Windmuller-Heynen Family Tree

Translation of Prison Sentence

          IN THE NAME OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE

Criminal Case Against:

 The Merchant Salomon Windmuller, Beckum, Weststrasse 19 born 11 March 1862 in Beckum, concerning offense according to Par. 134 of the Penal Code.

The following participated at the 10 August 1935 Session of the Beckum District Court:

 Judge: Court Consultant Schrage, Official of the State Attorney: Inspector Redeker, Document Official: Advocate Knepper

The District Court has passed the following sentence:

 The accused is guilty of removing and damaging a public announcement and is sentenced to 6 weeks in prison. He also has to carry the expenses for the proceedings.

REASONS

The accused has confessed that he ordered his employee Franz Becker to remove from his house a poster signed by Gauleiter (Party official) Meyer, with the heading "German People, Awake!”. He claims that he had not been aware of the contents of the poster. He admits, however, to have told Becker, one poster affixed on the gate next to the house will be sufficient. His claim that he was unable to read the poster because of the height of the place where it was affixed, is thus not credible. The accused saw the poster on the gate and could read it; he cannot pretend shortsightedness. Moreover, he should have taken into consideration that the poster originated from a Government and Party source. There was no alternative possibility. Undoubtedly, the accused was aware of this possibility, and should thus be deemed fully responsible.

Since the witness Becker, as an employee, only acted on orders of the accused, he cannot be held responsible. The accused has also acted with malevolence, by attempting to prevent the public from reading the poster.

In assessing the penalty it was duly taken into consideration that the accused is of Jewish descent. In view of the attitude of the State and the Party towards the Jewish race, the accused had all the more reason to avoid any provocative action.

A sentence of 6 weeks imprisonment was considered appropriate.

The costs for the proceedings will be carried by the accused, in accordance with Par. 465 of the Penal Code.

          (signed) Schrage, Court Consultant                                  Executed:                                  Beckum, August 10, 1935          (Stamp) Preuss. Amtsgericht, Beckum

Dr. Hagedorn, Attorney of Law, Beckum

This translation was published in the Windmueller Family Chronicle (page 213).

It is shown here with slight editorial changes.

The Holocaust in Beckum

The terror against Jews and their businesses started early in Beckum. Posters appeared: Die Juden sind unser Unglück! (The Jews are our Misfortune). SA-men in their brown uniforms marched through the streets singing their vulgar songs: Wenn das Judenblut vom Messer spritzt, geht’s uns noch mal so gut! (We shall rejoice when Jewish blood will squirt from the knife…) It is understandable that under such circumstances most Jews did notventureout into the streets. Even the children were harassed.

Shortly after 1933, three Beckum Jews, unable to face the increasing hatred, chose to put an end to their lives. They were Albert Falk, Albert Stein and Kurt Windmuller.

At several places in Beckum posters appeared with anti-Jewish messages. Some local citizens, among them the old Salomon Windmuller, ventured to remove them. According to a newspaper report (see section Bibliography: b. Newspaper articles), three citizens mentioned by name, one of them a clergyman, (“opponents of the National-Socialist movement and government”) were each sentenced to three weeks imprisonment. The 73-year-old JewSalomonWindmuller (see photo on Left) was sentenced to six weeks. The report stated that the verdict had made it abundantly clear that the National-Socialist state would not be intimidated by anybody, not even by the catholic clergy, and that in future all subversive activities would be severely punished.