Church opposition

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Created by
Audrey Anim

Cards (8)

  • The Protestant Pastors Emergency League (PEL), opposed the pro-Nazi Reich church for two reasons:
    1. trying to force regional churches into one national state controlled church
    b. Nazi attempts to prevent Jews being Christians and banning Jewish Old Testament teachings.
  • In 1934, the PEL set up the Confessing Church, to rival the Reich Church.
  • About 6,000 pastors eventually joined the Confessing church while 2,000 remained in the pro-Nazi Reich church.
  • About 800 pastors were sent to concentration camps for criticizing Nazi policies.
  • After the breakdown of the Concordat, some Catholic priests also criticized the Nazis.
  • 400 Catholic priests were sent to Dachau concentration camp.
  • There was criticism by Bishop Galen in 1939 of the T4 programme to murder physically and mentally handicapped children.
  • The most famous religious opponent of the Nazi regime was Pastor Martin Niemoller. He was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Sachsenhausen camp in 1938.