1933-39: Nazi control of the Catholic & Protestant Churches - The Reich Church and Catholic Concordat Flashcards
Why did Hitler need to control the churches
- PUBLIC INFLUENCE: If Hitler had the powerful Church ministers on his side, then they could influence the German public to support Hitler even more. However, if the ministers and pastors were against Hitler, they had the influence to increase opposition against Hitler.
2. TOTALITARIAN CONTROL: Hitler wanted totalitarian (total) control over Germany and its people. In order to do this he needed to control religion and the Church as well. - EDUCATION & YOUTH: Religion still played a huge part in children’s education. Catholic schools were still very popular and they were not under the control of the government. Hitler needed to control the education of all children.
- POTENTIAL FOREIGN OPPOSITION : Hitler needed to be seen to be supporting the Catholic Church in Germany. Otherwise, powerful Catholic individuals such as the Pope might cause him problems and attract opposition from abroad.
The control of the Catholic Church
A third of Germany’s Christians were Catholic. On many issues, the Catholics were more influenced by and loyal to the Catholic leader, the Pope than they were Hitler. Catholics also had their own schools which taught very different ideas to the Nazi run schools. This meant that Hitler had to find a way to control the Catholic Church.
The concordat (July 1933)
At first, Hitler attempted to reach an agreement with the Catholic Church.
This ‘agreement’ is known as the Concordat.
❑ Hitler agreed to allow Catholics the freedom to worship as they
pleased. He also agreed that he would not interfere or change how
Catholic schools educated children.
❑ The Catholic Church agreed that its Catholic priests and bishops would
not interfere in politics or the Nazi regime. They also agreed that its Catholic priests and bishops would swear loyalty to the Nazi regime.
Breaking the concordat.
However, Hitler broke his side of the agreement:
❑ Catholic priests were bullied and arrested – many ended up in concentration camps.
❑ Catholic schools were closed or told to follow the same rules as Nazi run schools.
❑ Catholic youth groups such as the Catholic Youth League were banned with its children being made to join the Nazi’s own youth groups.
The reaction of the Catholic Church
By 1937, the Pope (Pius XI) realised that the Concordat was worthless and that Hitler had broken all of the promises he had made. He issued a harsh criticism of the Nazi regime in a statement known as ‘With Burning Anxiety’.
Control of the Protestant church
Two thirds of Germany’s Christians were Protestant. Afterall, the Protestant Church movement had begun in Germany. The Protestant Church was more supportive of the Nazi Party to begin with.
The reich church 1936
By 1936, the Protestant Church decided to work with the Nazis to form one single Protestant Church called the Reich Church. Hitler made Ludwig Muller the leader of this Reich Church. Muller was a Protestant priest and he was an early supporter of Hitler. Muller had already supported the idea that marriage between Germans and Jews must be banned and that God himself was an ‘Aryan’.
The pastors emergency league.
❑ Not all Protestants accepted the Nazi regime. A few spoke out against Hitler.
❑ The most famous of these was Pastor Martin Niemoller. In 1933, he was one of the pastors who set up the Pastor’s Emergency League.
❑ This group campaigned against the Nazis. However, in 1937, Niemoller was sent to a concentration camp and the Pastor’s Emergency League was banned.
