The Indictment against Krause

The Reich attorney general at the People’s Court filed charges against Krause on November 16, 1944 for defeatist statements made before confirmands on February 16, 1944.

The indictment also generally referred to Krause’s negative view of National Socialism. Interestingly, it lacked the events of 1935, yet mentioned events of 1938 – Krause forbade the “Hitler salute” in class – and of 1939 and 1941 when he allegedly again made comments before confirmands, which were politically ambiguous at the least.

The main charge, though, related to a confirmation class on February 16, 1944 in Damgarten where Krause had substituted in the winter of 1943-44. Krause had reprimanded a pupil who said he believed in God and in Hitler. According to Krause, one could not equate humans with God since humans had already often been disappointing. Krause allegedly stated, with regard to the war situation, that one could not win any war with retreats, and declared that the initiation ceremony for young people held by the NSDAP was a mockery of Christian confirmation.

Five of the confirmands appeared as witnesses. The prosecutor considered their statements to be accurate, whereas Krause’s documented statement was assessed to be quite unconvincing. The prosecutor requested the continuation of Krause’s pretrial detention and the opening of his trial before the People’s Court.