The Allied powers accepted Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945, formally ending World War II in Europe. Just one month later, the men who had acted as the wartime presidency of the East German Mission ((Richard Ranglack and Paul Langheinrich were the surviving members of that presidency; the third, Herbert Klopfer, Sr., was a prisoner of the Russians and starved to death about this time. I do not yet know Gottfried Neumann’s role. EDIT: Gottfried Neumann was a local (Berlin) missionary. )) traveled through the devastated country to call on branches and individual members in the Russian-controlled section of Germany. This is their report of that trip. ((When I posted a brief clip from this report last night on Facebook, it was instantly recognized by Keepa’s Steve C., who had cited it in his dissertation: Steven E. Carter, The Mormons and the Third Reich, 1933-1946. Dissertation (Ph.D.) – University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2003.))

On the surface, it is mostly a record of mileage and timetables. But there are two-sentence stories of faith and Mormon life scattered throughout. What I like best of all is that the brethren give the names of individual members – scattered, apparently isolated Saints, as well as branches, received attention from these leaders whose courage and physical stamina, as much as their sense of religious duty, is plainly on display here.

The First Trip Thru the Mission

by Brothers Richard Ranglack, Paul Langheinrich, and Gottfried Neumann.

On Monday, June 11, 1945, we decided to visit the branches outside of Berlin and made necessary preparations to do so. On Saturday we made a small trip to Wannsee on our bicycles and visited sister Koppe. Then on to Potsdam to visit brother and sister Schulze where we made preparations for a Sunday meeting. We then went further to Leest, where we were greeted by Brother and Sisters Baade and Kolbin. We decided we should hold our meeting this Saturday evening and within one hour we had invited all members and friends. It was a wonderful meeting and the sacrament was administered and passed to all members. We had a total of 9 members and eleven friends present. Of the friends, several were ready for baptism. On Sunday, June 17, we started home to Berlin at an early hour and arrived in time to attend the evening meetings.

Final preparations for another trip were completed on June 18, 19, and on Wednesday, June 20, we started at 6:16 AM on bicycles from Berlin toward Koenigswusterhausen with Cottbus as our destination. Underway we had 2 punctures and were stopped 16 times by Russians, but we arrived at Lausitzer Street 53, Cottbus, Germany, about 5:30 PM. There we met the saints in the best of spirits. After cleaning up and eating, we held a special meeting at 7:00 PM with an attendance of 93 members. After the meeting we held a priesthood meeting with 20 members of the priesthood present. Following this meeting all members had a joint evening prayer. In this home at Lausitzer Street 53 the 96 members were fed on this day, 4 members of which remained outside in order to prepare the vegetables. On Thursday, June 21, we held a joint morning prayer. Then we made a change in the presidency of the district, appointing and sustaining brother Fritz Lehnig as district president and brother Richard Ranglack set him apart.

At 9:00 AM we left the members of Cottbus, exchanged bicycles, and travelled by bicycle and auto a distance of 54 miles (87 KM) before 12:30 PM. About 20 Kilometers from Risa we approached a wood where a group of Polish robbers were gathered who were looking very ardently at our bicycles. They took our bicycles in spite of strong protests and would have taken everything we owned from us; but, thru a lucky break, we were picked up by a car and brought thru the wooded area. The car took us to the center of Risa and we arrived at the Railroad Station just in time to board a train leaving for Doebeln, Germany. We were obliged to remain here one day, because no possible means of transportation was scheduled and furthermore it began to rain. We slept in the office of the Railroad Station.

On June 22 at 5:40 AM we left for Chemnitz in an overcrowded train, arriving at 8:45 AM. Since we could not reach the district president, brother Heidler, by phone we sent a messenger to him and his daughter came to the Railroad Station, whom we asked to tell Brother Heidler to be in Buchholz-Annaberg next Sunday. At 2:30 PM we left by train for Buchholz-Annaberg, reaching Annaberg at 5:30 PM. That evening we discussed plans for the next few days.

On the morning of June 23, we attempted successfully to repossess our meeting house which had been previously confiscated. That evening we held a priesthood meeting with 31 members of the priesthood present of which 3 were ordained to the office of Elder and several were advanced in the Priesthood

June 24 we visited Sunday School in Junghaus Kl Sommerleite 42. Visited at home of Brother Richter. In the afternoon, we held a Sacrament meeting in the Methodist church. After the meeting we went to Walthersdorf to relatives of Brother Langheinrich.

On June 25, we visited Sister Korener of Walthersdorf and also talked with Sister Richter of Walthersdorf. That evening we had a house meeting at the home of Sister Schaarschuh of Geyersdorf with 38 persons present of which 9 were friends. Tuesday, June 26, we visited brother Schramm (at his place of work), sister Martha Kraemer, Jenschewski, and Siebert. Agreed to meet brother Krause in Bruenlos. Did meet him and then saw sister Hofmann in Schlettau/Erzgebirge. This evening we held another house meeting in Junghaus with 18 members and 6 friends present.

On June 27, we started out according to our plans for Zwickau which was occupied at this time by American troops. We rode by train until we reached Hartenstein, arriving about 12:13 PM. From here we had to proceed in the rain thru Russian and American zones. Turned back twice by the Russians, we made detours and came thru to Planitz about 8:30 PM. Visited sister Neumaerker where brothers Neuman and Ranglack stayed over night. Brother Langheinrich slept at the home of sister Strobel. On 28 June, we reached Zwickau by bus and were at the home of Brother Fassmann at 8:00 AM. After a discussion we decided to hold a meeting this same evening and informed all members from the vicinity. At 6:00 PM we held the meeting and 200 members were present. In Zwickau the completed Genealogy pamphlets of each member were gathered by sister Erika Mueller and we had until midnight to look them over and validate them with our approval.

Friday, June 29, we travelled to Planitz and had a light snack at sister STrobel’s home before beginning our return journey through the guarded borderline. We got thru without any hindrance. At 2:30 PM, after walking 24 Kilometers of the way, we entered Hartenstein in good health. Left again at 5:40 PM on the train for Annaberg. Brother Scherzer was with us all the way from Zwickau to Annaberg and was going to proceed alone on toward Goerlitz. We arrived at Annaberg about 8:10 PM and were welcomed for the night at the home of sister Wagner in Geyersdorf.

June 30, we left Annaberg at 6;44 AM and proceeded by train to Chemnitz, arriving at 10:20 AM. We went first to brother Sherner’s home and left our packs. That evening we had a wonderful Priesthood meeting in the Winkler Street 19 with 33 priesthood members present. On fast Sunday, July 1, we visited 2 Sunday School meetings, held separately since the loss of our large meeting house. One meeting was in Winklerstreet with 56 present and the other was in the Hans Scheidtscher Street with 28 present. The brethren arranged for a room in a trade school and we had our largest meeting of the trip here at 4:00 PM with an attendance of 318 persons of which many were friends of the gospel.

July 2, we went from Chemnitz to Dresden, arriving there at 11:20 AM. We went thru empty streets to sister Schackel’s home and left our packs. We held a meeting at Koenigsbrueckstreet 93 in the evening with an attendance of 97 persons. On July 3, we left at 5:00 AM and went to a road leading toward Coswig, a place from which freight trains are dispatched t Cottbus. In Senftenberg, a place on the way, we were compelled to stay overnight, so we stayed in a displaced persons camp.

July 4, we started on foot toward Cottbus, a distance of 36 kilometers (22 miles), arriving there at 1:00 PM after riding ten miles of the distance in an auto. In the evening we held another meeting and had 84 persons present. In the meantime, we discussed the pressing circumstances of the Saints in Erzgebirge and made plans to remedy their dire circumstances. We had a group prayer.

July 5, our goal was to visit brother Kohlase in Neuzache and to reach Berlin on bicycles. At 3:00 PM we started with newly acquired bicycles toward Neuzache and were there at 5:00 PM, finding brother and sister Kohlase healthy and well cared for.

July 6, the last day of our trip, we left the Kohlase home at 7:30 AM on bicycles and arrived in Berlin (97 Kilometers distance) at 4:00 PM after having taken two breaks and having repaired one flat tire. Our families were all well and happy upon our return.

In conclusion, our anxiety over the conditions among members and their fear of the existing state among members in Berlin was obliviated [obliterated?] by this trip, leaving an indescribable and mutual joy for us and the members.