During one bitterly cold winter, we were told to donate clothing to the German troops in the East. When we refused to support the war effort in this way, we were stripped of our gloves, our earmuffs, and our undershirts. Our leather shoes were also confiscated. Instead we were given wooden clogs, called Dutchmen. Despite the lack of clothing, we were forced to go out to work, even at temperatures of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15° C.).

The owner of the business that I worked for received a letter from the German Workers’ Front, an organization that was a branch of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or Nazi Party). The letter stated:

“We herewith request you to dismiss according to the rules and regulations of your company the Bible Student employed by you, inasmuch as he manifestly disturbs the peace of your enterprise by not becoming a member of the German Workers’ Front.” The owner of the firm complied with the letter, and since I could not conscientiously affiliate myself with a political party, I lost my job.