When the Communists banned our work in 1950 and he was pressured by the secret police​—the notorious Stasi—​he revealed where our meetings were held. That is what eventually led to the arrest of my mother and my other brothers.

Serving Under Ban

Because of the ban, we had to smuggle Bible literature into East Germany. As a courier, I picked up supplies in the western section of Berlin, where our literature was not banned, and transported them across the border. I escaped the police more than once, but in November 1950, I was arrested.

The Stasi put me in a windowless underground cell. During the day I was not allowed to sleep, and at night I was questioned and at times beaten. I had no contact with my family until March 1951 when Mother, Peter, and Jochen came to my court trial. I received a six-year sentence.

Peter, Jochen, and Mother were arrested six days after my trial. Afterward, a fellow believer cared for my sister Hannelore, who was 11, and an aunt took in Sabine, who was 7. The Stasi guards treated Mother and my brothers as dangerous criminals, even taking away their shoelaces. They had to remain standing throughout the interrogations. They too were sentenced to six years each.

In 1953, some other Witness prisoners and I were assigned to build a military airfield, which we refused to do. The authorities punished us with 21 days of isolation, which meant no work, no letters, and little food. Some Christian sisters saved bread from their own meager rations and smuggled it to us. This led to my knowing Anni, one of those sisters, and marrying her after she and I were released in 1956 and 1957 respectively. A year after we were married, our daughter, Ruth, was born. Peter, Jochen, and Hannelore each got married about the same time.

About three years after my release, I was arrested again. A Stasi officer tried to persuade me to become an informer. He said: “Dear Mr. Brüggemeier, please be reasonable. You know what it means to be in prison, and we do not want you to go through all of that again. You can remain a Witness, continue your studies, and talk about the Bible as you please. We just want to be kept up-to-date. Think about your wife and your little daughter.” That last statement cut me to the quick. Yet, I knew that while I was in prison, Jehovah would care for my family better than I could myself, and he did!

The authorities tried to force Anni to work full-time and allow other people to look after Ruth during the week. Anni resisted and worked at night so that she could care for Ruth during the day. Our spiritual brothers were most caring and gave my wife so many things that she was able to share some with others. Meanwhile, I spent almost six more years behind prison bars.

Living Under Ban

Peter describes what it was like to live for decades under ban in East Germany: “We met in private homes in small groups, arriving and leaving at intervals. At each meeting, we made arrangements for the next time. We did this by means of signals and written notes because of the constant threat of eavesdropping by the Stasi.”

Hannelore explains: “Sometimes we received tape recordings of assembly programs. This always made for a happy meeting. Our little group came together to listen for several hours to Bible instruction. Although we could not see the speakers, we followed the program carefully and took notes.”

Says Peter: “Our Christian brothers in other countries went out of their way to provide us with Bible literature. The last decade or so before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, they produced special small-size publications for us. Some risked their cars, their money, and even their freedom to transport spiritual food into East Germany. One night a couple whom we were waiting for did not show up. The police had found the literature and confiscated their car. Despite the dangers, we never considered stopping the work in order to have a calmer life.”

Manfred, my younger brother who betrayed us back in 1950, describes what helped him to regain and maintain his faith: “After I was held in detention for a few months, I moved to West Germany and left the way of Bible truth. I returned to East Germany in 1954 and got married the following year. Soon my wife embraced Bible truth, and in 1957 she was baptized. In time, my conscience started to bother me, and with help from my wife, I returned to the congregation.

“Christian brothers who knew me before I left the truth accepted me back in a loving way, as if nothing had happened. To be greeted with a warm smile and an embrace is wonderful. I am so happy to be reconciled to Jehovah and to my brothers.”

Under ban, we were content with what we had. For example, none of us wanted to be in another study group simply for personal reasons, and no one complained that the meetings were too far away or too late. We were all happy to come together, even if some of us had to wait until 11:00 p.m. for our turn to leave the meeting place.”

[Pictures on page 15]

A small-size book used during the ban and “Stasi” eavesdropping equipment

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Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte NORMANNENSTRASSE