The final stages

The great trial

On March 4th 1955 the State Prosecution service again raised charges against Bruno Groening. Once again he was accused of offending against the Non Medical Practitioners Law. In a further instance he was accused of causing death by negligence.

After he had been served with the summons, he turned to his friends:

"My dear friends!

In recent days the entire press and radio has reported in a more or less tendentious form that the State Prosecution Service II of Munich, has prepared a case against me for causing death by negligence. I am supposed to have promised healing to a seventeen year old girl at the end of 1949, and of having hindered her from visiting a sanatorium and a doctor. Accordingly, I am responsible for the death of this young person.

Whoever has read or heard these reports with a clear mind, will have recognised their purpose. To produce confusion among my friends and to prevent all those seeking help from coming any closer to the knowledge I have pronounced and all our efforts. Every device is being used to put a stop to the activities of me, the Groening Association and even of yourselves.

Of course, the fact is that things are other than as they are being portrayed! My friends, I don't need to make any great explanations here. You know that I make no promises of healing, and that I never advise against medical treatment.

I was cleared of charges in 1952. Isn't it curious that the "Kuhfuss Case", which arose at the end of 1949/ beginning of 1950, was not rolled out in the process of 1951/1952, although all the documents were already prepared, and lay before the court.

Isn't it striking, that the enquiries relating to launching a new case against me start exactly at the point in time that it was made public that on 22.11.1953 in Murnau, the Groening Association was brought to life! Truth is, since January 1954 a large number of regional group leaders and friends and also members of the Association have been interviewed and kept under observation by the police."

The preparations for the proceedings took considerably more than two years. Bruno Groenings defence was hampered considerably. Virtually all witnesses who could give testimony to his advantage were refused, the prosecution witnesses on the other hand, accepted. Among these there were two previous associates of Groening: Eugen Enderlin and Otto Meckelburg. Meckelburg in particular - he was jointly accused in the first - turned against Groening in a conspicuously severe fashion. He did everything in his power to harm him.

In the matter of causing death by negligence he played a particularly important role. It involved a situation which occurred during his time as "Manager" for Groening.

In November 1949 Emil Kuhfuss, an official of the Sparkasse (savings bank), came to a lecture given by Groening, with his seventeen year old daughter Ruth, who was suffering from T.B. in both lungs.

Groening recognised immediately that the girl was beyond help, and expressed this to a doctor who was present at the time. Meckelburg, however, pressured him heavily and pressed him to take up the case. As a result, after the lecture, a face to face meeting between Bruno Groening and Ruth Kuhfuss took place. Groening told the girl to have courage, and advised the father to organise that a medical specialist carry out an examination in nine days. He wanted thereby to achieve that the girl, who didn't want anything more to do with doctors, came under medical attention. The father promised to concern himself with this.

The correspondence that took place in the period following, was dealt with by Meckelburg, and never reached Bruno Groening. He next heard of Ruth Kuhfussin May 1950. The father in the meantime had sent pleading letters to Groening imploring him to visit. Meckelburg never passed these letters on, but of his own volition, and without Groening's knowledge, agreed to a meeting with Herr Kuhfuss. Only shortly before the date for the meeting did Meckelburg inform Groening, and compelled him to accompany him.

Later Meckelburg stated that Bruno Groening had made a promise of healing to the girl. In fact it was Meckelburg himself who had assured the father that he would persuade Groening to heal his daughter. Meckelburg saw in the bank official a source of income that he wanted to tap, and to which end he needed Groening. Shortly after the visit Groening parted with Meckelburg.

A serious complaint made against Groening was that he had forbidden Ruth Kuhfuss further treatment by a doctor. On the contrary, the fact was - and this was even confirmed by witnesses for the prosecution - that even at the first meeting he had sent the girl to a doctor. Also in a radio interview in Autumn 1949 he appealed to the people " to continue with medical examinations right until the end." He continually advised those who came seeking help to have trust in their doctors.

Ruth Kuhfuss, who had already undergone several unsuccessful and painful forms of treatment, refused to accept any further treatment. She died as a result of the disease on 30th December 1950.

From the medical point of view, Dr. med. Otto Freihofer shed light on the matter in his statement as an expert witness on the case of Ruth Kuhfuss:

"When soberly observed, even the non-professional would have to come to the conclusion, as indeed it was expressed by the Säckingen health authority, that, in view of the 'very serious condition', which according to the doctors findings were 'life threatening' or otherwise expressed 'danger lies ahead', a healing was, according to normal human expectations, out of the question. Just as much, every right thinking and sine ira et studio doctor, who, whilst in the possession of the latest medicine, was not too conceited to believe that he could dispense with the power of nature, would have to agree with the opinion of the expert testimony of Prof. Lydtin of Munich, whereby "it cannot be said that prior to 5.11.1949 there was a high degree of possibility for a cure.

In my opinion it is more than astounding, that the patient survived as long as to 30 December 1950, and it could well be that Groenings influence had in fact given a certain degree of extension to life.

In conclusion to my expert testimony I would like to summarize that the claims:

• 'there were chances of healing taking place',
• 'that the life of the patient Kuhfuss could have been extended had Herr Groening never been near her',

could neither be made with any certainty, nor are they justifiable."

The paradox of this prosecution of Bruno Groening in respect of causing death by negligence was demonstrated in writings of Josef Hohmann, previously a secondary school headmaster, from the year 1956:

"The truth appears from behind the scenes when one comes at this instance form the opposite direction.

Let us consider this aphorism in connection with the Kuhfuss case. Let us say that the T.B. sick girl came first to Herr Groening, in the early stages of the disease, and he spent 1 1/2 years unsuccessfully trying to treat the girl. We will call this Phase A

Thereafter the girl visits professors of medicine and doctors as a candidate for death, and indeed dies while in their treatment. This is Phase B.

The case starts. Doctors appear as expert witnesses. They should establish who is innocent. And I would bet my shirt on the fact that, every doctor and professor, every faculty of medicine, everybody in the whole world involved with medicine would stand behind the innocence of Phase B with the comment: 'Here is innocence in all its glory, because how can we be held responsible for the "mess-up" caused by someone during a period of treatment of 1 1/2 years? That would simply be laughable and absurd!'

And this is exactly the situation, Phase B, in which Groening finds himself. Accordingly he can expect to have the entire modern school medicine, perhaps a full million scientists, standing behind him, determined to demonstrate his innocence."

At the end of July 1957 the jury in the Munich regional court came to a decision. In the instance of causing death by negligence Bruno Groening was pronounced innocent. In the case of violation of the Non-medical Practitioners Law however, a fine of 2000.-DM was imposed.

Although the decision appeared at first sight to be a positive decision, it was unacceptable for Groening. It was effectively a final ban on his work. Through an error of judgement on behalf of his solicitor, who assessed the decision far more positively than Groening, it was not he, but the state prosecution who lodged an appeal against the judgement. The second hearing took place in mid January 1958, again in Munich.

The break with the Groening Association

In the meantime, in October 1957, it came to a confrontation between Bruno Groening and the directors of the association. Through narrow minded bureaucracy the Groening Association had done him considerable damage.

The cause of the dispute was the court judgement whereby within a short space of time Bruno Groening was bound to pay a 2000.- DM fine. Since he had never taken any money for his work, and as a result had no money to speak of, the Association's committee had agreed to carry the costs of the case at the start of the process. Whether the fine was included or not was disputed within the committee. By means of a drawn out bureaucratic process, they wanted to check whether the Association was bound to pay the 2000.- DM or not. Only after this was it intended to deal with matter of coming up with the money. As such it was predictable that the money, if at all, would reach Bruno Groening far too late. The association stood by and watched, without undertaking any action, as Bruno Groening, unable to pay the fine, had instead to go to prison. Thereby it came to open conflict and finally to a break.

In a paper of 62 sides, called a :"Review of the activities of the Association" Bruno Groening addressed all the points on which the Association had caused him damage. In a resumé he stated:

"When I today draw comparisons between my previous surroundings (the profiteers Meckelburg, Enderlin, Schmidt and Hülsmann) and my current surroundings (The Association's committee members), then I come to the same conclusion: today the end result is the same as then. Today, through the work of those who are supposed to be my closest and my best friends, nothing other has been achieved than at that time. Then I was betrayed by the dirty deeds of those workers. Today friends have failed me in that they have stood quietly by and watched as I went through the court case, through the accusations, in that I received no help, in that I wasn't able to visit my local communities as no vehicle was made available, in that no one took any action against the negative press campaign which was waged against me, in that you caused confusion by not being there for me when I needed your help. Help by which, with all your worldly knowledge learning and experience you could and should have supported me in avoiding that that for which I am for this one time on this earth, could not be accomplished.

Not one of these friends engaged himself on my behalf, to fight for my freedom, no one had the courage to really stand up for me. Nothing was done. With petty bureaucracy decision after decision was made. No one really involved himself on my behalf, no one committed himself with all his might into freeing me once and for all of all these battles in the courts, against the press, for an assistant for my work, for the car which was unserviceable, against the smear and slander campaigns etc. etc. and cleared the way for me so I could do that for which I am here on this earth:

To deliver to mankind the power of life, and to lead mankind to belief.

That I need peace and quiet for that, and not to be forever interrupted and prevented by worldly external influences, that I need a defence in order to allow that which is my gift to work undisturbed, no-one had given that any consideration. No-one from among my friends, no-one who wanted to be my friend. And that is what is really shameful and for me so disappointing:

• The profiteers wanted to gain advantage, and they have been recognised as bad people.
• Friends from the Groening Association are too half-hearted, too indifferent, too comfortable, I won't say ill-intentioned.

And the result is the same:

I am not free. Many friends from the committee of the Association have not kept their word. I have solely been hampered by everything that has been done."

Weisser stepped down, and the Groening Association, which never managed to get itself officially registered as an Association, was disbanded shortly after. In its place there arose the "Association for Advancement of the Spiritual and Natural Principles of Life". It was established in 1958, and its leaders were Erich Pelz for Germany and Alexander Loy for Austria. But also this, the last organisation founded during Bruno Groening's lifetime, did not deliver that which he had hoped of it. His name did not even appear once in the constitution.

His word banished disease

During these disputes and battles, the work of Bruno Groening continued. Dr. Horst Mann reported in 1957 among other things in a series of articles in "Neuen Blatt" (a magazine) under the title "His Word banished Disease":

The next morning I drove from Hamelin to Springe, the little town on the river Deister. A Groening community had also established itself here. The healing of a string of people had been the starting point for this. And here I experienced it yet again, as I had done so in various parts of Schleswig-Holstein, in Augsburg, Hamelin, Vienna, Plochingen and in other towns: People got to their feet and told me of their illnesses. They named their doctors, who had been treating them. They told of their return to health, that they had Groening to thank. And in every case they were willing to raise their hands and swear this under oath.

'Even as a baby I had dislocated hip joints on both legs' explained the fifty year old Julie Prohnert from Hannover. `Later I could only walk with the aid of crutches. The doctor could only ease the suffering. When I was listening to a lecture by Herr Groening I experienced a strong reaction. My back, which was totally bent, was straight again. I could walk again. I have had no relapse…'

'I had rheumatism in the joints and was continually tormented by eruptions and abcesses. Herr Groening freed me´, said Wilhelm Gabbert from Hamelin.

'I could only tolerate my gall bladder problem by taking morphium´ reported Kurt Severit from Evestorf. 'I give thanks to Bruno Groening that he relieved me of this suffering.'

'I had severe diabetis', stated Robert Thies from Springe. 'More threatening was a weak heart muscle. Both of these troubles do not affect me any more today. I have Bruno Groening to thank for this.'

There was a string of such examples. The people who told me of their stories of all ages. Men, women and children. Many illnesses were listed, from headaches through nerve inflammation, Ischias problems, kidney and gall-bladder complaints to heart disturbances and paralysis.

But there was something else that affected me deeply. With great openness and in front of all those listening, many people told of how, through Groening they had experienced an inner change. The constant drive for success, and purely egoistic attitude had given way to an inner calm and peace and a sociable way of thinking.

As a result of all these conversations with people who felt themselves to have been healed by Bruno Groening, one question raised itself increasingly strongly in me: Was healing possible for all people, or - much more boldly put - for all diseases? Where did the limits lie for this energy which radiated from Groening? Were there not dangers here?(….)

On my last visit I put this question to him. 'I cannot and do not want to force anybody', he answered me. 'If someone closes themselves, and is not prepared in themselves to open themselves to the energy which will bring order, then I am in myself not in a position to intrude. All I do is to challenge these people to burst the fetters of the evil that prevent well being and health.'

I had another question: 'Every disease has a different degree of danger', I said. 'Supposing a seriously ill person, who has been abandoned by several doctors, allows a doctor, who is still prepared to fight for his patient, to call you on his behalf. Would you be able to help?

'Yes', Groenings reply came without his hesitating. 'If the patient has belief, and if the doctors trusts the path he has taken, success will not be absent. The combined belief will develop unimagined powers in the patient. Most often the success occurred quickest precisely when the despairing person clutched at the last straw. ' "

The progress of the processes

At the appeal hearing in January 1958, it was to Bruno Groening's disadvantage that the not he, but the state prosecution had appealed. But not only this carelessness on the part of his then solicitor damaged him, but also the protracted handing over of the dossier material to the new legal aide of Groenings hindered the preparation for the hearing.

A further disadvantage made itself known through the much more confident and unified appearance of the prosecution witnesses. They appeared to have reached an agreement on the subject of "Doctors' Ban".

This time the sentence was as follows:

Eight months prison in respect of causing death by negligence, and a 5000.- DM fine for offences against the Non Medical Practitioners Law. The goal sentence was suspended.

Anny Freiin Ebner von Eschenbach, who attended not only the second, but also the first court case, described the judgement as a disgrace for Germany.

Bruno Groening declared that he was punished because he did good. He complained that during the entire time of the processes not a single person, not even his solicitor, had had the slightest interest in how a healing came about. Had this question been pursued, it would have become evident that his work had absolutely no relationship to medical treatment. The case would have had to be withdrawn. But the clarification of this issue in court had interested nobody. They had had preconceived opinions about Groening and were not prepared to budge.

However, this was not the end of the case. This time Bruno Groening appealed. The date for the hearing was set for 22nd January 1959, to take place before the senior regional judge's court in Munich. In the meantime though, tragedy occurred in the life of Bruno Groening.

His path ended in Paris

In late Autumn 958 he drove with his second wife Josette, who he had married in May 1955, to Paris and allowed himself to be examined by Dr. Pierre Grobon, a friend and cancer specialist. The evaluation of several X-Ray photographs revealed: Cancer of the stomach in an advanced stage.. Dr. Grobon wanted to operate immediately, but Bruno Groening refused.

He drove back to Germany and prepared the Christmas celebrations of the communities of friends. On the 4th of December he prepared a tape recording, which was to be played at all the Christmas celebrations. He then returned once again to Paris with his wife. Dr. Grobon had meanwhile informed the respected specialist for cancer surgery Dr. Bellanger. In his clinic in the Rue Henner, not far from Montmartre, it came to an operation on 8th December. The results shocked the doctors: it was very much worse than could have been suspected from the X-Rays. - no longer operable. The incision was immediately closed again.

Of this Josette Groening wrote:

"They are unable to comprehend, that Bruno' external appearance reveals so little of his terrible inner suffering, that he can still breathe normally, that his metabolism in the last few weeks has continued to function so perfectly, that his blood picture was excellent. In this state of advancement continual vomiting occurs as the result of taking even the smallest amount of sustenance, and the heavily tested patient slowly starves to death. With Bruno there was none of this."

To the astonishment of his doctors he recovered very fast and drove back to Germany where he took part in the Christmas celebrations.

In mid January he met together with the representatives of the newly formed association for three days and directed how the work had to be constructed. The two had not the slightest idea that it was to be their last meeting with Bruno Groening.

On January 21st he returned to Paris by air. As a result of a blockage of the large intestines, an operation could not be avoided. On 22nd January at 9.00 a.m. - at precisely the same time as the appeal case began in Munich - Bruno Groening was again operated upon. He had to allow that to happen to him, from which he had saved countless numbers of others, he couldn't and mustn't help himself.

As on this morning he lay under anaesthetic, there was suddenly a violent thunderstorm over Paris. His wife reported:

"The following natural phenomenon is also strange. On 22nd January, while my husband was still under the anaesthetic, a shadow was cast over the cheerful and happy mood of the day by a thunderstorm, which very suddenly broke over Paris with lightning and peals of thunder. It got so dark that in broad daylight we had to turn on the lights. The sister expressed her astonishment at suh an extreme thunderstorm.

In the days following the operation Bruno's temperature, blood pressure, pulse completely normal. He even got up twice and sat in an armchair!"

On the 25th he fell into a coma and on the following day, the 26th January 1959, at 13.46 Bruno Groening died, in the Henner clinic, of, as described by the doctor in the death certificate, cancer.

Was it really cancer? After the second operation Dr. Bellanger had said:

The damage in Bruno's body is terrible, it is a total internal incineration. How he could live so long and without suffering terrible pain is a mystery to me."

Bruno Groening had said years before:

"If I am prevented from doing my work, I will burn up inside."

How Bruno Groening bore the cross of his bitter fate is revealed in a letter which Dr. Grobon sent to the widow on 26th February 1959.

"These (the efforts of the doctors on Bruno Groenings behalf) were only natural, and I think I can say, that they received an immense support through the courage and the strength of will of the considerable person of Bruno Groening. (…) He was of the way of Christ."

In 1974 Dr. Bellanger expressed his admiration and marvelling of Bruno Groening in a letter:

"Bruno Groening was a man with heart, a valuable man, who excelled himself; and his dignity in the face of suffering and death, arouses admiration in me even today."

The body of Bruno Groening was cremated in a crematorium in Paris, and the urn with his ashes laid to rest in the Forest Cemetery in Dillenburg.

The court case was declared closed due to the death of the defendant, and a final verdict never reached.

The "Miracle doctor of Herford", who had brought healing to uncounted thousands of people, died alone and rejected in a small street in Paris. Why did this have to be? Why did he have to suffer such bitterness? Why was he unable to save himself?

Grete Häusler wrote on this theme in "Experience Healing - That is the Truth":

"Bruno Groening in the short time that he was here on the earth worked a great deal of good. The gift of helping and healing was given him at his birth. Everywhere he went wonderful things happened, which couldn't be explained with the intellect. He came to public notice in 1949. Three months after the great healings which took place in Herford and after his name was on everyone's lips, at home and abroad, he received a healing ban. He was persecuted and hounded, he was landed with the great court case, and it was intended to judge and punish him. Why? Who had he done anything bad to? No-one, but he had done so much good for thousands of people, more than they could have received from any other person. Innocent, they wanted to punish him! Innocent they wanted to prevent him from doing that which god had commanded him to do - to help mankind!

He had to bear the bitterness of this malice in Paris in the cancer clinic in the Rue Henner! Suffering bitter pain he was burnt internally by the healing energy which he was no longer permitted to pass on. The laws of man wanted to forbid him this in Germany. Facing all the lies and slander he stood there as an accused like a criminal!

Quiet and alone, no friend was aware of it, he bore away all the suffering of mankind. And it was a carrying out. It was not done for nothing! It had to be that way. It was not otherwise possible to help mankind."

And in her book "I live, so that mankind can continue to live" she wrote:

"When using the word 'victim' we should be very careful. Here, however, as Bruno Groening died in Paris this word is, in all its most serious meaning, the truth."

Only so was it possible that his words could be fulfilled, as is borne witness today by countless success reports:

"When I am no longer of this earth as a man, that is, when I have given up my body, then mankind will have come to so far, that each person will be able to experience help and healing from within himself."