History Germany: Hitler and Religion

Why Hitler didn't like the Catholic Church
1. Catholics owed their loyalty to the pope, not Hitler
2. Catholics supported the centre party
3. catholic parents preferred to send their children to catholic youth movement rather than nazi youth
Concordat
1. 1933: Hitler signed the Concordat
2. Hitler promised to leave the catholic church alone as long as the catholic church kept out of politics
3. Hitler broke the promise and removed the crucifix from classrooms, schools were taken away from church control, catholic youth was illegal
4. Priests opposed Hitler, 400 priests sent to Dachau concentration camp, pope lost patient with Hitler by 1937
Reich Church
1. Set up in 1933
2. Protestant groups that supported Hitler agrred to join to form the Reich Church
3. led by Ludwig Muller
4. Keenest members called themselves "German Christians"
5. "the swastika on our chest and the cross on our hearts"
Confessional Church
1. Many protestant priests and pastors opposed Hitler and the Reich church
2. led by Martin Niemoller
3. 6,000 pastors supported this church, leaving only 2,000 for the Reich church
4. Niemoller and other pastors were arrested and sent to concentration camps

Resource summary

	Created by rubymelia over 10 years ago