14 Jan January 14, 1945

To Luise Oestreicher

Dear Luise,

By now you know how it went.  You’ll have received my letter of Thursday, which I expected to be the last day of my life.  How long I’ll be waiting here now, and if and when I’ll be killed, I don’t know.  It’s only a 10-minute drive from here to the Plötzensee gallows.  One is told only shortly beforehand that today is the day and one’s “turn” is now.

Don’t be sad, okay?  God has been helping me so wonderfully and tangibly up to now.  I’m not frightened at all.  That’s probably still to come.  Perhaps God wants this waiting period to be the supreme test of confidence.  It’s alright with me, and I’ll try hard.  Perhaps he wants the complete and final sacrifice.  It’s alright with me.  I’ll try hard to be a fertile seed in the soil for all of you and for this land and people, whom I have wanted to serve and help (be careful with the pages “After the Verdict”.  Let only Laplace, Ernst Ismaninger, Georg Weissling, etc., read them, do not make copies, etc.)

An immense expanse of freedom has revealed itself to me

The opinion against me can be improved only from the direction of the Party.  The various Munich connections of this kind should be considered.  Schmeo should be able to do a great deal.  Could Grassl write a letter to Hitler?  Discuss this matter with P. Tattenbach and Laplace, etc.

Delp’s mother, Maria Delp

Help my mother out, okay?  I’ve known that this situation is part of my life.  Whether it will end at the gallows, I don’t know, although I can no longer see any other way out.  Greetings to my friends, Secchi, your people.  Best love to you all, now more than ever.  An immense expanse of freedom has revealed itself to me.  I’m continuing to pray and trust right up to the last journey.  You are helping me, I know.  Good-bye.

Georg