The Church in Nazi Germany

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The Church in Nazi Germany

• What was Nazi policy towards religion?

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Ludwig Mueller, a Nazi sympathizer, was elected
to the position of Reich Bishop in 1933 as Hitler
attempted to unite regional Protestant churches
under Nazi control. Berlin, Germany, November 17,
1933.
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Church possible threat to Nazi power

• 1925 census German population of 65 million,
• 40 million belonged to the main Protestant
  (Evangelical Lutheran) church
• 21 million to the Roman Catholic church
• 620,000 to various smaller, mostly Protestant
  denominations.
• "Church Struggle" - strained relationship between
  church and state in Germany in the 1870s and then
  again during the Nazi regime.
• Aim of churches keep control over institutions
  and maintain freedom to worship

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Concordat (Treaty) with Catholic Church (1933)

• Hitler not interfere with the Catholic Church
  while the Church would not comment on politics
• Confirmed the dissolution of German Catholicism's
  trade unions and political organizations
• Guaranteed the church traditional rights to
  cultivate and promote the practice of the
  Catholic rite, to maintain Catholic schools, and
  to appoint Catholic clergy
• Many provisions of the agreement were promptly
  violated, e.g. persecution of Jesuits

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Catholic Church continued

• Concordat lasted until 1937 - Hitler started a
  concerted attack on the Catholic Church arresting
  priests etc.
• In 1937 pope Pius XI, issued his "Mit brennender
  Sorge" statement ("With burning anxiety") over
  what was going on in Germany
• But never a total clampdown on the Catholic
  Church in Germany
• World-wide movement with much international
  support

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The Protestant Church

• Number of different churches represented - easier
  to deal with
• Until 1933 separate Landeskirchen in 28 areas -
  own structure
• Split the "German Christians" led by Ludwig
  Muller who believed that any member of the church
  who had Jewish ancestry should be sacked from the
  church
• Merged into one national Evangelical Church -
  aryans only
• Muller supported Hitler and in 1933 he was given
  the title of "Reich Bishop".
• 1935 greater control Minister of Church affairs
  Hanns Kerrl
• Opposed the "Congressional Church
• Led by Martin Niemoller (famous in Germany as WW1
  U-boat captain potential embarrassing to
  Nazis)
• Arrested by Gestapo for opposing Hitler
  Niemoller was sent to a concentration camp for 7
  years where he was kept in solitary confinement
• Many other Confessional Church members suffered
  the same fate.

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The Reich Church

• Created 1936
• Swastika replaced Christian cross as its symbol
• The Bible was replaced by "Mein Kampf" which was
  placed on the altar, also sword
• Only invited Nazis were allowed to give sermons
  in a Reich Church.

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Discussion

• How were churches affected by Nazi rule?
• In what ways did the Nazis use Christianity to
  further their control?

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• http//www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/eu
  ropean_football/article1082418.ece