Guns boomed, muffled drums sounded, battalions marched, and military bands played dirges as the body of Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, Germany’s hero was escorted to its final resting place in the Tannenburg war memorial, scene of Hindenburg’s triumph over the Imperial Russian army.
Escorted by Reichswehr detachments over a sixty-mile lane of blazing torches, the funeral cortege reached Tannenburg at dawn. Already thousands of Germans had gathered there to pay their last respects to the dead war hero. Special trains brought thousands of specially invited guests, including the entire diplomatic corps and several hundred newspapermen.
The funeral began promptly at the stroke of eleven and was over in an hour. After Chancellor Hitler finished his eulogy, the coffin, borne on the shoulders of eight officers of the Reichswehr, was carried into the Tannenburg memorial, where it will remain.
Chancellor Hitler praised the late Reichspresident for his life of soldierly devotion to the German people and hailed him for “having opened the door to the representatives of the German resurgence,” a reference to the Nazi movement.
“Twice in the life of a soldier honorable mention comes to him alone—after a great victory and after death,” Chancellor Hitler said.
He then reviewed in detail the life of the Field Marshal, beginning with his service in the war against Austria in 1866 and continuing on to his World War service.
“When the German people four years later remembered von Hindenburg’s name the clouds of war hung over Europe,” said the Chancellor. “In the worst of these times Kaiser Wilhelm called upon von Hindenburg to take over the supreme command of the army. Six days later guns were booming and three days later church bells rang in celebration of the victory of Tannenberg.
“Large areas of German land were saved from devastation, and from then on everybody in Germany had von Hindenburg’s name on his lips—the man who saved the country and led the army from victory to victory.”
“The might of von Hindenburg and his army threw back the greatest military power in the world, here in East Prussia. Unfortunately, he was called too late to head all the armies of the Reich. Nevertheless, for two years more, he inspired that army to unexampled victories.
“The unfortunate end of the war can under no circumstances be charged against him. It merely passed judgment on the inability of the politicians of that day.
“When the war was over, a leader returned to private life, whose name is indelibly written on the book of history.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
