Nazi Policy towards the Protestant Church

• The Protestant church became divided between those who accepted the Nazis as a better alternative than Communism (the Reich Church) and those who resisted Nazi ideas (Pastors Emergency League or PEL).
• The pro-Nazi Reich Church was set up by Ludwig Muller in 1936. Nazi swastikas were displayed in churches, Jews banned from attending and the Jewish teachings of the Old Testament removed.
• In 1933, many Protestant pastors, such as Martin Niemoller, refused to cooperate and spoke out against Nazi policies. By 1937, Niemoller was in a concentration camp and the PEL was banned.