Hitler Youth: Religion--Protestant Churches

Figure 1.--This photograph is interesting in that almost all the boys in the Confirmation class are HJ members. We are not sure where the children were photographed. Could this be a rural churchb in the background. Boys commonly dressed up for Confirmation, one of the most important events for boys and girls at the time. Often a new suit was purchased. Notice the long pants suits. For many of these boys it was their first long pants. Here we can see that most boys are instead of the traditional suit wearing their HJ uniforms, altyhough notice none of the girls wear BDM uniforms. We have not noted many examples of Confirmation portraits like this. And in 1934 membership was not yet even required. I think it would have been unusual to find so many HJ boys in a single Confirmation class even later in the NAZI era, let alone in 1934 when the NAZIs had just taken over. I suspect that this meant that the community here was strongly pro-NAZI or at least the cleric involved was a strong NAZI supporter. While the majority of the Protestant etablishment ws not pro-NAZI, there was a substantial number of fervebnt supporters among the clergy. Put your cursor on the image to see the rest of this Confirmation class.

The Protestant Luthern (Evangelical) Church during the Weimar Republic and early NAZI era was divided into 28 Landeskirchen (provincial churches). The largest of these churches was in the Old Prussian Union around which the German Empire was built after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Each provincial church was supported socially and financially by a ruling monarch which also offered institutional support. This also provided for a degree of independence from the state. The Church had what might be described as parliamentary system made up of two houses to address arange of theological and organizational issues. The German Workers' Party (which evolved into the NAZI Party) after World War I adopted a manifesto that was stridently anti-Semitic (1920). The Manifesto read, "We demand the freedom of all religious denominations in the State insofar as they do not endanger its existence or violate the ethical and moral feelings of the Germanic race. The Party as such takes its stand on a positive Christianity but does not tie itself in the matter of confession to any particular denomination. It fights the spirit of Jewish materialism inside and outside ourselves and it is convinced that a lasting recovery of our nation can only come from within and on the basis of the principle that the common good comes before the selfish good.” [Rhum von Oppen, p. 25] Although the clear implication was a limit on religious freedom not only for Jews, but Christains as well, there was no ourtrage from the country's Protestant establishment. The twenty fourth point of the manifesto advocates the institution of a "positive" Christianity. The Protestant establishment only began to react to the NAZIs when the NAZIs seized control and began to move against the Church's autonomy (1933).

Landeskirchen

The Germany the NAZIs inherited was a federal state. The Landes based on the individual German states that joined the Empire had considerable authority whic caused problens for Hitler and the NAZIs as they began to build a centralized state. The federal structure was also reflected in the Protestant church. The Protestant Luthern (Evangelical) Church during the Weimar Republic and early NAZI era was divided into 28 Landeskirchen (provincial churches). The largest of these churches was in the Old Prussian Union around which the German Empire was built after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Each provincial church was supported socially and financially by a ruling monarch which also offered institutional support. This also provided for a degree of independence from the state. The Church had what might be described as parliamentary system made up of two houses to address arange of theological and organizational issues.

World War I (1914-18)

Marxist thought made considerable headway during the late-19th and early-20th century. The most prominant support came from the working class. This was often, but not always, accompanied by declining Church afiliation and attendance. The Socilist parties became a major force in German politics. Most socialists supported the Government with the outbreak of World War I, but were more skeptical than most other German politcians. With the Armistice, Socialist politicans created the Weimar Republic. Communists attempted to seize control in the aftermath of the War (1918-19). In addition to these momentous changes and the Communist threat, many Church people were disturbed by the movement away from the Church. And the tragedy of World War I only intensified this movement. The War also shook the faith of many. The huge loss of life caused many and not just the working class to question thrir religious beliefs. This intensified secular trends which also worried religious leaders who saw their influence declining in German society. And many religious leaders were distrustful of the Socialist leaders of the Weimar Republic, both for their Socialist ideology as well as their weakness. As a result, many religiousleaders longed for the more certainties ahd the more forceful rule and order that prevailed in pre-War Imperial Germany.

Martin Luther

German Protestants celebrated the 400th anniversary of the posting of Martin Luther's 95 Theses on the Church door, the event whuch sparked the Reformation (1917). Many Protestant leaders were seeking to revive interest in the Church in the face of growing Socialist support and secularization. The celebrations morphed into a kind of nationalist revival. Some authors began to almost pursue idolitry and portrau Luther as the greatest German national hero of all time, the imbodiment of the German national spirit. As Hitler developed a national reputation, some began depicting him, even before the NAZIs contriolled the press, as the modern heir of Luther. There were connections. Luther was a German nationalist and the Reformation was in part a German national movement against the foreign dominated Catholic Church. And there was the tragic similarity in attitudes toward the Jews. In some of his later writing. Hitler wrote vicious attacks on Jews. Hitler described Luther as one of Germany's great reforming voices. [Hitler] Luther esentially advocated a 16th century Holocaust, although with a focus on theology rather than the NAZI biological racial component. Luther wrote about burning of synagogues and schools, attacking and deporting Jews, and other forms of supression.

Early NAZI Religious Policy (1920s)

The German Workers' Party (which evolved into the NAZI Party) after World War I adopted a manifesto that was stridently anti-Semitic (1920). The Manifesto read, "We demand the freedom of all religious denominations in the State insofar as they do not endanger its existence or violate the ethical and moral feelings of the Germanic race. The Party as such takes its stand on a positive Christianity but does not tie itself in the matter of confession to any particular denomination. It fights the spirit of Jewish materialism inside and outside ourselves and it is convinced that a lasting recovery of our nation can only come from within and on the basis of the principle that the common good comes before the selfish good.” [Rhum von Oppen, p. 25] Although the clear implication was a limit on religious freedom not only for Jews, but Christains as well, there was no ourtrage from the country's Protestant establishment. The twenty fourth point of the manifesto advocates the institution of a 'positive' Christianity. The Protestant establishment only began to react to the NAZIs when the NAZIs seized control and began to move against the Church's autonomy (1933).

German Christian Movement (1920s)

The German Christian Movement was a lagely Protestant movement which incorporated the strong Volkist traditions. This was a popular thread in 19th century German thought, but largely outide of the Church. This changed after World war I where important Church leaders promoted Volkist traditions. A factor here was the disruption of World war I and the uncertainties and changes of the Weimar Republic. Protestantis from the beginning placed an emphasis on scripture and individual Bible study. Thecfirst major thread in the post-World war I Christian Movement was an emphasis on scripture. The second key component was the conviction that not only did the German people had a profound spirituality deeply rooted in the land, but that that this spirituality was unlike that of any other people. The Movement also believed in deemphisising the Old Testament. And unlike other important Christian movements added a racial/ethnic component. The Christian Movement championed an "Ayran paragraph" pomoting the idea of the superority of the Ayran race. A related thread in the Churchb was the Luther Renaissance Movement led by Professor Emmanuel Hirsch. This movement saw religion as not static, but constantly evolving. Hirsch argued that the the Church could became more Lutheran by becoming more German. One ofcthe most pronounced aspect of The Christian Movement was it hyoer-nationalism and many were all to willing to accept Luther's anti-Semitism as well as his respect for state authority. Authority was found in scripture, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists the what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [Romans 13] The similarities between Christian Movement and NAZI ideology meant that there was considerable support for the NAZIs within German Protesrant circles, more so than within the Catholic Church. The cChristian Movement achieved considerable prominance, but never endorsed by the general Lutheran community. Ludwig Muller emerged as the leader of the German Christian movement during the 1920s.

Protestants and the NAZIs

The German Christian Movement w not officially organized (1932), a few months before the NAZIs seized power. It developed as an important support for the NAZI regime, offering aegree of respectibulity to aolitical movement with a shady image. The German Christians enthusiastically supported NAZI propaganda. They strongly endorsed the union of Church and State. To help accomplish this they sought to unite the 28 regional churches of the German Evangelical Church into a single, centralized national Reich Church. Shorrly after Hitker seized power, the German Christians met to adopt a constitution for their movement (April 1933). One article stated, "Christian faith exacts war against atheistic Marxism and ultramontanism. A religion such as ours conforms to nature in being a message of salvation to all men, though it is given to each folk in a special way." [Shuster, p. 99] One source estimates that of 17,000 Protestant pastors, 3,000 joined the German Christian movement and supported Hitler and thge NAZIs. There were Catholic NAZIs, but there was never was support for the NAZIs within the Catholic Church comoarable to that within the Protestant churches.

Ludwig Muller (1883-1945)

Ludwig Muller was A pastor from conservative East Prussia. He served as an Alte Kampfer (navel chaplain) durng World War I, He was an early member of the NAZI Party. He knew and assiciated with Hiler during the 1920s. Muller emerged as the most forceful voice within the Christin Movement. He strongly supported Hitler and the NAZIs. He was the most prominant Protestant spokesman for the NAZIs. Muller was more of apolitical than a religious spokesman. He was an extreme nationalist and his sermons were laced with anti-semitic invictive. He preached a revisionist view of "Christ the Aryan"--a 'heroic' Jesus. He advocated purifying Christianity of what he described as "Jewish corruption". He wanted to eliminate large parts of the Old Testament from a German Bible. Hitler appointed Muller as his advisor on Protestant affairs (1933). Muller was then elected Reich Bishop (1933). Although he had virtually no support within the Protestant community outside the Christian Movement, his NAZI connections wree able to secure his election. From this position, he fostered a range of policies designed to reduce the voice of the Lutheran Church in German society. Many German Protestant clergy supported the Confessing Church movement, which sought to keep the Church indeoendent and resisted NAZI interference in Church affairs. [Stackelberg and Winkle, pp. 167–68.] Muller sought to eliminte this opposition. He prived to be the most committed and effective Protestant leader during the Third Reich. Hitler once firmly in poiwer lost interest in Muller and the Christin Movement (1937). By this time, he fekt free to move against recalcitrant church mem. Müller attempted to regain aosition of influence with Hitler by assisting the the Gestapo to monitor churches. He also supported the Hitler Youth in its take over of Protestnat youth groups. Muller committed suicide after Hitler committe suiside and the NAZIs surrendered (July 31, 1945).

Youth Movement

Germany had the most active youth movement in Germany. Scouting was important, but unlike other countries did not dominate the youth movement. Therewere many different organizations, many with political and religious afiliations. Immediarly after Hitler seized power, Hitkler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach moved to seize control of the German Youth Movemeent. Some organizations such as the ones assiociatedcwith Sicialists and Communists were banned and their vproperty and assetts seized. Other grouos were incorporated into the HJ. Here Protestant and secular organizations had no say in the matter. Catholic organizations were a different matter. Because of the Concordat with the Vatican, they were protected allowed to operate independently for a few years. Hitler while he ws consolidating poer did not want a major confrontation wuth Catholics.

Sources

Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf.

Luther, Martin. On the Jews and Their Lies (1453).

Rhum von Oppen, Beate. Religion and Resistance to Nazism (Center of International Studies, Princeton University, 1971).

Stackelberg, Roderick and Sally A. Winkle, The Nazi Germany Sourcebook: An Anthology of Texts (Routledge: London, 2002).

Shuster, George N. Like a Mighty Army (D. Appleton-Century: New York, 1935).