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Nazi Germany - policies on religion and the churches
- 1. Policies on religion and the Churches
- 2. The main churches posed a problem for the Nazis. On the one hand the Nazis did not want to allow large organisations with ideals opposed to Nazism to operate in Germany. However churches played a key role in many Germans’ lives so were not easily undermined.
- 3. The Nazis’ 1920 25-Point Plan had demanded Freedom of Religion in Germany (for Christian churches), as long as they did not endanger or challenge the state. The Nazis advocated ‘Positive Christianity’ which mixed some Christian ideas with the goals of the Nazis.
- 4. Church membership was a major part of German life before the rise of the Nazis. Around 40 million Germans (58% of the population) identified as Protestant, and 22 million (32%) were Catholic. Each church had their own social groups, and the Catholic Centre Party were also prominent.
- 5. Hitler was raised as a Catholic although, once an adult, had little need for religion. However he recognised the role in played in German society. Hitler planned to replace Christianity with a Nazi faith, which would further help his goal of Volksgemeinschaft. To do this he would take control of the main churches.
- 6. In July 1933 the Nazis set up the Reich Church to coordinate all Protestant Churches. The Confessional Church broke away in protest. In November 1933 the Nazis supported the Deutsche Christen (German Christians) movement, which aimed to remove all un-German references from the Bible.
- 7. The Nazis found it harder to control the Catholic Church because it was a global church. Instead they reached a Concordat with the Vatican in July 1933. This meant that the Catholic Church agreed to stay out of politics, in exchange for keeping control of their organisations, such as schools.
- 8. In spite of the Nazis’ apparent intent to leave churches alone, this did not last. Gradually the Catholic Concordat was broken as the Nazis disbanded church groups, and pressurised parents to abandon faith schools. Many priests were put on show trials too.
- 9. Protestant churches were targeted by a Church Secession Campaign in the mid-1930s. This aimed to persuade Germans to abandon their churches and saw 100,000 government employees do so. After World War Two the Nazis planned to introduce a new German Faith Movement.
- 10. German attitudes towards the Nazis and churches were mixed. Some religious people felt that their Church did not do enough to stop Nazism, or defend its own faith. Others though continued to practice their faith, even in spite of Nazi attempts to end the influence of churches.
- 11. Historians are divided on the role of Churches in Nazi Germany. Some argue that the main Churches were weak and interested only in protecting their own positions. Others claim that the Churches did undermine Nazism in different ways, and stop Volksgemeinschaft.
- 12. Historians’ views • Jeremy Noakes: The churches were allowed to keep their own ideologies and so were an obstacle to Nazi control in Germany. • Alan Wilt: The churches’ response to Nazism was weak and thus reduced their general influence on German life. • J.R.C. Wright: The churches did oppose Nazi aggression but this was about protecting their own position rather opposing the Nazis’ wider action.