Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 25. (1972) - Festschrift für Hanns Leo Mikoletzky

HOLLAENDER, Albert E. J.: Offiziere und Prälaten. Zur Fuldaer Bischofskonferenz, August 1945

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Albert E. J. Hollaender

Mention should be made oí transport. The only vehicle available was a P. U.* 3 *), which caused the Americans some amusement. Unsuitable or inadequate transport does not enhance either British dignity or prestige when one iinds, as I did, that all the American Mil. Gov. officers in Fulda, sergeants included, possessed good German saloon cars.

BACKGROUND — FULDA BISHOPSCONFERENCE.

The annual conference of German bishops has taken place at the grave of St. Boniface in Fulda every year since 1867 with the exception of 1944. Previous to 1933 not all the German bishops attended, for the Bavarian bishops had a conference of their own and only sent representatives to Fulda. The ratification of the Reichkoncordate b) in 1933 marked the beginning of complete attendance in Fulda.

The city itself contains 30,000 people, about 90% Catholic. It is the site of the second oldest church in Germany and the famous Cathedral [was] started in the 9th century and rebuilt in its present form from 1704 to 1712. Fulda was founded in 744 by Sturmi, a companion to St. Boniface.

The cathedral contains the crypt of St. Boniface and is a shrine for Catholics all over the world. St. Boniface, who was born and educated in England, became the greatest missionary to Hessen, Bavaria and Friesland. He founded most of the Bavarian bishoprics, was Papal legate to the Franconian empire, was the first bishop of Mainz, and finally was martyred with 52 companions in the year 754.

CARDINALS AND BISHOPS ATTENDING *).

Note: With the exception of Bishop Graf von Preysing, who is residing in Berlin (British Zone), it will be noted that none of the Bishops in the Russian Zone were present.

Aachen,

Bamberg,

Berlin,

Berlin,

Eichstätt,

Freiburg,

Fulda,

Bischof van der Velden Erzbischof Kolb,

Bischof von Preysing

Bischof Wienken 5), Komissar der Konferenz Bischof Rackl Erzbischof Gröber Bischof Dr. Dietz 6)

b) sic L.

3) Personnel Utility van — ein kleiner militärischer Kraftwagen für Personal- und anderen Transport kleineren Umfangs. Das amerikanische Äquivalent ist etwa der covered oder ,hooded' Jeep.

*) Für Einzelheiten betreffend die in der nachstehenden Liste angeführten Prälaten und deren Einstellung zum Nationalsozialismus siehe neben den bereits zitierten Werken von Levy und Conway: Gordon C. Zahn German Catholics and Hitler’s Wars (New York 1962); Hans Müller Katholische Kirche und Nationalsozialismus: Dokumente 1930—1935 (München 1963) und ergänzend die reiche Dokumentation in Die Briefe Pius’ XII. an die deutschen Bischöfe 1939—1944, hg. von Burkhard Schneid er in Zusammenarbeit mit Pierre Biet und Angelo Martini (Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Zeitgeschichte bei der Katholischen Akademie in Bayern, Reihe A: Quellen, Band 4, Mainz 1966).

5) Richtiger: Weihbischof.

8) Uber seine Exhortationen an die Gläubigen seiner Diözese, für den Anschluß Österreichs mit ,Ja‘ zu stimmen, siehe Levy The Catholic Church 215 f.