16 - Nazi policies towards Churches
- Created by: Becca Newman
- Created on: 18-02-20 16:28
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- Nazi Policies towards Churches
- The Protestant Church
- The Reich Church
- 1933 nazis began to coordinate the Church into the regime
- July 1933 German Christians won in Church elections
- Ludwig Muller was appointed Reich bishop
- Muller abolished all elected Church bodies + reorganised it with the SA's help
- Mass Christian rally in Berlin Nov 1933
- They demanded un-allied pastors were dismissed with non-Aryans
- 18 pastors were dismissed
- They demanded un-allied pastors were dismissed with non-Aryans
- The Confessional Church
- Sept 1933 dissident pastors created the Pastors' Emergency League
- This evolved into the breakaway Confessional Church
- Supported by 5000 pastors
- This evolved into the breakaway Confessional Church
- Some rural congregations joined it as they were traditional
- 1935 a new Ministry for Church affairs was created
- Regime attempted to weaken the Church through repression + exploiting its divisions
- Late 1930s Church schools were abolished (reducing influence)
- Church Secession Campaign to persuade party members o renounce their faith
- By 1939 5% retained their faith but weren't registered
- Party members couldn't hold Church office
- Stormtroopers couldn't wear uniform at mass
- Priests/pastors couldn't play a part in the regime
- The unemployed who relied on the state (teachers) were pressured to renounce their faith
- Sept 1933 dissident pastors created the Pastors' Emergency League
- Main PC was the German Evangelical Church
- Politically conservative + tradition for cooperating with the State
- Anti-Semitic and Anti-Communist
- Politically conservative + tradition for cooperating with the State
- The Reich Church
- The Roman Catholic Church
- The Concordat
- When trade unions were abolished the Catholic ones voluntarily disbanded
- July 1933 the Vatican and the regime agreed upon the Concordat
- Vatican recognised the regime + promised not to interfere in politics
- The regime promised not to interfere in RCC
- The Church would keep control of its schools, youth organisations and lay groups
- Summer 1933 this agreement was broken
- Nazi began to seize Catholic organisation's property
- Catholic newspapers had to drop the 'Catholic' title
- Gestapo/** surveilled priests
- June 1934 Night of the Long KNives leading Catholics were murdered
- Catholic hierarchy made no protest
- Conflict between the regime and the Catholic Church
- 1935-36 some Catholic priests began to speak out
- Regime increased it's pressure
- Permission to hold public meetings was restricted
- Catholic newspapers were heavily censored
- Propaganda campaign against catholic financial corruption
- Many had their funds seized + offices closed
- 1937 Pope Pius XI published 'With Burning Grief' and regime increased its pressure
- Gestapo/** agents were placed inside Catholic organisation
- Tightened restrictions on Catholic press
- Pilgrimages were restricted + youth groups closed
- Propaganda detailed priest sex scandals
- 200 priests were arrested on sex charges
- By 1939 Summer all Church schools had been made into Community schools
- By 1939 Catholic power/influence was significantly reduced
- Young people could no longer attend Catholic schools
- Some older Catholics were torn between faith and being a good German
- Some older Catholics continued to attend mass to prove their Catholic loyalty
- The Church as a whole didn't pose opposition to the regime
- Presented a greater obstacle as they took their lead from the Pope
- Nazis saw this as undermining Germany state authority
- Early 1930s Catholics were least likely to vote Nazi
- When Hitler came to power the Church were willing to compromise
- Agreed on anti-Semitism
- The Concordat
- Majority of Germans were Protestant, a significant minority were Catholic
- Loyalty to Hitler was difficult to secure as religious loyalties were strong
- Nazis had no coherent view on religion
- Hitler had mentioned both adhering to religion and eradicating it
- Some wanted a Nazi faith
- Hitler had mentioned both adhering to religion and eradicating it
- Hitler was careful not to alienate Churches
- The Protestant Church
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