KONRAD FRANKE'S TESTIMONY
M. James Penton
DOCUMENT A
KONRAD FRANKE'S TESTIMONY
Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany, was present at the June 26, 1933 Witness
convention in
Berlin. In 1976 Franke gave a series of two part lectures (which lasted about
three hours
in all) in many places throughout West Germany. These lectures were entitled
"The
History of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany." Significantly, they contained
information
on the 1933 Berlin convention which has never been published by the Watch Tower
Society.
Those lectures were tape recorded and have been transcribed in full. The
statement which
appears below is an English translation of remarks taken from them:
... At the last moment, therefore, we were invited to a special assembly in Prussia,
thus Berlin, [to be held] in the Tennis Hall, where a "Declaration" was to be
presented. Many were now unable to come [to the convention], but I had the privilege of
traveling with Brother Albert Wandres from Wiesbaden to Berlin on a motorcycle through
torrential rain. That did not bother us too much, but we were shocked when we arrived at
the Tennis Hall the next morning and did not find that atmosphere which we ordinarily
found at [Jehovah's Witness] conventions. When we entered, we found the hall bedecked with
Swastika flags! But not only that: when the meeting started, it was preluded by a song
which we had not sung for years, especially not in Germany, because of the melody. Though
the lyrics were fine, the melody--well, the musicians who are here will recognize that the
notes were [taken from the] the melody of "Deutschland, Deutschland, über
alles"!
Can you imagine how we felt? Many could not join in the singing; it was just as though
their throats were throttled. What kind of leaders did we have who brought us [into] such
dangers--and the danger of faltering under these circumstances--instead of helping and
supporting us, so that we could take a fearless stand [against Nazism]. May all elders who
are here among us [listening to this lecture] learn something from these examples, and may
they recognize their responsibilities in such matters in the near future.
Now the Declaration, which Brother Rutherford had prepared, was approved, and every person
was instructed to take 250 copies home if he possibly could. If he then had the courage to
do so, he was to send copies of it by registered mail to judges, lawyers, mayors, etc.
At the time, I sent fifty-two registered letters [with the Declaration], and the result
was that a few days later I found myself in a concentration camp for the first time, when
most people had no idea what a concentration camp was.