“Blood flowed together.” This striking image embodies the story behind the Gedenktafel Lübecker Märtyrer Plaque. We stand before a memorial to four courageous clergymen. They stood against the Nazi regime. The Gedenktafel Lübecker Märtyrer Plaque commemorates their sacrifice.
These men were not soldiers. They were spiritual leaders. They came from different Christian traditions. Three were Roman Catholic priests. Johannes Prassek, Eduard Müller, and Hermann Lange served together. The fourth was Karl Friedrich Stellbrink. He was an Evangelical-Lutheran pastor. Despite their different denominations, they shared a common conviction. The Nazi ideology was evil.
Since 1941, the four men had been close friends. They exchanged ideas and even shared sermons. These included sermons by Clemens August Graf von Galen. He was the Catholic bishop of Münster.
Pastor Stellbrink preached a sermon. It was Palm Sunday in 1942. He spoke of God’s voice in the city’s misery. Some interpreted this as judgment. A British air raid had devastated Lübeck the night before.
The Nazi regime did not tolerate dissent. Stellbrink was arrested. Prassek, Lange, and Müller soon followed. They were accused of undermining the war effort. The People’s Court sentenced them to death. Joseph Goebbels himself demanded their execution.
The four clerics were transferred to Hamburg’s Holstenglacis Prison. This prison had an execution building with a guillotine. On November 10, 1943, they were beheaded. Eyewitnesses reported something remarkable. The blood of the four men mixed on the floor. This was seen as a symbol of their ecumenical unity. They were brothers in faith.
The Gedenktafel Lübecker Märtyrer Plaque reminds us of their courage. Even in the face of death, they stood for what they believed. Their sacrifice became a symbol of ecumenical cooperation. The Catholic and Lutheran churches grew closer.
After the war, Stellbrink’s widow was billed for his execution. It took fifty years for his church to clear his name. In 2011, the Catholic Church beatified the three priests. The Gedenktafel Lübecker Märtyrer Plaque stands as a reminder. It is a testament to their faith and unity. It is a call for us to stand against injustice. May we always remember their sacrifice.