Albert Merz
Encyclopedia
Albert Merz was a German Christadelphian who was executed for refusing to bear arms in the Second World War.
The Merz family were leading members of what was then known as the Urchristen ("Primitive Christian") movement in Berlin started by Albert Maier
, a German who had converted to the Christadelphian church in America. From 1933 the Berlin Christadelphians attracted particular attention for their pro-Jewish views, and the belief that God would restore the Jews to a national homeland in Israel.
The first member of the Merz family to be incarcerated was August Merz who was condemned to a concentration camp for religious and political prisoners in 1938, where he survived six years until the camp was liberated in 1945. The next was Rudolf Merz who was committed to an insane asylum for his pacifist views. He too survived.
Albert Merz was called up for military service in early 1941, but immediately refused on the basis of conscientious objection as his brothers had done before him. He was sent to the Brandenburg-Görden Prison
where he was executed on April 3, 1941.
He wrote a farewell letter to his parents and siblings containing the poem:
His reference to a "crown" (German Kranz, laurel crown) is probably an allusion to Christadelphian belief in resurrection and 2 Timothy 4:8.
The Merz family were leading members of what was then known as the Urchristen ("Primitive Christian") movement in Berlin started by Albert Maier
Albert Maier
Albert Maier was the founder of the German Christadelphians.As a young man he had travelled to America, where he was converted to the Christadelphian church and taught by A. H. Zilmer, a German-speaking Christadelphian of Waterloo, Iowa...
, a German who had converted to the Christadelphian church in America. From 1933 the Berlin Christadelphians attracted particular attention for their pro-Jewish views, and the belief that God would restore the Jews to a national homeland in Israel.
The first member of the Merz family to be incarcerated was August Merz who was condemned to a concentration camp for religious and political prisoners in 1938, where he survived six years until the camp was liberated in 1945. The next was Rudolf Merz who was committed to an insane asylum for his pacifist views. He too survived.
Albert Merz was called up for military service in early 1941, but immediately refused on the basis of conscientious objection as his brothers had done before him. He was sent to the Brandenburg-Görden Prison
Brandenburg-Görden Prison
Brandenburg-Görden Prison is located on Anton-Saefkow-Allee in the Görden section of Brandenburg an der Havel. Erected between 1927 and 1935, it was built to be the most secure and modern prison in Europe. It was a Zuchthaus for inmates with lengthy or life sentences at hard labor, as well as...
where he was executed on April 3, 1941.
He wrote a farewell letter to his parents and siblings containing the poem:
- "What you are, be it all totally
- not only the blossoms, the bright,
- but also the leaf, the simple,
- has significance for the crown."
His reference to a "crown" (German Kranz, laurel crown) is probably an allusion to Christadelphian belief in resurrection and 2 Timothy 4:8.