vengadores de la Patagonia Trágica"1, gives a clear account of the dramatic episode lived by this unusual and unique man.
At the final moment chance once again played in Walter's favour, because his much-loved boss, Juan Marcos Clark, appeared and saved his life from the Argentine bullets.
Walter Knoll was never to abandon the comer of the world he definitively chose as his own, in spite of the letters he received from his Germán relatives begging him to retum to his country of origin.
He remained for over sixty years with his adoptive family (the Clarks) and even left his inheritances from Germany to his godson, Walter Martín Clark (great-grandson of the man who saved his life).
He died on 2 October 1979. His mortal remains rest at the estancia "El Tero", a portion of the Santa Cruz wilderness that was the land
he loved. Taken from memories of the family and the memoirs of tdoña Elvira Clark de Ru and tdoña Emilia Ru Clark.
1 "Avengers of Tragic Patagonia", publishedin 1968 in the periodical "Todo es Historia". In 1929 José María Borrero had published "La Patagonia Trágica" (c/f p.59 "La Política"), which was repressed during the dictatorship, and Bayer too had to flee the country for the stand he took to set the record of Argentine history straight.
Natural de Alemania (nació en Wrttemberg), era hijo de una acaudalada familia, que lo envió a estudiar ingeniería a Bélgica durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, conflagración en la que perdió a su padre (coronel) y a un hermano, también militar.
De regreso en Alemania, reclamado por un tío, es defraudado en sus derechos de herencia y entonces le da el adiós definitivo a su familia y a su patria de origen, embarcándose con incierto derrotero.
Llegó a Valparaíso (Chile) tripulando un barco alemán, que fue internado por las autoridades chilenas. Walter logró desembarcar, en busca de jolgorio, y en ese lapso sus compañeros se sublevaron exigiendo la libertad, a lo que las autoridades locales respondieron negativamente, por lo que los tripulantes tomaron la trágica decisión de dinamitar la nave y hundirse con ella.
El azar ayudó así a Walter a salvarse.
Luego de ello, recorrió el sur chileno, desempeñándose en mil oficios distintos, hasta recalar en Punta Arenas.
Ya en Argentina, ingresó al establecimiento de los Clark en 1919, oficiando de alambrador.
De refinada educación, ordenado y metódico, muy pronto se ganó el aprecio de su patrón, quien lo designó delegado de los obreros, en época de las huelgas rurales (1920-1921).
Por estar en desacuerdo con esas medidas de fuerza, fue tomado como rehén por Antonio Soto (líder de la protesta) y sus seguidores, y llevado a la estancia "Anita", en cercanías del lago Argentino.
Cuando la estancia es tomada por los militares al mando del coronel Várela, fue obligado a cavar su propia fosa y a esperar su destino frente al piquete de fusilamiento, a cargo del capitán Viñas Ibarra. El tétrico relato que el historiador Osvaldo Bayer hace en su libro" Los vengadores de la Patagonia Trágica", da clara visión del dramático episodio vivido por este hombre singular.
En el instante final, el azar nuevamente juega a favor de Walter, porque su querido patrón, Juan Marcos Clark, apareció para salvarle la vida del plomo argentino.
Walter Knoll ya nunca abandonaría el rincón del mundo que eligió como definitivo, pese a las cartas que recibía de sus familiares alemanes, que le pedían que regresara a su país original.
Más de sesenta años permaneció junto a su familia adoptiva (los Clark) y legó sus heredades de Alemania a su ahijado Walter Martín Clark (bisnieto de su salvador). *
Falleció el 2 de octubre de 1979. Sus restos mortales descansan en estancia "El Tero", un trozo del erial santacruceño que fue la
tierra que amó. (De los recuerdos de familia y a la memoria de + Elvira Clark de Ru y + Emilia Ru Clark).
Te german
Walter Knoll (1895-1979). Ihs Fife ihs Ann example of a succession of events at the hands of fortune, tragedy and chance."
Native of Germany (bom in Württemberg), he was the son of a wealthy family who sent him to study engineering in Belgium during the First World War, in which he lost his father (a colonel) and a brother, also in the army.
On his retum to Germany, at the insistence of an únele, he was cheated of his right of inheritance and with that he bade farewell for ever to his family and homeland, embarking on a voyage with an uncertain route.
He reached Valparaíso (Chile) as a crew member onboard a Germán ship, which was impounded by the Chilean authorities. Walter managed to disembark in search of a good time and in his absence his shipmates rose up in rebellion demanding freedom, which the local authorities denied and his shipmates took the tragic decisión of blowing up the ship and going down onboard.
Chance thus helped save Walter's life.
After that he travelled throughout the south of Chile, working in a thousand and one different jobs until he ended up in Punta Arenas.
Then, in Argentina, he was taken on at the Clarks' establishment in 1919, working as a fencer.
Of a refined upbringing, orderly and methodical, he soon won the appreciation of his boss, who designated him as a workers' delégate in the era of the rural strikes (1920-1921).
He was taken hostage by Antonio Soto (leader of the protest) and his followers, for his disagreement with resorting to measures of forceful protest, and was taken to the estancia "Anita", in the vicinity of lake Argentino.
When the estancia was taken over by the militia under the orders of Lt. Col. Várela, he was obliged to dig his own grave and await his fate facing the firing squad, under Cap. Viñas Ibarra. The gloomy narration made by the historian Osvaldo Bayer in his article "Los Vengadores de la Patagonia Trágica"1, gives a clear account of the dramatic episode lived by this unusual and unique man.
At the final moment chance once again played in Walter's favour, because his much-loved boss, Juan Marcos Clark, appeared and saved his life from the Argentine bullets.
Walter Knoll was never to abandon the comer of the world he definitively chose as his own, in spite of the letters he received from his Germán relatives begging him to retum to his country of origin.
He remained for over sixty years with his adoptive family (the Clarks) and even left his inheritances from Germany to his godson, Walter Martín Clark (great-grandson of the man who saved his life).
He died on 2 October 1979. His mortal remains rest at the estancia "El Tero", a portion of the Santa Cruz wilderness that was the land
he loved. Taken from memories of the family and the memoirs of tdoña Elvira Clark de Ru and tdoña Emilia Ru Clark.
1 "Avengers of Tragic Patagonia", publishedin 1968 in the periodical "Todo es Historia". In 1929 José María Borrero had published "La Patagonia Trágica" (c/f p.59 "La Política"), which was repressed during the dictatorship, and Bayer too had to flee the country for the stand he took to set the record of Argentine history straight.
Soy la mamá de walter M E Clark , mi hijo heredero de su padrino Walter Knoll todos los vienes de Alemania.
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