Nazi War Criminals Saved

THEIR CHAPLAIN’S ACCOUNTNazi War Criminals Saved“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:13In late 1945, an American pastor, H. F. Gerecke was appointed chaplain to the high-ranking Nazi war criminals during their trial at Nuremberg. His report below, translated from German in 1949, proves that God’s grace exceeds all our thoughts.Before visiting these Nazi leaders in their cells, I asked myself, “Must I greet these men who had brought such unspeakable suffering on the world, and were the cause of the sacrifice of so many millions of lives?” My own two sons were victims of their misdeeds. How should I behave before such men so they would be willing to receive God’s Word? On November 20, 1945 just before the trial took place, I passed the night in prayer, asking God to give me a message for them. From that moment, God gave me the grace, after the example of Jesus, to hate sin but love the sinner. These men must hear about the Savior who suffered and died also on the cross for them. A double cell of the prison was made into a chapel where we could hold our services. A former Lieutenant Colonel of the Secret Service was our organist. Towards the end of my service, this organist trusted Christ. The simple gospel of the cross had changed his heart. Keitel, Von Ribbentrop, Raeder, Donitz, Von Neurath, Speer, Schacht, Frick, Funk, Fritsche, Von Schirach, Sauckel and Goering formed my congregation. We would sing hymns, read Scripture, have a short address and close with prayer. Sauckel was the first who opened his heart to the gospel. He was the father of ten children and had a Christian wife. After a few visits, we knelt down by his bed, and he prayed the publican’s prayer, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Then Fritsche, Von Schirach, and Speer asked permission to take communion. As I saw these three men receiving the bread and wine I was seized with emotion, for God had worked mightily through His Word and Spirit in their hearts, and as repentant sinners they had accepted pardon through Christ. Raeder, the Chief of the German Navy, zealously read his Bible. He often came to me with difficult passages. Keitel, the Chief of Staff of the German Army asked me to convey his thanks to those who had provided for their spiritual welfare, being criminals. With tears he said, “They have helped me more than they could have imagined. May Christ sustain me.” On the evening before the execution, I had a long talk with Goering. I put before him the necessity of preparing himself to meet God. He ridiculed certain Bible truths and refused to accept that Christ died for sinners. It was a conscious denial of the power of the blood. “Death is death” were his last words. An hour later he took his own life – what a frightful end! Keitel went into eternity confiding in the pardoning grace of God. Then Sauckel went to his death with a last greeting to his wife and children, and a last prayer. Frick assured me before his death that he believed in the cleansing blood. The sincere repentance that God worked in the lives of those who, according to human estimation, were fouled by the deepest infamy may give a ray of hope to those who have corrupted their lives through sin. Would you like to prepare to meet God in eternity? Carefully read what God says: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mt. 9:13). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7). Then confess your sins and ask Him to forgive you. If you want more information about God’s saving grace, write us and ask!By H. F. Gerecke