ALTONA, _March 1st, 1915_.
Court of the Commandant.
Present:
President, Dr. STEENGRAFE.
Secretary, KOCH.
There appeared the merchant Gruner as witness, and, after the
importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, he was examined as
follows:
As to Person: My name is Richard Gruner, aged 23; Protestant; merchant
in Hamburg.
As to Case: After mobilisation I offered my services voluntarily and
went into the field as a motor driver on the staff of the IX. Reserve
Army Corps. On the evening of August 25th, 1914, we arrived at Louvain.
As a sortie had been announced from Antwerp, the German troops were
taken from Louvain and, as I assume, employed in the attack. The
baggage, including the motors, stopped in the square in the immediate
vicinity of the Hôtel Métropole. At the command of Captain von Esmarch,
I followed the troops who were marching off and brought back one
company for the protection of the staff, which was then drawn up in the
place mentioned above. At about 9 o'clock p.m. I saw a green rocket
ascend over the town. At the same moment commenced the firing upon us
from the houses surrounding the place. I also heard the regular "tak,
tak" of machine-guns. The German soldiers fired again and succeeded in
beating down the hostile fire; the houses from which firing had taken
place were set alight. I had the impression that the proceedings had
been systematically prepared. Up till then we had been treated by the
inhabitants with the greatest kindness and amiability.
After the attack in the centre of the town had been dealt with, the
troops in the interior of the town were conducted to the station. Until
then I had not seen any sign of interference on the part of the Belgian
clergy. On the way to the station I saw a man in clerical garb, with
unmistakable clerical physiognomy and a broad-brimmed hat with two
tassels, directing our troops to a certain road. I myself drove along
another road, following some cars before me. Subsequently I heard that
the troops who had followed the directions of the clergyman reached a
cul-de-sac, and were there exposed to fire from the houses.
When I arrived at the station I heard that here, too, an attack had
been made upon the German soldiers by the civilian population from
the surrounding houses, and had been defeated; in the station square
and throughout the town houses were burning. All citizens taken
were conducted to the station square, examined, and, if their guilt
was ascertained, shot according to martial law. I myself acted as
interpreter during part of the examinations. The examinations continued
through the night until the following morning. The number of persons
shot by court-martial may have been eighty to a hundred; among them
may have been ten to fifteen clergymen. This number is exclusive of
one man in unmistakable clerical garb, because beneath his clerical
garb he wore civilian dress. Among the clergymen shot was the one I
mentioned previously, and of this I am quite sure. He was pointed out
by soldiers as the one who had directed them and their comrades into
the cul-de-sac; he, too, was shot. I interpreted during the examination
of two further clergymen. On one of them a revolver was found that
still contained four cartridges, and one had been discharged; he,
too, was shot. It had, moreover, been announced previously that every
inhabitant on whom arms were found would be shot. I cannot now say what
was furthermore ascertained in relation to this clergyman; but no one
was shot whose participation in the attacks upon the German troops was
not determined beyond doubt by at least two witnesses, or on whom arms
were not found. Those brought up for examination must have rendered
themselves suspect in some way, otherwise they would not have been
examined at all.
During the night isolated attacks upon German troops took place, also
during the day.
During the examinations many of the Belgians related that their
behaviour towards the Germans had been represented to them by the
authorities, also by the preachers, as a matter of faith. When we
fetched the wounded in automobiles during the night we were fired at,
and also from a convent.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: GRUNER.
The witness was duly sworn.
Authenticated:
Signed: STEENGRAFE, President.
Signed: KOCH.
BERLIN, _March 19th, 1915_.
Ministry of War.
Military Examination Bureau for Infringements of Martial Law.
Present:
President, Dr. GRASSHOFF.
Secretary, PAHL.
There appears on citation merchant Richard Gruner of
Hamburg-Grossborstel, Holunderweg 12.
The importance of the oath was pointed out to the witness, and he
declared:
As to Person: My name is Richard Gruner, aged 23; Protestant.
As to Case: I repeat, first of all, all the statements made during my
judicial examination at Altona on March 1st, 1915. This statement,
which has just been read to me, is perfectly true in all respects. I
add further what follows:
The examination of the volunteers brought forward by the German troops
on the station square at Louvain on the night of August 25th to 26th,
1914, was conducted by Captain Albrecht, who was then reporting officer
on the staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps, and who fell later, at the
end of October 1914, at Noyon. Captain Albrecht was attached to the
Grand General Staff in peace time. I was requested by him to act as
interpreter during part of the examinations. The examination proceeded
in such a way that the soldiers brought forward the civilians taken by
them, whilst the firing in the town continued. I was given about 100
to 200 persons to search and to examine. Captain Albrecht passed from
one group of persons assembled in the station square for examination to
another group, and inquired the result in order to give instructions
for the further treatment of the accused. Altogether about 600 persons
may have been brought forward, at least 500 of whom were spared death
by shooting because no sure proof of their guilt was brought forward
during the examination. These persons were led aside; the men amongst
them were later on sent to Germany, whilst it was left to the women and
children to go to Anvers.
It is not true that the persons were arbitrarily selected when
arrangements for shooting them were made; on the contrary, the
examinations were carried out strictly according to the facts. I
examined myself the persons brought forward for arms, and frequently
found arms on them. I also had instructions to see whether the accused
were Belgian soldiers, which could be seen from the identification
disc. On many of the persons brought to me I found the military disc
in the pocket or in the purse. Captain Albrecht proceeded--I assume
on higher command--in such a way that he ordered those to be shot on
whom either arms or a rallying sign was found, or those of whom it
was testified by at least two witnesses that they had fired upon the
German troops. In my opinion it is quite out of the question that any
innocent person lost his life; particularly Captain Albrecht did under
the circumstances all that was possible to exhort the soldiers to speak
the truth; if no arms or identification discs were found, he himself
questioned the witnesses as to whether they could make their assertions
with certitude, and he pointed out to them that the life and death of
a man depended upon their word. And only when the soldiers maintained
their assertions after this admonition, the command for the shooting of
the condemned was given.
Amongst the persons brought forward were a number of priests; of
these about ten to fifteen in all were shot. I ascertained myself
that one priest carried a loaded revolver which had been fired once,
and the empty cartridge-case was still in the barrel. I furthermore
recognised another priest as the one who, according to the testimony
of the soldiers, had intentionally decoyed them into the fire of the
francs-tireurs. These two were undoubtedly genuine clergymen. On a
third man wearing clerical garb, and civilian clothes underneath, I
found a military identification disc.
I was in the station square during the whole examinations, and I can
therefore testify from my own knowledge that no mock-execution of
priests has taken place, and that not one of the involuntary spectators
of these scenes was forced to applaud.
Among the persons brought forward there were many civilians who, when
they became aware that I spoke French, called to me that they were
innocent, and that the priests bore the whole guilt of what had taken
place. They expressly pointed to the priests who had been brought
forward. Amongst them was a Belgian civilian who, as a sign of his
goodwill to the Germans, showed a document, according to which the King
of Prussia had bestowed the Order of the Red Eagle upon him. I took
the opportunity to remonstrate with this person that he, an educated
man, and the other men of his station had not stopped the populace
from making the attack; he replied, "It is quite impossible for us to
prevail upon the people who are in the hands of the clergy."
I remained at Louvain until August 26th, 1914, 4 p.m. During August
26th I still heard and saw, now and again, firing from the houses;
comrades of mine were wounded actually at my side; thus also the
voluntary soldier Wuppermann. During the morning of August 26th I spoke
in the station square, where there were many women prisoners, with
two of them who evidently belonged to the educated classes. One of
them, an American from St. Louis, addressed me in English and begged
me to release her and another known lady from imprisonment, as they
were innocent. She explained to me that the clergy were responsible
for the events. She then called the other lady, a Belgian, with whom
I also conversed in French. She also confirmed to me that the firing
from the houses was due to the conduct of the clergy. She related
the following: In the evening, Belgian soldiers dressed as civilians
entered individual houses and forced the inhabitants by threats to
receive them and to admit them to the windows in order to shoot from
them; previous to that the clergy had gone into the houses and declared
to the inhabitants that it was their duty to receive and support the
Belgian soldiers because the German troops were making war upon the
faith of the Belgians.
During the critical days, particularly violent firing on the German
troops came from a convent outside Louvain, on the road from Louvain to
Bueken. I have heard this repeatedly from soldiers, and on August 26th,
1914, in the afternoon, whilst going in my automobile to Bueken, I had
to pass the street near the convent under special protective measures.
In order to be safe from any firing from the convent we had to take
with us several civilians, who were placed partly upon the footboard of
the car, partly upon the cooler.
I wish to emphasise that even during the examinations in the station
square we were fired at from houses there. I particularly remember the
incident when about ten to twelve young people in sporting-caps--which
was frequently the distinguishing mark of disguised Belgian
soldiers--were brought up quite close to the station building, and
that I was fired upon from a building opposite on my way to see these
persons, and that the prisoners ran away, and that we Germans fired
after them.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: RICHARD GRUNER.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: PAHL.
Signed: Dr. GRASSHOFF.