As to Case: I can only confirm as perfectly true my statement of September 17th, 1914, which has been shown to me again. Like my commander, Schweder, I had taken up my quarters in the Hôtel de l'Industrie at Louvain. I did not see myself the light signals shown at the station, but soldiers of my company assured me repeatedly in the most trustworthy manner that light signals had gone up near the station, and the firing from the surrounding houses commenced immediately afterwards. The shots from these houses were undoubtedly fired by civilians. There were not yet any German soldiers in the houses at that time. Our soldiers only fired after a lively fire had been opened on them from the houses. Our troops marched into Louvain in close order when they arrived from the fight at Bueken, and they were not pursued by Belgian troops as far as Louvain. The Belgian troops had been pressed back beyond Herent to Bueken. There was no reason at all for our troops to fire prior to the firing from the houses. I emphatically declare on my oath that it is altogether out of the question that our troops should have previously fired upon each other by mistake in Louvain. I was told that identification discs were frequently found on shot civilians, so that one may assume that Belgian soldiers in civilian clothes took part in the firing. I did not myself see any mutilated German soldiers in Louvain, but soldiers of the Marine Battalion—I think of the 7th—under the command of Colonel v. Berund, told me credibly that a German soldier had been found in the Hôtel de Suède with the head beaten in. According to their statement another German soldier was found dead in the Rue Maria Thérèse, his legs and arms having been chopped off. This house was consequently set on fire.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: Otto v. Sandt.
The witness affirmed the correctness of his statement, referring to the oath already previously made.
Signed: Stempel. Signed: Stemper.
D. App. 9.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present:
Dr. Ivers, Judge of Military Law.
Secretary, Rambeau.
Louvain, September 23rd, 1914.
First Surgeon, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, Dr. Berghausen made the following statement: