Hans Scholl re letter from Raimund S.

Upon being required to make a statement with regards to the letter written by Sergeant Raimund Sammüller (medic), currently on the Eastern Front, address unknown, I offer the following explanation:

Currently, Sammüller is likely under the direct influence of the Polish Baroque. I know that he is personally acquainted with the Austrian Baroque, which he has loved for a very long time. We are both great admirers of this era in art history, which arose out of the spirit of the Counterreformation and perhaps represented the last great cultural unity in Europe.

When we juxtapose Rembrandt as a pondering individual up against Rubens in certain aspects, this has a universally accepted basis in art history [Note 1]. Rubens is representative of the catholic insofar as he loves the creation above all else, as it exists and primarily in all its glory and variety. Therefore he is catholic in the literal, but not in the theological, sense, that is, all-embracing.

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Note 1: Grammatical construction of sentence in original document is poor.

Editor’s note: Date of letter is estimate. Had to be fairly close to February 18, 1943, since Hans Scholl still had the letter in his possession.

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Source: Hans Scholl’s fifth interrogation, February 21, 1943