- Headline
-
Costly Fire in Building of Reichstag
- Sub-Headline
- Historic Structure Partly Destroyed; 100 Communist Members Arrested; Dutch Communist Said to Have Started Fire
- Publication Date
- Tuesday, February 28, 1933
- Historical Event
-
Reichstag Fire Plunges Germany into Virtual Martial Law
This database includes 486 articles about this event - Article Type
- Page Section and Number
- 1
- Author/Byline
- AP
- Article Text
- Berlin, Feb. 27.— (AP)—The historic relchstag building, built at a cost of more than $6,000, was partly destroyed tonight by fire that police described as being of incendiary origin.
The blaze was checked after police and firemen had battled the flames for two hours.
A man giving the surname of Van Der Luebbe, twenty-four who said he was a Dutch Communist, was said by police to have confessed, setting the fire, which started simultaneously at three or four points and within few minutes enveloped a large part of the structure in flames.
Every fire engine in Berlin was on the scene. Police held back tremendous throngs which packed the streets near the building.
No estimate of the damage was immediately available, although at ten-thirty p. m., when the whole east wing was ablaze and it seemed apparent that only the west wing could be saved, it was said the damage had already amounted to several minion marks.
Chancellor Adolf Hitler and Vie-Chancellor[sic] Franz Von Papen appeared on the scene when notified of the fire shortly after the close of a cabinet session. Together they went into one of the lower rooms, which the flames had not touched, to received reports on the situation.
At ten forty-five, the fire was reported checked, but smoke was still rising from the smouldering embers.
100 Members Arrested
Berlin, Feb. 28.—(Tuesday)— (AP)—Wilhelm Goering, cabinet minister without portfolio, early today ordered the arrest of 100 Communists members reichstag a few hours after fire of allegedly incendiary origin had swept the first floor of the reichstag building.
Police began making the arrests shortly after four a. m. The Communists will be held pending a complete investigation of the blaze, which last night did damage estimated at several million marks.
Herr Goering was placed in charge of the probe. He ordered suspension of the entire leftist press.
Early this morning, it was impossible to ascertain how many had been detained but it was generally known that in the last several days Communist leaders have gone into hiding, scores having abandoned their usual residences pending the clearing of the political situation. - History Unfolded Contributor
- Jennifer G.
- Location of Research
- Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com)
Learn More about this Historical Event: Reichstag Fire Plunges Germany into Virtual Martial Law
- The Reichstag Fire (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
- Reichstag Fire Decree (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
- Arrests Without Warrant or Judicial Review (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
- The Enabling Act (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
- Law for the Imposition and Implementation of the Death Penalty (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
- Law Against the Founding of New Political Parties (Holocaust Encyclopedia)
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