November 9, the most sacred day in the Nazi Calendar

In November 1923 all of Germany was in a state of political turmoil, nowhere more so than the State of Bavaria and its main city, Munich.

On November 8th 1923, the Bavarian Prime Minister, Gustav Kahr, addressed a meeting of around 3000 businessmen at a beer hall in Munich. Kahr was joined by some of the most senior men in Bavarian politics including Seisser, Bavaria’s police chief, and Lossow, the local army commander.

SA men outside the Beer Hall

Hitler and 600 of his Stormtroopers (the SA) went into the meeting and lined the sides of the hall in an attempt to intimidate those in the beer hall. Hitler went on to the speaker's platform and delivered a "rhetorical masterpiece". In a few short sentences he transformed the mood of the audience as he shouted out "The national revolution has broken out. The hall is surrounded."

Kahr and then the national war hero Luderndorff addressed those in the hall after Hitler had spoken. Both stated their support for Hitler and his attempt to overthrow the government. Hitler was said to have been "radiant with joy".

Once the beer hall meeting was over, Hitler started to plan his take-over of Munich. But he made one major error. He let Kahr and his colleagues go.

They reported what had happened to Berlin and the central government ordered that the army and police should put down the Nazis once they started their march.

On November 9th, Hitler started his march with his followers. By the morning he knew that the army and police had been alerted that the Nazis would try to take over vital buildings in Munich. However, rather than call off the venture and lose credibility, Hitler placed his faith in two things:

• He would appeal to the army and police to support him and the Nazis in their national crusade against a dishonourable government.
• With Luderndorff leading the march, he was confident that no one would fire on them, as they were lead by such a famous war hero.

Hitler started the march to the centre of Munich with 3000 men. At the centre of the city they were faced by 100 armed police and soldiers who blocked them from going down a narrow street called the Residenzstrasse.

What happened next is not clear but shots were fired. The firing continued for just one minute but in that time sixteen Nazis and three policemen were killed.

At half-past twelve in the afternoon of November 9th, 1923, those whose names are given below fell in front of the Feldherrnhalle and in the forecourt of the former War Ministry in Munich for their loyal faith in the resurrection of their people:

Alfarth, Felix, Merchant, born July 5th, 1901
Bauriedl, Andreas, Hatmaker, born May 4th, 1879
Casella, Theodor, Bank Official, born August 8th, 1900
Ehrlich, Wilhelm, Bank Official, born August 19th, 1894
Faust, Martin, Bank Official, born January 27th, 1901
Hechenberger, Anton, Locksmith, born September 28th, 1902
Koerner, Oskar, Merchant, born January 4th, 1875
Kuhn, Karl, Head Waiter, born July 25th, 1897
Laforce, Karl, Student of Engineering, born October 28th, 1904
Neubauer, Kurt, Waiter, born March 27th, 1899
Pape, Claus von, Merchant, born August 16th, 1904
Pfordten, Theodor von der, Councillor to the Superior Provincial Court, born May 14th, 1873
Rickmers, Johann, retired Cavalry Captain, born May 7th, 1881
Scheubner-Richter, Max Erwin von, Dr. of Engineering, born January 9th, 1884
Stransky, Lorenz Ritter von, Engineer, born March 14th, 1899
Wolf, Wilhelm, Merchant, born October 19th, 1898

So-called national officials refused to allow the dead heroes a common burial. Our Führer, Adolf Hitler, therefore dedicate the first volume of Mein Kampf to them as a common memorial, that the memory of those martyrs may be a permanent source of light for the followers of our Movement.

The flag they carried that day was soaked in the blood of the Martyrs. It later became known as the "blood flag," and took on a sacred and mystical symbolism. It was a day the Führer would never forget.

Each year, on November 9, the unit flags of the Party would be presented to the Blood Banner in a great Religious Ceremony at which the Martyrs of the Cause were remembered.

In 1933 the Führer declared November 9 to be an official German holiday.

The Commander, Officers and Men of the National Socialist Movement Salute them all, the First Martyrs of our Cause.

Heil Hitler

Go on to Part 2

Go on to Part 3

Home