Justice victim: Heinrich Wandt

Heinrich Wandt Heinrich Wandt (* 13, May 1890 in Stuttgart, † 22, March 1965 in Berlin- Schöneberg) Author and publicist.

- Yg. 1925, No. 24 -

A few years ago, there was a politically left-wing party in Berlin, which was not exactly one of the most gratifying phenomena of the German press, because it saw its profession among other things, bringing scandals from the life of "society" in an ugly way to the light of the public , Headlines such as "The Love Nest in Budapest Street", "The Hooker Market on the Kurfürstendamm", "The Headmaster with the Riding Whip" and other raisins of this kind were the order of the day. Even if one assumes that these juicy sauces were served only with the intention of seducing as many contemporaries as possible to read the pacifist-radical political article that fills the rest of the paper, one can not say yes and amen to it. For though in good will the good will can sanctify the means to a certain extent, the bad means always harms the end, because those are attracted to whom the evil means are the proper end, while the others, to whom it belongs Advertisers in fact arrive, shivering from the stinky bait.

This "Free Press" and especially its editor Heinrich Wandt Of course, the judiciary of our "Republic" was a thorn in the side, less - of course - because of the scandalous article, than because of the political direction. One was terribly keen to take the man at the first opportunity on the winding. This opportunity did not take long: Wandt had a book called "Legend Ghent" in which he described with precise dates and dates a number of those typical cases from the heavy life behind the front, those who were at war was, knows from narratives and personal insights. It happened that he blamed some of Prince Reuss-who were all called Heinrich's, and differed only by their numbers-in what another of his kin had done. Heinrich the ninety-seventh, erroneously named in the book instead of Henry the Ninety-sixth, complained of insulting, and Wandt, who had immediately acknowledged his error and assured him that he meant not the plaintiff, but the other, got half a year's hole.

But the judiciary does not rest until she has her victim on the collar so well worth it. She seeks, seeks and finds. And in the year 1923, she had what she needed.

Because Wandt once guilty of stealing. Someone has stolen a document from the Reich Archives, which was a contribution to the Flemish policy that we have waged during the war, and has given it to Wandt. Wandt was given two years in prison for this case. The sentence was, however, contracted with another of five years in prison for "treason" to a total sentence of six years in prison. Since December, 1923 is in the penitentiary.

What about this "treason"? It is the same document that pronounced the extremely heavy sentence of two years in jail for stealing. Namely, this document should be given to the Belgian author Dr. Wandt after acceptance of the Reichsgericht - he himself denies it. Wullus, who reprinted it to 1921 in a book entitled "Flamenpolitik, Suprême espoir allemand de domination en Belgique".

The content is, as Senate President Freymuth indicates in the "Friedenswarte", the transcript of the hearing of a leader of the Flemish Party in German captivity by a German captain. The hearing took place at the 24. September 1918 took place.

It is no secret that the authoritative German authorities granted friendship and help to the Flemish autonomists during the war. The document states that the ultimate aim of the policy of the 'activist Front Party' in the Belgian army is to establish an autonomous Flanders within a free Belgium and to establish a peace agreement between that Belgium and Germany. This was a demand that neither the Flemish movement could expose (for in Belgium they were credited with much worse goals), nor the German authorities (or at least before the German annexationists, who wanted to devour all Belgium with their hair and their hair).

Nevertheless, the Reichsgericht has punished the - assumed, unproven - disclosure of this document to a foreign writer as treason with five years in prison. Dr. Wullus has in an open letter from the 23. March 1924 and more recently in a letter to the (Belgian) Ministry of Justice and a note in the "Nation Belge" of the 3. April 1925 assures that Wandt is innocent of the disclosure of the document.

It is especially strange, indeed outrageous, that the reasoning of the judgment against Wandt is. As the Member Levi at the 10. In the Reichstag, the Reichsgericht issued the following recital: "Crucially, the treachery of the document betrayed at the same time the Belgian personalities with whom the German Government had communicated during the war. If our government were to be able, for its own purposes, to re-employ those men, which could easily happen in the event of a change in the present political situation, that would make it considerably more difficult for them to betray themselves. "

This reasoning is nothing less than the hope that one day we might once again be able to conspire with Belgians against their government - and would that be possible without a new war? Or should the gentlemen responsible for these sentences even consider promoting Flemish autonomist movements by our government, even in peacetime? Neither they nor our ruling bodies will be so stupid!

In any case: here by the Reichsgericht, not by a Bavarian "People's Court", a man has been convicted of treason without his guilt being proven, and under a rationale that has been inflicted, not only domestically, but also abroad To raise doubts about the loyal attitude of Germany.

Schleunige Revision is to be demanded. And until then release the convict. Wandt is 1923 in the penitentiary since December. Even if the mail-room is in no doubt, he has served the sentence of two years imprisonment for her for one and a half years. He also spent nine months in custody. But if one does not want to grant him his right, then give him mercy.

1925, 24 Max Barth

Heinrich Wandt was pardoned 1926 in February because of the "alarm" caused by the Wandt case in Belgium.