Church State Relations- Germany Flashcards
what percentage of the German population were protestant in the 1930s?
66%
what was in decline in Germany?
church attendance
what were most people still loyal to in Germany?
their religion
what were the Christian church suspicious of?
Liberal policies on individual freedoms of the Weimar Republic
were the Catholic Church willing to work with the Nazis?
yes
what did the Church share with the Nazis?
anti-communist views
what did the church in Germany fear?
communism
what did Hitler understand?
the importance of religion
what did hitler want to do by working with the Church?
he wanted to remove their influence over: education, the youth and politics
what did the Church in Germany have great influence over?
education, politics and youth
what did the Nazis want to create (religion)?
one unified protestant church
why did the Nazis want to create one unified protestant church?
it would be easier to control
what were regional churches replaced by?
a single church known as “Reichskirche”
what was the name of the Nazi church?
‘Reichskirche’
what was the german christian movement?
a movement which combined christianity, racism and anti-semitism
what did the german christian movement want to do?
they wanted to remove the ‘Jewish’ Old Testament from the Bible
who was the head of the ‘Reicchskirche’?
Bishop Ludwig Muller
who was Bishop Ludwig Muller?
the head of the ‘Reichskirche’
what did Bishop Ludwig Muller do as head of the ‘Reichskirche’? (3 things)
-removed Jewish pastors
-allowed Gestapo to monitor the contents of sermons
-ordered protestant youth groups to join Hitler Youth
how did the Nazis view the Catholic Church?
they viewed the international nature of it as suspicious
what did the Catholic Church display?
a willingness to work with the Nazis
what was the name of the agreement signed by the Nazis and the Church?
the 1933 Concordat
what was the concordat 1933?
an agreement between the Catholic Church and the Nazis
what did the concordat guarantee?
it guaranteed freedom of worship, protection of organisations and catholic education in Nazi State
what did the Church agree to abstain from interfering in German society?
politics
was the concordat of 1933 agreement maintained by the Nazis?
no
how did the Nazis break the concordat? (4 details)
-the Gestapo persecuted members of Catholic organisations (seized Jesuit property)
-Catholic youth groups banned
- intimidation to stop attending catholic schools
-propaganda campaign against the church (accusations of homosexuality + financial corruption)
how did the Church react to the Nazis breaking the agreement?
they did not challenge
examples of Anti-semitism:
-boycotted Jewish businesses
-law for the restoration of the professional service (civil service)
-restrictions on Jews working in medicine/legal professions
-banned Jewish actors from performing
-banned from cinemas, theatres and sporting. events
-offensive slogans painted on walls
-1935 Nuremburg Laws (Jews classed as 2nd class citizens)
what did the 1935 Nuremburg Laws mean for Jews?
they were officially classed as 2nd class citizens
when did Kristallnacht occur?
November 9th 1938
what was Kristallnacht?
a violent attack on the Jewish community organised by the Nazis
what was Kristallnacht in response to?
the murder of a German diplomat Ernest vom Rath
who was Ernest Rohm killed by?
a Jewish student who was frustrated at his family being deported
why was the Jewish student frustrated?
his family was deported by the Nazis
what happened during Kristallnacht?
synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned and attacked
who carried out the attacks?
the SA,SS and Hitler Youth
what happened to Jews during Kristallnacht?
they were murdered, arrested, attacked, sent to concentration camps
who was fined by the Nazis for the murder of Ernest Rohm?
the Jewish community
how much was the jewish community fined?
1 billion marks
what did Kristallnacht cause?
the rate of emigration and suicide accelerated amongst the Jewish community
what was the Nazis Anti-Semitism policy?
- exclusion from German life
- escalation of violent persecution (Kristallnacht)
- mass destruction of Jews in Europe (final solution/Holocaust)
