Willi Graf visits Franz Tack

Since I was not able to go to Bonn as planned over Christmas – for lack of time – I used my trip to Bonn from January 20 through 23, 1943 to pass along Bollinger’s greeting to Chaplain Tack. I took an express train from Munich to Cologne via Dortmund, that is, along the right-hand side of the Rhine River; that train did not go through Bonn, which is why I went all the way to Cologne.

I arrived there before noon, maybe around 10 am. I walked from the main train station in Cologne to Tack’s residence and arrived maybe 10 minutes later. I visited Tack for about half an hour. I passed along Bollinger’s greetings, told him how I knew Bollinger, how he was doing, and what he was doing these days.

Tack himself told me about a massive air raid on Cologne, whereby the parsonage and the church went up in flames and how he had helped to put the fire out. Tack also told me about his responsibilities counseling students, how much joy it brought him, especially when the students participated actively in the matter. Since Tack had so little time, he had to take his leave from me after about half an hour.

I assure you that I did not tell Tack one word about our propaganda operation (production and distribution of leaflets). I did not stay in Cologne for very long after that. I took a short walk through the city; from the main train station, I wrote Dr. Bollinger a postcard addressed to him in Freiburg i.Br. announcing my arrival there on January 23, 1943.

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Source: Ninth interrogation of Willi Graf, March 7, 1943