Part 21
As to Case: I am President of the Military Court of Justice, Mobile Supply Commando No. 15, and since Sunday, August 23rd, 1914, I have been at Louvain. On Tuesday, August 25th, at about 7 o'clock p.m., I was having supper with Major Manteuffel, Captain v. Westhofen, and 1st Lieutenant Winkler, at the Hôtel "Métropole de Suède," Rue Vital Decoster. Suddenly a gendarme came and reported to Major v. Manteuffel that the alarm had been raised. Major v. Manteuffel immediately set out, whilst we others remained a few minutes longer, and then followed the Major. We then left the hotel and went to the Rue de la Station on our way to the town hall. On the way there I stopped twice for a short time, addressing a German company marching through the Rue de la Station from the direction of the market-place to the station, and immediately afterwards speaking to an officer who sat in a motor-car. When I entered the market-place I heard suddenly violent firing to the right of me, in a street leading to the market-place at the corner of the Rue de la Station. To judge from the sound, the firing did not come from German military rifles. As I advanced a few more steps towards the town hall, violent firing could be heard in the market-place, which, to judge from the direction of sound, came from the houses. As I could not proceed and could not remain without cover in the market-place, I sought cover between the baggage-carts standing on the left of me in the market-square. While I stood there, a bullet fell a few steps away from me upon the pavement, and I could clearly see the sparks flying up. When after a time the firing ceased, I went to the town hall, where I remained until the morning.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: JOHANNES GREBIN.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 6.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 23rd, 1914_.
First Lieutenant Telemann of the Reserve, Supply Commando, declared as follows:
As to Person: My name is Paul Telemann, born at Nordhausen on October 20th, 1877; Protestant; Royal President at the Ministry of Public Works in Berlin.
The witness was informed that the Governor-General, Field-Marshal General Baron von der Goltz, had arranged judicial proceedings for the purpose of ascertaining whether German military persons, and, if so, which, were guilty and deserving of punishment; he then made the following statement:
As to Case: Since noon on August 25th the infantry barracks, Rue de Tirlemont, with about 300 men suffering from foot trouble and a few slightly wounded doing guard duty at Louvain, were under my supervision.
On the evening of August 25th I and two 1st Staff-Surgeons were having supper in the Café Royal--since burned down--in the market. Suddenly--as far as I remember, soon after 8 p.m.--I heard lively firing in the market, which steadily increased. The hostess, a German, immediately switched off the electric light, and we and the other guests of the establishment, chiefly officers and non-commissioned officers of our army, went into a back room so as not to be hit from the street. As the greater number of us were without arms, we decided for the present to wait there.
When after a time the firing ceased, we hurried into the street, and there met German soldiers going along the houses for the purpose of taking action against those from which inhabitants had fired. As far as I remember, only isolated shots fell at that time. We went over to the town hall, where I met a group of people from my barrack who had gone to the town hall to look for me. I at once went with them to the infantry barracks. During this time also only isolated shots were fired behind us.
The guard and a large number of soldiers stationed there stood in front of the infantry barracks with their rifles ready, and they showed me several houses in the Rue de Tirlemont from which inhabitants had fired on them. I forbade them, under threat of heavy punishment, to set these houses on fire as they had intended, as I wished to protect the "Military Hospital" opposite the barracks and the barracks themselves with the wounded. A short time afterwards we heard continuous firing from the direction of the adjoining Place du Peuple, and in this direction we also saw several houses burning. Motor-cars arrived now, bringing German wounded to the "Military Hospital." As far as I remember, there were in all about thirty to thirty-five, amongst whom were also some severely wounded, as, for instance, Captain v. Esmarch, who had shot wounds in the head and had dislocated both arms in his fall from horseback.
Owing to the fairly strong wind the entire blocks of houses behind the field hospital began to catch fire, apparently from the houses set alight in the Place du Peuple; I had thus to direct my whole attention to the safety of the wounded. Fortunately the wind abated somewhat later on and drove the flames to the other side, so that after bringing up fire-hose, it was possible to save the field hospital.
During the night the crack of isolated gun-shots and the explosion of ammunition in the burning houses continued intermittently.
In the early hours of the morning a division of pioneers marched through the Rue de Tirlemont, who asserted that they had just been fired on from the houses of this street, and they also wanted to set the houses on fire. I forbade this for the reasons already mentioned.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: PAUL TELEMANN.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 7.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings.
During the judicial proceedings of the Court of the Government-General at Brussels for the purpose of ascertaining whether any German military persons, and, if so, which, were guilty and deserving of punishment for the burning down of Louvain, there appeared as witness:
Lieutenant-Colonel (Active List) Schweder, commanding 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, who made the following statement:
As to Person: My name is Max Karl Schweder, born in Posen on April 24th, 1856; Protestant.
As to Case: On Monday, August 24th, 1914, the Landsturm Battalion Neuss, coming from Neuss, arrived in Tirlemont, and was immediately detrained. I went with my Staff by motor to Louvain, where I arrived about 6.30 p.m. It was my intention to prepare everything for the drawing up and quartering of the Company v. Sandt. The company also arrived at Louvain at 8.10 p.m.; it was quartered near the station, with closed ranks in an alarm quarter. I, 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt, 1st Surgeon Dr. Berghausen, and Adjutant-Lieutenant Lamberts took up our quarters at an hotel opposite. The night of August 24th to August 25th was quiet. On August 25th, at 6 a.m., began the marching of the troops of the IX. Reserve Army Corps through Louvain towards Malines, coming from Liège. On the 25th there were only about 100 men in Louvain of the v. Sandt Company, because about 100 men were told off for guard and sentries. As far as I know, no other troops were present in Louvain on Tuesday, August 25th, except this company. During the day, until 5 o'clock p.m., the town was perfectly quiet. At 5 o'clock Staff-Major-General, 17th Reserve Division, v. Rosenberg appeared and ordered the company to be ready at the north-west exit of Louvain. I and 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt immediately led the company there and drew it up, covered by the crest of a small hill. The company lay there from 5.45 till 7 o'clock at this point without taking part in the fight, which, as far as I remember, had already begun at 11 a.m. on both sides of the main road Mechlin-Louvain, and the main points of attack were Herent and Bueken.
Shortly after 7 o'clock I ordered 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt to march back with his company and to draw it up ready at the station at Louvain, because I felt that the company was more necessary there than outside the town. I myself went on foot through the town, which was almost devoid of troops, to the station. I saw some isolated persons and several of the inhabitants in small groups standing in front of the houses and walking about in the streets. The houses were everywhere dark. Of the German forces I saw in the evening only a few baggage-carts accompanied by small detachments.
About 500 paces from the station, in the Rue Leopold, I saw suddenly the flash of a rocket across the station road. At the same moment firing took place from all surrounding houses, from windows, attics, cellar gratings, upon me and upon the German soldiers near--about fifteen men, who were in the street either singly or were following their baggage, which was ahead of them. I emphasise particularly the point that before the rocket went up the streets were perfectly quiet, and that the soldiers went quite quietly and harmlessly on their way. I assert distinctly that neither a German officer nor a German soldier had once fired upon the inhabitants of Louvain before this attack began. I collected about ten soldiers, with whom I went to the station, part of them going on one side of the road and part of them on the other. On the way, a distance of about 500 metres, I with my men, about ten of them, were fired at from the houses of this street, so that we were continually under a hail of bullets. During this march I ordered my soldiers to reply to the fire directed upon them.
When I arrived at the station, 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt's company was already fighting the inhabitants of the surrounding houses, who fired from the roofs, windows, and cellar windows. I immediately placed myself in the firing-line and took part in the fight with a rifle; 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt did the same. About ten minutes later there was a pause in the firing, which I made use of for sending strong patrols into the nearest houses, from which firing had taken place, to bring out the inhabitants. I took the company straight back to the station. One non-commissioned officer and five men of the company were wounded, several by small-shot.
In the course of the evening His Excellency v. Boehn appeared with a few officers, and I and 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt had to give a general report.
I finally add that, with short intervals, the inhabitants fired during the whole night from their houses, and also from the group of houses to the east of the station.
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: MAX SCHWEDER.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
D. App. 8.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings.
First Lieutenant of Reserve v. Sandt, 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment No. 11 and leader of the company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, declares the following:
As to Person: My name is Otto v. Sandt, born at Bonn, May 11th, 1869; Catholic.
The witness was informed that the Governor-General, Field-Marshal General Baron von der Goltz, had arranged judicial proceedings for the purpose of ascertaining whether any German military persons; and, if so, which, were guilty and deserving of punishment; he then made the following statement:
As to Case: I arrived at Louvain from Neuss with the 1st Company, 2nd Mobile Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, on August 24th, 1914. My company was quartered in closed ranks in an alarm quarter near the station. The night passed quietly; on the morning of August 25th I commenced at once to fall in 150 sentries as a railway guard. There were no other troops in Louvain on this day except a section of railway engineers, about 60 strong. During the day, great trains of troops of the IX. Reserve Army Corps, coming from Liège, went through Louvain towards Malines. At about 5 o'clock Colonel Schweder ordered me to march with my company to the north-west exit of Louvain; at about 6 o'clock my company lay upon a small hill in a covered position. A good deal of fighting was taking place about 1500 metres away from us. I did not take part in it with my company. On the command of Colonel Schweder we marched back to the station square at Louvain. On the way to the town-hall square many German troops with the baggage passed us. Inhabitants stood singly and in groups before the various houses. On the way to the station square all was quiet; one could not anticipate that the inhabitants were planning an attack. At about ten minutes before 8 o'clock I was with my company in the station square near the baggage that was ready to march. I stood with my company about five minutes, when my company was suddenly and quite unexpectedly fired at from all the surrounding houses, from the windows and attics. At the same time, I heard lively firing in the station road and all the adjacent streets; firing also took place from the window of my hotel (Hôtel de l'Industrie), directly from my room.
We stood near the baggage; then we knelt down and fired upon the houses opposite. After a short time the baggage horses and those of the officers, some of which had been wounded by shots, ran away. I then sought cover with my company inside the doors of a few houses. Five men of my company were wounded in this attack. That so few were wounded can be explained by the fact that the inhabitants fired too high. On the command of Colonel Schweder I then led my company back, close to the station.
An hour later an adjutant came who called my name--v. Sandt. He said that he was an adjutant of His Excellency v. Boehn. The adjutant asked me, "Can you swear that Belgians fired on your company from the opposite and adjacent houses?" I replied, "Yes; I can swear that." The adjutant then led me to General v. Boehn, who stood near. His Excellency desired an accurate report. I gave my report exactly as I have given it here before the Judge of Military Law, Dr. Ivers. After having given my report, His Excellency said to me, "Can you swear to the accuracy of what you have just reported to me, especially to the fact that the inhabitants first fired from the houses?" I replied to this, "Yes; I can swear to this."
Read over, approved, signed.
Signed: OTTO V. SANDT.
The witness was then sworn.
Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
Court of the Government-General at Brussels.
Present: Dr. IVERS, Judge of Military Law. Secretary, RAMBEAU.
LOUVAIN, _September 17th, 1914_. Station Buildings, 4 o'clock p.m.
First Lieutenant v. Sandt added the following:
About half an hour after His Excellency v. Boehn had spoken with me about the firing of the Belgians from their houses upon my company, and after His Excellency had had these houses at the station set on fire, and while they were blazing, with the exception of the house "Maria Theresa" (an hotel which was not set on fire because near it were the military benzine stores), two or three more volleys were fired from the windows, and particularly from the roof of this hotel directly upon the officers and men standing in front of the station. Besides my company, about 150 soldiers of the 35th Reserve Regiment, just detrained, stood in front of the station. It was only now that--after having removed the barrels of benzine--we fired on the house and set it alight.
After this statement too had been read to the witness he declared it also on the oath which he had taken at the first examination on the morning of the same day.
Signed: OTTO V. SANDT. Signed: Dr. IVERS. Signed: RAMBEAU.
Court of the Government-General of Belgium.
Present: President, STEMPEL. Secretary, STEMPER.
MALINES, _November 19th, 1914_.
There appears on citation Captain v. Sandt as witness, and after the object of the examination has been made known to him, he is examined as follows:
As to Person: As already stated.
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.
As to Case: I am Battalion Surgeon in the Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, and arrived at the station of Louvain with the 1st Company of this regiment on August 24th, 1914, at noon. I lived with the Staff in the Hôtel "De la Ville," and in order to prepossess the proprietor and the employés I immediately paid out of my own pocket 50 francs for the purchase of provisions. The evening of the 24th and the night passed quietly. At noon on the 25th I was on duty at Herent and Bueken. At about 4 p.m. I was again in Louvain. At about 5 o'clock I heard that there was a battle proceeding at Bueken. The 1st Company of the Landsturm Infantry Battalion Neuss, under 1st Lieutenant v. Sandt as company leader, marched to the north-west exit of Louvain. I had gone there previously by motor, and went as far as the fighting-line before Bueken, where I was repeatedly fired at whilst sitting in my car, though I was wearing the white armlet with the red cross. I returned to Louvain in my car at 11.30 p.m. I got out near the town hall and sent my car with the chauffeur to the station. I myself went on foot along the Rue de la Station in order to go to the station where I was living. On the way, between the town hall and the station, I was fired at from the windows of the houses about ten or twelve times. Close to where the Monument stands, I saw a German soldier lying dead on the ground; he had been shot in the head (mouth). His comrades, with whom he had passed the Monument, told me on inquiry as to who had shot the soldier, that the shot had been fired from the corner house of David Fischbach. With the help of my servant I broke open the street door, and there first encountered the occupant, old David Fischbach. I questioned him regarding the murdered soldier, because, as the other soldiers declared with certainty, the shot that had killed the soldier on the Monument place had been fired from his house. Old David Fischbach declared that he knew nothing about it. His son, young Fischbach, then came down the stairs of the first floor, and from the porter's lodge came an old servant. I immediately took father, son, and servant into the street. At this moment a tumult arose in the street because the soldiers, standing near the Monument, and I myself, were being terribly fired on from a few houses farther away on the same side. During this time I lost Fischbach, his son, and the servant in the darkness.
Lively firing proceeded from a house obliquely opposite the present commando, Rue de la Station, No. 120. Just in front of this house, No. 120, two officers of high rank and several soldiers passed, hurrying in the direction of the station on account of the violent firing. I can state with certainty that the officers and soldiers, who went along the Rue de la Station during the time that I passed from the town hall to the railway, did not fire. Accordingly, it is certain that while the German soldiers did not fire, the inhabitants fired on us German officers and soldiers from their windows in the Rue de la Station on the night of August 25th to 26th, at between 11 and 12 o'clock, and,
## particularly that when we passed the house No. 120, Rue de la Station,
I saw myself that a murderous fire was directed upon us officers and soldiers from the second floor of this house. That we, or some of us, were not killed, I can only explain by the fact that the officers and soldiers ran along on the same side of the street from which the firing took place, and that, moreover, it was dark.
A few minutes later I met, near the Monument, the commissariat Commandant, Major v. Manteuffel, with the Belgian president of the Red Cross, the prior of the Dominican Monastery, and the old priest of the town. We four or five all saw the shot soldier and, a few steps farther, the old Fischbach lying shot in front of the Monument. I assumed that the comrades of the shot soldier, who had seen the firing from the house of Fischbach upon their comrade, had immediately carried out this punishment on the owner of the house. I then joined the Commandant with his group of eight soldiers and the three hostages. The Commandant went with his soldiers and the three hostages through the main streets of the town, and the Father Prior announced in a loud voice in Flemish and French that no Belgians should fire upon German soldiers, otherwise the hostages would have to be shot and the town would have to pay a fine of twenty millions, and furthermore the houses, from which German soldiers had been fired at, would be burnt.