Page "Kronberg im Taunus" Paragraph 19

In 1946, the Papal Mission for Displaced Persons in Germany was moved to Kronberg by Pope Pius XII.

The apostolic visitor and leader of the institution was the Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota, USA Aloisius Muench, who was of German heritage.

His spiritual guidance mandate included caring for those who had fled or been driven out of Eastern Europe.

Until the summer of 1949, he organized from Kronberg the transport of about 950 goods wagons full of Papal aid supplies to Germany.

He was also supported by the US Government ; before taking his position in Kronberg, he received from US Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson the document of appointment as liaison commissioner for religious affairs to the US military government in Germany.

Through his contacts in the USA Muench arranged a formidable flow of donations into destruction-stricken Germany.

After the Federal Republic of Germany was founded, the Kronberg Apostolic Mission was dissolved in 1951.

Muench afterwards became the first Apostolic Nuncio in the Federal Republic of Germany ( West Germany ).

In 1959, Pope John XXIII made Archbishop Muench a Cardinal.