Religion in Nazi Germany (Edexcel GCSE History)

How Important was the Church to Nazi Germany? - Summary

After turning Germany into a one-party state with the passing of the Enabling Act in 1933, Hitler was concerned with the power of the largest organisation in Germany - the Church.

With the majority of the population being either Catholic or Protestant, the Nazis were worried about the ideas and beliefs being taught in church and in Christian schools.

Initially, Hitler adopted a passive approach to the Catholic Church, demonstrated with the passing of the Concordat in 1933. Ultimately, however, the Catholic Church represented too much of a power base for the Nazis to simply ignore and steps were taken to limit their power and oppress their followers.

The Nazis arguably had more success with control of the Protestant Church. Ludwig Müller’s Reich Church represented a blend of Nazism and Christianity. Yet opposition by Pastor Martin Niemöller and the Pastors Emergency League posed resistance to Nazi interference in Protestantism.

The Concordant with the Catholic Church

• Germany had historically been very Christian and this was no different by 1933:

  • Most of the country were either Protestant or Catholic

• Christianity was a threat to Hitler and the Nazi Party because the Christian Church held different beliefs from the Nazi Party:

• However, it wasn’t clear whether Christianity and churches should be completely eradicated:

Hitler's Conflict with Christianity

• Hitler initially tried to reassure the Christian churches by encouraging them to work with the Nazi government

• The Catholic and Protestant churches reacted differently to Nazi interference

• Catholics represented a number of challenges for Hitler:

  • Their first allegiance was to the pope

  • They supported the Catholic Centre Party before the passing of the Enabling Act

  • They had their own Catholic schools, which taught different beliefs to Nazi schools

• Hitler signed an agreement known as a Concordat with the Pope in July 1933 on behalf of the Catholic Church:

  • It allowed Catholics to worship freely and to continue with Catholic schools

  • In return, Catholic priests would not interfere in politics and would swear loyalty to the Nazi regime

• Persecution of Catholics continued throughout the 1930s:

  • Around 400 priests were sent to the Dachau concentration camp

  • Catholic schools were controlled or closed

  • Youth groups like the Catholic Youth League were banned

  • Monasteries were closed down

• By 1937, it was clear the Concordat had failed:

  • The Pope released a statement known as ‘With Burning Anxiety’, which criticised the Nazi regime

    • Hitler is referred to in the statement as a “mad prophet”

The Protestant Reich Church

• Many Protestants supported the Nazi Party by 1933 as the party had promised protection from communists, who were anti-Christian

• Ludwig Müller became Reich Bishop of a unified Protestant church called the Reich Church:

  • Around 2,000 individual churches joined

  • The swastika was displayed in some churches

  • Jewish people were not allowed to be baptised in the Reich Church

• Pastor Martin Niemöller resisted Nazi intervention and set up the Pastors’ Emergency League (PEL):

  • The Confessional Church was created in 1934 and 6,000 churches joined