CENAP Report - No 030

Magazine Overview

This issue of the CENAP - REPORT, identified as issue number 30 and dated August 1978, is published by CENAP, a central research network for extraordinary phenomena based in Mannheim, Germany. It serves as the German representative for the International UFO Registry and Scandinavian UFO Information. The magazine is primarily in German and covers various UFO and unexplained phenomena reports.

Contents

The issue features six main articles:

1. NL über Kirn ? (News from Kirn?): This is the third part of a series detailing events in Kirn, Germany, as of July 26, 1978. It discusses correspondence with Hans-Werner Peiniger of the GEP (Community for the Research of Unknown Phenomena) regarding a specific timeframe (July 9-16, 1977). Peiniger's response indicates he became active after a 'Bild' article and contacted the Kirn police and witnesses. The article highlights a specific report from the 'Kirner Zeitung' about a 'UFO-Boom' in the city, referencing a previous sighting by two police officers of a dragon-shaped object near Hochstetten-Dhaun. It also mentions a round hole in a basement window pane of Studienassessor Fritz Großhens, which he attributes to an unknown energy source, though he admits he cannot explain it.

2. Ein Foto... (A Photo...): This section appears to be a continuation of the investigation into the Kirn incident, possibly detailing the analysis of photographs or further witness accounts. It mentions a 'Schreiner Zerfaß' who examined a window pane and found no burn marks, and references UFO sightings by Horst Becker and Odenbreit.

3. Blick in die USA (A Look into the USA): This article reports on UFO sightings in Mississippi, USA. A significant sighting occurred on February 5, 1977, near Jayess, where six adults witnessed a UFO described as grey with red lights. Another sighting on February 3, 1977, in Madison County, was reported by a police officer and official. The article cites the Brookhaven-Leader-Times and mentions witness accounts from Mrs. Darwin Alexander, who described a 'brownish sound' and red lights on the object. The object was described as round, approximately 200-300 feet in diameter, with blinking red and green lights, and emitted a humming sound before disappearing. The report also notes a sighting by police officer Ken Creel on February 2, 1977, of a round object with faint lights, which he speculated could be a secret military test program.

4. MNL über Bissendorf (MNL about Bissendorf): This report details an incident that occurred on July 25, 1978, near Melle, Germany, as reported in the 'Bild-Zeitung'. The article describes a VW driver, Hartmut Koza, who encountered a UFO described as a giant kite, about 150 meters wide, shimmering in red, purple, and blue. Koza reported that the object made a high-speed dive towards him, split into two, and dissolved into smoke. Two police officers later took a report of the incident, and two other people also witnessed the phenomenon.

5. UFO oder IFO (UFO or IFO): This section likely discusses the classification of sightings as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) or Identified Flying Objects (IFOs), possibly analyzing the Bissendorf case or other reports to determine their nature.

6. Fotoseite (Photo Page): This page is dedicated to photographs, likely related to UFO sightings, as indicated by the reference to a 'typical saucer depiction' in the notes.

Specific Incidents and Details

• Kirn, Germany (July 1977): Reports of a 'UFO-Boom', a dragon-shaped object sighting, and a mysterious hole in a basement window. Witnesses included police officers and civilians.
• Hochstetten-Dhaun, Germany (Mid-July 1977): Two large, glowing lights observed over a sports field.
• Hahnenbach, Germany (Late July 1977): Sightings of a diamond-shaped object and another UFO with bright lights.
• Canada (March 11, 1978): Four photographs of an unknown flying object taken by Jacques Lavoie and Richard Huot.
• Jayess, Mississippi, USA (February 5, 1977): Six adults witnessed a grey, round object with red lights.
• Madison County, Mississippi, USA (February 3, 1977): A UFO sighting reported by a police officer and official.
• Tylerton, Mississippi, USA (January 28, 1977): A strange light observed in the sky.
• Melle, Germany (July 25, 1978): A large, kite-like object reportedly split and dissolved into smoke.

Key Persons and Organizations

The report mentions several individuals, including Werner Walter and Hansjürgen Köhler (CENAP Archivists), Hans-Werner Peiniger (GEP), Studienassessor Fritz Großhens, Schreiner Zerfaß, witnesses Horst Becker and Odenbreit, UFO-QUEBEC leader Wida Hoville, witnesses Jacques Lavoie and Richard Huot, Senator Dr. Harrison Schmitt, and various witnesses from the USA. Organizations mentioned include CENAP, GEP, UFO-QUEBEC, Associated Press, and the 'Bild-Zeitung'.

Object Characteristics

Reported object characteristics include shapes such as round, kite-shaped, and disc-shaped; colors like red, green, blue, white, and grey; estimated sizes ranging from 20 to 150 meters; behaviors like hovering, ascending, descending, high-speed movement, and dissolving into smoke; and physical trace evidence such as a hole in a window pane.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, witness testimonies, and media coverage of these events. CENAP's stance appears to be one of diligent investigation, cross-referencing information from various sources, and presenting detailed accounts of sightings, while also acknowledging the role of sensationalist media. The magazine aims to provide a comprehensive overview of reported phenomena, encouraging further research and analysis.

This document is a segment from a CENAP (German UFO research organization) report, likely a newsletter or journal, titled "UFO oder FO" (UFO or FO). The issue number is 5, and it appears to be part of a "REPORT" series. The cover date is July 1977, though internal references suggest content from July 1978. The primary language is German, and it is published by the CENAP Local Group Neumarkt.

The cover headline poses the question: "How does the IUR distinguish them?" (IUR likely refers to the International UFO-Reporter).

Article: UFO oder FO - Wie unterscheidet sie der IUR ?

This section, a continuation from a previous CENAP REPORT, delves into the methodology of distinguishing between UFOs and other phenomena. The author argues that simply relying on the "weight" of a report's credibility is insufficient. The challenge lies in dealing with subjective interpretations, referred to as "Rorschach-Flecken" (Rorschach blots), where people's preconceived notions of what a UFO should look like (e.g., disk-shaped) influence their descriptions. The IUR has created a list of UFO cases to filter out those with weak points and minimal substance, focusing only on high-quality reports. The identification of a UFO depends on weighing all facts, and surprisingly, the most resilient reports are often labeled as unidentifiable. The experts catalog these reports hoping future generations can clarify them.

The article mentions that questions regarding the development of these incidents are welcome, and the collected cases are available from the editor of the IUR. The source is cited as "International UFO-Reporter No. 7/July 1977." The translation and compilation were done by staff members of the CENAP Local Group Neumarkt: Andreas Gereraderfer and Christian Föchhacker, who are active in Austria. The CENAP-Neumarkt staff wishes their Austrian colleagues success in their investigations and promises to share news from CENAP-Neumarkt as it becomes available.

Case Study: Bissendorf Sighting (July 1978)

The document details a specific UFO sighting that occurred on a Saturday evening around 11:00 PM near Bissendorf, Germany. Four young individuals—Hartmut Koza (28), his girlfriend Doris Lammers (22) from Osnabrück, and the married couple Peter Bergmann (30) and Irptraud (29) from Bissendorf—were traveling in the Bergmanns' car when Peter Bergmann suddenly noticed something unusual.

They stopped the car, and all four witnessed a strange spectacle. Hartmut Koza immediately stated, "This must be a UFO." The object was described as round, about 150 meters long, and hovered over the forest near Jeggen. It continuously changed color between light and dark red. It then approached the ground, split into parts, disappeared briefly, and then ascended steeply back into the sky. Later, after an "in-depth interrogation" of the witnesses, a departmental note was made in the Meller Police's activity log. The note concluded that "nothing had crashed."

Witness Testimony and Media Coverage

Following the initial report, the author contacted Herr Bosche-Schultz, who stated that his information came from Frau Bergmann, the wife of Herr Koza's friend. Frau Bergmann had received a call on Monday, July 24, 1978, from a woman in Oesede who also reported seeing a UFO and observing something that could not be a natural phenomenon.

Later, the author spoke with Frau Bergmann at 5:30 PM. She asked her husband to join the call, as he could provide better information. Herr Bergmann confirmed the events as reported in the newspaper but stated that the newspaper report (specifically from 'Bild-Zeitung') had "massively exaggerated" the incident. He clarified that they did not go to the disco as planned because of the event. The object was approximately 1000 meters above the forest, initially light pink. When it split, the parts turned purple, and then it disappeared. It reappeared some distance away and hovered as before.

The author also sent out questionnaires to the involved parties and requested the newspaper article and the name of the responsible editor from the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung." On August 3, 1978, a letter arrived from the newspaper with the name of the responsible editor, Ulrich Hanser, and a clipping of the article titled "Ein rotes Ding von 150 Metern" (A Red Thing of 150 Meters). The article, published on Monday, July 24, 1978, reported that several people had seen an unknown flying object over Bissendorf on Saturday. It described the object as "round and about 150 meters long, hovering over the forest near Jeggen, constantly changing color between light and dark red, approaching the ground, splitting, disappearing briefly, and then flying steeply back into the sky."

CENAP Local Group Groß-Umstadt Update

A letter dated July 21, 1978, informed CENAP that Herr Arnulf Schmidt, the head of the CENAP Local Group Groß-Umstadt, had been in a serious traffic accident and would require several weeks for recovery. Consequently, "UFO+Astro-Archäologie-Journal" issue 5 would be published at a later date, and readers were asked for their understanding.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the investigation and classification of UFO sightings, the challenges of witness testimony, and the role of media in reporting such events. The editorial stance, as represented by the CENAP organization and the IUR's methodology, is one of rigorous analysis, aiming to separate credible evidence from subjective interpretations and sensationalism. There is a clear effort to document and categorize sightings systematically, with an emphasis on factual reporting and critical evaluation of evidence, while acknowledging the difficulty in definitively identifying all phenomena.