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NIEMOLLER, MARTIN

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NIEMOLLER, MARTIN
(1892 - 1984) German Protestant theologian who was imprisoned at Dachau for his outspoken anti-Nazi views. He later became a passionate advocate of disarmament. Exceedingly fine content T.L.S. on his personal letterhead, 1p. tall 4to., Schloss, Sept. 4, 1947, to John Fischbach, in part: "...My interest in the ministry began when I was a boy; but then I became a naval officer, for I loved the sea. When the war in 1918 came to an end, I left the navy...But in 1924, I got my first pastorate in Munster in Westfalia (my home province) and from there I came to Berlin in 1931. My views have been opposite Hitler's from about 1930, and I had a personal clash with him, early in 1934. But only in 1937 I was imprisoned and after 8 months in a normal prison I was transferred to the Concentration Camp, where I spent 3 years in solitary confinement with water and bread. For the rest I was not treated with any special hardness, but it was quite enough for my understanding. At last in 1945 April I was deported to Tirol with 150 other prisoners of all sorts of nations to be a hostage. There we were liberated, first from Hitler's SS guards by German soldiers, who than [sic] took us for a few days, and then we were handed over to an American company for some weeks until at last we were brought back to Germany in June 1945. You know that I am a Lutheran, but of a special type who seeks connection and fellowship with every Christian who really wants to believe in Jesus Christ, and so my best friends in America are not just Lutherans, and one in the very first line is Bishop Oxnam, who first invited me to come to your country in May 1945...I have not told you of my former life and of my attitude to my country; but you may believe me that I do love my country and people, and ever did, and that I liked to be in the navy when I was young...and we did not plan at that time to conquer the world or to work for war, as people in general believe today...My favorite bible-verse...is 'Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass'...". Boldly signed and in very good condition.