Religious Resistance and Nazi Suppression
As Nazi control tightened, both Catholic and Protestant churches faced increasing suppression and interference in their affairs. The regime's actions led to a period of conflict known as the Kirchenkampf or Church Struggle.
The Catholic Church, despite initial agreements, found itself at odds with the Nazi government. The regime began shutting down Catholic youth groups and interfering with church activities.
Highlight: The breakdown of the concordat between the Nazi state and the Catholic Church led to increased persecution of Catholic institutions.
Protestant resistance, particularly through the Confessing Church, grew as the Nazis attempted to centralize control over Protestant denominations through the Reich Church.
Definition: Reich Church - A Nazi-controlled Protestant church organization aimed at unifying all Protestant churches under one pro-Nazi leadership.
Religious leaders who opposed Nazi policies faced severe consequences. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for example, was executed for his involvement in resistance activities.
Example: Bonhoeffer was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler and was executed in a concentration camp just weeks before the end of the war.
The Nazis also targeted religious youth groups, eventually shutting them down or forcing them to be absorbed into Nazi organizations like the Hitler Youth.
Vocabulary: Hitler Youth Hitlerjugend - The youth organization of the Nazi Party, which eventually replaced most religious youth groups.
Despite these efforts, the Nazis were never able to fully eliminate the influence of churches in Germany. Many Christians continued to practice their faith privately, even as public religious activities were curtailed.
Quote: "We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, reflecting on the spiritual nature of resistance against Nazism.