A. Right after my trial, in the cell of my prison, I took some stenographic notes concerning the remarks made by the presiding judge, Dr. Rothaug, and on the strength of those stenographic notes which I have here on my table, I can make the following statement concerning the trial. First of all, the presiding judge referred to my education and there he became very personal right away and charged me with the fact that my whole theological education was rather backward, and that it would have been much better if I had studied something other than theology. He said that I only observed the whole development of national socialism as a bystander looking from the window. During my trial, the Hitler Youth passed the town hall, and at that occasion the presiding judge made the remark, “those down there, the Hitler Youth, that is the real life.” Later on, in the course of the trial, the presiding judge very often made ridiculing remarks concerning the Catholic religion, and made insidious remarks concerning the profession of priest. Some of these remarks, I can tell you literally, and they were the following: “You Catholics allege that only Catholics will reach heaven, all others will be in hell.” That is an assumption which no Catholic will ever make. Then, he said, and this remark was repeated again and again, “Not water gives value to man, but rather the blood.” And, of course, the water he referred to was the Catholic sacrificial water, or the water on the head—sanctifying water. For the National Socialist ideology has to be given to the child already with the milk of his mother; and there it appears my parents had failed to educate me in this direction. Those were merely personal remarks.
Q. Father, may I interrupt a moment. Are you saying that the presiding judge, Rothaug, made the remarks, such as you have just described, to you from the bench, during the trial?
A. Yes, from the bench, during the trial. These remarks, I may say that after all they were not only meant for me, myself, but for the whole profession of priesthood.
Q. Father, you have said that in your indictment, the main charge was one of malicious statements made during that sermon in 1941, but you also said that during your trial Rothaug said much more about the business of your giving a funeral service to the Pole. Can you give any facts to explain why you say that?
A. Yes. Special Court Judge Rothaug dragged two things mainly into this trial. First of all, the removal of crosses from the schools in the district of Vilseck, and then this transporting of the dead Pole from the hospital to the morgue. If I may add something concerning this matter of transferring the dead Pole; there again I can give you some more details.
Q. Yes, Father, I would be very interested in what Rothaug said about your transporting the dead Pole.
A. The whole courtroom was fully occupied. I, as well as the people attending the trial, was quite astonished especially by Rothaug going into the details concerning this Pole matter. He came back again and again on this matter in order to prove to me that I really had made insidious statements; and that I had had insidious and bad intentions, and on this occasion Rothaug showed a terrible hatred against the Polish people.
*******
Q. Father, after your trial was concluded, what sentence did you receive?
A. I was sentenced, on the grounds of insidious attacks, to 15 months of prison, and 3 months of custody pending trial were counted.