Archive for June 2016
Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoeller Criticized the “Aryan Paragraph”
Historical Context: Like most Protestant pastors, Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoeller was a national conservative, and openly supported the conservative opponents of the Weimar Republic. He welcomed Hitler’s accession to power in 1933, believing that it would bring a national revival. However, he opposed the Nazis’ “Aryan Paragraph“. In 1936, he signed the petition of…
Read MoreSophie Scholl, Inspired and Motivated by Christian Faith
Historical Context: Throughout her young adulthood, political activist Sophie Scholl delved deeply into Christian faith. As the Nazi Party dismantled Christianity and arrested and interned religious leaders, Sophie grew up in a Nazi run school and in the girls’ Hitler Youth. Her formal education revolved around indoctrination and propaganda. With the help of her family, Scholl began to…
Read MoreCadet Fritz Hartnagel at the Potsdam Military Academy, 1937
“You Shall Know Obedience In Order To Command” Historical Context: 1937. Jehovah’s Witnesses protest the Nazi Party by distributing 70,000 leaflets. Buchenwald near Weimar concentration camp is built. Average unemployment is at 8.3%. EXCERPT FROM “WITH YOU THERE IS LIGHT” by Alexandra Lehmann: Cadet Fritz Hartnagel stared out of the classroom’s window at the sky as…
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