8 Jan. 46
"The apostasy movement found every
assistance. Every opportunity was used to induce many to withdraw from
the Church."
In assessing
responsibility for these acts of suppression in Austria, the Court will
recall that the Defendant Von Schirach was Gauleiter of Vienna from 1940
to 1945.
I now come to the acts of suppression in Czechoslovakia, where, the
Court will recollect, the Defendant Von Neurath was Reich Protector for
Bohemia and Moravia from 1939 to 1943 and was succeeded by the Defendant
Frick. These acts have been summarized in an official Czech Government
report. I refer to Document 998-PS, Exhibit Number USA-91, already in
evidence. These are excerpts not previously read or referred to from the
"Czech Official Report for the Prosecution and Trial of the German
Major War Criminals by the International Military Tribunal Established
according to the Agreement of the Four Great Powers, of August 8, 1945."
Since this is an official government document or report of one of the
United Nations, I ask that the Tribunal take judicial notice of it under
Article 21 of the Charter and I suggest that I be permitted to summarize
rather than read it.
It describes the maltreatment of Catholic priests — 487 of whom
were sent to concentration camps as hostages — dissolution of
religious orders, suppression of religious instruction in Czech schools,
suppression of Catholic weeklies and monthlies, dissolution of the
Catholic gymnastic organization of 800,000 members, and seizure of
Catholic Church property. It describes the entire prohibition of the
Czechoslovak National Church and confiscation of all its property in
Slovakia and its crippling in Bohemia.
The report describes the severe restriction on freedom of preaching by
the Protestants and the persecution and imprisonment and execution of
ministers and the suppression of Protestant Church youth organizations
and theological schools and shows the complete subordination and later
dissolution of the Greek Orthodox Church. It states that all Evangelical
education was handed over to the civil authorities and many Evangelical
teachers lost their employment.
The repressive measures adopted by the Nazi conspirators in Poland
against the Christian Church were even more drastic and sweeping.
The Vatican documents now to be introduced describe persecutions of the
Catholic Church in Poland in three areas: First, the incorporated
territories, especially the Warthegau; second, the Government General;
and third, the incorporated Eastern territories.
The Court will recall that the incorporated territories comprised
territories adjacent to the old Reich, chiefly the Reich District