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75 D Chapter Twenty d A meeting with the Führer For Martin Niemoeller, the year 1934 had begun with a rather interesting encounter on January 26, one that would eventually seal his fate. “Is Hitler really a great man?” In anxious anticipation, Else Niemoeller searched her husband’s face. For many hours she had been waiting for his return, not certain she would ever see him again. “No,” he replied dryly,“he is a great coward!” And with those words, he stamped into the house. Earlier that day,a telephone call had informed Martin that the führer wished to see him at once. Upon arrival in the old Reichskanzlei in the center of Berlin, black-clad SS men directed him to a vestibule, where he soon found himself in the company of more than three dozen members of the Protestant clergy as well as party functionaries. While he pondered the purpose of this rather unexpected situation,Hermann Goering made a sudden entrance, rudely brushing by the pastor without a word. He was wearing an unobtrusive civilian suit rather than one of the fantasy uniforms that he would favor in his later years. Finally,the door opened,and the visitors were ushered into the inner sanctum,Hitler’s study, where the führer was seated at his desk, its size well-befitting his megalomania. He demonstrated his sentiments by not rising for his “guests.” Presiding Reich Bishop Ludwig Müller, of the German Christian movement, a meek little man, stood motionless behind his lord and master, as if he was trying to hide. Positioned in a half circle in front of the enormous desk, the visitors waited for Hitler to make the first move. He finally rose, and Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick introduced everyone present by name. At the moment Martin’s name was mentioned, Goering began attacking the pastor by shouting that a telephone conversation between Martin and his secretary had been overheard by the Gestapo that very morning, revealing that he was contemplating evil actions against the Reich and the führer’s life. This outburst startled the pastor who,for some time,had suspected that his phone might be bugged.He remembered only one conversation that morning with his secretary, during which she had told him the latestjoke:thatPresidentHindenburgwascalledtoHitler’sdeathbed,withPastorNiemoeller present to administer extreme unction! The nature of the talk, Goering maintained, clearly disclosed that it was held in a secret code. In his mind, there could not be any doubt that Martin was receiving support by foreign powers, their goal being to eliminate Hitler. ParT one 76 This seemed to be the cue for Hitler to go into one of his famous tantrums. Flailing his arms, foaming at the mouth, and yelling at the top of his voice, he screamed insults and threats at his visitors as if they were ill-behaved children. In his rage, he singled out Martin, rambling on in an endless monologue, until he finally ran out of breath. The moment had come for the pastor to speak out. His only deep concern, he said, was the fate and future of the German people, which caused Hitler to give him a dirty look. “You leave the German people to me,” he screamed back,“and limit yourself to see that they go to heaven.” As far as Hitler was concerned, the meeting was over. Having regained his composure, he proceeded to stalk from one man to the next, stretching out his hand to bid everyone good-bye. Standing in front of Martin, the pastor continued holding Hitler’s hand with a firm grip and decided that he must speak out one last time. “Herr Reichskanzler,” he said in a strong voice,“the responsibility for our people has been entrusted to me by God, and neither you nor anyone else in the world has the authority to take it from me.” The führer, speechless due to the boldness of this remark, abruptly withdrew his hand, turned around brusquely,and left the room without another word.On his way out,Martin turned to Goering with a question about the charge of outside support of the Pastors’ Emergency League. “I have proof,” was the fat man’s brief answer. That same evening, eight Gestapo men invaded the pastor’s home to ransack it for incriminating evidence.A few days later, a bomb exploded in the rectory hall, fortunately not injuring the pastor, his wife, or any of their six children. Martin...

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