A. Of course, I remember that, but it is not correct that I left these events out, rather I stated that as a high school student as well as a college student I belonged to patriotic youth organizations and to Nationalists’ associations. Among these Nationalists’ associations also belonged the Bund Oberland, which actually, as you indicated, participated in the so-called Hitler Putsch of 9 November 1923.
Q. As a result of that Putsch in which you participated, wasn’t Hitler tried and imprisoned for high treason, for trying to overthrow the German Republic by force?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you tried, Dr. von Ammon?
A. No.
Q. Why not?
A. Because my participation in the Hitler Putsch was so insignificant. By the way, my participation wasn’t at that time even found out by the authorities, as was the case with the great majority of those who participated.
Q. If your participation and membership in the Nazi activity at that time had become known, you would have lost your job in the government, wouldn’t you, or did you have a job at that time?
A. No, certainly not. First, I was still a college student at that time, as I stated before, and also I do not believe I would have lost my job. Many participants that is, many civil servants who participated at least, if they took part in a subordinate role such as I were not in any way affected in their positions. Moreover, I would like to state at that time it was not a Nazi activity within the meaning of that phrase, the Bund Oberland was not a National Socialist organization. It was a patriotic, self-protective organization, which in the years after the First World War in the fight against the attempted Communist uprising and in the fight against the Polish uprising in Upper Silesia in 1921, without a doubt had gained its merits. To be sure, I participated in the Hitler Putsch at that time, but at that time the fronts were not so well delineated as yet that the actual Putsch could be described as unequivocal Nazi action.
Q. If that is so, Dr. von Ammon, apparently officials in the Ministry of Justice were not aware of it really, because as I read your official personnel files here which came from the Ministry, and which I am sure you have seen many times with respect to your membership in the early political associations, you are credited with having participated, and I am quoting, “in the Nazi uprising in Munich on 9 November 1923.” Now, in later years, Dr. von Ammon, did the Nazi Party ever give you any tangible momento of that famous event of 1923?