Die nationalsozialistische Verfolgung der Zeugen Jehovas in Frankfurt am Main
The reappraisal of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses (Bibelforscher, Bible Students) in Nazi Germany, both at state and society level, has been carried out by taking Frankfurt am Main as a case study and by using many individual examples. There are brief outlines of what led to certain ind...
| Published in: | Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
2003
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| In: |
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Year: 2003, Volume: 16, Issue: 2, Pages: 368-462 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | The reappraisal of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses (Bibelforscher, Bible Students) in Nazi Germany, both at state and society level, has been carried out by taking Frankfurt am Main as a case study and by using many individual examples. There are brief outlines of what led to certain individuals being put into prison or concentration camp, or to death, and oral-history reports by survivors have also been taken into consideration. The study, which answers the question how the disastrous confrontation with the Nazi system came about, gives a statistical overview of the persecution and the history of the Bible Students in Frankfurt before and after the Hitler dictatorship. The documentation revolves around historical pivotal dates, such as the convention on June 25, 1933, in Berlin-Wilmersdorf and the protests of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which included a campaign of sending telegrams and letters to Hitler (1934) and two nationwide leaflet distributions (1936 and 1937). Included, also, was the release in three languages of a book which documents the persecution and which was reviewed by Nobel prizewinner Thomas Mann (1938). The article discusses the favorable Darmstadt court decision of March 26,1934, the increase of harsher decisions against Jehovah's Witnesses afterwards, comments on the Bibelforscher-Prozesse (Bible Student court cases), and mentions the role of the German press marching in line with the Nazi system. The conduct of Jehovah's Witnesses in Hitler Germany can be described as "spiritual resistance based on Christian conviction," but in no way was this resistance politically motivated, nor was it aimed at the removal of the government. The "relative obedience" of Jehovah's Witnesses toward the state is still, even today, misinterpreted as nonrecognition of state authority. Since the public showings of the video documentation, Jehovah's Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault (1996-2003), along with a history exhibition, which were viewed by over 600,000 visitors in Germany alone, Jehovah's Witnesses have come to be recognized and acknowledged as one of the NS-Opfergruppen (victim groups of National Socialism) among the general public and professional circles. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-808X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
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