War ended in May 1945 with the western two thirds of Germany divided into four military occupation zones. Bavaria was occupied by the United States Army. In 1946 Johannes Müller faced a form of trial before , the Bavarian Commissioner on race-based, religious and political persecution. Because of his "Eulogising of Hitler in speech and writing" ("Verherrlichung von Hitler in Wort und Schrift") Müller, now over 80, was "convicted" as a serious war criminal ("als "Hauptschuldiger""). The verdict was contentious because Müller had never been a member of the Nazi Party member and had not been militarily involved which appeared to mean that there was no legal basis for conviction. A related application that Schloss Elmau should be confiscated failed, initially because Elsa Countess of Waldersee, who was still a part owner of it, refused to sell her share. Müller declined to defend himself before the commissioner, but the permanent expropriation of Schloss Elmau was not carried through. Müller did open accepted that he had been in error in his assessment of Hitler and he distanced himself from National Socialism, but in other respects he stood by his "teaching".