The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
History
The German Army in Belgium, the White Book of May 1915
Germany. Auswärtiges Amt
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities; World War, 1914-1918 -- Belgium
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:
As to Person: My name is Georg Berghausen, born at Cologne o.Rh. on
February 1st, 1881; Old Catholic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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