Present:
President, Dr. CZARNIKOW.
Secretary, THIELE.
ALLEMANT IN FRANCE, _December 18th, 1914_.
There appeared as witness Lieutenant Brandt of the Reserve, Infantry
Regiment von Alvensleben (6th Brandenburg) No. 52, who, after the
importance of the oath had been pointed out to him, was examined as
follows:
As to Person: My name is Kurt Brandt, aged 32; Protestant; book-keeper
in the printing works of J. Schmidt at Markneukirchen, Saxony.
As to Case: I can only repeat the statements which I made in my report
to my regiment on September 27th.
The report was then read to the witness, and he then declared the
following: The report is the one just mentioned by me. I repeat its
contents. The letter of the Belgian Government mentioned therein
and the list of members of the Garde Civique found, I handed to the
regiment on the following day. Lieutenant Dunkel of the Reserve will
confirm the correctness of my statements; he was then also at Louvain,
and led a train of the Army Telegraph Section 1.
During the firing, field gendarmes handed over to me about five
civilians who bore no badge or uniform. The gendarmes reported that
they had taken the persons with arms in their hands, and they also
produced the arms. I did not examine the prisoners, but had them taken
to the Commandant.
The owner of the hotel mentioned by me, who appeared in the morning
from within the hotel when it was already quite burned down, was handed
over by me to the General Staff Officer of the IX. Reserve Army Corps,
a captain, whose name I do not know. It was the same officer who had
given me instructions to destroy the two hotels. The civilian was
examined by the officer and shot about half an hour later. At about the
same time two priests were shot; when I saw them, they had already been
apprehended. On inquiry, an orderly officer of the Commander General
told me that they had distributed ammunition among the civilians.
Major Hildebrand, mentioned in my report, had expressly pointed out
that he and his people had been fired on particularly from the houses
opposite the station.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: KURT BRANDT.
The witness was sworn.
Proceedings closed.
Signed: CZARNIKOW. Signed: THIELE.
Sender: BRANDT (KURT), Lieutenant of Reserve.
Place of dispatch: Wood near Fort Condé.
Date: 27.9, 4 p.m.
_Report._
To Infantry Regiment No. 52.
On the 24th ult. I arrived as protection to our Army Telegraph Section
with a platoon of the 11th Company, Infantry Regiment No. 52, at
Louvain, and took up our quarters in the Court of Justice; we were
exceptionally well received by the inhabitants. On the following day
troop trains arrived continually with troops of the IX. Reserve Army
Corps who marched off in the direction of Antwerp, because a sortie
was reported from that city. Only one company and my platoon remained
behind with the baggage. This and the thunder of the cannon which
could be heard in the town seemed to furnish an opportune moment for
the inhabitants to carry out the attack upon our troops which they had
no doubt planned and prepared. At about 9 o'clock there commenced a
violent firing upon our soldiers from the houses, especially directed
upon the newly arriving trains. Major Hildebrand, leader of a not
yet detrained battalion, Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 31, an old
regimental comrade of mine, also suffered from this fire.
The fire was opened in the whole town in so surprising and uniform a
fashion that preparations for it must surely have been made. In my
opinion, the Belgian Garde Civique took part in it. This assumption
of mine was confirmed by a document of the Belgian Government taken
on the 23rd of August from the Burgomaster of Winghe-St. Georges,
from which can be seen that the Garde Civique was to be mobilised. The
distinctive signs mentioned in the letter (band and rosette) could
not be found, because ostensibly they were to be distributed from
Louvain, as the place belonged to this district. Lists of members for
the last three years were also found. It was impossible to make arrests
because, according to the statement of the Burgomaster, almost the
whole population had fled; I suspect, however, that the male population
had been "drawn" into Louvain where these "troops" were to assemble.
In the course of the evening, troops were brought back into the town,
and at about 12 o'clock the firing ceased at last. On the command of
the General Staff of the IX. Reserve Army Corps I then joined the other
troops in the station square, and was suddenly ordered to destroy and
set on fire two hotels from which firing had taken place during the
whole time, and to fetch out the occupants. The principal culprits,
however, evidently found an outlet in time over the roofs, for only
the proprietor came out at about 5 a.m., and very soon he received
his reward, as well as two priests who had distributed munition to
the civilians. On the following morning we continued our march in the
direction of Brussels, and on the way we were again violently fired at
from different houses.
I reported by telegram what I had ascertained regarding the Garde
Civique to the Commandant of the town of Louvain on the same day (the
23rd), so that he might be able to take counter-measures; I know
nothing further of the result. But like all the others who have lived
through the attack I am firmly convinced that the matter had been
previously arranged by the authorities.
Signed: KURT BRANDT, Lieutenant of the Reserve,
9th Company,
Infantry Regiment No. 52.