BETHEL AND A PIONEER HOME RAIDED

Early on May 10, as the war got under way, the army ordered the arrest of all German nationals in the Netherlands. That evening Dutch soldiers entered the Bethel Home in Heemstede with fixed bayonets. They were embarrassed by the calmness and friendliness of the brothers and sisters, who invited the soldiers to join them for a cup of coffee. Nevertheless, the German brothers present were taken into custody. Earlier in the year Arnold Werner had been relieved of his duties as branch servant due to domestic circumstances, and Arthur Winkler had been appointed. Now both Brother Winkler and Fritz Hartstang were taken away, though only for a relatively short time.

The next morning precautionary measures were taken by those left behind in the office. Names and addresses, along with other information that the enemy might use to hinder the Kingdom work, were tucked away in a carefully selected hiding place. As much literature as possible was shipped out to the congregations that could still be reached. A new bookkeeping system, using numbers instead of names, was put into operation.

That same morning a detachment of soldiers swooped down on the pioneer home in Leersum. Although there were only Dutch pioneers and no longer German nationals in the home, they were all loaded into an army truck and taken away for questioning. After the burgomaster obligingly identified the pioneers that evening, they were returned to the pioneer home, much to the chagrin of neighbors who had been gleeful about their departure.

SPIRITUAL FOOD PROTECTED

Just before the war broke out, a shipment of 100,000 booklets, along with an issue of Consolation magazine (successor to The Golden Age), arrived at the freight station in Rotterdam. When the city was bombed on May 14, the freight station was gutted. But when the flames subsided, the entire consignment lay undamaged amid the rubble. Later, the carrier loaded it all onto a truck and headed for the Society’s branch office. On arrival he was visibly pale and shaken as he asked: “Whatever is it that these cartons contain? The freight station in Rotterdam burned, but these were all saved in spite of it! On top of that, I have just now come from Rotterdam without being stopped a single time by the military patrols. Yet, in front of me and behind me throughout the journey all cars, vehicles, and pedestrians were stopped. But I passed right through.” The brother’s conclusion was simple: “It is a message the people must receive.” The driver gladly accepted personal copies. Then, as quickly as possible, the rest of the shipment was dispersed to the congregations.

After the initial precautionary measures, the branch office continued to function. The brothers who had been interned at the start of the war were soon released. The occupation forces were still too busy with other problems to interfere. But that did not last for long.

THE NOOSE TIGHTENS

On May 29, 1940, Reichs Commissioner Seyss-Inquart proclaimed that the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses was banned. However, only a brief notice of this appeared in the press. For a time, nothing was done to enforce that proclamation. Nevertheless, it seemed certain that the Society’s offices would soon be raided.

The brothers urged Arthur Winkler to go underground so he would not fall into the hands of the Gestapo any earlier than necessary. Discreetly he changed his lodging from one place to another during the months to come​—frequently not far ahead of Nazi agents.

Before the end of June, three Gestapo agents visited the branch. When Helen Hartstang came down the stairs at 9:00 a.m. she saw them talking to Arnold Werner, who was then doing translation work. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she said, and, trying to act as normal as possible, she walked through the kitchen to the garage. Then she grabbed her bicycle and raced several miles (over 4 km) to the printery to warn the German brothers who were working there.

Meanwhile, the Gestapo searched the office. They also asked where R. A. Winkler was. But it was plain that everything they wanted was gone. In the hearing of Brother Werner, they mumbled, “We have come too late!” After a while they drove to the printery. But the German brothers had already cleared out. Although the October issue of Consolation was being printed, the Gestapo left without closing the plant. However, in three days they were back at the Society’s office.

This time they stayed for three days, answering the phone and opening the door for all visitors. Whenever the brothers who were in hiding would phone the office, it was evident to them that the coast was not clear. The smell of tobacco smoke alerted visitors to danger, and they quickly excused themselves after asking for someone that they knew did not live there. Finally, on July 6 both the office and the printery were sealed. The printing equipment that had come from Czechoslovakia had been in use for less than a year, but it had been used well to build up a good stock of literature.

TIMELY DIRECTION FOR BROTHERS IN THE FIELD

To fortify the brothers for what might come, the June 1940 issue of The Watchtower in Dutch had reported on the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany, the torture used, and the death sentences handed down. On June 15, before the branch office was sealed, a circular letter to all publishers had discussed the caution that Jesus used under various circumstances. It recommended refraining from further house-to-house distribution of the book Enemies and the booklet Warning, while continuing to use other publications freely.

Ten days later another letter had been sent out, this one to all circuit and congregation servants. It had announced a precautionary measure in handling future issues of the Informant (now Our Kingdom Ministry) to minimize the danger that any of these might fall into the hands of the enemy. Henceforth all copies would be collected at the end of each meeting where they were used. When everything in the issue had been studied, the congregation servant would put one into his file and destroy the rest.

To care for the spiritual needs of the brothers, commercial printers were now engaged. The brothers did not go without. Henk Toonstra reminisces: “We still think back on those days with deep feeling. How we would rejoice as The Watchtower would always appear on time, even if it was in a new cloak! How intensely we relished the explanations of prophecy and its application to our time!”