Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

by Eric Metaxas

Meanwhile, with or without Bonhoeffer, the conspiracy moved ahead with renewed vigor. Dohnanyi got in touch with Dr. Joseph Müller, a Munich lawyer with strong ties to the Vatican. Sometimes referred to by those in the conspiracy as “Herr X,” Müller was a man of great physical strength. Since childhood, friends had called him Ochsensepp (Joe Ox). Müller’s assignment in October 1939 was to travel to Rome, seemingly on official Abwehr business. But in reality he was to make contact with the British ambassador to the Holy See and gain some assurance of peace from the British if those in the conspiracy could oust Hitler. Müller succeeded; the British terms required Germany to shed the lands added during Hitler’s binge of the previous two years. But Müller went further. He convinced the pope to agree to act as an intermediary between Britain and the fledgling German government that formed following Hitler’s demise. It was all very promising. Bonhoeffer and Müller immediately hit it off, and a year later, Müller provided Bonhoeffer’s entree to the Alpine monastery at Ettal. But for now, Bonhoeffer continued traveling between Sigurdshof and Berlin.