Patriotic celebration

The whole of Tuesday was taken up with negotiations between the German authorities in Kehl and the French occupation commander, who did not want to give permission for a patriotic celebration at the railway station by Manfred's coffin. But he had probably not quite correctly judged the intentions of his superiors, and in the early evening the occupation command gave permission for a corresponding celebration. All the bells in the small Baden town began to ring, the fire brigade was alerted, whatever torches could be found were lit, and so the population, from the oldest old man to the youngest child, who could barely walk, came to reverently greet Manfred's body on German soil.